Laurie Gardner has been a fun, fresh voice in leadership and personal development for over 35 years. In her sassy, straight-shooting, “Jersey girl does woo-woo” style, she loves sharing stories, tools, and practical wisdom for fast, lasting change.
A four-time Harvard grad, global leadership consultant, author of three books written while fasting on desert vision quests, creator of Laurie Gardner’s Breakthrough Method,™ and master instructor of over six dozen Eastern and Western self-development and leadership techniques, Laurie has helped tens of thousands of people and organizations to quickly and joyfully transform.
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FUN BACKSTORY!
Each of Laurie’s books unexpectedly came pouring out into her diary while fasting in the desert on vision quests.
For anyone who’s ever sensed there must be something more . . .
Let the adventure begin.
Filled with travel and outdoor adventures, life lessons, and a good dose of humor, The Road to Shine is an inspiring true story and practical guide to courageously claiming your life.
Had it with the “no pain, no gain” show?
Welcome to joy on demand.
This real-life adventure story and how-to guide helps you find happiness and hope in hard times by trusting your intuition. Stop working so hard and finally come home to yourself.
The third in the trilogy . . . (currently under development)
Laurie returns to the New Mexico desert on another fasting vision quest and discovers the keys to finding lasting peace.
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During dark and difficult times, choosing love is not naive—it is a bald-faced act of courage. You see the divisiveness and fear right in front of your face—others’ anger, blame, and shame is often aimed directly at you. You dare to respond with love because you know love is the only way we can heal. You recognize that when things look the bleakest, your reminder of love is most needed.
Trust that you are both tough enough—and tender enough—to rise above pain and struggle, or you would not be here right now. Your sensitivity is your strength. Your sweetness is your superpower.
Nothing and no one can take away your power—no one in your family, no politician or other authority . . . It is your birthright to love and be Love.
Allow yourself to be enraged. Aim your anger at the lies, not at the people who believe them.
To stay in a place of love, create and claim your safe space. Walk in nature. Surround yourself with support.
Shed anything or anyone that's weighing you down—knowing who you are versus how others define you to be.
Fly above as a starburst of light for anyone who's stuck in the darkness. Crawl to the sky . . . leap to the sky . . . just get there.
Join the other brave beacons who are already there, remembering you are not alone.
Not everyone is ready to lift their heads upward to see. That is not your concern. Though there are those who ignore or curse at the stars, still they keep shining.
When your mind falls into confusion and self-doubt . . . RISE.
When your body falls into exhaustion and pain . . . RISE.
When your heart falls into anger and grief . . . RISE.
When your spirit falls into hopelessness and despair . . . RISE.
Each time you fall, the higher and more joyfully you RISE.
You must CHOOSE: the painful past or a joyful new future. You cannot live in both places at once.
You succeed in this life by being as kind to yourself and others as you can, every moment of every day—all the rest is just gravy.
So smile at the grocery store clerk; let the other car go first, and give generous tips. Most of all, seek to truly understand those whose views differ from yours. As you move out of your staunch positions to your and their deeper, underlying needs, you quickly discover that all people want the same things: safety, freedom, joy, meaning, and love. When we focus on our shared human desires, solutions quickly arise of how to peacefully share the earth.
© 2026 by Laurie B. Gardner. All rights reserved.
Excerpted from chapter 10 of The Road to Joy, "All-Night Love Affair."
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Fast, Lasting, Positive Change
The quickest route to joyful, lasting change is by trusting your intuition.
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Layer 1 (Calm the Noise) sets the foundation. Until you quiet the commotion in your mind, body, and heart, you simply cannot hear the voice of your deepest knowing. Once you’re relaxed and at ease, you can access your intuition to cut to the core to understand what’s really going on (Layer 2: Get to the Root) then take immediate, doable steps (internal or external) to shift to a clearer, wiser, and more joyful path (Layer 3: Act on the A-ha).
Many people stop at Layer 1, using tools that relax them for a little while, but the calm disappears when the deeper issues return. Others try to figure out the underlying problem and solution (Layers 2 and 3) before quieting their hearts and minds, feeling frustrated when no answers come. Only by descending in order through all three layers of tools will you discover clearly and profoundly the key insights you were missing and how best to proceed to joyfully achieve your goals and desires.
