Erin Schaden shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Erin, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Coffee, always coffee!
Then I feed my animals.
Finally, with coffee in hand, I return to bed to write for about an hour and a half.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a 30 year divorce attorney/coach/mediator. I have a background in psychology and write extensively on relationships, marriage, family law and divorce. My passion is helping people in relationships that do not serve them find a better way to relate and live.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That everyone else knew the rules, or at least knew what they were doing. I have come to realize that none of us really knows what we are doing and, therefore, are all just winging it. Some days we crash and burn, some days we soar. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, takes their turn crashing and soaring. I wish I would have given myself more credit earlier for how I lived instead of thinking, always, that I was doing it wrong.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I have learned way more from my failures than I have my successes. And I also find that my failures are the connections I make with other people. Not everyone can relate to success but we can all relate to failure. It is the thing that makes us human and it is common to us all. We try, we fail, we learn to fail better. I have learned that pain is inevitable in this life, but suffering is optional. I always have choices. I can wallow in my pain or I can give myself time to grieve whatever I have lost and then figure out how to get myself out of the mess I likely created in the first place!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, in my daily blog, I put myself out there. All the ways I screw up, all the misdeeds and misleads. I try everyday to share my struggles, triumphs and how I feel about it all. I want you to know the whole me, not the all prettied up version I try to peddle on social media. I am a flawed, real human. And I really find that the only way to maintain a spiritual connection in my life is if the real me shows up in my private time and in my public life. What you see is what you get. Don’t like it, that is totally ok. I am not for everyone.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace in nature or with animals. The older I get, the less tolerance I have for cities and people. Don’t get me wrong, I love people and need them in my life. I guess I am just realizing, perhaps way late in life, it is who you allow into your inner circle that helps shape you into who and what you become. I allowed that inner circle to be filled with people who were not interested in growing and changing, who could not or would not grow spiritually. I allowed that to hold me back a great deal in this life. Today there is no replacement for my inner life. None. So I live in a small town, spend as much time in nature as I can and I try to walk in quiet solitude every chance I get.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erinschaden.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erineschaden/
- Linkedin: Erin Schaden
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erineschaden
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@erineschaden
- Other: https://medium.com/@erineschaden
https://substack.com/@erinschaden
nakedrandomthoughts.com
Image Credits
Erin Schaden
