Lindsay Sealey

Welcome, friend! Recently I shared about Lindsay Sealey’s Made for More: A Fresh Start Approach to a Bolder, Brighter You. She is one of the authors I really wanted to connect with and it felt amazing to get a response from her. 🙂 Let’s do a quick review of what her book is about:

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Welcome to Armed with A Book, Lindsay! It is so wonderful to chat with you. 🙂 Please tell me and my readers about yourself.

I am an educator, a speaker, an author, as well as a researcher (of mind body health and healing), and a content creator. I am working on launching my podcast next! I am also a daughter, sister, friend, and wife. ☺

What led you to write Made for More?

I wrote Made for More during the pandemic when the world felt upside down. I considered my “what’s next” and decided I wanted to write a book that could encourage, inspire, and empower young women today. My experience with Gen Z is teaching me they have so many choices and opportunities, and, at the same time, they are so stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by all their possibilities! 

I loved the truths that you shared in this book and the approach of looking at each word like ‘confidence’, ‘authenticity’ as what it is and what it isn’t was very helpful to me in getting a deeper understanding of the concepts. My bullet journal was my constant companion as I read your book and noted strategies to implement in my life. How do you keep track of all your ideas and learnings from life? 

I too journal! As well I live by checklists and I put my to do’s in categories or boxes (such as Bold New Girls – my company, Health and Fitness, and Finances). This keeps me focused and on track. On the first day of each month, I set goals in a circle divided into segments such as self-care or challenges. 

What does ‘joy’ mean to you? How have you cultivated it in your life?

Joy happens when I am so immersed in an activity or conversation that I lose track of time, I get lost in the moment, and I forget about all my stressors, worries, and problems. I cultivate joy daily by focusing on gratitude and all I have and creating – anything and everything. 

The more and less platform is the building block of all the heart work presented in Made for More. Can you share more about this philosophy of living?

I loved the idea that we must let go (often of what isn’t working or what is holding us back) to make space and time for what we want to embrace (what we want to try and what we are excited or passionate about). We can’t do it all at once; this is impossible, but we can do what we really want to do with intention and effort. I had to let go of a toxic relationship to make room for a healthy one. I had to let go of a job I had outgrown to create Bold New Girls. I had to let go of limiting self-beliefs to become more brave, confident, and strong!

One of the hardest shifts to make is to stop comparing oneself to others and instead compare us with past versions of us. With social media and its quantitative representation of one’s standing in terms of likes, comments, and followers, it can be challenging to change this way of thinking. Have you encountered this in your online presence? Or have clients shared similar struggles with you? What strategies would you recommend helping refocus on ourselves and internal validation?

I think comparing (and feeling not good enough) is very normal and especially challenging when it comes to social media. I can say I don’t care how many likes and followers I get, but I do – I am human. I have learned to focus on what I put out there, online, more than what I get back. So, every time I post, I think about what I really want to share or say or offer. Then, I try not to look at the likes or comments (but I do) and I remember that each post is going to resonate with someone (but not always everyone). This removes some of the pressure I feel to have a popular post! I don’t practice this but a strategy I have learned along the way is to only go on social media when you have a reason: either to post, comment, like, tag, share, or DM. 

One of my favorite books is Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking by Jon Acuff. I found many lessons from that book reiterated in Made for More and I loved seeing the universality of these ideas, like gathering evidence to prove to ourselves that we are capable. Even the more and less platform applies to the teachings of that book because we have to replace old and broken soundtracks (to want less of those) with new, positive ones. Jon Acuff combats overthinking with action and changing our words and I found that to be true in Made for More as well. How do you combat overthinking? At its core, it is related to our fears and lack of confidence. 

I do think a lot. The positive in this is that it shows I care a lot and I know thinking is what contributes to my thoughts, words, and creativity. So, I am thankful. Where I feel thinking becomes stressful and problematic is when our thoughts are not healthy or helpful, when we are thinking the same thoughts over and over without being able to shift thoughts (rumination), or when our thoughts are negative or critical of ourselves. I think, yes, thinking can lead to being more fearful and less confident. When I become aware of my overthinking tendencies, I consciously shift to feeling. I start by noticing my body’s sensations and then go deeper into my emotions. It works so well. I have also learned to distract myself by doing things like baking, singing, phoning a friend, colouring, twirling…so that I am physically shifting from my head to my body. You can’t possibly be stuck in a messy mind when are singing a song or having a great conversation. 

Made for More is aimed at young women transitioning from teenage years into adulthood. If you were to write for an older audience, would there be anything else that you would include? I will turn 30 next year and the book as it is was very inspiring to me and I got a lot out of it!

I think that everything in Made for More is relatable to younger women and older women. I wanted the book to be inclusive.  I don’t think I’d add anything but that may change now that I am in my late 40’s. I’ll need to live a little more to then write for the next age and stage of life!

You mention creating gentle guidelines for oneself. Can you elaborate more on these guidelines? I would love to know some personal ones that you have set.

I think rules sound harsh and mean. I feel guidelines have a gentle flexibility to them. Guidelines ground me and remind me of who I want to be. Some of my guidelines I follow today (but, note, they are always changing as I change) include: I drink a lot of water, I learn something new every day, I always check in with my feelings and follow the feeling, I phone one person each day, I spend time reading a real book every morning, I post only 3 times each week, I try to slow down, I look for inspiration in everything, I make time to create, I forgive quickly, I spend time outside, I tidy as I go, I ask a lot of questions, I do one hard thing each day, I focus on letting go of the past, and I focus on stepping forward.

I love Taylor Swift and your reference to Mirrorball got me so excited that I relistened to it and mentioned it in one of my monthly wrap ups. Are there any other songs by here or other artists that you find inspirational?

I love Taylor Swift too because I love deep and meaningful lyrics. I respect people who are clear and creative thinkers. So, I also love Cold Play, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, and Queen.

Your honesty about life, its ups and downs, hurt and healing cycles were very profound to me. I didn’t realize how much I wanted and needed to read those truths until I read your book. Learning about myself and becoming better, finding my power, is a practice. Self-love is an important aspect of celebrating this practice. What is an act of self-love that you do for yourself? 

I see self-love as a daily practice and commitment, and I do believe in little things making a big difference. I have learned that self-love is making myself priority before I launch into helping people, asking myself what I really want and need (truth time), paying attention to my body and nurturing myself with healthy foods and movement, feeling all my feelings, positive self-talk, kindness and compassion, treats, and self-care – not just some days but every day!

What kind of books do you like to read? What book (or books) are you currently reading? 

I love personal growth, parenting, and health and healing books. I am currently reading This is How You Heal by Brianna Weist. I am also currently enjoying Good Inside by Becky Kennedy and The Myth of Normal by Gabore Mate.

What are some books you would recommend to readers who loved your book?

I love so many other books though that I have to mention: Think Like a Monk, Speak, Brave Not Perfect, Untamed, Self-Compassion, Embrace Your Almost, Live Wire, Think Like a Girl, Find Your People, More Myself, and Happy Days.

I am excited to dive into so may of these books!! Thank you, Lindsay. 🙂

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Thank you for hanging out with Lindsay and me. Connect with Lindsay on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and her website.

Add the book to your TBR on Goodreads. Read my review here.

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Cover Photo by Serj Sakharovskiy on Unsplash