Real Life Resilience

Music influences us in so many ways. Tim Ringgold uses music to help those struggling with addictions, pain, trauma, and stress to heal and recover. The beauty and power of music caresses our spirit in ways we can’t imagine! His story of how music touched his personal life is inspiring. The Healing Power of Music Tim Ringgold is Director of Sonic Divinity Music Therapy Services and is a board-certified music therapist. He is also certified as Remo HealthRHYTHMS facilitator. His treatment encompasses helping people of all ages to recover from addiction, physical, emotional and spiritual pain, and stress. He is the author of “Sonic Recovery,” and “Bella’s Blessings: A Humble Story of Providence.” In his books, he writes about how music affects and helps people. “Bella’s Blessing” is the personal story of the loss of his baby daughter and how he, his family, and Bella benefited through music therapy. Tim is also a public speaker who, on countless occasions, shares how music helps people to be mindful in the present.  Tim has experienced his own emotional trauma through addiction, having five friends murdered, and losing his 17-month old daughter to a horrific skin disease. He shares how he discovered resilience through his music. He lovingly pays homage to his baby daughter by wearing unique and crazy socks. During his stay in intensive care, the only things she was allowed to wear were diapers and colorful socks he and his wife put on Bella daily. It was the one thing that they could do to help brighten each day for her. Tim’s philosophy on how he wants to live life is magnetic! “I light up every room I walk into, touch every person I meet, and leave inspiration in my wake. This is who I am, this is what I do, and this is what you can count on.” Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Website: http://www.timringgold.com/about/ (http://www.timringgold.com/about/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.ringgold (https://www.facebook.com/tim.ringgold) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim_ringgold/ (https://www.instagram.com/tim_ringgold/) Books: https://www.timringgold.com/products/ (https://www.timringgold.com/products/)  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBYWNZL (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SBYWNZL) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tringgold/videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/tringgold/videos) Other: http://www.sonicdivinity.com/about/ (http://www.sonicdivinity.com/about/) Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. I was so inspired about how Tim applies the healing power of music therapy not only in his professional life but personal as well. He is an excellent example of how one finds resilience from traumatic events and experiences. I can’t begin to imagine his pain of losing his daughter, friends, and suffering from addiction. Tim’s recovery and healing came from the beauty of using music to stay present in the here and now. His mindfulness in the present helped him to focus on moving forward rather than being stuck in the painful past. Music has such a profound influence on the very depths of our soul. The right music will keep you grounded in the present and keep you moving forward. How has music impacted you and any emotional, physical, or spiritual pain you have gone through? I’d love to hear about it! Share your comments on our Facebook page. That’s all we have for today. https://www.stacybrookman.com/stephaniemcphail/ (Last episode, Stephanie McPhail) shared her story about how she escaped a toxic and abusive first marriage – so if you are in a toxic relationship and don’t know where to turn, go back and have a listen. Next episode, we’ll interview Kristen Girard who talks about how growing up with an abusive father stole her self-worth. If you find it hard to love yourself and find value in who and what you are, stay...

“You never knew what was going to come. I think that had become normal for me.” Women who find themselves codependent in a toxic relationship, soon discover that they care more for their partner than themselves. Stephanie McPhail started her own business, http://www.mindandbodyawakenings.com/home (Mind, Body, & Awakenings) to educate and help facilitate recovery for women in toxic relationships. Exit Toxic Relationships: Let Your Voice Be a Lighthouse Highlights from the interview: Stephanie McPhail planned her wedding day to be a special day, but it turned into a nightmare. Her husband’s anger escalated to a point where she feared for her life. Throughout her marriage, Stephanie timidly walked on egg shells to avoid triggering her husband’s anger. Stephanie’s mother posed a thought-provoking question to her; “Would you want this to be your last day?”  A turning point for Stephanie was realizing one day that she had to make a change. She was at a point in her life where nothing was of any value, except her sanity. It was time for her to follow her heart and find a life that would make her happy. After pursuing a new life, Stephanie discovered that the stronghold of a toxic relationship is difficult to free yourself from. Although you are out of it, the aftermath had to be dealt with in intensive therapy. Following her heart, Stephanie founded Mind and Body Awakenings where she helps other abused women rediscover their worth. She helps them to find steady footing on the new path to recovery. Life is no longer monochromatically muted, but is beautifully painted with vibrant colors of every kind. Her soul is full of joy and full of sunshine which never dwindles. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Website: http://www.mindandbodyawakenings.com/home (http://www.mindandbodyawakenings.com/home) Additional link to website: https://www.beinglovedshouldnthurt.com/meet-us (https://www.beinglovedshouldnthurt.com/meet-us) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeingLovedShouldntHurt/ (https://www.facebook.com/BeingLovedShouldntHurt/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beinglovedshouldnthurt/ (https://www.instagram.com/beinglovedshouldnthurt/) Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CQRZG2G/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CQRZG2G/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()   Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Stephanie’s story of how she struggled under the hand of an abusive man, in a toxic relationship, is something many of us can relate to. We can’t change a person who has abusive tendencies, nor can we walk on eggshells for the rest of our lives. She knew that the only way out was for her to be bold in making a tough decision to leave the toxic relationship she was in. Women, just like Stephanie, find that they lose almost everything they have when their spirit is broken down. Their sense of worth is depleted, causing them to remain in the relationship. Her redeeming grace was the last thing she held onto, and that was her sanity. She refused to let go of that.  Do Toxic Relationships Cause You to Lose Hope? Are you in a similar situation and feel there is no hope? There are so many of us out there that are in the same boat! We don’t share these things with others because we are embarrassed or afraid. One of the first steps to freedom and healing is to put your pain and past on paper! Many of us have shared our Life Stories so other women like you can read them and have hope. Give your suffering a voice,  then let it speak loudly with your own story. That voice will give you the confidence to take the next step dear friend. I know you can do it. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Anna Seewald) who experienced a catastrophic...

