Marla Maples on Living and Loving   Interview by Kathryn Brinkley

Believe it or not, Marla Maples is an extraordinarily sensitive, profoundly insightful and deeply spiritual woman. For those of you who may not have heard the name before, here’s the scoop. Though best known to most of us for her media-terrorized marriage to American icon, real estate billionaire, Donald Trump, Marla most definitely possesses many rare and invaluable assets uniquely her own. Still wearing her tumultuous twelve year relationship with Trump quite close to the vest, she carries the lessons learned even closer to her heart. Nothing matures the soul, in preparation for its life work, quite like life’s little (and often gallon-sized) challenges. For Marla, presently the bulk of her soul’s work is found in the joy of raising of her only child, Tiffany. Together, they are facing life with grace and beauty - side by side and as best friends. Yet, while she is still actively pursuing her blossoming acting career, Marla is also lending her sweet melody to the voice of social consciousness and global activism. Along with good friend, Tara Sutphen, Marla’s company (Angelfire Productions) developed and produced a documentary that poignantly articulates the disastrous ramifications to be faced if we lose sight of the Shamanic traditions of our Native Nations. This must-see documentary is entitled, Whispers in the Wind. Without a doubt, after conducting the following interview, I came to the realization that the name Marla Maples is one you are destined to hear over and over again through the coming years.

Kathryn: Hi Marla! First of all, I thank you so very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with me. I know that our readers will truly appreciate this opportunity to get to know you better!

Marla: Well, please let me thank you and tell you what a pleasure it is to be speaking with you, Kathryn. I’ve done so many interviews, for various powerful publications, but speaking about and living in the mystical, metaphysical, spiritual realm is my joy. In fact one of the things I’m most thankful for right now is that Tara Sutphen, who is my very best friend, and I do Moon Sourcing together on either the New or Full Moon each month. Tara does such incredible work; she’s a wonderful Shaman and empowerment coach. So, because I am studying the Kabalah, I’ve learned that each month’s moon cycle has a specified energetic attached to it. Therefore, with these phases of the moon it really helps to know how the astrological influences will help you facilitate the energies at hand, rather than allowing them to overpower you. So between my knowledge of the ancient Kabalah and Tara’s knowledge of Shamanism we have formulated a plan for helping people to manifest their dreams during each month.

Kathryn: That is really exciting, Marla. I’m so thrilled to hear that you are able to use your knowledge of the Kabalah in such a positive and empowering way in the lives of others. It sounds like a great idea for a new book from the two of you!

Marla: Yes, it has been really wonderful and who knows what will happen next.

Kathryn: Marla, I really want to start this interview at the beginning, for those who might not be all that familiar with your history. So, let’s go back just a little for people who know you only from your relationship with Donald Trump. Now, with the relationship behind you, how do you feel your soul was strengthened through that marriage and divorce?

Marla: Wow…I’ve never been asked that question; I love that! Let me think for a minute… You know, in all honesty, I think I was strengthened by learning about my own passions again. Also, the challenge of leaving that big, grand world where all of my financial needs were taken care of to step into the unknown (financially) was quite a lesson of my personal strength and resolve as well. Kathryn, I also learned so much about giving back. I understand now that in order to be truly happy you have to genuinely care about the other person’s needs even when those needs don’t make sense to you. During the most difficult and challenging times of our very public divorce, I learned so much about the power of speaking love when you’re being hit with bullets.

Kathryn: So, Marla, what I hear being said between your words is that you had to learn self-discipline and to tame your ego as you went through all of that public sparing…

Marla: Oh yes, ego, ego, ego… learning to let go of ego was a huge lesson. You see, I was born a very competitive person. I always played team sports and quite honestly just loved to be a winner. Then, of course, I married someone who was also an extreme example of that so, the two of us were always very competitive with one another. So, during this entire process I learned that it’s all about finding your own personal happiness through being loving even when it’s the hardest thing to do. In other words, that actually means letting go of having to be right. And especially letting go of being concerned by how it all might appear to other people!

Kathryn: That’s very interesting. Do you now think, looking back armed with the wisdom of retrospect, that you could have actually made that marriage work today?

