I was very curious to see Laura Day in action. I had known her for several years at the time. She’d been featured on the television station where I used to anchor the news, talking about her journey as a high-profile healer, author, and intuitive to the stars. Over the years, we kept in touch. She lives in New York, and I have wanted to visit her, but our schedules never aligned, so when I found out we would be in London at the same time, I wanted to witness her in action. After all, it’s been well documented that some of the world's most famous people rely on her intuitive powers (more on this later).
I walked over to Saint George’s, where she was holding a workshop. The first thing I noticed was how many people came to see Laura with such hope and, in some cases, urgent need. They wanted her to provide a roadmap for their healing. This struck me as a heavy burden for one woman to have so much riding on her words. But then again, I realized, that’s what her life’s purpose is all about. It was a magical experience to see her speak to the crowd and bring everyone into a circle together, holding hands. I was there half as a journalist to observe, half as a friend to support. And also, as a human who is always on my own journey to better myself,
Fast-forward a few years. Laura’s new book, “The Prism: Seven Steps To Heal Your Past and Transform Your Future,” was about to be released, and Phoenix was one of the stops on her book tour. My friend, former TV host, Suzanne Bissett, and I were thrilled that Laura would be coming to town. Laura is the kind of person who feels like a gift to spend time with. You can see her mind working all the time. And, if you are lucky enough to have her concentrate on your story, you just want to soak it all in. She is brutally honest and straightforward, but this is what I love about her.
Laura’s life and how she became an international healer and New York Times Best-Selling Author were not easy.
“I'm from a family of suicides,” Laura told me. “And that's in part the way our brains are structured. And it's also a result of a very traumatic childhood. And I realized that the difference between me and my much more brilliant and talented siblings who committed suicide was this simple download that I received when I was a small child, that had the rules of the mechanics of thriving.”
Laura spoke to me about her ability to thrive and lean into resilience and how that informed her new book, “The Prism.” I asked about her reason for writing this book, and she said that she wanted to “use …tragedy to heal and to grow.”
So, how do we do that?
How do we grow from tragedy, from disappointment, from being brokenhearted, from depression, from broken dreams?
“You don't have to drink green juices or meditate for 40 minutes a day or be grateful for all the crap that's happened. You make a tiny change. For example, what is mine belongs to me. You practice that for one day. People who have difficulty in that area of their life and valuing themselves will see an immediate change, not just in what they notice and who they notice, and the changes they make and how they're treated. They'll notice an immediate change in who notices them and what opportunities come their way. I tell my students all the time, you are your magic wand. There is no magic other than that.”
You are your magic wand. Let that phrase sink in.
“This is about acting differently, not thinking differently,” she tells me. “So The Prism is my experience of the structure of a human being, and it is how we take in all the information, the energy, the experiences, the interactions that come our way and then create, refract out our life. No matter what your life has been until now, you can make a tiny change, and your whole life changes.”
While on her book tour in Phoenix, in between stops with Jennifer Hudson, Oprah, and Kelly Clarkson, we met her at the historic hotel and restaurant, Lon’s. Built in the 1930s by cowboy artist Lon Megargee, Lon’s still holds the charm of its original adobe architecture. Laura really appreciated this, as did her husband, Stephen Schiff, screenwriter, producer, and journalist. They are a power couple, to be sure. But you would never know it. They are low-key, and when I walked in, they were just sitting by the fire, grateful to absorb the scenery and live music.
The dinner conversation turned to her new book and a few of her celebrity friends, including, most notably, Demi Moore. Laura explained that she and Demi have been friends for 40 years. She talked about the incredible person Demi is, how she’s always treated her fans with respect, and how deeply she loves her family. I asked Laura what she felt about Demi’s “comeback.” She said she doesn’t like that phrase because Demi has always been famous. She’s right. Demi is a legend. And the story of their enduring friendship is true beauty. It’s not complicated, and it’s not transactional.
One of my biggest takeaways from Laura is that she encourages people not to overcomplicate life. And not to “magicalize”.
I asked her to describe how The Prism could be most helpful to people.
“What part of me is working in an old, dysfunctional way? And I can see that in my life. Am I losing opportunities? Am I ill? Am I feeling lonely? What is going on in my life that I want to change? It'll show me where my prism isn't working.”
As I said goodbye to Laura and Stephen at the valet outside Lon’s, she hugged me and said, “I will see you in New York.” She invited us to come and stay at her place.
Yes, I can’t wait.
There is much to learn from this brilliant woman, who encourages people not to “magicalize” their lives. However, I submit, she is magical.
IG @lauradayintuit
About Carey Peña
Carey Pena is an Emmy-Award Winning Journalist, Filmmaker, Television Personality, and Podcast Host. Founder of Inspired Media 360, a production company based in Phoenix, and Co-Founder of The Center for Positive Media, a multi-media studio and co-working space. Follow on LinkedIn and Instagram @careypena