In one day, your whole world could crumble and everything you treasure could be lost. That is exactly what happened to Anna Seewald in Armenia, where an earthquake resulted in overwhelming tragedy. Although she struggled through adversity, she found healing through community bonds. Her philosophy: together, we could overcome anything. The Other Side of Adversity Anna, growing up in Armenia, lived a peaceful and fulfilling childhood until her home town was hit with a catastrophic earthquake. The tragedy resulted in the loss of her mother, younger cousin, and many more friends and relatives.  Anna had to move with other relatives in a foreign country, however, the experience allowed her to grow more resilient and empowering as she lives her life now in America. Overcoming her struggles, Anna became a parent counselor where she guides parents who’ve also been through trauma and abuse. She sees herself in them as they are on the same side of adversity.  Anna did work with children at the beginning of her career. She believes that focusing on the parents and how they raise their children will result in a better home for both the parents and children.  Anna credits her strength and resilience to the community she was in, relationships she bonded through, and the love she received as well as gave. She believes she is where she is at because of the unspoken bond of empathy.  After the earthquake, and to this day, Anna processes her pain through the art of music, poetry, and writing. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: Anna’s upcoming book still in the making, The Other Side of Adversity Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Anna expressed just how valuable having her community with her through the hardship they were all experiencing. She credits her strength to the bonds and relationships she kept and created. That the emotional support and love that she gained was what enabled her to keep on pushing through. This insight really goes to show that if you are ever in a dark place, it is really helpful to put some effort in asking for help, reaching out to trust other people, and surrounding yourself with positivity. You are strong on your own, so imagine the strength you can muster with the support of more. There’s power in numbers. But it’s up to you to take rightful advantage of such opportunities. No matter what you’re going through, you’re never alone. Take a little bit of time in your day to reach out, you or that other person might really need it. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Melissa Pierce) who becomes a widow overnight – that if she didn’t help herself she couldn’t help her kids, so she started her road to recovery. Next week, we’ll interview https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Peggy Oliveira) who believes that communication and recognition is the healthiest way to overcome trauma and to stop the trauma from creating any more damage to your life. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/100-mem-750x93.png () 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years Our memoir of the day is https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-My-Daughter-Harrowing/dp/0312925883/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495309043&sr=1-1&keywords=Not+Without+my+Daughter (Not Without My Daughter) was written in 1987 by Betty Mahmoody....

“Now I am trusting myself. I trust my decisions. I stand by my decisions. I know what’s best now and I speak up now.” Melissa Pierce didn’t succumb when tragedy struck, she persevered through the pain and transformed into a stronger person because of it. She learned to accept herself as the person she had become. She moved on to write a book and share her experiences with others. A Widow’s Tough Story Filled With Gold Melissa’s story starts when Melisa and David were a couple struggling with fertility in 2005 and they decided they wanted to adopt two little boys. In 2011 Melissa woke up and David did not. She had become a widow overnight.  Melissa relayed her story of struggle, how she moved closer to her family and decided to get help. The first six months she felt like a zombie, but came to the conclusion that if she didn’t help herself she couldn’t help her kids, so she started her road to recovery. When a widow’s grief and stress showed up in her body, she took part in things that made her feel good: yoga, acupuncture, massage and exercise. Over a year later she found she was recovering but continues to have her moments to this day. Melissa learned to accept the person she has become after her husband’s death and has become stronger for it. Listen to the episode for the full story. Resources Mentioned in the Show: http://filledwithgold.org/ (http://filledwithgold.org/) Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Grief is a tough thing. I would like to encourage everyone suffering through grief to seek professional help. Don’t attempt to go through grieving a loss on your own, even if you don’t feel like you need it. There is often a stigma surrounding counseling and therapy, letting a stranger in is a daunting task however bouncing your feelings off someone and talking about what you’re feeling can really help you heal. For those who are grieving, or even just those who are in turmoil, find something you truly enjoy. Keep exploring until you find it. Melissa found tap-dancing and found it to help her get out of her head and just have fun. It could be anything from Jiu-jitsu to coloring pictures just find something that you like doing. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Jennifer Lynn McGraw) shared her own trials and tribulations – to grow from your past and help others on their own journey, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Anna Seewald) who experienced a catastrophic earthquake that changed her life forever. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/6-Simple-Steps-to-Pass-Down-Crazy-Family-Stories-With-Love-Memoirs.png () 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years Our memoir of the day is https://www.amazon.com/One-Liter-Tears-Young-Girls/dp/4896844955/ref=la_B004L43YH2_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1495257292&sr=1-1 (One Liter of Tears) written in 1986 by Aya Kito. This story follows Kitō’s coping with both her teenage life and her degenerative disease. She keeps a diary of what she feels and the hardships she endures. As the disease progresses, the diary became her outlet for describing the intense personal struggles she underwent in coping, adapting, and ultimately trying to survive her disease. As she notes in one entry, “I...