Marla: I’ve thought about that quite a bit, actually. And I’ve written privately about whether or not what I know now could have made a difference then; because now I do understand how to use the obstacles of the past to determine a positive direction for the future. Yet my closest friends, those who were there before, during and after Donald, all remind me of how very different we always were at the core level. Yet, what I do realize is that we had such a very, very deep karma to work out together. As many times as I tried to get away from that man, we just kept being thrown right back into each other’s lives. And today, I am so happy to be able to say that I can truly look at him and our situation together with love. I genuinely care about him and yet I can clearly see the difference in our motivation and our dreams in life. Moreover, I really want to always be able to keep peace with him and to know that he is fulfilled.

Kathryn: Well, as a result of that union the two of you produced a beautiful daughter. Tell me what you feel are your greatest challenges as a single mom.

Marla: For me, I think the greatest challenge is making sure that even though her father is not present, she doesn’t feel a lack of love.

Kathryn: Well, I understand that more than you could know. But I must say that when I first met you and Tiffany, I was deeply impressed by her gentle and balanced energy. What is your secret for raising such a centered and considerate teenager in these turbulent times?

Marla: My secret is simple: allowing her to be her own individual self while just loving her through it! As parents of teenagers, we have to allow them to find their own way and be willing to support them, even if we don’t agree. That’s the kind of high level respect Tiffany and I have been able to maintain with one another. We have so much laughter in our home; there’s a lot of prayer and gratefulness as well, in our home.

Kathryn: Marla, do you find that you are raising Tiffany the way your parents raised you?

Marla: I think it’s the next level. Our parents did the absolute best that they knew how. I was raised in a southern Christian household. We were Baptist. I was an only child so I was raised with a lot of love…a lot of love! But I have raised my daughter to be a lot more open spiritually because I want her to see beyond one religion, one doctrine. I want her to keep an open mind and open heart. Therefore, she’s been exposed to so many beautiful spiritual teachings and to all of the many wonderful teachers that I’ve had in my life, and always exposed her to, in the hope that she will find the very best way to connect to her Divine Self.

Kathryn: What qualities in Tiffany do you find are most like you?

Marla: We both have great hair (laughter)! That’s our little inside joke, but seriously, she has a tremendous amount of compassion.

Kathryn: Does Tiffany have any idea of which direction she’d like to take in life?

Marla: Oh, my yes! That’s where she is very clear and so far ahead of me. She is very fully intentioned about her future, even though she is a Libra. She told me that for Christmas she wants me to get her an acting coach. Then, when she turns fifteen she wants me to find her an agent. Also, as her Plan B, she’s already picked out a design school she’s considering because ever since she was a very little girl she’s loved to do creative things with clothes and fabric.

Kathryn: Well, all of that is very Libran. Anything to do with design, art, and creative and beautiful endeavors is right up a Libran’s alley! Marla, what is the greatest lesson you think your daughter came to teach you?

Marla: There is no doubt she came to teach me how to make clear choices and to have clear intention, that’s number one. And she holds me up to that! Also, and this too is for certain, she teaches me total and unconditional love at its purest level.

Kathryn: What is your greatest wish for Tiffany?

Marla: Oh gosh, just absolute love and fulfillment.

Kathryn: Do you ever want to get married again?

Marla: I’m learning to open my heart to the possibility again…

Kathryn: Okay, so you’re not in a relationship right now?

Marla: No, I’m not in a relationship right now… in fact, I’m very content with the way my life just is. Yet, I do also believe that the greatest growth can come from the loving intimacy and spiritual interaction found in the male/female union. So, if I really want to reach my full potential as a spiritual being in a human body, I understand the need to be open to it.

Kathryn: And what would you do differently next time? Are there certain agreements you would make today that you didn’t understand the importance of in your first marriage?

Marla: I would pray more for God to make the path clear. And to be with someone who truly understood the power and importance of what a sacred union can do to affect the world in a positive way. That’s what it is about and the only way I would want to do it again.

Kathryn: What else is on the horizon for you, Marla?

