Finding your inner happy!
Guess what? It’s time for another “Interview with Authors” on my blog! 
My guest today is Lucille Zimmerman, counselor and author of Renewed: Finding Your Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World, a book about self-care for women set for release in March 2013.
Jan: Lucille, your new book is about balancing a woman’s own needs with her drive to care for others. Personally, I find chocolate helps with that enormously. What is your favorite way to balance the demands of your life?
Lucille: One of my favorite ways is to teach women how to have boundaries. My book gives readers permission to examine where they spend their energy and time, and learn to set limits and listen to “that inner voice.”
Jan: You’ve got an ‘inner voice’, too? I thought it was just me. Wow- sharing makes me feel more balanced already! You also post cool, interesting, and motivational links and tips on your Facebook page and website. In fact, one article last summer really intrigued me. It was about research into how stress shrinks your brain, and it really confirmed something I’d always suspected: while I was raising my five kids, I was losing brain cells. But what I found even more interesting was that in experiments, the effect of stressful life events in humans was equated to what mice experienced from footshock. I’m curious, which do you think would be worse: parenting for 30+ years or getting your foot shocked?
Lucille: Actually, it’s trauma that has been shown to shrink certain parts of the brain. My definition of trauma is anything you can’t make sense of. So wetting your pants in the first grade may have been very traumatic.
Jan: Lucille, I did not wet my pants in the first grade. Who told you that?
Lucille: No one. I was giving an example.
Jan: Oh. You were saying?
Lucille: Parents divorcing may have been traumatic. Certainly neglect and abuse is traumatic. But scientists have seen that counseling and anti-depressants (SSRI’s) have been shown to grow new brain cells in parts of the brain.
Jan: I might be able to grow brain cells to replace the ones my kids ate up?
Lucille: With counseling and/or SSRIs, yes, it’s possible.
Jan: And you don’t have a foot fetish?
Lucille: No foot fetish. But I do have a fetish to see hurting people find healing. My book contains all the insights and ideas that helped me heal from some very painful losses and traumas. Through practical ideas and relatable anecdotes, readers can better understand their strengths and their passions – and address some of the underlying struggles or hurts that make them want to keep busy or minister to others to the detriment of themselves.
Jan: What are you wearing? Never mind. Do you eat chocolate?
Lucille: I love chocolate!
Jan: What is your best piece of advice to women when it comes to self-valuing?
Lucille: One common phrase I use with my clients is, “Your needs are good. The way you’re getting your needs met may not be so good.” Many women have been taught to deny their own pain and busy themselves with caretaking others. But pain waits. Buried pain wrecks havoc on women’s lives. It causes them to act out with food, sex, drugs, alcohol, shopping, etc. My book Renewed helps women understand the places where they got hurt and gives them practical help.
Jan: I don’t know, Lucille. The food, sex, and shopping part sounds pretty good to me. Just kidding – I actually hate shopping. Seriously, though, I am a huge advocate of women supporting and encouraging each other to grow and heal and shine, and every one of us can benefit from the wisdom and advice you offer. Thanks for being here today, and readers, don’t forget to check out Lucille’s blog for more great tips on becoming the best you can be! And be sure to take a look at Renewed: Finding Your Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World.
Inner happy – doesn’t that just make you feel good all over? Sounds at least as good as chocolate…
