This interview has been taken from my previous blog The Scrivens Post 2012/03/22. It was a good little interview, definitely worth sharing again:

Linda Evans, beautiful, sweet, gentle and kind. These are what one reads in her gorgeous eyes. Actress Linda Evans has personified beauty and grace to worldwide television viewers for over five decades, from her role as Audra Barkley, a daughter of the Old West on The Big Valley (1965-1969 on ABC) to the glamorous Krystle Carrington on Dynasty (1981-1989 on ABC) to Hell’s Kitchen, the British competitive cooking reality show she won in 2009. She has survived the industry and has learned lessons along the way. Some of which she shares with us in her autobiography Recipes for life – my memories.

Linda keeps in touch with her fans through facebook, twitter and her website where she also blogs. Thank you Linda for sharing your thoughts with us here.

TSP: If you could go back in time to when you were 20 years old and give yourself some advice – what would it be?

LE: Love yourself. Have a lighter heart about everything happening in your life. Things will always work out for the better no matter what it looks like in the moment.

TSP: What do you feel is the greatest lack in the world?

LE: The greatest lack in the world may be that we do not know how powerful we are every moment in our life. We have the ability to make choices; to change how we see and experience reality. We can have hope when there is none. We can feel joy when there is pain. We can realize our potential because we have the power of changing our mind every minute. “Lack” means we have no resource. That’s not true. We always have the resource of choice; an opportunity to mindfully respond to life. When a disaster happens in the world, people can feel bad that it happened, or gather together to support and rebuild. It’s the same on a personal level. When someone passes, we can celebrate their life instead of just be sad for the loss. We have choices everywhere. The greatest lack is perceiving the glass half empty instead of half full. The “lack” is not knowing how rich we are in so many ways.

TSP: What is your definition of a spiritual person? 

LE: I think a ‘spiritual person’ is one who sees and values the essence in all things; seeing behind the façade of appearance to understand there is an unseen essence that gives life to it. Spiritual people honor life; for all of life has its purpose – the good and the bad.

TSP: Do you have a life philosophy that you follow?

LE: I have always lived the Golden Rule, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”. I have always thought this way. I am now learning to apply a new Golden Rule to me: Do unto me, as I would do unto others. Women, being such caretakers, sometimes leave themselves out of the equation. Oh my God, “Give to myself as I have done to others?!” It is opening a world of possibilities.

TSP: What, in your opinion, is the most important thing that parents can give their children to prepare them for life?

LE: Unconditional love. A mother’s love is your child’s first schoolroom. Listen to them if you want them to listen to you. And love them and allow them their own unique perspective, even if you disagree.

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More information about Linda’s book Recipes for life – my memories can be found on her website