The central theme of today's discussion revolves around the transformative power of Arina Shahovzov's book, "The Gift Inside." This work presents a comprehensive twelve-step guide designed to facilitate profound personal reconstruction by fostering a reconnection with one's physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions. Shehovsov elucidates the notion that true change emanates from within, challenging the common misconception that external circumstances dictate one's happiness and fulfillment. Aimed particularly at women who may appear to possess an ideal life on the surface yet grapple with feelings of disconnection and overwhelm, this book serves as a beacon of hope and direction. As we delve into the insights shared by Shahovzov, we invite listeners to contemplate the significance of nurturing one's inner self as a precursor to genuine transformation. The conversation unfolds with a profound exploration of the human experience, as we engage with Irina Shehovsov , the esteemed author of "The Gift Inside." This episode delves into the intricate dynamics of personal transformation, emphasizing the significance of reconnecting with one's inner self. Shahovzov articulates that her literary work serves as a twelve-step guide, meticulously designed to facilitate a comprehensive reconstruction of life, wherein individuals are encouraged to address not merely superficial changes but to embark on a holistic journey that encompasses the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realms. The narrative resonates particularly with women who, despite outward appearances of having achieved success, grapple with feelings of disconnection and overwhelm. Shahovzov's insights are particularly poignant, as she elucidates the pervasive experience of many women who, having shouldered responsibilities for others, find themselves navigating through a fog of existential uncertainty. The episode further accentuates the unique structural framework of Shahovzov's book, which is predicated on the principle that genuine healing necessitates a deliberate and directed approach. Uniquely, it is not merely a source of inspiration; it is a well-ordered manual that empowers readers to implement actionable habits that can be seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. This discussion illuminates the book's potential to serve as a beacon of hope for those trapped in survival mode, elucidating the notion that the journey back to oneself is not only attainable but also imperative for a fulfilling existence. With a candid reading from her work, Shahovzov invites listeners into her world, recounting her struggles and the pivotal moments that catalyzed her journey towards self-discovery, thereby providing a rich tapestry of experiences that underlie the fundamental themes of her narrative.

Takeaways:

• The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of community involvement and support for local businesses, illustrated by the sponsor's commitment to homeowners.
• The author, Arina Shahovtov, presents her book as a transformative guide for women seeking reconnection with their true selves amidst life's challenges.
• The discussion highlights the unique structure of Shahovtov's book, which focuses on holistic healing across four essential life domains: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
• Listeners are encouraged to recognize the significance of establishing a morning routine as a foundational step towards revitalizing one's life and energy levels.
• Shahovtov's narrative elucidates the struggles faced by women who appear successful externally while battling internal disconnection and overwhelm.
• The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to support authors through reviews and word-of-mouth, which greatly benefits the literary community.

Links referenced in this episode:

• belairwindowanddoor.com
• irinashehovsov.com

Before we begin today's pitch, I want to thank Bel Air Window and Door for sponsoring this episode. Every great story starts with a strong foundation and same is true for your home.

Bel Air Window and Door is a local window Depot dealer that offers high quality, energy efficient windows and doors with honest service and professional installation. They are part of our community and take pride in helping homeowners create spaces they love.

Visit bel airwindowanddoor.com to see how they can help you. What if discovering your next great read only took a few minutes?

Welcome to the Author Pitch, the short form podcast where writers from around the world deliver a powerful pitch for their book and read a standout excerpt in their own voice. I'm Rich Bennett, this is the Author Pitch and your next great read starts here. Foreign.

Welcome to the Author Pitch where writers from around the world deliver a powerful pitch for their book and read a short excerpt in their own voice. I'm your host Rich Bennett and today's guest is Arina Shahovzov, author of the Gift Inside.

So Irina, first of all, welcome and look, I'm just going to say it right up front so people know I have to apologize because I was late. So I am sorry. But thank you so much for saying Rich yes, we could do it. Now.

For those of you that don't know, I met Irina on my other podcast and when I sent that a post for this looking for authors, thank God she said, yeah, I would love to come on. So it's like, okay, good, because her book is a wonderful book, which you're about to find out here in a minute.

So Irina, let's go ahead and start with your pitch. Give listeners a tight, high impact overview. What the book is, who it's for, why it matters, and what makes it unique.

Yeah, totally. So the Gift Insight is a 12 step guide to help you rebuild your life from the inside out.

It's not about fixing one thing, it's about reconnecting with your body, your emotions, your mind and your spirit in a way that actually creates change. Because most people try to change their life from the outside, but that's not where the real transformation happens.

This book is really for the woman who looks like she has it all figured out on the outside, but inside she feels disconnected, overwhelmed, or lost.

A lot of women I speak to spend years being strong for everyone else and somewhere along the way they lose themselves and they're now asking, where do I even begin? Why does this book matter? Because so many women are living in survival mode and don't even realize it.

They think something is wrong with them, but often nothing is wrong. They're just carrying too much for too long. And this book gives them a way back to themselves, step by step.

And what makes it unique, besides the fact that you wrote it, what makes.

It different is a structure. It doesn't just give inspiration, it gives order. The book is built around four parts of your life. Physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

And within each there are simple habits. You can start immediately because healing isn't random. It needs direction.

Yes, perfect. So now let's hear the excerpt that you actually brought for us today. And go ahead and take your time.

Settle in, get the fact out of your mind that I was late and just go ahead and read your natural pace and I'll give you a moment. Then just begin whenever you're ready.

Yes. So I would like to start with my first chapter, Morning Routine and why it's relevant because it was the hardest moment in my life.

So here goes this Being human as a guest house Every morning is a new arrival.