Everyone goes through their own trials and tribulations but it’s about overcoming them through not only mental strength but vocally. To grow from your past and help others on their own journey. It only takes one spark to start a fire. Navigate With Soul Tough childhood: Jennifer Lynn McGraw and her sisters were victimized by abuse throughout their childhood. I interviewed Jennifer for this podcast and she thrived in spite of her past. Jennifer remained silent about her abuse until her youngest son entered college. Then she felt ready to start writing down her life’s journey. She published her first book, Changing Lanes from Hell to Heaven, on Amazon to share her story and connect with others. After a while, Jennifer took her books off the shelf to remodel, edit, and overall create something even more fulfilling, which is now called, Navigating with Soul. Jennifer is a nurse as well as a mentor to many. She has been studying and practicing wellness for over 30 years. Focusing on teens, she encourages them to mentor in a win win situation. Listen to the episode for the full story. https://stacybrookman.mykajabi.com/landing-time-to-leave-your-man-1 ()CLICK TO GET YOUR FREE CHECKLIST – SEE FOR YOURSELF Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Jennifer mentioned that she wanted to be a voice, or a champion, for those who feel like they can’t express themselves or speak up about abuse. She herself was afraid of the repercussions from her family. Victims are the ones who remain silent. I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim, whether it’s from abuse, or some other life event, to start writing it down. Writing helps you get it out of your head, find words for what’s happened to you, and helps you gain power over those thoughts and that event rather than letting it have power over you. You never have to share it with anyone at all. It’s incredibly healthy and even life-changing to write about those tough times. It can be personal, just for you.  Just start with 10 minutes a day in a journal and see where that takes you. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Luiza Coscia) shared some great strategies for raising children to be resilient. – so, if you need to help your children to be more resilient, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Melissa Pierce who became a widow and single parent overnight. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years Our memoir of the day is http://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (Boy: Tales of Childhood) written in 1984 by Roald Dahl. Throughout his young days at school and just afterwards, a number of things happened to Dahl, which made such a tremendous impression he never forgot them. This is the remarkable story of his childhood; tales of exciting and strange things – some funny, some frightening, all true. It describes his life in Britain from birth until leaving school, and how his childhood experiences led him to writing as a career.  Check out Boy: Tales of Childhood and all the memoirs on this list at http://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (stacybrookman.com/100memoirs).   https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()     About: Jennifer Lynn McGraw https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_0974.jpeg ()Jennifer Lynn McGraw is a Registered Nurse...

How to raise children with a sense of resilience? This week, we are joined again by Luiza Coscia, an engineer, author, and mother of five children with special needs. She discusses her strategies to raise out-of-the-box children with out-of-the-box strategies. Raising Resilient Kids Luiza Y. Coscia, author of Outcast to Outstanding: The Practical Guide to Understanding & Addressing the Drivers of Your Child’s Behavior, joined us as a special guest again this week. Luiza is an author, engineer, and mother of five children with special needs. Last time she was a guest on the podcast, we discussed the https://www.stacybrookman.com/harmoniousclan1/ (importance of being resilient as a parent). Today, we discuss some of her strategies for raising resilient children. Luiza has a series of strategies that she employs in order to instill a sense of resilience into her children. She knows that at some point, all children will find themselves in situations that require them to exhibit the ability to remain resilient in the face of trouble. Coscia describes children’s brains as a sponge, and says that it is parent’s jobs to feed that. Through several different methods, Luiza teaches her children how to act resilient. The first strategy that Luiza uses to help her children understand the importance of resilience is subjecting them to historical figures. By sharing the stories of others acts of resilience, she hopes her children will aim to exhibit the same traits. She told us about how her two year old son likes to share the story of Gandhi with others. Luiza will write down quotes from these historical figures, and talk about how their words have left legacies. She believes that children can look up to these people, and strive to be more like them. Front Loading Resilience Strategies Her second strategy is something that she likes to refer to as “front loading.” Front loading involves preparing children for difficult situations before they encounter them. For example, whenever she takes all five of her children bowling she will discuss with them that not all of them will win. However, she tells them that if they work hard on it, they will improve. She provides incentives for her children such as if everyone graciously loses, they will be allowed to play a second game. The third strategy is to draw to children in order to help them learn. Luiza will illustrate things on kitchen napkins to teach her kids different ways of being resilient. She will display someone overcoming difficult situations, and exhibit that at the end things worked out properly. Luiza says that the drawings can range in complexity depending on the age of the child. Another strategy that Luiza uses is modeling situations of resilience in her own life to her children. She says that you are your child’s hero, whether you feel like it or not. An example from her own life that she uses to illustrate her ability to be resilient is the difficulty she faces at home when her husband is out of town travelling for work. She asks her children if she should just give up, and throw in the towel. By displaying her own hardships, her children not only learn but offer to provide more help. Now that you have taught your children some ways to be resilient, your fifth strategy would be to have your kids practice being resilient. Luiza will have her children imagine being in very difficult situations, and have them display resilience. Luiza does this by having them say out loud phrases such as, “this is difficult, but I will get through it.” Live Resilience Every Day Luiza’s final strategy is that you need to live resilience in your life. You have to communicate with your child, and talk about using resilience day to day. It is important for you to tell them situations in which you faced trials and tribulations, but were able to be resilient. If you employ Luiza Y. Coscia’s strategies, you will be able to successfully teach your children how to be resilient.

