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

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

From Getting to the Heart - Life, Relationships, Divorce by Michele Heffron

January 21, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 70

About this episode

Lori Pappas discusses her journey of transformation and the lessons learned about emotional availability and love in her seventies.

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. If you missed Michèle's earlier…

People in this episode

Host: Michele Heffron

Guest: Lori Pappas

Topics covered

  • personal transformation
  • workaholism
  • emotional availability
  • life transitions
  • overcoming fear and guilt
  • opening your heart

Keywords

  • transformation
  • workaholism
  • emotional unavailability
  • life transitions
  • fear
  • guilt
  • love
  • The Magic of Yes

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Magic of Yes

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