Interview of Kerul Kassell

[Silvia Foti]

Interview of Kerul Kassell,

Author of Stop Procrastinating Now

August 13, 2007

What's the title of your book and what's it about?

Stop Procrastinating Now – Five Radical Strategies To Set You Free

Synopsis: Ending Procrastination is much easier than you think...and you'll be surprised at how you do it! That’s what’s completely different about the system this book is going to teach you. It’s not called radical for nothing! Here are some of the insights you’ll learn:

v You need to drop your goals... right now. What? Doesn't this fly in the face of everything you've ever been taught? Yes. I'll show you how to drop your goals and get lots more of the right things done.

v What the heck a hit man has to do with following through.

v How to stop taking yes for an answer.

v How to give up on finishing (forever!) - a startling technique that will double your productivity instantly.

What is your genre, and what do you personally gain by writing in this genre?

Non-fiction – and I hope to change the world! Seriously, I hope to affect people positive. I found so many people beating themselves up about what they hadn't accomplished in life, and it was weighing them down, draining them of energy, and that was so unnecessary! I wanted to help them let go of that punishing perspective and replace it with a new lively, fun, experimental, forward-thinking one, and I could reach more people by writing a book.

Most writers I know are on a quest for truth, some sort of a personal truth. What truth are you seeking in your body of work?

I’m seeking the truth of each person’s own truth, without “shoulding” myself (or yourself) into a mediocre, pale version what we have the potential to be, potential that the world needs, and we need to contribute.

Many writers I know have had a difficult childhood, or something terrible that happened to them. They use writing as an outlet, a way to release their demons, if you will. Does this apply to you, and are you willing to share what in your past drives you to write now?

I think it’s related. My mom was tough on me when I was little, and I had zero self-confidence because the all too frequent “What is wrong with you” reprimands I received had the effect of making me believe that there was something very wrong with me – indeed, little was right. So self-doubt defined my life all the way into and through adulthood until I was around 40, when I started finally finding my own voice and my own desires, boundaries, and truths. I see how self-doubt plagues others, and how it hampers them from being happy, productive people – I want to help them find their own versions of the truth – whatever it is for them..

This a very un-PC question, but what is your religion? Do you have one? What religious principles do you live by? What religious artifacts would a visitor find in your home?

I grew up Jewish, but I don’t follow it at all. There’s too much I don’t relate to, and little I do. I’m spiritual but not religious. I live by the golden rule, and pretty much by the 10 commandments. I always seek to have compassion and respect for others and all life (most of the time I’m able to, but certainly not perfect on this one!). My church is the great outdoors – God looks me in the face everyday in the eyes of my dogs, my horses, the birds and butterflies that visit my house and community, and in so very many other ways. I count my blessings daily, pray to “the great spirit”
for the healing of others, but none of it’s is formally done, and not with any intermediary in the form of a clergy person or a building made for the purpose of praying. I distrust formal religions – they’re great for some people, but I’ve seen too much greed, avarice, abuse, and worse by religious organizations and people to find much use for it.

Have you ever gone to a psychic and had your cards read? What happened?

A number of times – but I only recall that there was nothing particularly surprising or revelatory. It was definitely fun and interesting, and Tarot cards are really cool – I do have a deck but I’ve never learned to ready them properly. I’ll definitely go to a psychic or Tarot card reader a few more times, but in terms of useful information to use as guidance or reassurance…not so much. One of my colleagues gave me an Angel card deck. Also fascinating, but when I’ve used it to get guidance, I can never figure out what the cards are telling me – it never seems to make sense to me, probably because I have such a literal mind.

Have you ever seen anything you'd describe as supernatural?

Not so much seen as felt or experienced – a number of times. There were different experiences, not the same thing over and over, though most of them involve clairvoyance (on my part), such as when I got a phone call and the in the tone of the ringing phone something told me that a bad thing had happened. My friend suddenly lost her brother and was calling me to tell me. I wasn’t expecting anything bad, but that ring just told me. Another time I was all out of sorts on the way to our summer house – not at all like I usually am. My husband didn’t know what to make of me. When we got to the house, we found it had been robbed. A few years ago I got a call in the middle of the night – it was a neighbor of my parents - their house was on fire and I needed to come immediately. I was a couple of hours away, and it was 2:30 in the morning. On the drive down the configurations in the stars were telling me that my father had passed away in the fire. I could see an arrow in the stars, like they were pointing toward heaven. I didn’t get verification that he’d died until I got to the hospital a couple of hours later. My mom was alive but injured – my dad didn’t make it.

What is your website? Where else can people find out more about you?

www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com/book. Check it out there, and there’s more about me at my other website: www.NewLeafSystems.com.

Kerul Kassel

Author of Stop Procrastinating Now (New Leaf Publishing, 2007)

and the soon-to-be-released Productive Procrastination (Echelon Press, 2007)

407-957-1494, (fax) 407-957-4814 www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com and www.NewLeafSystems.com Coaching,
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