“I’m not shy to say that they are just really, really quirky kids,” says Luiza Coscia, mother to five children with special needs, who she prefers to think of as out of the box children. After going to school to be an engineer, her life experience lead her to engineering out of the box solutions to help out of the box children like her own. One Harmonious Clan Luiza Y. Coscia is an engineer, author, and mother to five special needs children. When asked about her children, Luiza says that she is not ashamed to say that they are just really, really quirky kids. All five of her children have some sort of special needs, that require creative interventions. After raising her children, she knows the importance of remaining strong and resilient as a parent. She attended college as an engineering student, but Luiza’s life experiences lead her to engineer out of the box solutions for out of the box children. She says that nowadays, having out of the box children with special needs is such an epidemic. In almost every classroom, there are children who suffer because they cannot conform to the class. Luiza says these children typically end up in the principal’s office frequently, because they are out of the box. Luiza says that a lot of low points she has encountered were due to there not being any understanding. She believes that there is a lack of public awareness about out of the box special needs children such as her own. The hardest part is the lack of awareness about what could be going on underneath, in order to cause the children to act in such a manner. Parental Judgment “I’ve had a lot of moments when everybody turned their eyes on me and my clan,” says Luiza. She says that people are quick to judge parents and their children. Before making judgements, Luiza encourages people to consider what the other people are going through. “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes. You don’t know what I’m going through. My child is an excellent child, and I am a fabulous mother.”   https://stacybrookman.mykajabi.com/landing-time-to-leave-your-man-1 ()   Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. During our interview, Luiza said that the main issue she has faced as a parent of five special needs, out of the box children is a lack of understanding. People are not compassionate to others’ situations, and there is a lack of understanding of what might be going on underneath the surface. “You haven’t walked a mile in my shoes. You don’t know what I’m going through. My child is an excellent child, and I am a fabulous mother,” says Luiza. This was one of my favorite quotes from our interview. People really can’t grasp what someone else is going through unless they experience it for themselves. And even then, everyone’s experience is quite different. As Luiza said, parents are quick to judge others’ parenting styles based on the behavior of the child. However, people don’t stop to consider what could be going on in that child’s life in order to cause them to act this way. I encourage you to take a moment the next time you see a misbehaving child and a parent desperate to control the situation. Consider the underlying issues that may cause children to act out in such ways. Instead of judging the child or parent, ask what you can do to help. You just might save a Mom’s sanity. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/cecmurphey/ (Cec Murphey) shared his thoughts on appreciating ourselves and realizing that God created each of us to love and to be loved – so if you need a little bit of encouragement , you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll continue our interview with Luiza in Part 2 of our series. She will talk about raising resilient children. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on...

Childhood sexual abuse leaves a lifelong scar. It is difficult for male survivors of sexual abuse to discuss the matter in public because of social stigma. So much so that many survivors keep on denying the reality. Cecil Murphey, speaker, blogger and author of books like ‘More than Surviving: Courageous Meditations for Men Hurting from Childhood Abuse’, helps survivors of male sexual abuse accept reality, share their pain with compassionate listeners, and believe in the fact that they are not alone in their suffering. Male Sexual Abuse Survivors Shatter the Silence I interviewed Cec Murphey who explained how writing helped him come to terms with his own past sexual abuse. Through his blogs, articles and books, he opens up about his own struggles. His blogs and books also include real life stories of survivors of male sexual abuse. Cec helps other survivors to share their trauma with compassionate readers. He wants them to accept reality, find help and move on. Survivors of sexual abuse, particularly men, find it more difficult to talk about their harrowing experiences. They have to overcome shame and break social taboos. Hence, many of them keep denying the facts and choose to suffer alone. Through his writings, Cec drives the fact that there are many survivors of male sexual abuse and if you’re one of them, you’re not alone. You can send emails to Cec and he will definitely send replies. You can also leave your comments on his blog site. If you prefer to keep your identity hidden, you can do so as well. https://www.facebook.com/MenShatteringTheSilence/ () Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. As I interviewed Cec, I couldn’t help but think, what would I have done if I remembered such abuse? What would you have done? Would you tell anyone or would you hide it and let it eat through you day-in-day-out.  Cec actually experienced a mental breakdown and his memories started to haunt him. He couldn’t help it. Mustering his resilience, Cec decided to stand up against his fears. He did research, he investigated, and ultimately  he helped himself, and he’s helped thousands of other abuse victims. I believe that this is the greatest achievement a person can aspire to. The ability to counter personal fears and use them as a lesson for your life. Perhaps take a moment to just peek at your own fears. You don’t have to delve head first into them right now, but acknowledging that they’re there is the first step. Then you can ultimately turn to face them, and conquer them. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/podcast-2/ (Antoinette Martin) shared her thoughts on Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and hugging everyone you know – so if you have had cancer affect your family, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Luiza Coscia who engineers out of the box solutions for out of the box children. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()         100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot) from 1972. Take an unforgettable journey through the English countryside and into the homes of its inhabitants – man and animal – with the world’s best-loved animal doctor. Herriot’s heartwarming and often hilarious stories of his first...

