The Journey to Happy – How Embracing the Concept That “Nothing Is Wrong” Can Transform Your Life
Debra Stangl, Founder of Sedona Soul Adventures
1) What inspired you to write the book?
I got a second chance in my life and I want others to know that it’s possible to have that. In January, 1999, everything in my life was not the way I wanted it to be – I was doing work I hated (I had just started my 20th year as a divorce attorney in Omaha, Nebraska), I was in an unhappy marriage (and was our sole financial support), I was $50,000 in debt and 40 pounds overweight.
Needless to say, I was at a real low point in my life.
I came to the spiritual mecca of Sedona, Arizona for what I thought would be three days of just being quiet. Instead, I did one session with an amazing practitioner and received the message “you either leave your law practice now or you’re going to die like your mother did”. My mother died at the age of 51 and I was exactly the age she was when she first got ill with the cancer that would take her life five years later.
I got the message. I went back to Omaha and within two weeks, $50,000 dropped out of the sky. Six months later I closed my law practice. I spent the next three years coming to Sedona a month at a time doing healing work with the amazing healers who have been drawn here from all over the world.
Two weeks before 9/11, I received the message that I was to move to Sedona. Two months later I moved to Sedona and stared Sedona Soul Adventures. I have assembled a network of over 50 of Sedona’s most amazing practitioners and we do custom designed retreats for individuals and couples all in private one-on-one (or two-on-one) sessions. Over the past 14 years we’ve transformed the lives and relationships of over 8,000 people.
Along the way, I developed the concepts I talk about in the book. Utilizing those, I dropped 40 pounds in 5 weeks (without diet or exercise), achieved financial abundance and went from doing work I hated to doing the work I love with Sedona Soul Adventures.
I got happy. I went from despair to bliss and
I want to show others how they can do that too.
2) What's been your biggest challenge as an author so far?
My biggest challenge so far has been having the guts to really let it all hang out and be willing to show all the warts. I’ve been divorced three times, it’s embarrassing to admit I was $50,000 in debt and it’s embarrassing to show my before picture when I was 40 pounds overweight. Talking about my father’s alcoholism and my mother’s death were very painful, but they all contributed greatly to who I am. Plus, I feel that readers really appreciate it when you let them know that you had lots of problems too.
3) What's one thing you've celebrated or what's been a high point of writing your book?
It’s amazing to me that even after working on the book for over 6 years (!) it’s really uplifting to me to read the book. Going over it and over it, editing and re-editing, actually puts me in a happy mood. The philosophy in the book is so uplifting, that I uplift myself every time I read even a part of it.
I’m also really happy that even though it took so long, I know that happened because there were people who came to me at exactly the right time to add another, bigger layer to the book. My publisher (although I’m technically self-publishing) convinced me to do a Journey to Happy Video Companion Course, and I’m so glad I did that, it adds a whole new layer for the reader to engage. And I’m so happy I met Tamara Monosoff who gave me the fantastic advice to make the book interactive. Again, I think that takes the book to a much deeper level.
4) What's surprised you the most about writing your book?
First that I was able to finish it! Second, that the people who have read it really liked it and felt it really touched them and helped them. I think a lot of us have the thought “who would be interested in what happened to me?” or “what do I have to say that is of any value?”, but everyone who has read my book so far has told me it was valuable for them. That is so incredibly gratifying and has made all the hard work worthwhile.
5) What's one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Just do it. If you have a book inside of you, you aren’t going to be happy until it’s out of you. Find a coach to help you birth it or at least get a friend to make you accountable. Set aside regular time to work on the book (I set aside two half-days per week to get it completed). Drop the insistence that it has to be perfect. As I say in my book,
“finished is better than perfect!”
Thank you, Debra for sharing your story with us!
Pick up a copy of Debra's extraordinary book now. Click the link below:
The Journey to Happy: How Embracing the Concept that “Nothing is Wrong” Can Transform Your Life.
Click here to watch an inspiring VIDEO message from Debra too.
Enjoy!
Tamara
Debra,
I love your subtitle, “How Embracing the Concept that ‘Nothing is Wrong’ Can Transform Your Life”. Your story IS motivating and your message is strong. I wish you continued success and hope to meet you either in a shared group of Tamara’s or in Sedona!
Annette d. Giacomazzi