"How Mindvalley and meeting Vishen on a beach in Auckland Inspired a life change and a novel"

How Mindvalley and meeting Vishen on a beach in Auckland Inspired a life change and a novel.

Attending the Manifesting Summit inspired me to reach out and share my story. Listening to Vishen and all the other speakers, the message was loud and clear - life gives us who we are. And by telling my story, I open the possibility to affect millions of people’s lives for the better…and that’s a responsibility that I am so ready to take on. My just published new novel, Guru Tom, largely parallels my own life, which was transformed when I was introduced to Mindvalley and I met Vishen on a beach in Auckland, some ten years ago. My wife had not long passed away after being diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, in her early fifties, and my 13 year old son was diagnosed with autism a short time later. At the time I had a thriving film and television visual effects company, an award winning cafe, and plays that I’d written were being produced in the theatre. I had to stop all of that, go home and take care of my son, who’d become suicidal and violent. Vishen was staying at my friend Corina’s place on the beach at Karaka Bay, where I used to live, and it was her who introduced me to meditation after coming back from one of the first A-Fests, with her mind absolutely blown. Mindvalley changed my life. Even when I didn’t have money for membership while I stayed home and took care of my son - the free videos as an email subscriber introduced me to Srikumar Rao, Michael Beckworth, Anodea Judith, Regan Hillyer, Vishen and others.

I began writing to try and make sense of what was happening in my life. I saw it as a way to pass on the wisdom I’ve learnt, to help others who find themselves going through similar situations.

Guru Tom - is the story of a successful mindfulness entrepreneur on the speakers circuit, who realises when PTSD threatens to derail his growing popularity, that in order to truly help other people, he must first overcome the trauma in his own life. It’s been six years now since Tom lost his wife to cancer, and his thirteen-year-old son was diagnosed with autism. Difficult and painful years - yet transformative. Buoyed by the support of wonderful friendships, his turning to meditation, and the incandescent spirit that still shines brightly from his inspirational marriage - a searing memoir of love, grief, friendship and overcoming.

Now that I understand what an incredibly powerful tool manifesting is, I realise that there are no limits to what I can achieve. I can't recommend Mindvalley's manifesting courses highly enough.

Gary Stalker Playwright, Actor, Novelist.