Inspirational Authors Revealed - Because the world needs your book

The Case of Expressing Your True Nature

April 24, 2017 by Leda Sammarco Leave a Comment

“We are Nature.

Nature and people are simply part of one another.

The natural world is at the heart of our well-being.

If we are willing to listen and pay attention to Nature, we will begin to recognise our innate sense of connection and belonging.

When we become accepting, warmer and kinder towards ourselves and our experiences of life, we are naturally kinder to others. We can then extend this kindness outwards to all living things.”

Lisa McLoughlin, artist and creator of Tree Wisdom cards, tells the Book Detective that nature can teach us kindness. Most of us feel we aren’t good enough, and may look at other people around us, who we feel are more successful or better in some way – or as Lisa calls it, ‘compare and despair’! But, as she explains, nature is always true to itself. An oak tree does not want to be a beech tree, it never doubts its purpose (going from acorn to oak), and it will make the most of where it is planted. Lisa also shares some inspiring personal stories, in particular of how she was pulled away from her love of art as a teenager to pursue a career within a scientific field, and many moons later found her way back to it, reconnecting from a much deeper, richer and more joyful place.

A lover of nature since childhood, she explains why trees have always been our greatest allies and that nature is essential for our wellbeing. Even looking at a painting or photograph of nature can have a beneficial effect on us.

Lisa creates all of her card packs as ‘medicine for herself’ trusting that they will also be beneficial and appealing to others. She calls her cards, kindness companions, and her Tree Wisdom cards are an oracle deck. There are no rules for using them, and they are not about predicting the future. Instead, they can provide us with gentle guidance, and help us to connect with our own intuition and inner wisdom. If you have a particular question, you can hold it in your mind and shuffle the cards before picking one at random, or you may want to pick a card a day and consider what it has to tell you in that moment. They are designed to empower and inspire you to thrive and flourish.

If you like the sound of that, you can find out more about Lisa and her cards at her store, Whimsy of Nature or connect with her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lisamcloughlinart/

Trees are our strongest allies says @lisamcloughlina Click To Tweet

The Case of the Heart Felt Connection

March 31, 2017 by Leda Sammarco Leave a Comment

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“Slowing down is choosing to make ordinary moments in your life extraordinary, to become conscious of what you are doing, and to know you are responsible for creating the quality of these moments. When feelings of discomfort arise, it can be a reminder that you have gotten distracted and your Heart is reminding you to refocus. Have you ever been asked what you had for breakfast and you simply couldn’t remember? That is probably because you were doing ten things at once and most likely thinking about twenty-two other things at the same time. Rushing around is a habit that keeps you from being able to connect to your Heart throughout the day.”

Robin Lee, author of Listen Up! Your Heart is Speaking, tells the Book Detective that our Heart is always speaking to us, and that it wants to be heard. She says that we can all reconnect with our Heart if we commit to doing it.

A great way to start the day is by anchoring into your Heart, taking deep breaths and finding stillness, rather than being awoken with a jolt by the strident tones of an alarm clock.

Unlike the mind, which can be fearful, the Heart doesn’t hold any fear. If you struggle with fear, breathe deeply and breathe your fear into your Heart to help melt the fear away. At the same time, Robin says it is important to acknowledge your fears and honour what you are afraid of rather than pretending they do not exist. She is also a great fan of journaling as this reveals what is really underneath the fear you are feeling in any given moment – do be sure to write using your non-dominant hand, as it speaks from a more emotional place, rather than a logical one.

If you are a procrastinator and always struggling to make the ‘right’ decision, (I hear you on that!), then Robin says there are no wrong choices. She explains that the Heart knows what is best for us and our personal evolution, and it wants to support us and guide us to a profoundly joyful life. And let go of the word ‘should’; it closes the Heart chakra!

