Question and Answer With Shelley Seale

A little bit about the Author:   Shelley Seale is a freelance writer based out of Austin, Texas, but she vagabonds in any part of the world whenever possible. Shelley has written for the Seattle Times, Washington Magazine, the Austin Business Journal, Intrepid Travel and Andrew Harper Traveler Magazine among others, and is the Sustainable Travel Columnist at The Examiner. Her new book, The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India, follows her journeys into the orphanages, streets and slums of India, where for millions of children the life portrayed in Slumdog Millionaire is their reality. Her mantra is “travel with a purpose.”

What are the major take aways from your book that you want women to grasp?

Two things: First of all, that even though the topic is serious and the stories often heartbreaking, it is not a depressing book or subject! These kids, and their stories, are incredible and awe-inspiring, hopeful and inspirational. In my journeys over the last three years into the orphanages, slums, clinics and streets of India I have become immersed in dozens of children’s lives. Their hope and resilience amazed me time and time again; the ability of their spirits to overcome crippling challenges inspired me. Even in the most deprived circumstances they are still kids – they laugh and play, they develop strong bonds and relationships to create family where none exists; and most of all they have an enormous amount of love to give. The issues are tough, what has happened to a lot of these kids makes you want to cry – but the bottom line of their stories is a very strong, hopeful voice.

Second, just to get involved and do something; to realize that just a little bit can move mountains. Too often, I think the natural inclination of most of us in the face of some of the large problems in the world is to become overwhelmed and throw up our hands in despair. They seem insurmountable. But the truth is, the smallest actions can make the biggest difference in just one person’s life, and if you can affect one person’s life, it is the world to that person. Most of us could never sell all our belongings and go work in the trenches in India, but that doesn’t mean we should think, then, that we can’t do anything at all. Amazing things can be done that aren’t difficult at all. A reader doesn’t even have to come away from my book and do something about India – I think the key is to discover what you are passionate about, what you have genuine feelings and caring about – and then do something about that issue. But just do something.

Since writing this book do you feel that you have a better work-life balance?

I’m not sure how to answer that! I don’t know that it’s any different, really, post-book than before. I’ve always had a pretty good balance, because I know how important that is. One of the reasons I followed my passion of becoming a writer is because I strongly believe in spending the hours and minutes of our lives doing what matters to us. It is simply not in me to go to a job that I hate every day, spend 8 or 10 hours there miserable away from my family, and then spend the rest of my time trying to be happy. For me, there’s not really a separate delineation between “work” and “life” – they are one and the same to me. And that’s not because I’m a workaholic or work is my life. Really it’s sort of the opposite – my life, and who I am, just encompasses my work because I do what I care about and what I’m passionate about. Believe me, there are much better and easier ways for me to earn a much bigger living otherwise. 🙂

How did you handle the pressures of writing a book and raising a teenage daughter at the same time?

My biggest challenge has been that which probably affects all working mothers, and that is juggling the things that must be done and having enough time for it all. I am still not sure how it will all happen or where it will lead; I only know, in my heart, the peace that comes from being where I’m meant to be.

Being a mother has also caused things that I have witnessed to affect me in a very profound way. I have looked into the absolutely haunted, vacant eyes of street children or HIV-positive kids and seen the eyes of my own daughter staring back at me. I think it’s perhaps even more soul-rending to see children suffering when you are a mother yourself. I hope that I am teaching my daughter compassion and justice, and not the sense of entitlement that seems so prevalent in our culture. I hope for her not to take for granted the things we are fortunate enough to have and realize that the human experience is a shared one. I believe that taking her to India with me showed her how 80% of the world lives in vastly different circumstances from us, where the same opportunities are not available.

What would your advice be to women who are afraid to follow their passions?

When we come to the end of our lives, I don’t believe it will be the things we did and failed at, or were scared of, or disappointed us, that we will regret. Our regrets will be for those things that we never did.
I believe that the purpose of our entire lives is to do what we are passionate about, what we feel in our hearts is our purpose in life. If we don’t do that, then our lives have much less meaning. Specific advice, I guess, would be that you can start small. If someone’s passion is to sing, they don’t have to chuck their whole life away and pursue becoming a mega-star. You just have to sing! So, maybe for that person, trying out for a local community musical theater or joining a singing group would fulfill her passion. Find a way to do what you love, to incorporate it in your life, even in small doses.

I hope I can be a role model to my daughter for following your passions in life, for doing what you love and loving what you do. Creating a life and work that have meaning is the most rewarding thing I can think of, and the thing that keeps most people from doing that is fear; fear of not following the herd and living life the way everyone else lives it or someone else thinks you should live.

Thank you for reading our Q&A with Shelley Seale and remember to visit her site to learn more about her new book “The Weight of Silence“, and THANK YOU to Shelley for your time!