They say when you go through heartbreak, you gotta get it out. That’s why I cry when Taco Bell messes up my order.
Maria Shriver has learned that — not the Taco Bell part, and she’s getting it out on paper. We had a little chat and a bite to eat over the weekend to talk about her new book, being nice to yourself and accepting a broken nail. Here’s our conversation before I finally picked up the check.
You know her as a Kennedy, a journalist, a best-selling author and former wife to movie star and governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Maria Shriver is also an evolved woman!
Lynn: “This book made me cry!”
It’s true. I cried reading her latest book, “I am Maria”, on heartbreak and healing, where she shares a collection of poetry on self-acceptance and being your true self.
Lynn: “So how deep does that go, Maria? Like, I came here with a broken nail, I literally thought yesterday, ‘I got to run to the nail salon, but this book is about self-acceptance, Lynn'”
Maria Shriver: I didn’t even notice it. See, all the things you think people are looking at and they’re not. I’m looking at your eyes, I’m asking you about your life, I didn’t even look at your nail and you’re focused on your nail. So I think we get focused on things other people aren’t focused on.”
Maria Shriver: “You’re freer than you think you are, that you’re an original, that you’re cool with it.”
Maria’s cool, too, because she’s quick to note, she’s not perfect.
Maria Shriver: “I’m always in a battle, I think we all are. It’s not, healing, accepting oneself isn’t a one and done.
Lynn: “I mean I’m wearing Spanx.”
Maria Shriver: “I’m not, but I would if I had that suit on.”
She’s had some hard knocks, like the breakup of her 25-year marriage after finding out Arnold fathered a child with the housekeeper.
Self-reflection, she said, was a life-saver.
Maria Shriver: “I sought out all kinds of counseling. I took responsibility, I looked within and picked myself up and moved forward.”
She said she’s single now and happy.
Lynn: “Are you open to dating?”
Maria Shriver: “Yeah, I’m open to anything that life throws my way. I like my life now and I feel I finally have my pieces organized. My kids are in a good place”
Speaking of kids, we had to talk about The White Lotus, the super popular TV show and the nude scenes with her son, Patrick.
Lynn: “Do you watch like this?”
Maria Shriver: “No, I watch eyes wide open, yes and I don’t know what’s gonna happen to him but I watch with my eyes wide open but my eyes aren’t great so I do miss things.”
Alright, back to the nail and my therapy session with Maria.
Maria Shriver: “The journey to living your one, wild and authentic life is just staying at it.”
Maria Shriver: “Look you have blue nails, you have shoes with studs on them, I’m not worried about you, you’re fine.”
Lynn: “Would you have come here with a broken nail?
Maria Shriver: “Of course I would have. Not a blue one.”
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