Q & A With Author and Life Coach, Faith L. Walls

It started off as a senseless tragedy.
Faith's mom died in her sleep. Unexpectedly.
But years later, Faith has found meaning and purpose through penning a touching new book containing her mom's "pearls of wisdom" called Ten Lessons My Mother Taught me Before She Died.
She joins us today to talk about her new role and her new journey. Please join me in welcoming her.

 Q. Can you tell my readers a little about who you are and your background?
　
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. My parents were CPS teachers. Although I wanted to become a surgeon, I ended up following in their footsteps. I’ve worked as the Dean of Students at an all-girl school, my former alma mater Maria High School, for two years before moving to Sweden for one year to research relational aggression among girls in Sodertalje, Sweden.

I love the Boston Celtics and hope to one day own part of the team. My favorite foods are American pancakes, Atlantic salmon, and gummi bears. In order to relax, I enjoy watching Spongebob or the golf channel.

Q. What inspired you to write "10 Lessons My Mother Taught Me Before She Died?"

My mother was a writer; she taught me how to write poetry, so writing has always been a part of my life. She and I always wanted to write children’s books together. After she died I felt a pull to work on a project that was both cathartic and a tribute to the memories we shared.

Q. What would you like readers to take away from your book?

Honestly, whatever they choose to take away. Whatever words, ideas, or themes they feel resonate with them, I want them to take and apply to their lives in a positive way. Overall, I do want them to realize that whether you chose to live or to merely exist, you only get one life.
　
Q. Of all the lessons your mom taught you, which would you say has probably been the most rewarding or profound?
　
“You have not, because you ask not”. That lesson has been most profound because I’ve been able to take advantage of so many different opportunities in my life because I wasn’t afraid of anyone’s “no”. Instead, I anticipate the yes.

 Q. Has anything surprised you in particular, in your journey to become a published author?

It’s surprised me that I’ve actually published the book. For the last five years the book has been merely a Word document on my computer. So the fact that I actually have a hard copy of a work that took a half decade to produce is surprising and exciting.

 Q. Can you tell us what it was like to live in Sweden for a year?

Amazing; it took me probably about a month for me to realize that I was actually living there and not just visiting. Since my first trip to Sweden in 2007, it’s always felt like home. Actually I was traveling with Up with People, a global education program in Sweden, when my mother died suddenly. The opportunity to live in Sweden made me feel great because it had been a dream of mine for years.

Sweden is beautiful; although the winters can be cold and dark. On the other hand, the summers are beautiful with long hours of light. It’s very clean and the water and air are so crisp. The language was difficult to master. Most Swedish people are fluent in English, but my host mom wanted to be sure that her host kid could have conversations in Swedish. She’s the best Swedish teacher a girl could ask for.

Q. What would it surprise others to know about you?

Although I’ve traveled to 25 countries on 5 continents, I absolutely hate to fly.
　
　
Q. If you could share one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?

Your story matters. Don’t let anyone tell you that it doesn’t, especially not you! Sometimes we can be our toughest critics and talk ourselves out of anything. I saw a quote the other day by Queen Latifah. She said: “Over-thinking is a form of fear!” I think the same is true about writing a book. Don’t over think your message. Just write from your heart and the hearts of your readers will be touched.

Q. Speaking of life's lessons, which one has been the hardest for you to master? Do tell.　　
　
"You have not, because you ask not.” It has been the most difficult lesson to master, because it’s the easiest one to remember, but it’s like a muscle. You have to constantly exercise your mastery of the level. There have been hundreds of times that I’ve had to remind myself that a current situation is the perfect opportunity to put that lesson in practice.
　

Q. Can you tell us a little about your life coaching business?
Sure. In 2011, I hired my life coach Kenneth Carlson of Authentic Development. He changed my life and introduced me to the world of life-coaching. After coaching me and mentoring me, he encouraged me to start my own business. Because of my interest in being an expert and advocate for girls and women. I decided to link my two interests together and become a life-coach for girls and women.

Anyone interested in my coaching sessions should contact me via my email address: faithelleenterprises@gmail.com. Initially, we can set up an hour sample coaching session so that potential clients can see if there is a good fit. From there we talk about the ways the person is interested in using coaching to move forward in their lives, and or career.

Order your copy of "10 Lessons" at Amazon.com.

Thoughts, readers?