“I never thought I would be someone who needed so much support,” says Antoinette Truglio Martin, about reaching out to her support group after her cancer diagnosis. Antoinette was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in 2007, and within five years it had metastasized to her vertebrae and became considered stage four. Now, she will live with cancer for the rest of her life. However, Antoinette remains an optimistic person. She says that in her family the glass is not half empty, it is almost full. Go Hug Everyone You Know Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer.  The book is a memoir about her first year with breast cancer. She is a Antoinette Truglio Martin is a speech therapist and special education teacher, but considers herself a writer at heart. She received her MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook/Southampton University in 2016. Martin’s book Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer is a memoir about her first year of breast cancer. 2-3% of all funds raised from her book go to cancer research. Hug Everyone You Know documents the first year of Martin’s life after getting diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. It includes email correspondence between her and her community, as well as Antoinette’s journal entries. https://www.amazon.com/Hug-Everyone-You-Know-Community/dp/1631522620 () Cancer Doesn’t Deserve a Pretty Journal Martin says that she always wanted to be a writer when she grew up, and she still does. While writing down her feelings about the first year after diagnosis, Martin documented everything in shabby journals. “I didn’t want cancer to be honored in any way, so it is going to get a shabby notebook,” says Martin. She did not have any special notebooks, pens, or bookmarks. Her day to day life of living with cancer was bookmarked by the dog-eared pages in those journals.   Keeping in Contact Through Emails During her traumatic first year of battling cancer, Martin chose to update everyone in her life through emails. “It was easier for me to compose an email and send it out to everyone,” says Martin. Instead of talking on the phone, Martin decided that updates came best in the form of emails. Antoinette chose to update people in her life via email, because sometimes it was easier than talking to someone on the phone. She found that talking about cancer on the phone caused her to have to relive the trauma. Martin never considered herself to be a “chatty” person on the phone, so emails allowed her to share her progress with loved ones.   Living Day-to-Day with Cancer Within five years of her stage one breast cancer diagnosis, Antoinette’s cancer had metastasized and attached itself to her spine. She wants people to know that breast cancer does not kill people, cancer that has metastasized and attached itself to vital organs kills people. Stage four cancer still does not have a cure, but it can be managed with treatment. Antoinette considers herself very lucky to be living with cancer in a time with such advanced medicine. “I feel like I am living proof of the progress that has been made. I lived past my expiration point,” says Antoinette. “I refuse to call it mine,” Antoinette Truglio Martin says about breast cancer. Though she will live with stage four cancer for the rest of her life, Antoinette does not consider the cancer to be “hers.” Instead, it is just something she has and will live with. Cancer is no longer the focal point of Martin’s journaling. She has two daughters, with grandchildren on the way. She is a speech therapist, as well as a special education teacher. Antoinette is more concerned about things going on with her day to day life than the “looming cancer.”   Cancer and Community Antoinette says that she never thought of herself as someone who would need to seek out support. However, after her diagnosis she found herself needing her...

“You have to work at hoping for the positive,” says Carol Graham, host of the bi-weekly podcast Never Ever Give up Hope. She has survived the challenges of major illnesses, devastating personal losses and financial ruin more than once, yet has refused to become a victim. Her goal is to share hope with others and lessons on how to survive and thrive.   Don’t Give Up Hope…Choose to Forgive Carol is an excellent example of how necessary it is to keep a positive mindset during some of the toughest of trials. After realizing that she was in control of her future, Carol decided to dedicate her life to helping others. Being a motivational speaker is just one of the many ways that Carol positively impacts the lives of others. She hosts a bi-weekly podcast, and recently released her memoir. Carol is a successful business woman owns and operates two jewelry stores. She has been a certified life coach for 35 years, and touched numerous lives. In addition to helping other humans, Carol has rescued over 30 dogs with her husband.   Overcoming Trials and Traumas “People get so overwhelmed by 1 or 2 traumas in their life that they have difficulty imagining someone going through them back to back.” There was a point in Carol’s life that she avoided answering the phone, fearing that it would just be more bad news. Carol was born very ill, and after consulting seventeen experts she encountered a specialist who told her that she needed to get a hysterectomy.   “Lady… Go home, suffer, and die,” is what Carol was told after she refused to get a hysterectomy. Determined, she told the expert that she would walk back in there one day – pregnant. 14 years later, she walked back in there to prove him wrong. However, it was not an easy road to get to that point.   Carol is the victim of sexual violence. One day, she was gang raped and left for dead on the street. Rape is one of the most traumatizing events someone can suffer through, but Carol chose not to let it impact her negatively for the rest of her life. She says that she decided to forgive those who wronged her, in order to move on from the experience.   Not only once, but twice was Carol robbed by her business partners. Even then, she actively decided to forgive people who she trusted that went corrupt. While her previous partners profited and became successful, she and her husband were left with virtually nothing.   After a year of having an adopted son, his biological mother decided she wanted custody of him. Carol suffered greatly when she lost her son, then had to endure the same suffering years later. Thirty years into their relationship, Carol lost another adopted son due to estrangement.   Carol reached a point in her life where her traumas were too much for her, and once tried to commit suicide. She lost both of her parents at a young age, and did not seek out friendships. She believed that people would not want to be friends with her due to her struggles, so she did not have a healthy support group.   She relied on her faith, and believed that she would be guided through whatever situation. Carol attributes her faith as her largest source of hope at some points during her life. In hindsight, Carol believes that it is very important to have a support group that you can rely on.   The Key to Remaining Positive? Carol thinks the most important thing to overcoming your traumas and trials is to have a sense of humor. There have been many times in her life where Carol chose to laugh, because if she did not laugh she would end up crying. She and her husband have rescued over 30 dogs, and she says that animals can bring humor into your life when you need it most.   It can be hard to always have a positive mindset, but Carol believes that you can choose how you view what has happened to you. Her advice? Move on. She says that she has moved past all of her traumas, because she...

