Life Happens with Ema Dantas

On May 13th 2022, Ema stood on top of the world—Mount Everest. That moment marked the end of one journey, and the beginning of something much deeper. As the first Portuguese person to summit the Seven Summits, she learned that climbing mountains is a lot like navigating business, life, dealing with failures, success—and our faith.Let's Talk with Ema , her YouTube Channel—dives  into the raw stories behind the highlight reels of our lives. Talks about entrepreneurship, relationships, politics,  the mental battles behind the smiles, finding stillness with God within chaos— Ema shares is sharing it all. No masks. Just life.Subscribe now. https://youtu.be/ho5iEVmlh4g

For all those that have read my book, Mental Mountains, they may have an idea, how Ema  finally turned to Jesus, independent of religion. On April 7 2009 when she found herself on the floor of her bedroom curled - up in the fetal position, somehow death was not an option, like it had been an easy out when she was 14 and then at 20.People sometime say how strong she is, or look at what she has accomplished, both as an entrepreneur and as a mountaineer. How strong she is. Hear the answer of her faith.

We have a tendancy to see failure as a  negative, but in reality it is not.As Albert Einstein cites it – Failure is an accomplishment in progress. Steadiness and challenging work are the critical resources to make progress. Trust yourself and continue to pursue your enthusiasm. Everything that you do today has an impact on your future. Keep going because everything counts.Ema shares her thoughts on what she thinks about 'failure'.

If someone had told Ema she would run marathons or become a mountaineer 12 years ago, after turning 40, she would have told that person they were nuts.But when your self esteem gets crushed,  and  sometimes you don't even feel reason to live - however you have no choice, you can accomplish allot.  You can even become the first Portuguese woman to climb and summit Carstensz Pyramid.  Listen to Ema's journey from laying  on the floor of her bedroom in a fetal position to becoming a mountaineer.

Your life is your story. Write it well. Edit often.Three sentences Ema has chosen as in introductory for an upcoming 3 part podcast series about her story.In this introduction, she shares how she spent 12 years of her life, being unable to change anything. Feeling less than human.

Ema talks  Melanie Miller, the founder of Altitude Athletics, in downtown Toronto.Ms Miller  is not just the owner of "another" gym. She is the visionary of wanting to offer the general public the opportunity to train at high altitude, just like many athletes do.She had a dream, a vision and as most entrepreneurs, she set her goals to create it.Little did she know that just when she was ready to open her doors for the first time, COVID would make an appearance.Listen to Melanie explain her goals, her idea, what the gym is, how it's designed and how she stuck by, during our lockdowns. Melanie Miller is a perfect example of how women entrepreneurs just don't give up. Have a listen and be inspired.

In this special episode, Ema talks to Scott Cutlan, the founder of New Reach Foundation, a Non-Profit Organization focused on organizing and executing global projects and the man  behind Climb 4 Community. "Changing the world requires a multistep process and requires effective global relationships. Climb4Community is supporting organizations world wide to help support and sustain local businesses, help provide and meet local needs, help educate and empower locals, and help provide local health initiatives."I had the privilege of talking to Scott about our mutual faith and reasons why we are both climbing the 7 Summits.Have a listen.Visit https://newreachfoundation.org/   and donate for one if his many projects. The one called @peaksforchange is a favourite of mine!  :)Hopefully we inspired you a little. 

When your life gets derailed from the path you had set it on, it can be crippling. Ema shares us her personal experience and outlook on moving forward.

It was ok, even maybe fun to stay home and have meetings, across town, the country and even the globe, in your living room.But after all most a year, Ema explains why she is over it.Are you?

With all the lockdowns, that do not work and the continued imposed self-isolation, our mental health is suffering. The fact that the majority of people still have a stigma on mental health is concerning, especially when without our mental health, we have no health. It's a fact and we all know it. We just have to admit it.

In this episode, Ema talks about the raising of her anxiety, in the face of the constant COVID message, that we are in this together, or its for our own good. Stating that she feels like a character in George Orwell's, 1984.She shares with us the importance of God's message in 2 Corinthians, 12, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.", in giving her some reassurance of the current state of affairs.

Evidence shows that being outdoors in the presence of nature is very beneficial.In Covid-19 times, when we are told to self isolate, Ema talks about the benefits of just going outdoors and being around nature.

Ema shares her feelings on the stigma on Mental Health and how we reference to each other, and how we speak continues to feed the stigma on Mental Health .Its time we re-think Mental Health.