Marla: Well, I’m developing a new scripted reality show with the working title, Pure Maples. I’m looking forward to seeing where that goes next. My last show, The Ex-Wives Club, is just about to be released in eight foreign markets which is exciting. The making of that show was a great experience, and helped so many people who were seeking to understand the need for compassion and forgiveness in divorce. For that one reason alone, I am so happy that I was able to be a part of that production. You know, I am truly a workaholic and in order to modify that unbalanced behavior, I work consciously everyday to stop the anxiety along with trying to control everything and to simply allow the flow of God to be created in my life.

Kathryn: I do so understand that challenge, Marla, because I tend to be that way myself. I am also a workaholic. Yet, I also understand the need to allow the promise of God to create more in my life than I am even capable of conceiving. Sometimes I just have to force myself to stop, breathe, and know that everything is perfect in this moment, and that this moment is all that I have.

Marla: You are so right. For the last two years I have made the commitment to be very present in every moment and sometimes that means I don’t return every phone call immediately. And that is extremely hard for me because my work is so important to me; my commitments and giving people human dignity is such a vital part of my character. But I had to realize that to be in the present moment means I can’t always get everything done immediately. When my child says to me, “Mom I need to spend time with you,” I have to be there for her. Also, my mom is around a pretty good bit, and I love to spend time with her because I’m watching the years passing far too quickly.

Kathryn: Marla, when I met you we were both in attendance at Michael Beckwith’s Agape Spiritual Center. I know that you have been a member of the Center for many years. How has the Agape Spiritual Center helped you along your spiritual path?

Marla: I love being in a community of believers and I love being in a diverse community. I think I was pregnant with Tiffany when I first walked into the church; I felt instantly embraced by this universal community and knew immediately that I belonged. I loved that feeling so much because I grew up in a small town, and was raised in the Christian tradition. That was wonderful, but it did not expose me to much of anything else. My path continued to broaden as I left for college and embraced the study of metaphysics. I moved to New York City where I was exposed to more and more, and began to understand that there were so many more paths to the Infinite. But Michael Beckwith expressed this to me in a way that was without any judgment in such a beautiful a way that was all- inclusive and embraced absolutely everything that was already nestled in my heart.

Kathryn: Reverend Michael Beckwith is one in a billion, isn’t he? I just love that man!

Marla: For sure, being in his presence just brings you up to the next level, doesn’t it?

Kathryn: No doubt! Marla, tell me, what daily practices do you usually employ to keep yourself spiritually grounded?

Marla: You know, Tiffany usually sleeps with me because it’s just the two of us in the house and we love that time together. So, in those moments early in the morning, just before the alarm goes off, I always pray blessings upon her and her day. We always do Kabalistic prays, in the Hebrew language, together on the way to school each day. Of course, before every meal we say our blessings as well.

Kathryn: Oh, I am so very proud you! Of all the people that you admire, who has been your greatest teacher in this lifetime?

Marla: You know, there have been those who were lovely, simple teachers, and then there are those who have been difficult teachers…

Kathryn: I believe that our greatest teachers are those who teach us what not to do!

Marla: Yes, and because of that, I could say that Donald has been one of my greatest teachers because of how I grew through that experience. I have definitely been gifted to have people who have come through my life, at different periods, such as Deepak Chopra. He came to teach me during my marriage how to meditate. I would just think of him and an elevator door would open and he would be there. He was one of my angels. My father was also been one of my greatest spiritual teachers ever since I was very young. He is now a prophetic minister. He feels me without me even having to pick up the telephone. What an incredible comfort he is for me!

Kathryn: What is the one thing you still dream of doing?

Marla: Oh my, at this age I have to work on keeping my passion up, Kathryn. Have you found that? It has been such a frustration of mine to wake up and not be excited about something. I do know that my greatest joy comes from helping people to tune into their spirit. I love it when I can help someone discover that aha moment in their lives that turns everything around! So being of service to others has to be the one dream that fully recharges my own personal passion. Yet, you know, I do have another dream of being able to travel around the world with Tiffany in order to meet the greatest living spiritual leaders. With my daughter, I would love to visit the places that still hold the greatest spiritual history and yet the greatest human need on the planet. I believe that Tiffany and I could make a real difference. And that would be a huge dream come true to be able to experience that with her!

Kathryn: I have one last question for you. When your life is complete, how do you want to be remembered?

Marla: I want people to think of me and remember that, through it all, she just loved!