Any bonafide writer calls themselves a writer because they write. There’s really no other way of describing a writer than that. All you need to do to call  yourself a writer is pick up the pen and begin to write.   Highlights from the interview: Luis’ mother died when he was five and he was homeless for three years after that before being adopted into the United States Luis found trouble: expelled from middle school, smoking pot, getting into trouble. However, he discovered poetry when a teacher saw his potential and gave him a book of poetry by Pablo Neruda titled “The Captain’s Verses”. He went on to help with and then winning many poetry slam competitions. Now Luis is a successful entrepreneur (thrivinglaunch.com) Luis’ idea of a writer is anyone that writes. There’s really no other way of describing a writer. He coaches writers to just pick up the pen and write. Just showing up is the first piece. The next piece is to show up and share what you’ve written with other people. After that, then you can read other great writers and get to know them, try to emulate to some degree or discover what you can pick up from them to add to your own writing technique. If you’re doing these things, without a doubt, even without anyone’s help, you will become an amazing writer. Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. I loved Luis’s background in oral storytelling and poetry slams. Sharing your story out loud can not only be empowering, but it can really move other people who hear it. It’s a unique way of sharing your experiences because storytelling is among the oldest forms of entertainment. It even dates back to 10th century Japan. Before you go all prickly at the thought of speaking in front of a group, consider going smaller at first, by joining a local story circle where everyone shares their stories. Or even simply reading aloud to a friend. The act of receiving someone’s story is a gift that people want to give you. By sharing your story aloud, you enable others to hear your story, acknowledge your struggles and your triumphs, and connect with you through your story. You can google writing circles or even live storytelling near your city.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Mike Veny shared his thoughts on struggling with suicide attempts and mental health – so if you need if you know of anyone who might resonate with that topic, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Carol Graham who just might be the most tenacious person you’ll ever know.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings) We’re having fun counting down the 100+ most important memoirs of the past 200 years. So our memoir of the day by Maya Angelou. It’s her famous I know Why The Caged Bird Sings, written in 1969.  Sent by their mother to live with their devout grandmother, Maya and her brother Bailey are abandoned to the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At 8 years old, back at her mother’s side, Maya is attacked by a man and has to live with the lifetime consequences. She learns that love for herself, others’...

A mental health speaker just got real about his own mental health. Only 5% of people with chronic health conditions practice self-care says Mike Veny. “So statistically that’s zero. Basically, it’s a nonsense term that we throw around telling each other to do, but nobody’s doing it.”   Mental Health is a Journey Highlights from the interview: Mike is America’s leading mental health speaker and a corporate drumming facilitator. Drumming helped him overcome his mental health challenges. Mike started his mental health journey when he was young. They manifested as behavior problems. He was the poster child for mental health issues: hospitalized three times, kicked out of three schools, attempted suicide at age 10, and was violent at home. He is still working on his mental health issues. It’s become more manageable. He doesn’t self-harm anymore, but he does have to manage his thinking. He still struggles with depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He had a breakdown and was hospitalized early in 2017. One of the most powerful skills one can learn is to just sit with your feelings, and to admit that you are powerless over your emotions. That has been incredibly humbling and insightful. Mental health is a process, not a destination. Mental health issues are confusing and frustrating for everyone. He just wanted a solution as a kid and as an adult. He has to make the decision to be mentally healthy every day. Part of that includes 30 minutes of journaling. Sometimes he doesn’t want to do that because he knows how painful his thoughts were that day and he’d rather get a drink at the bar. But he promises to show up for himself, so he journals. Mike’s Health Central article on https://www.healthcentral.com/article/how-to-practice-self-care-without-being-selfish (How to Practice Self-Care Without Being Selfish). Mike’s TedX talk on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nma0Gey-KEU (Mental Illness is an Asset) Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. One of the things that Mike recommended as a first step for anyone with tough issues is to talk about it. In fact, this interview has been one of my favorites because Mike himself was unafraid to talk about his suicide attempts and his struggles. We often find ourselves in a culture of secrecy. Just think about how many women spoke up in 2017 about sexual harassment and who kept those secrets for sometimes decades. And think about the women who are still not speaking up because they are afraid. I get it, I’ve kept secrets I shouldn’t have too. In fact, most of my life I never spoke up for myself, until I was in my 40’s. Writing my stories helped me to get clear about them and to share them with others. Listen, you should never suffer alone. Others may share your thoughts and opinions, or even have similar issues, but may be also unwilling to speak up. By speaking your truth and sharing your stories, you encourage them to voice their opinions as well. I can teach you how to share your story in my upcoming free webinar 4 Simple, Proven Methods to Writing the First Chapter of Your Life Story in Just 7 days. It’s for writers and non-writers and it’s a great way to get started, especially if you’ve been hesitant to tell your stories. Head over to stacybrookman.com/webinar for that.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/sharonrothlichtenfeld (Sharon Roth-Lichtenfeld talked about finding peace and joy in the midst of adversity) – so if adversity has camped out at your house, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Luis Congdon who talks about being homeless at age...

