“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
Featured Blogger: Nancy Hatch - Spirit Lights The Way...
At different points in our lives, we come across people who make us sit up, listen and then applaud because they bring an incisive wit and brilliance to every conversation; and they do it without compunction. If you’ve read the indomitable Nancy Hatch’s blog, Spirit Lights The Way, you will understand what I mean. From the first day I connected with Nancy in the blogosphere, I knew I was connecting with a woman of great substance, an indomitable spirit, and a golden heart. As Nancy’s many blogging buddies would attest to, when Nancy is on your side, she’ll climb Mount Everest to support you, comment on your blog, rib you and even challenge you to push through the BS. If you’re a blog buddy, you are blessed; she never misses a post and she always leaves a comment… She’s fun and funny; that’s our Nancy.
Freedom, in all its permutations, matters to Nancy and when she took up the personal challenge to become a freelance writer, move to Florida and live her best life, she put her heart and soul into it and it shows in her writings and her commitment to her craft. Nancy is a prolific published writer/blogger, has lived a rich and varied life, and, I am convinced, she rarely sleeps. 
The other night, I was editing a post, it was close to 1:00am and I see a ping from Nancy’s blog and then a comment. While this might not seem like much, just take a look at her blog buddy blogroll list, she does this regularly for us all. So you can imagine that as I prepared to post Nancy’s feature, I remembered the saying… if you want a project completed on schedule, give it to the hardest working, busiest person. I gave Nancy three extra questions and yes, she responded … promptly. The answers are below. Please welcome this week’s “Get To Know” blogger – our friend and blog buddy; Nancy Hatch. Leave a comment here and then go visit her blog and say hello! Her interview with her favorite quotes follows… 
What led you to/away from Law/ the legal profession?
I agree with the Dalai Lama . . . we are here to be happy. Happiness is the goal behind all goals. After 13 years of practicing law, I awakened to the realization that my choice of career was detracting from, rather than adding to, my happiness. Once I identified the primary source of unhappiness in my life, I eliminated it by transitioning from law to non-profit work and eventually to writing full time.
“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” Carlos Castaneda
How do you find endless topics to write on?
I’m not sure whether I find them . . . or they find me. I’ve published 1,273 posts since starting SLTW in February 2010. I currently have 110 draft posts waiting to be polished and published. Each day, more ideas swirl around demanding to be explored on topics that center on Freedom, Autonomy, Courage, Mindfulness, Sustainable Living, and Happiness.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” C.S. Lewis
Happiness is?
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Mahatma Gandhi
Life is not intended to be one-size fits-all . . . it’s not a game of “Monkey See ~ Monkey Do.” We have far more freedom than many people realize. We don’t need a signed permission slip to live life as we choose ~ we just need to conquer our ego-based desire for approval from others. We need to conquer our fear.
Independent thinking is not easy, especially if we choose to swim against the stream of societal expectations . . . but it’s worth it. After all, our freedom is at stake. When we stop hiding who we are, we have more energy to become more fully who we want to be.
Where did you grow up and why do you blog?
I grew up in NJ, attended college in VA, and law school in SC. After 13 years practicing law, I switched to non-profit work ~ first running a Domestic Violence Crisis Intervention Team in NJ, and then assisting with an AmeriCorps program at Salisbury University in MD. When we moved to FL two years ago, we didn’t know if the move would be permanent or temporary since we still had a house to sell in MD. Instead of looking for a temporary job, I wrote . . . and loved every minute of it.
“Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” Gloria Steinem
I started my blog, Spirit Lights The Way, last February to enjoy the creative outlet of writing, as well as to share, connect, inspire, explore, dream, and discover. My goal in writing, and life, is simple: to enjoy the journey.
