We all need and want the good things in life: health, abundance, home, family, friends, career. Some of us have these things most of the time. Most of us have these things some of the time. The trick is to balance the whole thing.
Lori Hanson comes with a set of gleaming scales in her hands to help people find their balance. Her foundation is nutrition, which is where her sense of balance begins. But it now also extends to a more inclusive sense of all life’s complexities.
And this is where Lori and I connect. We met a few years ago while both of us were booth guests at Book Expo and she’s an irresistibly bright sunflower in full bloom. Though she approaches from a health perspective, and I come from a metaphorical-metaphysical point of view, we meet in the middle and discover great synergy as well as major points of agreement.
The theme of both my novels and my various seminars is Head and Heart. Indeed, readers get a major clue about this from the title of my upcoming novel, What the Heart Knows, which is due in bookstores and online stores next month. This balancing of “head”, i.e. intellect, smarts, logic, strategy, with “heart”, i.e. intuition, instinct, gut-feeling, inner guidance, was the substance of an hour-long conversation Lori has posted as part of her VIP Connection. Lori offers a membership—$1.00 for the first month—which allows access to podcasts of discussions and classes. That’s where you’ll find the audio of our conversation, and later she’ll offer a pdf download as well. It was a great discussion, full of stories and advice, revelations and recommendations.
Lori is an award-winning author of three non-fiction books, a motivational keynote speaker, and a stress-and-eating-disorder coach. She founded Learn 2 Balance in 2008 and her business has grown exponentially ever since. I asked what her core mission is. “To encourage people to live consciously and turn off auto-pilot. I teach people to learn to balance their lives.” And sometimes it takes quite a bit of self-examination and some major “Aha!” moments before a lack of balance is even recognized.
We laughed during our conversation last evening, when we realized we’ve arrived at almost exactly the same wording for what we both consider to be a major key to balance. “When I listen to my readers,” I said, “I hear them go through their to-do lists, but they never mention themselves until they get to the very bottom!” Lori offers coaching on that very subject. So both my fiction and her non-fiction are pointing toward an important issue in women’s lives. It’s not just that we’re over-scheduled. It’s that we’re incorrectly prioritized.
What does Lori recommend? Looking at foundational issues like eating, exercise, and time management. What do I recommend? Asking yourself: in your heart of hearts, what are those things you’ve always wanted to do? Are you doing them? Isn’t it time to start? How about starting by reading my new Milford-Haven short story? I guarantee you’ll inhale a lovely breath of coastal air and gain a little perspective.
As Lori and I agree—it’s our very life that’s in the balance.
For more information on the changes that are taking place with The Milford Haven Novels, please read my newsletter. If you have not subscribed, visit www.MaraPurl.com to have my newsletter sent to your mailbox every month.
