Kristina Mand-Lakhiani is an international speaker, entrepreneur, artist, philanthropist, and mother of 2 kids. As a co-founder of Mindvalley, a leading publisher in the personal growth industry, Kristina dedicated the last 20 years of her career from teachers like Michael Beckwith, Bob Proctor, Lisa Nichols, and many more.
She started her career in a government office in her native Estonia and, by her mid-20s, achieved a level of success mostly known to male politicians at the end of their careers. It was shortly after that Kristina and her then-husband Vishen founded Mindvalley. From a small meditation business operating out of the couple’s apartment in New York, the company grew into a global educational organization offering top training for peak human performance to hundreds of thousands of students all around the world.
Kristina believes life it too important to be taken seriously and makes sure to bring fun into every one of her roles: as a teacher, mother, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and world traveler. Kristina helps her students to virtually hack happiness by taking them through her unique framework – “Hacking happiness” – a unique framework of balancing your life, taking in every moment, and paying close attention the small daily choices.
Kristina is also the author of three transformational quests – “7 Days to Happiness“, “Live By Your Own Rules.” and “The Art of Being Flawesome.” Kristina talks about personal transformation, authenticity, understanding and accepting oneself, and a path to happiness.
In July 2023, with the help of Hay House Publishing, Kristina releases her very first book – “Becoming Flawesome” #BecomingFlawsome. In her book, Kristina shares her own journey from being on top of a personal growth empire like Mindvalley to stepping aside, conscious uncoupling from her husband, and walking her path towards being more honest with herself.
Website: https://kristinamand.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinamand
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-mand-lakhiani-73168414
Where did you get the idea to write Becoming Flawesome?
The idea to write "Becoming Flawesome" was inspired by my own story and my 20 years of experience in personal growth and transformation. With many of my professional friends being bestselling authors, I felt it was only a matter of time before I wrote a book myself. However, the biggest question was what to write about. While the book draws from my personal experience, it is not a memoir. I only felt ready to write the book when I discovered my message and felt strongly about sharing it with the world.
How much research was necessary before and during the writing of your book?
A significant amount of research went into "Becoming Flawesome," considering my 20 years of work and personal growth. The research was not of a classical academic style, such as conducting surveys, but rather involved learning from other authors, reading books, and referencing existing academic research. Throughout the book, I cite a lot of research, which can be found in the endnotes. I strive to back up my statements and recommendations with research, ensuring that it is replicable and supported by multiple academic institutions.
In your book, you write about how your greatest potential comes from self-acceptance. Can you give us more detail on this?
Actually, I don't make the statement that the greatest potential comes from self-acceptance, so I'm a bit puzzled by that question. It's a simplified statement that doesn't accurately represent my views. What I do emphasize is that people are imperfect, and many of the qualities we consider flaws or weaknesses are simply aspects of our personality or personal history. It's a choice we can make to see these aspects as either curses or blessings. Rather than fighting against the things that are objectively part of us, I suggest embracing them and finding the value and strength within them. For example, perfectionism can be seen as an objective aspect of one's character, and instead of trying to give it up, we can find ways to make it a strength by recognizing its positive aspects.
How important is self-image?
It's not a short answer. It's a whole sequence that you have to follow to understand why self-image is so important. Well, a very simple answer would be that research shows that your success depends on equal parts competence and confidence. Confidence is usually a sign of a strong self-image.
The line I take is a little different. We are often afraid of the opinions of the outside world, but in reality, the outside world doesn't have a lot of opinions about us until we start interacting. And very often, we teach other people to treat us in a certain way. So, if your self-image is low, it's quite natural that people will also see you in that light.
In my book, there's a whole chapter or even two chapters where I talk about that. I'm not sure how deep people want me to go or how deep the blog wants me to go. But the idea is that your self-image is the source of how the world perceives you. You teach the world to treat you the way you treat yourself, even if it happens subconsciously. For example, if you think you are unworthy, it's very likely that's the feedback you will receive from the outside world. In my book, I mention wearing short pants and if I think it's inappropriate, I carry that opinion into the world, and that's how people are going to see me, rather than seeing me neutrally without any preconceived opinion. So, that's the logic in my book regarding why self-image is so important, even though I don't explicitly state it in those terms.
In your book, you write about letting go of the shackles of perfectionism. Why do you feel this is important?
To clarify, I don't specifically state that we need to let go of the shackles of perfectionism. While I acknowledge that I have been a perfectionist throughout my life, I also recognize that perfectionism can hinder personal growth. It often leads to a low tolerance for failure or imperfection, causing us to narrowly define success and view anything less as a failure. This can make life challenging and restrict our sense of accomplishment. So rather than completely letting go of perfectionism, I encourage exploring healthier ways to approach it and broaden our definition of success.
What's on your nightstand?
Currently, on my nightstand, I have Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield," which is my second Charles Dickens book this year. I'm catching up on his works, although I have some issues with his treatment of female characters. That's just my opinion. Maybe I'll read more of his books. After Dickens, I plan to read a contemporary author. But usually, it's fiction that I keep on my nightstand.
Kristina Mand-Lakhiani
Nonfiction
Perfection. We all dream of living by it, feeling it, being it.
And it is in the name of perfection that we demonize our flaws, make ourselves ‘less-than,’ and render ourselves vulnerable to the shame of not being good enough.
We live in a society that subliminally encourages us to wear metaphorical masks, slay our inner sadness, and ignore our imperfections, or as Kristina refers to them, her ‘dragons.’ Even within the world of personal development and spirituality, toxic perfectionism lurks in the shadows.
In Kristina’s upcoming book Becoming Flawesome #BecomingFlawesome, she reflects on her own story, her battle against perfectionism, and what it took for her to return to what she now deems to be her most authentic self. Being described as “10 years worth of therapy in one book,” Becoming Flawesome is a celebration of our whole selves, warts and all, and the glory that is to be found in living in our truth.
Every chapter is closed with reflection points and exercises to encourage the readers to dive deep into the essence of who they truly are, what their values are, and how to navigate an oftentimes overwhelming world.
In this book, Kristina breaks the mold as she takes the reader on a journey through:
• The dark, controversial side of ‘personal growth,’ and the insecurities that thrive on it
• Self-care vs. self-love, and why you need both
• What authenticity actually is, beyond the buzz
• The ‘hermione Syndrome,’ and how to diagnose if you’re secretly suffering from it
• How to create aligned lifestyle habits that stick
• Why the more you judge others, the more you judge yourself
• Societal masks, and how to remove them from your psyche
• Imposter syndrome in the world of high-flyers
• Emotional literacy: how to cope with strong, painful emotions healthily
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mwtzj3jx
Mind Valley Books: https://www.mindvalley.com/books/flawesome
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