Working from home, with everyone at home can be mentally challenged.Everyone needs space. Things have changed. Running a business is challenging in the best of times, now it's worse.Ema talks candidly about nothing.

Ema interviews Julia Bowser, a woman, mother, grandmother, daughter, friend, colleague, confident, and a successful professional with many other hats.Julia shares her experience, thoughts, knowledge, and personal life lessons learned on how to live with anxiety, and finding a way to cope, finding Jesus and trusting in the Lord to be there for her. Julia's personal story is so much like many of us, that struggle with anxiety and are looking for ways to cope with it on a daily basis. Anxiety can be such a debilitating mental health condition, and findings ways to live with it, is extremely important.

Ema today talks about her impression and thoughts about Leslyn Lewis whom is running for the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

According to Justice Canada in 2016, over one-quarter of police-reported violent crime concerned Intimate Partner Violence. Have we thought about domestic violence as we self-isolate at home?

One of the best things you can do right now is get outside and go for a run.Ema shares today her opinion on why running outside is a great form of keeping fit when you can't access your gym, how running is safe to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anxiety is caused by an out of control thought pattern. I am no stranger to anxiety. Anxiety can settle over our mind like a severe thunderstorm, spewing thunderclouds and casting lightning bolts. Life feels like an airplane in a tailspin. Your chest is tight and breathing can be difficult. Thinking can be difficult. It feeds on what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. Ema talks about her panic, anxiety attack when faced with climbing Everest through Nepal side and also about dealing with the COVID-19 virus presently.Ema shares how she worked through both - one step at a time, by having faith in Jesus.

Why not just start by “doing it badly” and without worrying about how it’s going to turn out?Can this be a new 'motto' to lessen our anxiety?Ema share her thought on the subject.

We all know that the intake of carbohydrates has been a hot topic for a long time when it comes to diets. No Carb diets are not sustainable. Our brain needs carbs. And everyone needs a cookie or a nice scoop of ice cream once in a while!But the Carb Cycling Diet may work. Ema talks about what a carb cycling diet is in general.

Coffee is one of the favourite beverages of the majority of us. But it does have negative affects as well.Ema talks about some of them.

Did you know that Anxiety is the most common mental health concern among Canadian’s?Ema shares her experience in managing her anxiety and some of her coping strategies.

Ema Dantas has managed Language Marketplace for over 20 years. As a professional interpreter and translator herself, she talks about what a professional translator and interpreter actually does, versus a machine doing a translation.

Running a small business is challenging enough for entrepreneurs, when you had working with family it becomes another challenge.Ema shares some of the challenges she has faced in her situation, shares advice and invites discussion around the subject.

Ema posses the question and pounders why is it hard to support causes related to Mental Health.She talks about some of her past activities to raise funds for other illnesses and how difficult it is to raise funds for Mental Health related illnesses.She encourages listeners to respond with comments, suggestions and ideas.

Do you ever wonder about all the great love stories and writers how they became great because all their hearts were truly love sick and they longed for companionship?These great love stories longed to feel the beating of the heart of the person they thought about all day. About the person that they drowned in the depth of their eyes.Ema shares and talks about the one person that we quite never forgot about. About that one true love. She invites you to share your own stories.

Ema Dantas has climbed 6 mountains to date to raise money for Mental Health. She is determined to change the stigma surrounding mental health one mountain at a time. In this episode, Jade Stevens interviews Ema about her experiences. Here are some of the questions Ema answers:What was it like to prepare for your first climb? What was going through your head and what physical prep did you do?How do you train yourself mentally?What kind of equipment do you carry with you and what does it weigh?Let’s talk about safety and the logistics of the climb… how much focus is required to ensure you stay safe?What is the role of the guide and how big is the typical group? What does a typical day look like from morning to night?You've completed 6 climbs and are now preparing for Everest. Which mountain was the most mentally challenging? And which was the most physically challenging?What gets you through when you feel like quitting or giving up? It seems that having a deep connection with spirit is a critical element when it comes to pushing yourself harder than you ever have before. How has this experience effected your relationship with the higher power?You recently because the first Portuguese woman to summit Denali in Alaska… how does that feel? What has that experience done for you internally?What advice would you give someone wanting to summit their first major mountain?

In July 2019, Ema became the first Portuguese woman to summit Denali, Alaska.

Ema talks about the perceptions and assumptions we make about others and that others make about us. How does this affect us and our self esteem?

Ema gives a brief summary of some topics that will be discussed in the podcast series.