Laurie Ellis Young's Most Requested Inspirational Speeches

Each topic can be tailored to provide focus on the specific interests of particular audiences.

Laurie can also devise short or long-term workshops to accompany each presentation.

1. Mystical & Spiritual
TOPIC: Increasing Our H.Q. - (Happiness Quotient) By Lowering Our I.Q. (Irritation Quotient).

Reading Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote, There is no duty we so underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits into the world, was an Ah ha! moment for Laurie that sparked intensive inquiry into the nature of happiness. She noticed that a proclivity to become irritated (I.Q.) seemed to hinder both herself and others from experiencing a serene happiness (H.Q.). Laurie will share unique stories, wisdom and techniques learned from living and studying around the world that will inspire us to lower our I.Q., take charge of our H.Q. and live more fully and joyfully.

2. Travel & Adventure
TOPIC: Sacred Pilgrimage Inside and Out. What The High Mountains Have Taught Me.

From her very first experiences in the high Himalayas and the Andes, Laurie realized these mountains were a schoolroom for her. Powerful teachers were all aspects of Nature, along with the people she met there; both native inhabitants and fellow travelers. During a period of almost three decades the yearning to study initiated over fifty trips to Nepal, Tibet, Peru and Bolivia. With humor and inspiration, Laurie will share insights and tales gained from these experiences.

3. Humanitarian & Environmental
TOPIC: Life as a gringa in New Hope Village, Guatemala. "What! They think I m a spy? "
Gaining trust in a post civil war society.

In order to truly attain trust, Paolo Frieri, a Brazilian, Jesuit priest, advocates that thosewho work closely with the poor must live in their same circumstances. Thus Laurie and her husband George, a proponet of Frieri's theory, lived sixteen months in 2002 and 2003, outside Guatemala City in a new community designed to help lift families out of the paradigm of poverty and paranoia. In the beginning, the families could not believe that any gringos would willingly live as they did, using communal showers and latrines and without amenities like running water. They must be spies. Laurie will share the challenging and heartwarming experiences that eventually gained the family's trust and made them part of the community.

4. Creating & Enhancing Well-being
TOPIC: The ABC's of Wellness: Awareness, Balance & Connection

From over 33 years of practicing yoga, mediation and studying many mind/body therapies, no matter where she was in the world, Laurie noticed three major similarities. Almost every practice seemed to focus on creating what she has called the ABC's of wellness: Awareness, Balance and Connection. Awareness equates to Mindfulness which cultivates the power to focus and achieve inner peace. Balance corresponds to Centeredness which promotes poise and stability. Connection strengthens our abilities to be both grounded and inspired while realizing our interconnectedness with everything and everyone. Through stories, experiential sharing and handouts Laurie will show many ways to apply these basics in our lives to enhance our wellbeing.

"Giving is not simply an act of 'giving to' someone or something. It is a transformational act that creates energy, not depletes it."

Matthew Sanford