I’m so excited that today Mara Glatzel is sharing her thoughts on perseverance with us.   Mara inspires me with her words and I had to ask her to be part of the "Profiles of Perseverance" interview series. If you haven't checked out her work - here is your introduction to her :) Thanks, Mara, for encouraging everyone to love themselves and for taking part in this interview.  You rock!

Mara Glatzel is a self-love coach + author of the Body Loving Homework e-course. She works with women who are ready to create the lives they want — and deserve. Her blog — Medicinal Marzipan — has inspired thousands of women to heal their relationships with their bodies, and treat themselves with relentless compassion. Catch up with her on facebook, twitter, or join her body-loving mailing list for secret swapping and insider news.

Mara is even giving away a copy of her Body Loving Homework e-course to one lucky reader who answers the prompt after the interview.  So generous - be sure to enter as you wouldn't want to miss this awesome gift.  I love it! Check out her interview below as Mara opens up and speaks from her heart.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? Who did you receive it from?

Life's rejection is God's protection. Those five little words have changed my life. I'm certain that in the moment of receiving them, from my mother, I was primed for a fight, absolutely wrecked by whatever the rejection was. And yet? It made so much sense. When your heart is broken, when you didn't get the job, when you wanted something with everything you had but didn't get it - those are moments when there is always something else in store.Choosing to lean into this belief saves me an enormous amount of stress. I prefer to choose to believe that the best opportunities for me are not the ones bank-rolled by my ego, but the ones that come along when I least expect them.

How important is mentorship in terms of your success?

Crucial. I love the feeling of learning from someone who has my best interests at heart. My business is built on the beautiful foundation of many favors, well intentioned words of advice, and constructive criticism. It takes a village to step out of your own fear and into a life that is beautifully crafted just for you, and it would not be possible without the supportive community that I've found over the last couple of years.

The one caveat that I would add here is to be specific when you are finding a mentor. Invest in yourself by doing your research and expanding your limits. Ask for help. Be an active participant in this process.

What has been the best moment in your life so far?

Hmm...Best - that has a feeling of finality to it. This past year has been a string of really good moments for me - deciding to follow my heart and build a business that I love, graduating from a very difficult masters program, marrying my sweetheart, and leading my first in person retreat.

But, truly, the best moment was the day that I got married. Not only was I marrying someone that I am madly in love with, but I was also marrying our vision for our life together - one with plenty of space to move around, adventure, and love. On that day, I solemnly swore to cultivate a life that was a beautiful fit for the both of us. That was my best day.

What tips would you have for living a healthy life?

Stay with and listen to your body.

It is so simple, and yet, it is the only rule that I have for myself. After years of living my life as a compulsive over eater, and using food as the only medicine that I had to mend myself, the peace that I feel in my relationship with food sometimes surprises me. I've achieved it by realizing that in this life we get one body, and that no matter what we've done, our bodies are always doing their best to be resilient and take care of us. Each and every day I strive to be as kind to my body as it is to me - which includes ample sleep, lots of hydration, food that respects my sensitivities, and movement that makes me sweat and giggle, often at the same time.

Also, I put caring for my body on the books in my calendar. Otherwise it's too easy to let it get lost throughout the course of a very busy day.

How do you motivate yourself to persist despite setbacks?

Before I do anything, I ask myself whether or not it is really worth it to me. I look deep into my heart to figure out what I would be willing to give up or how hard I would be willing to work to make it happen. I've found that perseverance in the face of setbacks can be difficult if I am not totally invested in whatever it is that I'm after. However, when you want something with your whole heart and body, you forgive setbacks more easily and proceed because you are able to tap into your knowledge that it is really important to you.

I'm also a fan of stomping around and allowing myself to be as childish and melodramatic as I want to be post-setback, before putting myself back together and getting back to work.

What has been your biggest setback? How did you deal with it? What did you learn from it?

I think that my biggest personal setback was to realize, in the last semester of graduate school, that I was no longer interested in pursuing the career path that I had intended. In hunting for jobs in my field, I found myself overwhelmed by feelings of panic and stress. The hardest moment was to admit to myself that though I had poured time, effort, and money into that path - what lit me up inside was to write about self-love and work as a coach. I had always thought that I was cut out for a 9 to 5 job with gorgeous structure, daily accountability, and a steady paycheck.

However, in honoring my heart and setting out on my own, I have been presented with an opportunity to take responsibility for my life in a way that I had never imagined, which has caused me to re-evaluate how I am show up for myself in every aspect of my life. I am overwhelmingly grateful for that opportunity, because I have never been happier.

How do you deal with critics?

Ha! Critics follow you everywhere, don't they? I think that the most useful tool that I've encountered to deal with critics is to develop a short survey to check in with myself after receiving the criticism. Mine sounds a little like this: "Is that true? What if it were true? How do I want to proceed?" In running through this dialogue in my head, I am able to tune into my heart and examine whether or not I want to alter my course of action as a result of the criticism or keep heading in the same direction.

Ultimately, I think that constructive criticism is necessary for innovation, so I don't shy away from asking people what they really think or how I can edit, alter, or revamp my actions and creations. However, it is hugely important to have a strong relationship with yourself and your intentions first and foremost.

How important is social support in overcoming obstacles?

HUGE. I spent so much of my life hiding out and telling myself that I had to do everything alone (and perfectly). It has been enormously freeing for me to create a support system for myself - ranging from investing in myself through coaching to reaching out to friends on a frequent basis. The more that I give myself permission to reach out and get help, the better I feel equipped to overcome obstacles in my life and think creatively.

Additionally, when we permit ourselves to be vulnerable in the presence of others, we learn so much more about the person that we are and stand a chance at not taking ourselves too seriously. That lesson in and of itself has been life-changing for me.

What advice would you give others about goal setting?

I'm not a traditional goal setter, but a feeling chaser. I work to really zero in on how I want my life to feel, and the elements that I would love to attract into my daily existence. In this process, I get really specific - running through my ideal day in my head, imagining how it would feel in my body to be living in that day, and then begin planning the action steps that will help me embody that feeling on an oft-occurring basis.

The reason why I work this way instead of setting traditional goals is that I've found that I usually don't know where chasing the things that light me up or fill me with joy will take me! Instead, I trust that I am going somewhere really good and pay attention to learning more about myself along the way.

I never would have imagined five years ago that I would be doing what I am doing today, and yet? I am head over heels in love with my life. Pursuing that was the quiet process of putting one foot in front of the other and approaching my life from a place of curiosity.

What life lesson have you learned that you wish to pass along to others?

Give yourself the gorgeous permission to experiment with your life. Cultivate a practice of checking in with yourself often, plugging into your life and taking responsibility for where you want it to take you. Work to overcome the desire to control everything or wait until the conditions are perfect. Start before you are ready, as you are often much more ready than you think. Have fun with your life.

Thank you, Mara, for sharing your lessons with us and for truly speaking from your heart. Keep writing, inspiring, and empowering others! 

Join the conversation below.  One lucky commenter (picked at random) who answers the prompt will receive a copy of Mara's Body Loving Homework e-course.  Check out the link so you can find out more. Also, please leave your email address along with the comment so Mara can send you the E-course :)

The Prompt:"Since Mara is a feeling chaser, how do you find ways to bring more love into your daily life?" Can't wait to hear what you come up with!  Winner will be chosen on Monday, Feb. 25th,2013.

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!