What Really Matters?Sample

Before Feet Hit the Floor

For a while, Irene Hannon juggled two careers — one as a communications executive at a Fortune 500 company and the other as a burgeoning fiction writer. Winning the prestigious RITA award gave her the push she needed to choose between the two, which has led to her successful career as a bestselling novelist. Nowadays, she spends her days writing romance and romantic suspense novels (70 and counting) and all that entails: editing, researching, checking galleys, responding to publicist requests, and prepping for speaking engagements. The result? Books that allow millions of readers to find hope and encouragement at the end of a long day. Today, we’re getting a peek behind the curtain to see what spiritual practice is working best for her right now.

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I’ve been using the same two for quite some time. As we all know, once our day gets rolling, it can be a race to the finish, with multiple tasks demanding our time and attention. So before I get out of bed each morning, I close my eyes and spend a few minutes talking to God. I thank him for my blessings, ask him to watch over the people I love, comfort those in special need of his care, and ask for guidance with any thorny problems I might be facing. Starting my day like that helps put God front and center before my feet even hit the floor.

My daily walk is also vital to me. I carve 30 minutes out of my hectic schedule every day to be still, listen, and commune with nature and God. It calms me and reminds me that in the midst of all the clutter in our lives, it’s imperative to silence the noise on a regular basis, restore perspective, and take time to notice beauty—and to remember what really matters.

—Irene Hannon, bestselling novelist, as told to Rapt Interviews

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