Interview with Kimberly Burnham, PhD and featured author in Pearls of Wisdom, 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life Now.

I met Kimberly through Facebook on a writer's page. She's one of many authors in a new book Pearls of Wisdom. This book caught my interest because of this collaboration. 


Many intelligent, giving, understanding, honest, and expressive people have come together to help others learn from their most helpful lessons in life.


Kimberly's 5 word description of her chapter touched me. "Beauty comes from our experiences." I believe this to be true. No matter your beginning, no matter where you are now, your experiences mold and change you. If you can see the beauty in each one, you will grow.


Below are the questions I asked her:


1.    What one word would you say to someone who is stuck in a holding pattern in her/his life?

Connect!  

By connecting we can better appreciate the ways others can support our journey and shine a light on our path, making it easier for us to find our way. At the same time, one of the best ways to get "unstuck" is to share our gifts and knowledge with others.

2.    What would you say to writers, who are always on their computer writing?

As I write my stories, I see my life in a fresh way. I see what I have learned from different experiences. I see what I have to share that can inspire others. I see the patterns emerge. Writing about your experiences is so important, as is sharing your talents and learning, but ultimately you must have experiences.

You must observe your world as you live the experiences. You must connect with the beauty in yourself, in others, in the natural world. 


Brain research has shown that simply noticing natural patterns improves our brain, our eyes and ultimately our life. Fractals are patterns in nature and in mathematics. A tree is a fractal, with a branching pattern. Seeing and understanding the pattern can help you heal more quickly even after surgery.

Get out and enjoy the patterns in nature, in your experiences and in your relationships. Then write about them and share your experience with others.

3.    Did you use an editor to help you with your writing?

I am very fortunate to work on this book with the editors at Hierophant Publishing, which is associated with Hampton Roads Publishing Company. Even before I submit material I have my personal editor, Chandler Tyrrell at Wordstream, whom I love, do some editing. 


Having someone, preferably more than one person, with some distance from the experience and your writing is a key element in good writing.

4.    Describe this book in 5 words.

Beauty comes from our experiences.

5.    Describe your chapter in this book in 5 words.

Recognizing the pattern heals us.

My Pearls of Wisdom chapter title is: Fractals: Seeing the Patterns in Our Existence.

6.    Were you involved in the publishing side of this work? If yes, what did you learn about publishing in today's market?

This is a relatively new model where authors are asked to exchange the book price of fifty books for 100 physical books to be sold and distributed as we wish, coaching calls, membership in a creative supportive group of leaders, sharing of the book pages with Jack Canfield and other inspirational thought leaders, a bio and website link at the end of each of our chapters which will be seen by tens of thousands, perhaps millions of readers. 


I have learned so much, not about the actual publishing process for the physical book, but more about how to share my story in a more impactful way.  This has enabled me to reach a much bigger audience with my message that our ability to observe, engage and respond to the world around us is a key component in our enjoyment and success in life.

7.    What form of media has helped launch the most interest in this book? Twitter? Facebook? Book signings? Email? Mailings?

For Pearls of Wisdom, published April 1, 2012, Facebook is the hub for author activities including Twitter and Linkedin posts, book signings at Barnes and Noble as well as independent bookstores, a live teleconference, email and virtual blog tour. 


My favorite is book signings because I have a chance to talk directly to readers. 


There will be more information about the virtual blog tour and teleconference featuring Janet Bray Attwood, Asia Voight and other gifted thought leaders  at http://www.facebook.com/PearlsofWisdomBook <http://www.facebook.com/PearlsofWisdomBook>

8.    What is the one life's lesson you learned in childhood that has helped you the most in your adult life?

The value of education. When I was six-years-old, my family moved from Los Angeles, CA to Bogota, Colombia, where I attended an international school. On my way to school I walked through a barrio, where children my age lived in shelters built from cardboard and tin. Even at that age I understood how lucky I was to have the opportunity to go to school. 


I also learned from watching my father buy books and uniforms for some of the neighborhood children that sometimes it only takes a relatively small amount of money to change the course of a child's life. I observed my father pay for sewing classes for our maid and understood that her life would be better with the new knowledge and skills that education brings.

Last year, memories and emotions welled up inside of me as I listened to Cynthia Kersey talk about The Unstoppable Foundation's goal of educating children worldwide, contributing to raising them out of poverty.   http://www.unstoppable.net/ <http://www.unstoppable.net/>

She commented on how doable this goal is with the monetary equivalent of the what Americans spend on ice cream in a year. I will continue to buy ice cream (coconut is my favorite) but I donated much more than I spend on ice cream to the Unstoppable Foundation.

9. What other books or articles have you written?

Last year I published a Messenger Mini Book entitled, Our Fractal Nature, A Journey of Self-Discovery and Connection. I also worked as a freelance journalist for 10 years publishing over 1000 articles. 


I would go to parties and people would say, "Oh you are a journalist. Where might I have read your writing?" I would laugh, make a face, and say, "I write for agricultural trade publications, so unless you are a cucumber grower, a tomato packer, an apple wholesaler or a vegetable marketer, you probably haven't read any of my work."

