I’m all for healing and personal development. To say the self help and psychology section of a book store is my favorite place in the world…is literally under stating it 🙂 I could be lost in there for hours with the world shut off to me.

Over the years I’ve read numerous books that promise magic formulas and unrealistic(sometimes drastic!) ways to attain happiness and success. The Art of Talking to Yourself by Vironika Tugaleva is NOT one of those books. And I’m so glad it isn’t!

Its raw and real.

This is a book which invites you to look within and find the Light within. Vironika guides you to become a beautifully healed version of yourself all through self mastery and loving self talk. She gently teaches you to tap into your own inner wisdom, your light which doesn’t require another expensive course to attain happiness and peace.

Her take on this whole self help business is so refreshing, I wanted to hug her for her honesty and pure spirit.
A MUST read for anyone who wants to get real, get raw and get truly healed…..minus the exorbitant self help costs!

I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Vironika about her book. Enjoy darlings and do buy the book. You won’t regret it!

Interview With Vironika Tugaleva author of THE ART OF TALKING TO YOURSELF

Me: What sparked the thought of writing this highly insightful book?

Vironika: It happened somewhat by accident. I began writing The Art of Talking to Yourself about four years ago, shortly after the release of my first book, The Love Mindset. At the time, TAOTTY had a more traditional self-help feel. (I.e. “I am an expert in loving self-talk, so let me show you how to do it.”)

Over these years I’ve spent in self-help, I’ve seen a side of the industry that has troubled me. My outlook on self-improvement has changed. I’ve realized the importance of self-trust and self-awareness. I’ve learned about the uniqueness of each human being.

As I’ve transformed from guru to guide, the book has changed also. Now, instead of an expert giving advice, I’m more like a friend having an intimate chat with the readers. I’m happy with how this book has evolved because I’m happy with how I’ve evolved also.

Me: While writing your book, what was the most challenging part?

Vironika: There were many, but one of the most significant challenges I faced in writing this book was my first book. I share more details about this story in the “Names We Call Ourselves” chapter, but long story short, I felt like my outlook had changed so much that I couldn’t publish something that possibly contradicted something I’d said before.

This was a profound learning experience for me, and it has shaped the content of the book as well. I’ve learned the importance of allowing and embracing the paradoxes within myself instead of trying to maintain a consistent “personality” to show to the world. My responsibility, I’ve realized, is to seeking and speaking the truth. Not to being consistent. That has been incredibly liberating for me.

Me: How much research or life experience went into writing the book?

Vironika: This book is 100% based on life experience. That’s what happened over the four years I spent refining this manuscript: I inhaled the truth of each moment and allowed it to inform my ideas.

The book is full of personal, intimate stories that share how I’ve come to certain epiphanies. But the content of the book isn’t just my own viewpoint. It’s what I’ve observed from coaching people for the past five years. I’ve tried to make this book into a mirror of the human experience.

Instead of referencing textbooks to describe life, I have referenced life itself. And really, that’s precisely what this book is about: teaching readers to do the same. To become experts on themselves instead of always running to the external authorities, whether those are people or books.

Me: Which is your most favorite chapter(or chapters) from your book and Why?

Vironika: I think “Conversations That Heal” and the first section of “The Voices Within” must be my favourites. Both are incredibly intimate, honest accounts of my experiences with my relationship with myself. I share things that I once swore I’d take to the grave.

There’s one part in the “Conversations That Heal” chapter that makes me cry every time I read it. Honestly, when I was editing, sometimes I’d have to skip over that part just to get through it! When I sent the book out to beta readers and reviewers, that part got similar reactions from other people. This makes me feel incredible. There is no better way to bring people together than to make them feel something raw and real.

Me; Who would benefit from this amazing book?

Vironika: This book is perfect for the recovering “self-help addict.” I’m only half-kidding when I say that. I think it’s perfect for anyone who’s been losing self-respect while searching for quick fixes, miracle solutions, and expert advice. This extends beyond self-help. People do this with diets, relationship advice, spirituality, mental health, and even physical health.

Basically, it’s for anyone who has been unsuccessfully seeking answers on the outside and wants to reunite with the answers that come from within.

Me: Do you have a message for the readers of your book?

Vironika: I think the book’s most important message is: commit to the endless journey of self-discovery. That’s my most important goal. I don’t care if people don’t catch on to my vocabulary or emulate my examples. What I want is for people to stop trying to fix themselves and try to understand themselves instead.

In the book, I talk a lot about modern-day marketing. There’s one marketing tactic that’s often used in self-help where the author doesn’t give you 100% of what she knows. She keeps some locked away so that she can sell you a 10 step program or a 4 day seminar after you’ve finished the book. My goal with this book has been to do the opposite: to give it all away.

This was a tough decision to make, but I’ve decided that The Art of Talking to Yourself will be my last self-help book. I feel that I’ve said everything I have to say on this topic. I’ve given what I have to give. For me, to stop now is the only integrity-filled thing I can do. After this, I will be moving on to publishing my poetry and fiction stories, both of which I’ve been writing since I was a child.

So this book doesn’t just have a message, it is a message. I hope that it can set an example for how the self-help industry can evolve. Maybe, eventually, we’ll have a Self-Discovery section where such books can go. That would be wonderful.

I completely agree with the Self Discovery section! Another section where I might lose myself only to find myself again 🙂

Didn’t I tell you she was brilliant and real? Well I’m telling you now. I love Vironika’s spirit and her wisdom just shines through.

GRAB YOUR COPY of The Art of Talking to Yourself by Vironika Tugaleva NOW!

Did you enjoy this review and interview? Share your thoughts with the author directly in the comments on this post.

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With Immense Love & Gratitude,
~Zeenat~