Rumi I used to hate my mornings waking up to the same reality every day seemed daunting, especially when there is nothing to look forward to other than being a milk producer for your newborn. I lived in a fog of uncertainty, grasping for something to hold on to. On the outside, everything looked normal. A good job, a home and healthy kids.

But on the inside, I didn't feel normal.

On the inside, it felt like the walls were collapsing in the physical pain after having a baby and the emotional pain collided into one deep desire to not want to live anymore. There were days I wondered why I existed. What was the point anyway? Mothering was mostly mechanical.

To do what was expected of me, to provide food and shelter. I lived in a home I wanted to run away from and looked for any opportunity to do so.

What I didn't realize was no matter how far I ran, I still took myself with me. All the thoughts, feelings and emotions residue of past traumas, unprocessed grief, sadness, and an uncertainty about the future.

Physically, I recovered much faster after my second pregnancy, a week after giving birth. The older one was due to go to kindergarten and off I went getting her there. I strived to get in better shape.

I gained less weight with my second pregnancy. In fact, you couldn't even tell I was pregnant if look from behind. Mentally and emotionally, I wasn't really there.

I checked out and didn't feel like I was leaving. I tried to balance and separate myself in two to keep one part of me happy for my baby.

So I wouldn't lose breast milk while the other part of me was suffering in agonizing pain. I felt like my internal compass was broken. What was considered normal no longer made sense.

I was seeking what normal looked like and wasn't really finding it anywhere in my immediate surroundings. My relationships were shifting and all my married friends were drapping like flies. During the marriage.

My partner was the social one who maintained all the external connections, organizing all the outings and get togethers. I was like an external appendage that came along for the ride.

Being an introvert, I didn't need others company to be entertained, so I didn't work on maintaining sustainable relationships. The friends I went to school with also had their own families and we saw each other once or twice per year for someone's birthday.

There was nothing to look forward to anymore. It felt like life as I knew it was over and I had so many unanswered how would I be a mom and dad for two children?

I didn't have enough energy to carry me through the day. Between dropping kids off into places and then rushing to catch the train, I felt like my best self went to work and my kids would get the leftovers.

So I decided to make some changes. My first decision was to bring energy back into my life and I started working in the mornings.

I began my day with a good morning routine and you can too. Why do you need one, you might ask? If a routine doesn't sound all that exciting, you probably haven't discovered a good one yet.

That is why you think that way. We are creatures of habit. Did you know 95% of the thoughts you think are exactly the same thoughts that you thought of Yesterday?

That's right, only 5% are new. Given the fact that average mind is calibrated to the negative, it makes it worse because you keep programming your mind with non resourceful things.

Now add to that your unhealthy surroundings along with other people who also dialed in on a negative and you got yourself a ticking time map. If you like to check this theory, take a mental note and become an observer of your thoughts instead of being an active participant.

Pretty soon you'll discover there is truth to that.

Wow. I could listen to you read all day. So why? Why did you actually choose that particular excerpt again?

Because it's the beginning. It's where the journey started. So I want to bring the person who is reading the reader there where it all began.

And it was most difficult time of my life when I didn't know what's.

Going to happen and what actually sparked this book for you to write?

Well, I didn't set out to write a book. First, I kind of lived my life.

Yeah.

And then I decided to document because I believe life is too short to go on living unhappy. Life is too short to live in misery.

And we can create so much better when we are in love with ourselves, first of all, because we cannot give what we don't have internally. So if we are miserable inside, we give misery to everybody we meet. We see our events alive, people we meet through perception of our trauma, from.

From perception of what happened to us. I'm not saying or justifying that what happened was good or bad. It happened.

And it is our job then to take lessons from what happened and move forward so that we can create better for ourselves.

So here's a hard question. What's next for next for you as an author?

I'm actually working on my book number eight.

Book number eight,.

Yes. Collaborative book that is inspired by.

That's right.

Reclaim your life. I have two podcasts, so my second podcast is called Reclaim your life with Irina and I'm working on bringing contributors for that book.

People who had a story, a wake up call that suddenly changed trajectory of their life for the better. And with this book, I'm still continuing to share the message.

So my next thing is next month in May, I'm part of a book fair for the first time ever in my life. It's going to be my first public kind of, because it's all been online so far. So this one will be in person, a Gold coast forum.

It's a short annual book fair and I was selected to be part of indie author pavilions. I'll be with other authors there.

Nice. And where's that at?

This one is an oyster Bay, New York, Long island happening May 17th. May 16th and 17th. I'll be there. Morning of May 17th. I don't know when this comes out, but if you're there, I would love to meet you.

Okay. Now this book, I know, I know it's in paperback and on Kindle, but after hearing you read. Are you going to do an audio version?

I want to.

Yes. And definitely do it yourself.

Definitely.

It just something listening to your voice when you're reading, just it sinks in more. At least for me it did. And yeah, you definitely have. You have to do that. Irina, I want to thank you so much. It was always.

It's always great seeing you and thank you for being patient and waiting for me. I'm sorry. But something very important though. Where can people purchase the book and follow you?

Yes. So the book is available on Amazon. If you search by my name, Irina Shahovtov, or you just type the Gift Insight.

It is also on my website, www.I r I n a s h e h o-v s o v.com and people,.

You know what I'm going to say. When you purchase the book, after you read it, make sure you leave a full review, not just on Amazon.

Leave it on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, every place you can leave a review and buy copies for other people as well, because everybody can benefit from this. So I want to thank you everybody for listening to the author pitch.

I'm Rich Bennett and until next time, keep turning pages and discovering new voices.