Robin includes a number of exercises in her book to help strengthen your Heart connection, such as ‘Hands On’, which involves breathing whilst placing your left hand on your stomach and your right hand on your chest. This creates a healthy circuit that allows for a greater level of energy to flow.

Robin says that many of us think that we don’t matter (often due to experiences in childhood), but we all do. We can empower ourselves by slowing down, breathing, keeping things simple, and focusing on what we love (even if we feel things aren’t going our way); this helps to make ordinary moments extraordinary.

If you like the sound of that, then you can connect with Robin at www.intuitionheals.com or on Twitter @intuitionheals

Your Heart speaks to you all the time says @intuitionheals - Are you listening? Click To Tweet

The Case of Being Free-From Hard Work

March 22, 2017 by Leda Sammarco Leave a Comment

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“In my view, freedom is not only possible for entrepreneurs, it is essential to being an effective business creator. How can you make appropriate decisions if you are stressed out? How can you expect to have spontaneous ideas about business opportunities if you are constantly frantic? How can you contemplate delegating your responsibilities if you are too busy to consider it? How can you be an effective business person if you are on the verge of burnout?”

Peter Carey, author of Freedom Entrepreneur, tells the Book Detective why he believes that hard work can actually lead to the failure of your business. As someone who personally experienced burnout, he now has a successful business ‘in which’ he does no actual work, allowing him to do what he enjoys and travel the world.

He believes that it is possible for all business owners to create a successful business without ever doing any hard work – yay to that!

Peter discusses some of the practical aspects required to achieve this, such as taking time out to allow those creative ideas to come in, seeing your business as separate from yourself, finding the right business model and involving other people in your entrepreneurial journey. At the same time, he explains that this is also a journey of personal development which can involve learning to trust and act on your intuition, being congruent, releasing any negative beliefs, and being comfortable with making money. All of the above and more are an essential part of making a successful journey from being a worker/employee to becoming an effective leader and delegator, or as he calls it a ‘leadigator’!

Refreshingly Peter does not believe in growth at all costs, and says it is preferable to ‘create a business that excellently serves the needs of its founders, staff members, customers and suppliers.’

He does however believe in thinking big and having a vision for the future of your business and believes that as entrepreneurs we, ‘create, for ourselves and others, opportunities that would otherwise be forever hidden. We forge new environments by saying how things will be. We produce new products and services where otherwise they would never have existed. We change the world.’

If this has inspired you to bring more freedom into your life and business, then you can connect with Peter at https://www.freedomentrepreneurbook.com/

Want to be a Freedom Entrepreneur? Listen in to find out more... Click To Tweet

The Case of the Lone Walker

October 5, 2016 by Leda Sammarco Leave a Comment

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“The road to the villa was clearly signposted, and I headed down a deliciously shaded road with not a car in sight. The further I walked, the more concerned I grew: the road sloped downhill, and slowly increased its grade until it was a fairly steep descent. I knew I would have to walk back up this hill on my return, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had walked so far along the South Downs Way now that I was always wary when the trail took me downhill. While it provided a brief rest, it also meant that eventually the trail would head uphill again.”

Holly Worton, author of Alone on the South Downs Way, tells the Book Detective why walking defines her: it helps her to quiet her mind, stay on track, and connect to her true self. It is a very important part of her life and essential for her self-care; she now puts ‘walking’ in her calendar. Despite having walked since she was a teenager, the South Downs Way was her first long-distance walk, and many of the things she learnt during those eight days can also be applied to other areas of life.

As a business mindset coach she shares how important it is to know your motivation (why you want to walk), because if you don’t it is much easier to quit when the going gets tough. There are many ways to walk a trail: as a day, weekend or a long-distance walker – it is all about finding your own rhythm. Holly used to speed-walk but walking the SDW, which is 100 miles long, and carrying a heavy pack, she had to slow down, and she now goes at a slower pace on day walks too. She says that this allows her to stop and look at things, be present and enjoy the journey.