I did learn a tremendous amount about how fruits and vegetables are picked, packed, transported and sold in the United States. My most amusing credit is a cover photo on Onion World, a high gloss monthly magazine for onion growers worldwide.

10. Why do you think people respond to your writing in such a positive way?

Both clinically (I have a PhD in Integrative Medicine), in my writing and when I speak to groups, I think my greatest gift is being able to take many seemingly separate pieces of information, find the pattern and tell people how they can use knowledge and skills to create a higher quality of life as well as walk, talk and feel better.

11. When you get a bad review, what do you do to move beyond it?

I have a pretty healthy level of self-confidence. Growing up overseas, I have seen so many different people with unique points of view that I understand not everyone is going to get me. I am mostly okay with that. It also helps that I am surrounded by supportive family and friends. It has been an amazing journey getting to know the other authors.

12. What outdoor activities do you enjoy?

I have a large back yard garden. The weather has been so unusual this year that in mid February we planted snow peas, spinach and lettuces. We are taking a risk planting so early in Connecticut but if we are lucky we will have a nice crop of leafy greens by the end of March and if we are not then we have only wasted $10 on seeds.

The most unusual thing I grow in my garden is bright red amaranth, which is a gluten-free grain. The leaves can be eaten like spinach, raw in salads and cooked when larger. I also grow lemon cucumbers, which taste about the same as a regular cucumber but they are round and yellow.  I lived in Japan for a few years in the 1980's and have put in some Nashi, Japanese pear trees, which don't yet produce much fruit, but I am ever hopeful. Planting a tree is a sign of trusting in the future.

Trees are also fractal in nature, which relates to my book chapter about how solving puzzles and noticing the patterns stimulate healing in our brains. Sunflower seeds are arranged in a Fibonacci pattern (a specialized fractal), which means that the outer seed circle is made up of the same number of seeds as the addition of the next two inner circles. For example the outer circle might have 55 seeds and the next smaller circles would be 34, 21, 13, 8, 5, 3, ... The value is that this arrangement provides space for the most seeds in the smallest area. It is efficient. Our DNA also has a Golden Ratio or Fibonacci pattern, allowing for the most information coding in the smallest amount of space.

13. What is the oddest or funniest thing a fan has sent to you?

I shared my Mini Book, Our Fractal Nature, A Journey of Self-Discovery and Connection with a client at a Virginia clinic where I consult and the next time I saw her she gave me a pair of wool socks with fine copper wire in them. They are very comfortable and apparently have a grounding effect. 


At the same clinic, Integrative Manual Therapy in Norfolk, Virginia, another client gave me a copy of Oliver Sack's book, Migraine after I shared with her how I eliminated my migraines after ten plus years of six or so severe migraines with visual aura each year.

14. What one word best describes you?

Passionate

15. How can my blog readers help you to become an even bigger success?

Set a higher standard for your nervous system function. Search for answers everywhere, including in my books and writing until you have the level of brain clarity you want, until you can move flexibly and comfortably, until you can communicate creatively, until you have the quality of life you want. Never settle for less healing than you are capable of. Notice the patterns in your life. Enjoy the ways you are similar to me. Learn from the ways in which we are different. Enjoy life and share my message with your loved ones.

16. What things are 'must haves' on your desk?

I have a heart chakra green postcard on my desk. In white lettering it says, "Do what you love. No excuses." I also have a red and gold Mont Blanc ball point pen, which I bought duty-free on a Lufthansa flight back from seeing a client in Munich, Germany.  I feel that "life is too short to use crummy pens."

17. We often hear that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – how does that proverb apply to the 30 authors in this book?

My chapter, Fractals: Seeing the Patterns in Our Existence discusses how exploring and solving puzzles, learning new things, finding the ways in which we are connected literally makes our brain healthier.


A puzzle is a perfect example of the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Each of the 30 authors are a puzzle piece, each contributing a unique perspective. When all the pieces are read together, the beauty of the whole image comes together becomes clear. The whole book is more inspirational, more transformative than the sum of the wisdom in each of the chapters.

18.       What is your most central and compelling “pearl of wisdom”?

Life is an exhilarating, fascinating and beautiful puzzle, how you observe your world, respond to people and solve the challenges determines the quality of your life.

Learn how to improve your relationships within yourself, to your family and friends as well as to the natural world with Kimberly Burnham, The Nerve Whisperer at http://www.KimberlyBurnham.com <http://www.kimberlyburnham.com/>

Thank You,

Kimberly Burnham, PhD
The Nerve Whisperer


Author of Our Fractal Nature, a Journey of Self-Discovery and Connection and featured author in Pearls of Wisdom, 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life, Now! and Pebbles in the Pond, Transforming the World One Person at a Time.

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  Kimberly Burnham is featured in two anthologies coming up Spring, 2012. Below are both of the interviews.
  
Embrace the inspiration in this book. Live your best life…now!