The Magic of Yes: Opening a Closed Heart with Lori Pappas Part II

Part II - The Magic of Yes

Lori Pappas escaped a mental institution at seventeen, built a tech empire, then walked away from it all in her fifties to move to Africa. In this raw, deeply personal conversation, she returns to talk about what she didn't say in our first episode.

We dive into The Magic of Yes, her award-winning book that exposes the protection mechanisms so many of us use to avoid our pain. Lori talks about using work to hide from traumatic memories, staying too long in marriages held together by fear and obligation, and the guilt of being physically present but emotionally unavailable to her children.

Then came the unexpected turn: opening her heart to love again in her seventies after swearing she was done.

What we explore:

- How workaholism can be avoidance, not ambition

- The D.R.E.A.M. framework for navigating life transitions

- Breaking free from fear, obligation, and guilt

- Letting go of identities that no longer serve us

- What it takes to open your heart again after closing it

- The wisdom Lori would offer her younger self

This is true transformation without the Instagram filter. It's messy, it's brave, and it's real.