Holly explains that walking for her is a spiritual activity; an outdoor mobile meditation. She has a spiritual outlook on life in general and enjoys getting a weekly Akashic records reading by email with messages from her record keepers. The Akashic records are like a ‘virtual encyclopaedia with a “book” on each person in the world, including information on your past and present lives.’ Before writing this book she wondered if people would really want to read it and received a message outlining the importance of doing so because it would help others. Similarly just before she began the walk she received a message of encouragement and was told that she would be reconnecting with her ancestors. If you are intrigued by this, you can find out more at http://www.medicinedreamhealing.com/weekly-messages-2/ – Holly explains that walking in general does give her a sense of being connected to her ancestors, and certain places can deepen these connections considerably.

All national trails are well-signposted. Despite this Holly did manage to get lost at one point and on retracing her steps realised where she had gone wrong. She underlines the importance of paying attention to signs that are all around us by slowing down, being aware and connecting to your intuition. Despite walking 100 miles by herself she explained that she felt completely safe and always does whenever she walks in the UK. She describes the South Downs as a magical place, and says that it has a special energy, and delightful villages, such as the fairy-tale village of Alfriston (I agree!).

Walking the South Downs Way made her realise that she is a long-distance walker, and it helped her let go of a belief that she was not athletic (having been the smart kid rather than the sporty one at school!). Holly would like to encourage everyone to experience the joys of country walks, and to consider going solo – you never know it could be the beginning of a whole new adventure!

If you would like to find out more about walking or even walk your first long distance trail with Holly as your guide, then go to She Walks in Nature http://shewalksinnature.com

If you are a woman entrepreneur and would like to have a clear vision for your business, be in flow, feel confident and make intuitive, aligned decisions, then you can get in touch with Holly at http://www.hollyworton.com/

The Case of the Nine Questions

September 26, 2016 by Leda Sammarco Leave a Comment

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“What kind of world would we be living in if:

We all saw that we are everything

We saw that nothing around us is separate or different to us

We saw that all any of us are asking for is simply to be seen and loved.”

Mary Daniels, author of Wild Awakening, tells the Book Detective how she realised that she’d settled for ‘the equivalent of a fast-food take-away life with little or no planning, preparation or connection to her days.’ Now she does something called a daily prep to calm her mind and ground herself for the day ahead. A focal part of this prep is the 9 questions.

One of these is around trust and Mary shares how, despite many challenging life experiences, she has always had a strong sense of trust in life, of being held by the source of life itself. She explains that this is about connecting to herself, not as the personality of Mary, who has her limitations, but as the essence of spirit that is Mary and who is unlimited; it is about tapping into the universal to guide the personal. If we do that then we know that we can trust in ourselves to guide and make the best possible choices in life. She also said that there are signs in and around us pointing us in the right direction and that in order to notice these we need to slow down. A great way to do this is to move at the speed of nature and to learn from the natural world that is never judging itself.

Another of her questions is around love, which is at the heart of the book. Mary says that love is our essence and that most of us really don’t know and understand this and that we really are not separate from one another. She wants to live her life as an example of the love that she is and to inspire others to do the same. As we grow up self-love is our responsibility and Mary emphasises the importance of parenting our inner child; that vulnerable part of us that can need extra self-care. We are always growing and in a sense are never completely grown-up!

Ultimately she urges us all to, ‘please have fun – go wild!’ She said that we need to get away from this idea that powerful lessons can only be learnt from traumatic experiences. This is not the way life has to be. We can learn gently and playfully, and we need to trust that everything is fundamentally alright; life wants us to succeed.

Despite the many challenges she has experienced she doesn’t have any regrets because she has chosen to learn from everything and can see the purpose behind the path she chose.

If you would like to find out more about those nine questions and awaken your wild side, then you can connect with Mary at www.marydaniels.co.uk or on Facebook

If you are connected to yourself, you can trust in Life. Listen in to @thelifechef Click To Tweet

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