"KIM VAZQUEZ: New From The Inside Out"

by Cyrus Webb (Sept. Conversations Magazine)

With each passing year we are forced to either make changes in our lives or be content with where we are now. For California native Kim Vazquez staying where she was in life was not an option.

The world got to know her first through her book LIVING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. There we saw Vazquez as an individual that not in a happy place and found her path to getting to where she knew she belonged. Along her own journey she has been able to empower others and help them to find their own voice as well.

In her second book NEW FROM THE INSIDE OUT the author shares exactly what each of us need to do in order to start on the path that can lead us to our own inner peace and happiness. It's not going to happen overnight, but with dedication we can get to a place that makes each day a little less chaotic.

Through this conversation Kim Vazquez shares a part of her journey and let's you know how you can use her experiences to begin renewing yourself starting today.

Kim, two books later, what surprises you the most about this journey you have been on since first sharing your story with the world?

It was a big surprise when I realized that my body, alone, can produce a high better than any drug I've ever taken: Joy. All my life I was self-absorbed and miserable. My first thoughts were about me, and what others were doing wrong. Why doesn't anyone make me happy? Why doesn't anyone make me feel loved? Yet, truthfully, no amount of attention was ever enough. In the past five years or so, I found that when I'm loving and helpful toward others, I'm the one who ends up feeling full of love. What a shocker! A by-product of love is joy. And the cool thing about joy is that it doesn't wash over you briefly and then quickly fade away, like alcohol or pain pills do. Feelings of love and joy can last hours, sometimes even days at a time. Now that's the kind of high I'm looking for!

 

When you initially made the decision to write the first book what was your goal and do you think you achieved it?

 

There are so many people in the world who are in emotional pain and using one form of escape or another to deal with daily life. With Living in the Rear View Mirror I wanted to give hope to anyone thinking about changing their life, whether that means giving up addictions, overcoming trauma, or letting go of self-pity. My secondary goal was to reach those who don't realize they're heading toward addiction. By sharing what goes on inside the mind of a person with the disease of addiction, I hoped the book would provide opportunities for understanding and identification. Lastly, since the book covers a lot more than addiction, I also hoped it would inspire people to live consciously. There's so much magic to be witnessed in this life, I don't want anyone to miss out on it.

 

As for achieving my goal, last year I received an email from a woman who told me that the book saved her son's life. Whoa. That was humbling.

 

Were you surprised at the way readers responded to your journey and related to it?

 

I've enjoyed hearing how people found such a variety of messages, uniquely personal to themselves, in my journey. There are a lot of layers to my story, but I had no idea it would touch others on so many levels. That's a wonderful surprise. I had one woman tell me that she loved the book so much that there's no way I could ever write another book as good. Hmmm. Let's hope she's wrong about that.

We are all in a constant state of flux it seems, growing and learning more about ourselves and the world everyday. Do you think you would be able to help people the way you do now if you haven't been through the experiences that led you to this point?

 

No. The beauty of the journey was finding out that there is a purpose for everything I've been through. If I'd had a charmed life I don't know how I would have learned the lessons that make me who I am today. As hard as life can be, I see all experiences, even the unpleasant ones, as foundational for what's to come in our future. The more we learn, the better we become.

You said two years ago, Kim, when you were promoting NEW FROM THE INSIDE OUT that "the negative thoughts and fears we accumulate become obstacles and prevent our authentic, happy nature from revealing itself." Talk about the importance of changing our mindset when it comes to living a better life.

 

Negative thoughts and fears grow like weeds in the mind. When left unattended and unchallenged, they create a habitually negative mindset. Many of us still think that the conditions of our life create happiness. But, if you think about it, there are wealthy people who are miserable. And there are terminally ill people who laugh freely and have a smile for everyone. If you wish to be happier, a decision has to be made to work with your mind to retrain it to notice what's good in life. Inside my mind is an attorney. Each day she can either make a case for what I have to be grateful for, or a case for what sucks about life. Now, I don't always make the best choice for the day. There are times that I catch myself wallowing in my own muck. What's different today is that I know I have a choice. I'm not running on "negativity autopilot" anymore.

 

What's next for you?  

 

I joke with myself that the memoirs keep writing themselves. All I have to do is live my life. There's never a dull moment. My follow up memoir is in progress. The new book called, The Awakening: Angels, Callings and Divine Guidance is the story of how I embraced working with my intuitive gifts and overcame the fear associated with coming out of the spiritual closet. The angels also told me to focus on how my relationships were healed. It's a beautiful part of the story.

Thanks for your time, Kim. Always a pleasure to talk with you. How can our readers stay in touch or get autographed copies of your books?

Thank you, Cyrus! It's always an honor to be interviewed by you. I can be reached at www.kimvazquez.com. Peace & Love to you, and your readers.