Episode 25: Marianne Williamson

An interview with Marianne Williamson on how her spirituality influenced her to get into politics, overcoming insecurities, how to forgive someone, support mental illness and her best career advice.

Welcome to the 25th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions.

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This episodes guest:

My guest today is spiritual leader, bestselling author, lecturer, activist and 2020 U.S. Presidential Candidate, Marianne Williamson. Born in Houston, Texas as the youngest of three children, she graduated from Houston’s Bellaire High School. She spent two years studying theater and philosophy at Pomona College in California. She dropped out of college during her junior year to move to New York City in pursuit of a career as a cabaret singer. After reading and being influenced by A Course in Miracles, a book about achieving spiritual transformation, she opened a bookstore and coffee shop back in Houston. Then, four years later she moved to LA to lecture on the book, eventually expanding to lecture internationally. Her first book, A Return to Love, was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and has led to another dozen books, with millions of copies in print. Since then, she’s founded Project Angel Food, a food delivery program-serving people with AIDS and other illnesses and The Peace Alliance, that builds peace-building projects. Marianne continues to be a social and political activist as she campaigns to be the first female President of the United States in 2020. To go along with her campaign, she is releasing her new book, A Politics of Love.

The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode:

How has your spirituality, teaching and entrepreneurial spirit influenced you to get into politics?
How do we overcome our deepest fears and insecurities that get in the way of our fulfillment?
What’s the best way to forgive someone who has caused you pain?
What can we do to help support mental illness at work and at home?
What is your best piece of career advice?

Follow Marianne’s journey: