I remember the day clearly, when Laura Malina Seiler sat me down over a delicious meal in Berlin-Mitte to tell me about her new venture. She was planning a podcast with the intent of motivating listeners to lead a fulfilled and peaceful life. It was to be called Happy, holy, confident. Laura had grand plans, a lofty vision. I love it when people live their dreams and powerfully bring their ideas to fruition – we need people like this, who dare to step into their own light.
Shortly after our meeting, Laura –a certified coach – broadcast her first episode. The podcast has become one of the most successful shows in Germany with listeners numbering in the millions. A few days ago, her first book, Mögest du glücklich sein, appeared on shelves and it’s already poised to become a bestseller. Wonderful! High time to introduce Laura Malina Seiler, the woman behind “Happy, holy, confident” and Mögest du glücklich sein.
Laura, you’ve just published your first book. Do you want to tell us what it’s about?
My book is called Mögest du glücklich sein, which translates to “May you be happy.” The title might be misleading: the book is not a step-by-step guide on how to be happy, but rather deals with letting go of all of the things that prevent you from connecting to the seat of your power and realizing your full potential. The book deals largely with the topic ‘healing,’ how to heal your past and resolve old experiences. You learn tools for how to connect to your higher self in the present moment, and how to develop a clear vision for the future.
The title ‘may you be happy’ is also the first sentence of the loving-kindness meditation, which has had a profound effect on my life. It’s important to allow compassion into our lives. The essence of a higher self is, for me, the part of myself that can realize my own highest aspiration. The book helps you to identify this highest aspiration and then integrate it into your life.
But it’s not always easy to stay connected to this light in daily life. How do you manage to stay in touch with this ‘higher self’ and remain inspired?
My most important tool is meditation – it has changed me profoundly and continually supports me in turning my vision from the outside inward. We get lost so quickly, becoming stressed or stuck in the past or future. Meditation helps to reconnect with our essence. I find it very inspiring to stay in dialogue with the source, with the universe. Of course, there are bad days as well, but fewer all the time. When I am in dialogue, I can self-reflect and learn. If I have a day where everything seems to go wrong, I can consider what the cause was. Which thoughts and feelings contributed? Tomorrow I can then make different choices – I can apply what I’ve learned.
Something that’s been particularly fascinating to me regarding feelings: no one can insert a feeling into you. You choose your feelings. You are the creatress of your feelings. We are more powerful than we realize: we can choose. It’s important to allow yourself feelings like anger and fear – but it’s even more important to look behind those feelings and discover their source. And then bring healing to that source. Every situation in life is a chance to heal.
Do you have any pro-tips, aside from meditation, that can help to get centered in a jiffy?
Sa ta na ma – peace begins with me. This little finger exercise has saved me many times. I also come back to my breath in difficult or draining moments. And if the going gets really rough, I take an alkalizing bath to destress my body and release pent-up emotion. And, of course, Yoga. It’s become easier to move through life mindfully and to sense when emotions begin to run high – and I can release these feelings much more easily now than a few years ago.
So many people are prone to feeling victimized. Especially in the context of success. They look for excuses, why their lives aren’t working out quite like they’d planned, or why they don’t want to live in their own truth. How do you find your way – how do you allow yourself to step into your own light?
I think the key is that the WHY has to be greater than the self. This attitude has changed so much for me. I don’t do this work for myself. My ‘why’ is that I came in contact with coaching many years ago, and I felt that there’s someone out there who had the solution to my unique problem. I wish I had known that as a young girl – there were moments when I didn’t know if I wanted to go on living. I was so sad and all I wanted was for someone to come and tell me ‘Laura, everything is OK. You can do it.’
My ‘why’ is that I don’t want others to have to experience this kind of pain. And if they have already experienced it, I want to tell them that they’re not alone. I also don’t care how many others are already this kind of work – in fact, the more the better. Everyone in their own way. It’s your personality that makes the difference. Each of us has an important story to tell. We should have the courage to tell our story without comparing ourselves to others. It’s important to grown into our uniqueness.
Your podcast ‘Happy, holy, confident’ has been listened to millions of times. How do you explain its success?
I think there are various reasons. For one, I think that my WHY transcends me. I don’t do my work for me. I do my work because I feel a deep calling to help others. In my podcast, I tell stories from the heart, there are no interruptions for advertising, it’s all about honesty and pure love. Of course, I want to remind as many listeners as possible who they truly are, to help them forget the stories they tell about themselves and remind them what a miracle they are.
Each of us feels a deep desire to reconnect with our inner light. Of course, I’ve also experienced darkness in my life, but I’ve managed to transform it. I have no desire to be a victim in my own life – I want to be a powerful creatress and believe that I have that power within me. I love this life, and I want to give it everything I’ve got. Another aspect is quality, same as with you. Nothing is done carelessly – there’s so much love and work in all of it. For the same things that I give away for free on my podcast, others might take thousands of Euro.
You are actually a certified coach – how did you choose that path?
I searched for a long time. When I was 23, I had a transformative experience, just before Christmas. I was sitting in a train, feeling down and suddenly a flash of light passed through me. It was there and then gone again in a second, but it reminded me what life could feel like – how I could feel. Loved, safe, totally content with the way I was. Of course, I wanted to know where that feeling came from and, more importantly, how I could feel that way again. What did I have to do, to make that light stay forever and not just for a split second on the train? It had to be inside of me somewhere. It is there. That’s the biggest gift we can give ourselves – discovering this other way of seeing ourselves.
Shortly after that, I discovered coaching. It felt like destiny. I discovered all of the blame I was placing on my parents, my siblings, life, everyone around me. That’s when I realized that I wanted to become the best coach there is. I wanted to learn it all, and to help countless people in my life to have the same experience. When I started my training to become a life-coach, I was simultaneously attending university and working in music industry. As soon as I finished my coaching certification, I quit my job.
I get lots of questions about coaching-trainings, and I think everyone who feels called should participate in one. However, I don’t think that everyone can then work as a life-coach. One can be an amazing coach as a mom, a bus driver, doctor, sales woman or baker. It’s all about connecting to your inner light wherever you are. Whatever I do, I give it 100%. That’s one of the most important recipes for success – always give 100%, no matter what!
What makes you feel deeply content?
When I’m at the ocean, in nature. I’m deeply content when I’m lying in my partner’s arms. That’s when I know that everything is OK, no matter what’s happening in the world around me. My boyfriend is my harbor. It makes me so happy to experience such a fulfilling relationship. For years, I thought that it wasn’t meant for me because I didn’t love myself enough – our outer world is only reflection of our inner world. Every morning when I wake up, I say THANK YOU.
Is there something or someone who particularly inspires you?
Yes, the book Conversations with God really inspired me. Also, the book The Four Agreements. Dr. Joe Dispenza is someone who really inspires me. I just attended a Workshop with him in Mexico.
If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
Alive, I’d like to meet Oprah Winfrey. She managed not to live the story about herself, but rather to transform that story. She’s my biggest role model when it comes to self-perception. And a chat with the Buddha, that would be something…
Thank you, Laura!
