HELLO

I'm lara charles

I use words as a bridge home to our truest selves

My story

My friend once told me I’m a paradox because I am both deep and reflective, and light and fun. I’m not sure if this was a compliment, but I took it that way! It’s true - my book and my writing can go pretty deep. But, I can also laugh at myself and life too. The inner journey is right here, woven into the tapestry of everyday living, and life is both dark and light, challenging and fun. My kids remind me constantly never to forget the fun.
I didn't always know that truth. My spiritual journey started when things stopped going according to 'my plan', culminating with a blood cancer diagnosis.
I started trying to find the cure for my cancer. Instead, what I found was so hidden inside myself I didn’t even know I was seeking it. Wholeness. Liberation. Freedom. All of that was in my heart all along. I discovered that 'awakening' is ordinary (and extraordinary) and available to everyone - including you. That's why I had to write it down - enter my book.
I have written professionally as a marketer and content writer for twenty years. This is my debut memoir.

A few facts about me

Family
I have four children (which includes a pair of delightful and dynamic (read: full-on) twins). The mayhem and the magic exist in perfect harmony. Together with my husband, we live in the bushy hills of Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand. Yes, it's chaos. And, it's bursting with love. I've come to realise that motherhood is the process of walking the mountain – relishing in the highlands and accepting the trenches, revelling in my children’s smiles and essence whilst knowing the sacrifices, the exhaustion, and the overwhelm are only temporary.
Life
I was lucky enough to grow up in NSW, Australia, on the beaches north of Sydney. My home is a playground for surfers and nature lovers - pristine beaches, glistening bays, idyllic bush and spectacular coastal walking trails. I pay my respect to these lands that I love and the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia. Now as a 40-something-year-old, I love to laugh and drink wine with my girlfriends. I occasionally curse. My friends describe me as loving and honest. I have an awesome family - they sometimes call me Larzie and fill my bucket to the brim (love you guys!). I’m a truth-seeker. I read (a lot). I listen to podcasts while folding laundry. I meditate. I love the ocean and the bush. And I have fallen in love with the craft of writing.
Work
I care about the planet, nature, mental health, indigenous rights. I care about the world our children will inherit. I have spent my marketing career in NGO’s, trying to make the world a better place. While I don’t regret a thing, I know now that the fight for a better world will keep on being a fight unless we look inwards (a cliché, but true). That's where my work passion is now - using words as a bridge home to our truest selves. My writing has been featured in New Zealand’s most prominent media platform, Stuff, as well as spiritual platforms such as Tiny Buddha and Elephant Journal. (And I do still work in marketing as a freelance consultant and content writer but only with organisation who are here to serve). More on that aspect of my life over at LinkedIn.
Health
In 2013 I was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia - a rare, chronic blood cancer in which a person's bone marrow makes too many platelets. The diagnosis was equally a jolt to my system and the catalyst for change.

As seen in

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what people say

  • "Lara's knowledge is no longer conceptual. It is no longer borrowed knowledge from spiritual teachers or teachings. Lara has taken a dive into herself in a true and deep way. Her writing reflects her special inner light of awareness, a light that many can benefit from its clarity in how to live with true purpose and in happiness."
    Shikhaa, Spiritual Teacher and Co-founder of the Wisdom of Meditation Centre, New Zealand
  • "Lara’s book is beautifully written and her unique voice shines through right from the start. It’s equal parts humorous and poignant but always unflinchingly honest. It is not only a cancer survivor’s story but a powerful story of her inner journey, which is the journey we all have in common, whether we have cancer or not."
    Petrina Hargrave, Co-founder, Thriver's Ark