Do you have enough adversity in your life to have an adversity bio? Sharon Roth-Lichtenfeld does! This founder of Good Grief Coaching has survived hardship and heartache amazingly well. Listen to the episode to discover how she finds peace and joy in the midst of very tough circumstances.   Good Grief in Adversity Highlights from the interview: A lot of research has proven that you are not born resilient. It’s a skillset that every individual has inside of them and can cultivate it at any given moment. Resilience: the skill to see things from a different point of view and recognize that inside of them they can create peace and joy no matter what happens in their life. Adversity will happen, you won’t get away from the pain, but you can go through it faster and come out the other side stronger, wiser, and meaning. We have to recognize the peace and joy that show up in the world, even in the midst of adversity and while we’re having pain. Often we see so many happy people around us, but we’re going through the pain. It’s hard for us. You may not get to happy, but you can get to peace. The goal is to get to moments of peace or seconds of peace with the goal of stretching those into longer moments. Sharon has an http://www.goodgriefcoaching.com/adversity-biography/ (adversity bio on her website). She’s had a lot to recover from. The old Sharon would push feelings aside and ignore them. Over the years she’s learned to express her feelings and allow herself to feel the pain. Everything that happens you can make something meaningful and greater and better than it is. You’re OK to have your emotions. Record your emotions, speak them and listen to them back. It’s important to express how you’re thinking and feeling It’s also important to be grateful. And be very specific. There’s ALWAYS something to be grateful for. The practice of gratitude helps train your brain to see what you do have. Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Sharon explained that you can look for joy and peace even in the midst of adversity. So many times in our lives we have to actively LOOK for joy and recognize things to celebrate. It seems counterintuitive almost. Something sad, bad, or awful has happened, but in addition to feeling those feelings you also look for joy. I don’t want to discount having feelings of sadness because those are valid and important to acknowledge and feel. But holding that alongside the search for tiny bits of joy can help you get through a tough time. Part of finding joy is being present during our days. Presence is a gift. Thinking about the past leads to regret. Thoughts of the future lead to anxiety. Keep your mind in the present if you want to experience happiness on a regular basis. Find the tiniest amount of joy that’s around you.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, http://stacybrookman.com/petershankman (Peter Shankman, whose brain runs faster than normal), shared his insight into why the ADHD brain is a gift, so if you have someone with ADHD in your life, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Mike Veny, America’s leading mental health speaker, who talks about his own mental health struggles.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me:...

Your brain on ADHD is a Lamborghini, you just need to know how to drive it! Peter Shankman has discovered how ADHD can be a gift and shares that wisdom in his book: Faster Than Normal. https://www.lifestorylaboratory.com/calm ()   The Gift of ADHDHighlights from the interview:https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-Normal-Turbocharge-Productivity-ebook/dp/B01NARNVTX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513284358&sr=8-1&keywords=faster+than+normal ()Peter came by his expertise with ADHD by growing up with it. But it was called sit-down-you’re-disrupting-the-class-disease. He didn’t realize his brain was just looking for that extra dopamine that it wasn’t getting. ADHD is a superpower that he uses to his advantage. He figures out ways to channel that energy to do what he needs to do. His book, Faster Than Normal, focuses on the ADHD brian and that it is a benefit and not a curse to have it. People without ADHD can follow these rules and get more productivity. He has a podcast called Faster Than Normal and interviews other people who are taking advantage of the ADHD mind One day, he decided that the people out there that would judge him were not paying his mortgage, so he just told his story. He was very socially awkward as a kid and young adult. Not until his 30’s was he able to control his faster brain. He has been working as an entrepreneur since his 20’s because that fits his personality and his brain. He wrestles with ADHD every day. But he makes sure he has very specific life rules to make sure he treats his brain the right way. For instance, he made an agreement with himself to get up and exercise before he does anything else because he knows his brain needs exercise for him to have a good day. It’s an absolute requirement. You have to understand and accept that. He wrote https://www.fasterthannormal.com/ (Faster Than Normal), usually a tedious process, on a flight he booked from New York to Tokyo. He brought his laptop, a power cord, headphones and a sweater. He wrote chapters one through five on the flight to Tokyo. He landed in Tokyo, went through immigration, turned around and wrote chapters 6 through 10 on the flight home – a total of 31 hours to write his book. It works for him. Writing on planes is his zone of focus. Many people label ADHD as negative. Peter has made ADHD a positive thing. Typically people label “different” as bad, but he celebrates the differences and uses them to his advantage. His goal is to teach people that it’s not a death sentence to be different. You want to be different. The key is to understand your own brain and how it works. Another thing Peter does is to eliminate choice as much as possible. For instance, his wardrobe is divided into two sections: 1) Office and Travel and it has t-shirts and jeans, 2) Speaking and TV and it has button down shirts, jackets and jeans. If he had to get up every morning and decide what to wear, he would never be able to decide. Listen to the episode for the full story.   https://www.lifestorylaboratory.com/calm ()  .Stacy’s JournalWelcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. I loved Peter’s contracts with himself to make sure he does what’s right for his brain. I think we can all learn something from that. I know for me, I can’t take that first bite of bread or a cookie because I’ll eat till I’m beyond full. I’m also a huge procrastinator, so I have to schedule my time and stick to my commitments to myself in order to get things done. I once heard a business guru recommend we schedule our lives just as if we are in school. When the virtual bell rings, at [9:00] you do one thing, at [10:00] you do another and so on. That makes sense because time definitely fills up what we give it. So I’d like for you to think about contracts that you need to make with yourself. What is it in your life that you overindulge, avoid, procrastinate, or need...

