Meet Linda Sauget | Motivational writer and speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Linda Sauget and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Linda, how does your business help the community?
In my monthly column for the last 8 years, and in my speaking engagements, I remind people that their thoughts and attitudes shape their lives. The greatest thinkers, teachers, and philosophers all agree on this: our thoughts create our life. What we think about comes about. We may know that to be true, but in the face of difficulty and disappointment, we may not access that knowledge. I help people remember that results follow thought. What happens to us does not color our view of the world. Our view of the world colors what happens to us. Our interpretations and perspectives are choices we make. Understanding that one small point can change everything. In my writing and speaking, these are the ideas I teach, and I am gratified and humbled by the positive responses I receive.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My professional career in some ways was completely different from my speaking and writing career, except that I brought my philosophy to my work and to the people I managed. I was the Vice President of a health care consulting firm with 450 employees. We worked with hospitals and physicians to make sure the payments they received from 3rd party payers were in accordance with the contracts they had negotiated. Whether the errors were due to incorrect billing, payment or interpretation of the agreement, we made sure the reimbursement was ultimately correct. In that role I was proud to have mentored a strong team of employees working in hospitals all around the country. Over a period of 20 years the company grew from 50 employees to 450. My speaking and writing career developed separately and serendipitously. I introduced the editor of a seniors’ magazine to several of my hospital contacts for healthcare symposiums she was producing. That led to a monthly column in her magazine (Boomer Times and Senior Life) which is a monthly insert in the Miami Herald. Also at that time, my book, “If You Think It” was published and that led to a regular speaking schedule. One thing I have learned is that the more I give, the more good comes back to me. The more I can contribute to others, the more I am aware that that is my purpose.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I was showing a friend around, I’d start with a water taxi tour of the intracoastal Waterfront dining is plentiful so we’d always have lunch and dinner on the New River, Intracoastal, Biscayne Bay or Atlantic Ocean. The choices are endless. We have fabulous art museums in both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale—those would be visited. We would drive down to the Keys stopping at every Key for the signature drink or food each Key has, and then end up in Key West. We could take a sunset cruise, shop, and watch the sun set at Mallory Square. I would plan some down time just to relax and talk, pool side or beach side. Sometimes doing nothing with a best friend is the best thing to do!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to credit my father with showing me what it means to be optimistic and positive. He was the living embodiment of the philosophy I teach. When he was 54 years old, he went to bed feeling like he was getting the flu. He felt so sick that in the middle of the night he got up and drove himself to the emergency room. He left a note for my mom. When she got up to go to work, she saw his note and drove to the hospital. When she got there he was completely paralyzed from the chest down. He never stood up or walked again. He lived with paraplegia for another 20 years. He was never bitter or angry. He never felt like a victim. These were the cards he was dealt and he was going to look at what he had left, not what he lost. Our house was party central. Friends and neighbors were always there because being around my parents was uplifting. They were upbeat and happy in spite of these circumstances. We never talked about positive attitude, devotion, perseverance and so forth. My parents just lived it and we witnessed it. There were many difficult situations. My father’s life literally changed completely over night. Still, he was strong, dignified and determined to enjoy life. I cannot imagine a better role model. My father’s life changing event was also my life changing event.
Website: www.IfYouThinkIt.com
Linkedin: Linda Sauget
Facebook: If You Think It