This month I sat down with Kylie Butler of the Inspired Careers Podcast to talk about doing things from the heart. Kylie is a multi-passionate Career & Life Coach who can help you discover your unique talents and get clear on your core values. I had so much fun chatting with Kylie to talk a little bit more about my story, my book, doing things from the heart and how you can turn your dreams into a career you absolutely love!
You can take a listen to the podcast here or catch the transcript of the interview below!
Kylie
I’m very excited to be introducing today’s guest, Tara Mackey. Tara is CEO of the Organic Life, the number one bestselling author of Cured by Nature and a global motivational speaker. Tara has her own very personal story about how she has come to be the highly passionate and successful entrepreneur she now is. Growing up in New York City, she suffered from a dependency on pharmaceutical medication for various ailments and began her natural wellness journey in order to give her body a break. In 2012, she was actually studying medicine and abandoned her degree in pursuit of her personal wellness journey. Tara went on to completely quit pharmaceuticals and treat her illness naturally. She has now built a passionate digital community through The Organic Life Blog and has recently taken the world by storm with her first book – Cured by Nature. In Cured by Nature, Tara’s book, she teaches us to heal from the inside out, find happiness and discover our true selves. Now this is why I’m so excited to be talking to Tara today, to hear about not only her career journey but also how she found happiness by discovering her true self because ultimately that’s what we are all seeking. I try to assist people to find that happiness through their career, Tara’s vehicle is wellness, we’re all working on the same thing though. And as I teach in my programs, we can’t find a career we love and happiness in any aspect of our life, until we understand who we are and our true selves.
Tara, Can you tell me about your health journey?
Tara
I witnessed my mother overdose on heroin when I was 6 years old. I was taken to a psychiatrist and started my first medication when I was 13. I was put on Lithium – an adult dosage. By the time I was 16, I was on many different medications. Note that both my parents were addicted to drugs when I was child, even when I was born, so didn’t quite have a normal upbringing.
By the time I was 24, I was on 12 different medications for 14 different things and I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I decided to come off my meds ‘cold turkey’, which is a method I don’t recommend to anybody because like any drugs, you’re going to get withdrawal symptoms. That spurred me to travel and move to California, where I live right now. I changed my entire career.
Before this, I was kind of living the dream but I was not satisfied at all. It was a multi-dimensional journey. Not only did I quit my job but I re-assessed what my life meant. I had to figure out a new life meant for me, which including coming off a lot of drugs.
Kylie
Was there a specific catalyst?
Tara
There were a few which came a couple of weeks later after I came off the drugs. Thinking that taking a pill might solve a problem and realizing that, “No. This isn’t what I want”.
A lot of things led up the shift, like the death of a very good friend, quitting my job and ending a very toxic relationship – those were all catalysts to this big shift in my mentality to where I was not relying on a pill to solve problems.
Kylie
Where did you find that strength? It takes a lot of courage to make those types of fundamental shifts.
Tara
I was very confused about what my next step was because I never learned any coping mechanisms other than taking a pill. I was told at a very young age that taking a pill would solve all these things, which it never had. It really propelled me to make this change and the thing that helped the most was just realizing that a pill is a lifelong helplessness.
It really just came down to what I was willing to accept and what I wasn’t willing to accept.
It is a method of will power, but that can be gained by mind strengthening techniques such as meditation and mindfulness thought practices.
Kylie
You’ve made a really important point there. It takes a lot of courage to make big decisions like this and there are a lot of reason why it’s really hard, but at the end of the day, you just do it. It takes unquestionable courage to make a fundamental shift in your life but at the end of the day you just have to make that commitment. In terms of mindfulness techniques, when did your learning about meditation and mindfulness come into your journey?
Tara
It all happened together luckily because otherwise it could’ve taken much longer. I have a lot of amazing books that really propelled me along my journey. One of them was Autobiography Of A Yogi, which has a lot of amazing techniques for a better life. It really did give me a lot of hope that I was doing the right thing because I had these answers inside me all along.
The stigma alone of mental illness makes people sick – it made me sick, especially when I was a child.
Kylie
Talk to me more about tuning into your own intuition.
Tara
It takes a lot of self control. It’s almost like a new sobriety because it’s sobriety from external factors and just letting yourself figure out who you are and what your mind and your future holds for you. For me that comes in the form of daily self care practices. Just taking the time to run in the morning, meditating and when I’m home, I take daily baths just to calm my mind and focus. I think it’s important for people to take at least 5 minutes a day – free writing, getting in touch with themselves and writing down a list of 5 things they absolutely have to do before their time on this earth is up – to remember why you’re here.
