I’m all about women helping other women. (Or, really, people helping other people…but sometimes women need it more.) Paying it forward is essential: I love to answer questions from new bloggers or or aspiring TV guests, I support teacher candidates from faculties of education every year, and I’m happy to offer some words of wisdom or just a listening ear to new moms.


Sometimes, though, it’s also important to pay it back.


The author of today’s guest post – and a brand-new, possibly life-saving book for women – once helped pull me up. Years ago, as the Executive Editor of Today’s Parent magazine, Kerrie Lee Brown was one of the very first big-magazine editors to give me a personal reply to a pitch (not a generic ‘no thanks’), and words of encouragement. The first post I sent her wasn’t a fit (and she told me why; they had covered something similar in the recent past), the second one almost made it but was eventually passed over due to space restrictions…but the third time was a charm, and she forwarded my query to a colleague who ended up accepting and then editing my first of many pieces for the magazine.


For that, I will always be grateful to Kerrie Lee Brown. Here is her story.

**********

What happens when
your life seems perfect—a loving family, healthy kids, and an impressive
career—and all of a sudden something stops you in your tracks?
This is exactly what
happened to me when I ignored some serious warning signs and ended up having a heart
attack at age 39. I was not your typical cardiac patient either—physically fit,
non-smoker, and no immediate family known to have heart disease.
My unexpected
wake-up call changed everything including my perspective on what I was doing
and how I was doing it. As a working mom, in the media no less, I never thought
something like this would happen to me. But it did. And now I share my story
with other women, moms in particular, about what can happen if you don’t take
time for yourself once in a while.
In my new book “My
Heart, My Self – A Guide For Women Who Do Too Much”
I dig deep and
reveal my vulnerabilities—which is something a lot of us women shy away from
because we are supposed to “have it all together.” I didn’t listen to my body
and felt I needed to do everything for everyone, all the time, forgetting about
my needs—until my body finally told me it needed to slow down, or it would shut
down for good.

But who had time for
a heart attack? I have two active boys who needed to get to hockey practice… so
needless to say I didn’t go to the hospital. And that was my first mistake. I
was lucky, and ended up having surgery to fix my electrical heart problem, but
I learned a valuable lesson.
I
learned the harsh reality that keeping all balls in the air is not always what
it’s cracked up to be. My goal now is to educate
women and help them realize that no one is exempt from health issues. I am
living proof that life can catch up with you if you don’t take time for
yourself.
My book also
includes “10 Signs You Need To Slow
Down”
which I feel is essential to leading a stress-free life—and enjoy unique
Brain Break exercises to help you reflect on your own daily stressors, and practical tips to help real women, just like you, take
time from your busy schedule to focus on your health needs. Even when they may
not be so obvious…
After all, kids need a healthy mom. Bosses need healthy
employees. Partners need healthy partners. You get the picture.

My Heart, My Self
will help you:
·        
Learn to slow down (what all women
need—especially moms!)
·        
Tackle the guilt factor and
never-ending desire to appear okay
·        
Recognize daily stressors that
hinder achieving optimal health
·        
Accept the things you cannot control
·        
Listen to your body and change your
lifestyle
·        
Realize you don’t have to do it
all…all of the time!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kerrie Lee Brown has
a passion for health and wellness that spans over two decades. Her unique
experience and perspective on the demands women put on themselves has
positioned Kerrie as an expert on maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
Besides writing for various mainstream publications including Chatelaine, Glow, Best Health, Women’s
Running
etc. she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows as a
health expert. Kerrie is best known for her roles as editor-in-chief of Oxygen Women’s Fitness, founding editor
of American Health and Fitness, and
executive editor at Today’s Parent
magazine. For more, visit http://www.kerrieleebrown.com
CONTACT INFO:
The much-anticipated
book, My Heart, My Self, is available on Amazon in eight countries and Createspace.com.
For more information visit http://www.kerrieleebrown.com/books.html

Editor’s Note: With incredible insight and real-life
testimony from international journalist, motivational speaker and women’s
health advocate, Kerrie Lee Brown—My Heart, My Self will help any
woman realize that she too may be at risk if she doesn’t slow down. Go out and
buy your copy today!

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