The New York Times calls her “the next generation guru.” She is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and sought after life coach. Today I’m pleased to be interviewing Gabrielle Bernstein about her new book, Add More ~ing to Your Life, and talking about an awesome giveaway.

Natalie: What led you to write Add More ~ing to Your Life? And for those who don’t know, what is ~ing?

Gabrielle: ~ing stands for inner guidance. Our ~ing is our intuition and our inspiration. ~ing is the cheerleader in the back of our mind that guides us to love ourselves.

The inspiration behind this book stems from my own personal journey of reconnecting with my ~ing. At the age of twenty-five I experienced an existential crisis and hit bottom. I was living on the outside thinking that happiness came from a new boyfriend or a pair of shoes. None of that worked. Thus, I turned inward. As a result of my inner journey I began studying A Course in Miracles and became a metaphysics junky. Since 2005, I’ve taken the spiritual principles I’ve learned and translated them for my generation and myself. As a life coach and motivational speaker I was able to test-drive the tools firsthand and therefore testify to every method included throughout the book.

Natalie: How do you find time for more ~ing and where do you recommend people begin?

Gabrielle: Someone asked me the question about time at a recent lecture. My answer was, “Do you have time to feel shitty?” Excuse my French, but I’m clearly not messing around. If you make the commitment to activate the ~ing in your life you inevitably have more time. You spend less time worrying, complaining and cleaning up the mess you create as a result of having low energy.

The best place to begin is with a full surrender. Willingness will get you everywhere. With the willingness to release fear and connect to your ~ing you’ll be guided to make necessary changes.

Natalie: Something that struck me since this blog is read by many women who have a small business or are thinking about starting a business is when you talked about your own leap into entrepreneurship. You said someone asked you if you were afraid to start your own business and your reply was that you were more afraid not to. What advice do you have for people thinking about starting a business or thinking about starting anything really.

Gabrielle: My advice to anyone in start up mode is to make sure they believe in what they’re doing. When you believe in yourself and the work you do, the world reflects that back to you. Before you begin “starting up” I suggest you do a serious mental inventory of your thought process around the work. If you have any fear whatsoever I suggest you work on that before you start creating a business. You want to build your house on rock, not on sand. Make sure the energy behind your business is aligned with the positive thoughts of your ~inner guide. If you’re looking for a support network while starting up your business join the Career Connections Power Posse of my site Her Future (for women to find mentors and be mentors).

Natalie: How can we use the manifesting equation that you talk about for our careers or businesses?

Gabrielle: The manifesting equation helps you co-create with the energy that is around you. By that point in the book you’ve done a lot of work to connect to your ~ing. As a result, of you can use the manifesting equation to help you use that connection as a tool for turning your desires into form. I strongly suggest taking the previous chapters very seriously before you embark on manifestation. You don’t want to call in your desires and not be able to keep them.

Natalie: What is a day like “in your heels” or in your bare feet? I noticed you in bare feet throughout the book!

Gabrielle: I have very cool days! Before I even open my eyes I turn my palms upward (to receive energy) and I thank the Universe for everything I’ve been given. I then pray for my day to be guided and turn my will and my life over to the care of my ~ing. Then I get up and do my meditation. Following my hour meditation I check some emails, post a tweet and review my schedule for the day. I’ll often have a few coaching sessions interspersed throughout the day. In between I’ll send out promotional emails for my book, write blogs and prepare for the coming lecture. I lecture once a week right now -which I LOVE! I always hit the gym or jump on the trampoline at some point. At night I like to cook dinner for my boyfriend. After dinner I take a bath. Taking a bath is very meditative for me. I light candles and use Epson salts. I love this stuff.

Natalie: Thank you for sharing your story Gabrielle.

As mentioned, we have an awesome giveaway. Two readers will win a free copy of Gabrielle’s book, Add More ~ing to Your Life. To enter, just a leave a comment on this post before Friday, January 22nd at 5:00 pm EST.

You can also enter to win a free vacation with your ~inner guide to Costa Rica with Gabrielle. On April 14-18, 2010, escape to a luxury Costa Rican resort for 4 days of exploration and personal growth. Gabrielle will guide you on a journey inward to connect with your inner guide (aka ~ing), clear your negative thought patterns and celebrate yourself on an adventurous vacation.

What can guests expect on the trip?

• A retreat for women at Recreo
• Complete mind/body cleanse: Gabrielle will lead workshops and guided meditations
• Additional guidance with yoga/integrative nutrition expert Latham Thomas
• Daily activities include yoga, surfing, horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, swimming and more
• Menu options include Latham’s culinary treats: marrying raw food to Costa Rican cuisine

How to Enter:
After reading Add More ~ing to Your Life, submit to Gabrielle a two paragraph explanation of how the book has inspired you to change. Submissions can be sent to freetrip@addmoreing.com. In addition, you must subscribe to the addmoreing.com site at http://www.addmoreing.com/blogging. Contest ends February 10, 2010.