Interview with Jae Ellard Author of The Five Truths about work-life balance

Hi Readers

Please welcome to Jae Ellard, CEO and Founder of Simple Intentions and the author of The Five Truths about work-life balance to my virtual tete- a tete

Hi Jae

Welcome to the chit chat 

1. In The Five Truths you say that work-life balance has nothing to do with work. Can you speak more about this? 

What I’ve observed in thousands of conversations on the topic is most imbalance comes from the conversations we avoid having about our values as well as our feeling about the impact on our lives when our values are threaten or challenged. Sometimes these conversations we avoid are with others and sometimes these conversations we avoid are with ourselves.

2. Communicating is also a key point in your book. How can we overcome our fear of having tough conversations?

When we are speaking our truth with context and compassion there is nothing to fear. That said, practice is key as many of us want to please others and we fear potential rejection if we let others down, when we offer context and deliver the message in an authentic way most times you will be meet with support over rejection and might find that your relationships deepen.

3. What's your writing ritual? 

My favorite place to write is my kitchen table in the morning sun, pen on paper, looking out at the trees and listening to the birds chirp away. In recent years I’ve also found international flights as great place to let the words flow. I’ve been writing each morning for at least an hour for the last 2 decades.

4. Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it? 

Sometimes there is just nothing to say so I don’t try and force it. Meditation, yoga or walking are go to’s get connect back to what is emerging and get the message flowing.

5. Who are other writers that inspire you?

Elizabeth Gilbert, Brene Brown, Jack Kornfield, Eckort Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Seth Godin, Malcom Gladwell, David Whyte, Pema Chorden, Mark Nepo and Rumi  

6. What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?

At an after party in Atlanta for an event where I had led a meditation for 250 finance managers from around the world, (as night went on and the alcohol flowed) people started making toasts “to meditation”. The contradiction was hilarious!

7. If there is one thing you want readers to remember, what would it be?

That the choices is yours for how to live your life – so make intentional choices about how you want to show up, what to say and the life you want to create.