We recently connected with Gabrielle Stone and have shared our conversation below.
Gabrielle, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose on accident—through heartbreak. In 2017 I found out my husband was having an affair with a nineteen-year-old for six months. I filed for divorce, and left. Shortly after, I met a man, and we fell madly in love. We had a whirlwind romance and he invited me on a month-long trip to Italy with him. Forty-eight hours before getting on the plane, he told me he needed to go by himself. I was devastated—but I had a decision to make. Stay at home heartbroken, or go travel Europe for a month by myself. I took the trip solo, traveled to six countries, and wrote the book, Eat, Pray, #FML. It has since become a best-seller and helped women around the world heal—and I found my purpose through healing myself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Gabrielle Stone is no stranger to the world of entertainment. Growing up on set with her legendary scream-queen mother, Dee Wallace (Cujo, E.T.), she had days of licking off mommy’s fake blood and watching behind the scenes movie magic. Seeing the world with mom and dad gave her the travel bug at an early age—until Gabrielle experienced a real-life horror when she lost her father suddenly at age seven.
After many years in the industry herself, Stone transitioned from meaty acting roles to writing and directing. Her award-winning films It Happened Again Last Night and After Emma gained her awards for writing, directing, and acting—but she had a bigger role in life that would soon present itself: freaking badass.
After the rug was vigorously pulled out from under her when her husband’s affair came to light, she found herself falling into the arms of another man. After a second failed attempt at love and a massive heartbreak, she decided that instead of landing flat on her ass—she’d make a career out of it.
And so came the birth of the book Eat, Pray, #FML, where she shared all the mistakes, all the lessons, and most importantly, how she became a fearless leader from it all.
When fans around the world demanded more, the highly anticipated sequel, The Ridiculous Misadventures of a Single Girl, and the podcast FML Talk we’re born—and Gabrielle soon realized that her broken heart had bloomed a movement.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My mom modeled to me early on how to handle things when life explodes. After my father’s untimely death, she flew home from the film set she was on across the world, got his affairs in order, and took me with her yo finish the film. One foot in front of the other, you keep going.
Knowing that everything happens for a reason. Even when it’s hard to see in the moment, if you look hard enough, there are lessons in it all.
Trusting the Universe. I truly believe rejection is protection. Allowing the Universe to remove things that are not meant for you without fighting it.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
I just gave birth to my son this year. It’s been magical, wonderful, and everything everyone always says it will be. What’s been challenging, during this time where everyone around me should be celebrating this moment and supporting me, life has thrown my family curve ball after curve ball. It’s (almost) been laughable how many difficulties have presented themselves and how people around me have been falling apart or needing me. It’s been a huge challenge to keep my balance and stay in the love that I know I create from. I’ve had to not allow the heaviness and drama around me to consume me and know that it’s all happening for a reason. Usually when one thing after another happens in your life, it’s because the Universe is clearing out what’s necessary to make room for what’s extraordinary. So my husband and I laugh with each other, love our son, and remind ourselves that it’s all serving a greater purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eatprayfml.com
- Instagram: @gabriellestone