Kylie
One take away for our listeners today is – find a space to remember why you’re here, on this planet. It’s about creating that space and focusing on why you are here. I also agree a focus on self-care is so incredibly important.
Tara
I’ve learnt there’s no point without self care, there’s no success without emotional success.
“Different” is one thing you want to feel in the beginning. “Different” than the way it was before. I think that alone is inspiring.
Kylie
The reason people are looking for success is because they’re ultimately looking for happiness and they believe that success will bring them that happiness. External, material things are not going to bring you joy though unless you connect with yourself.
Tara
Definitely! I lost my dad to cancer just over 2 years ago and I always like to say that cancer didn’t really take him, work did and his lifestyle did. And it’s one of those times you realize why you are working, why you’re doing what you do. I realized that if you’re not helping yourself, you’re not helping anybody else.
Kylie
Talk to me more about your book, your business, how you fill your days with so many amazing things?
Tara
My book came out a month and a half ago and we are already a number 1 bestseller. It’s been an amazing and crazy journey. I started to blog such a long time ago, I’m like the grandma of blogging. I’ve been blogging since I was 14.
Kylie
A big take away for anyone listening: 1) find the space to understand why you’re on this planet ; 2) it doesn’t happen overnight.
Tara
Nothing happens overnight. The first quote in my book, chapter 1 says “You won’t be happy with whatever you do unless you’re comfortable in your own conscience, keep your head up, keep your shoulders back, keep your self respect, be nice, be smart and remember there are practically no overnight successes”. So just don’t give up. I think is the big message for me.
Kylie
What were you blogging back then, when your journey was different?
Tara
I was blogging about medicine. When you’re on medication, your life revolves around it. I was blogging about the side effects that were happening to me. I wasn’t focused on myself. I was focused on others constantly. I realized I spent a lot of time writing, but I hadn’t spent a lot of time writing about what I wanted or what I wanted my life to look like or what kind of person I wanted to become tomorrow.
Kylie
That must be fascinating, looking back and having everything documented from such a young age.
Tara
Exactly! In terms of only writing about others though, I didn’t even realize I was doing it.
What other people think doesn’t determine who we are. It’s really our perception of what they think that determines who we are because that’s what will affect us.
Kylie
Why do you think you are different from and more successful than your average wellness blogger (not that there is anything average about you)?
Tara
I don’t think I’m different than your average wellness blogger other than I really love this – I’m really passionate about it. So in the sense of being a blogger, I’m a writer at heart so blogging is just a medium with which I share what I’d be writing. It’s interesting to see that when you don’t hold back and you put 110% in every single time, somebody will notice that eventually.
I don’t do anything that doesn’t come from the heart. I don’t do anything I don’t believe in.
And that’s my advice to any blogger that wants to be an author or any entrepreneur or anybody who wants to be successful. People can tell when you are very genuine and putting your heart out there and not doing it for nothing, and they will reward that at some point.
Kylie
A lot of your success would be based on that fact that you have a natural ability and you use your competencies in your space. It’s about using your natural talents and then capitalizing on opportunities on current market.
Sometimes we push too hard, but if we put it out there and use the right action, at the end of the day there’s no compromising on an authentic message and people understand it’s an authentic message. When something comes from the heart, it also touches anothers heart.
So tell me more about other ways you’re taking your gifts to the world?
Tara
I have The Organic Life, the blog which is also a company. We are also starting a non-profit foundation.
Kylie
If we are not in good health, we can’t help others. Do you have any top tips on herbs or supplements for peak performance in terms of focus and energy?
Tara
I try to do 20 minutes of cardiovascular every single day and a lot of people would think that would make them tired. Truthfully it’s just enough to energize you for the rest of the day. I take a hike in the morning with my dog. In the office, I surround myself with things that energize me like essential oils and energizing candles which really help externally. Get a hold of GABA supplements and vitamin D. Also take ginseng and peppermint essential oils – they work wonders for me.
Kylie
Awesome, I love all those natural remedies. I love to eat well and when I sit down to a big bowl of organic food and a big juice, I also feel the psychological effects hit before physical ones do.
Is there anything you’d like to tell aspiring writers, bloggers, and wellness coaches to help them along their path?
Tara
Don’t give up and do everything from the heart.
The things that get you excited to wake up in the morning – those are the things that you need to be writing about because that’s what’s going to help others.
I think that’s what’s important for authors and entrepreneurs: to recognize what they can share to help others.
Kylie
Anything you’d like to give shout out to other than a link directly to your site?
Tara
If anybody wants to be Cured By Nature you can get it all over the internet – (link – http://www.amazon.com/Cured-Nature-Inside-Happiness-Discover/dp/1634504011?)
Kylie
Thank you, Tara!
Tara
Thanks Kylie! I had fun!