Is it possible to foster resiliency in the direct aftermath of the pain and grief of infertility and miscarriage? Jeanette White has allowed her experiences to help her grow in areas she never imagined. She now reaches out to others to offer support. Listen to find out why she recommends the Memory Resolution Technique.   Fostering Resiliency in the Aftermath of Infertility and Miscarriage Highlights from the interview: Resiliency is not just about the ability to recover quickly and move on from something, it is about what we do with the impact that a difficult circumstance has had on our life and the way it has changed us. We never fully spring back into the shape we were prior to trauma. Jeanette’s personal journey with resiliency which has been deeply linked to making it through traumatic grief and loss in the realm of infertility and miscarriage I have found to be two phases of resilience: The first stage is about how to foster resilience in the direct aftermath of loss and grief, the second stage is action as resilience.  Letting people in/avoiding isolation (share what you’re going through with trusted person/people). Make the choice to reach out and accept others help. Allowing the wave of emotions to come and go as they need to (don’t shut down). It’s OK to let this well up and impact me. Journaling/free writing; reference study by Pennebaker on the impact on emotional resiliency The Memory Resolution Technique (a quick description of this essential-oil based self-guided technique and how it’s been helpful to me) Action in relation to the difficulty as a movement toward resiliency What this has looked like for Jeanette in three ways: Awareness/sensitivity to others Being available to meet with others going through the same struggles Stretching beyond her comfort zone and beginning to speak about her story and the impact of grief Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Jeanette talked about letting people in as one of the steps to resilience. That is actually a huge step to being a more resilient person. Bigger than it sounds. Have you ever been in a situation where someone offered help and your very first answer is No Thank You. Even before you thought about it. Then later you struggle alone. That is so hard for many of us. Often, it’s for one of three reasons: We want to be the person who “has it all together” and accepting help is seen (in our screwed up minds) as a sign of weakness. By accepting help we admit that we are vulnerable. Part of being vulnerable is risking community. We have become such an individualistic society that being a giving and receiving part of a community is almost a foreign concept. Oh, we can talk community, but to actually live it out in real life is a very vulnerable, yet strong, thing to do. We risk people failing us, again. And again. Perhaps they won’t say just the right thing, or they will give us advice we don’t really want. It’s inevitable, really. People do fail us and we should expect that to happen. However, if we do let people in, become vulnerable, accept help in our times of weakness, we actually see ourselves become stronger and discover the benefits of fellowship like we have never experienced before. We are social beings made for connection. So next time someone offers help, stop before you decline, and consider saying yes.   That’s all we have for today. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Rachael Clinton shared her thoughts on tending to heartbreak – so if your heart has ever longed to be tended to, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Peter Shankman whose brain...

We are storied people. Rachael Anne Clinton helps us understand why discovering the stories that have shaped our past benefits our present and future. Find out why she believes everyone has known some heartache, but why you can’t enter the trauma olympics. Listen to her fascinating story…   Your Storied Past Does Inform Your Present and Future Highlights from the interview: We all need witnesses to our stories, especially formative stories where we’ve known heartache and harm. When we’re young, we don’t have the capacity to see the whole picture. When other people read our stories with us, they help us see the story more fully and accurately because we make a lot of assumptions about ourselves and what happened based on our younger self and our body’s desire to survive. Often we develop shame and judgment around what has happened and we interpret it to be our fault if we don’t tell our stories. We are storied people. That’s why she invites people to start to tell their stories and discover the stories that have shaped who you are. It’s important to know that in some ways no family is perfect so there will always be some absence of love in places that we need it. It involves heartbreak and loss. Trauma is a distressing or threatening event that gives your body an experience of threat. A child who observes domestic violence will experience the same traumatic response as a child who has domestic violence directed at them. Being in the presence of terror activates the limbic system. Is losing a family pet as traumatic as refugee families fleeing for their lives? There is no trauma olympics. Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()     Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Rachael and I touched on a side topic of finding a good therapist or counselor. So many people feel they must be in crisis to go to a therapist or they think only “other” people do so. I’d like to propose a different way of looking at this. A counselor or therapist is a fantastic brainstorming partner. They are a neutral person, someone who doesn’t judge you for your thoughts and feelings in any way. And they don’t have authority over you, so you don’t have to enter into the conversation as a weaker party. If you approach a therapist as a great person to bounce ideas off of, a partner to collaborate with you, and as someone to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with to take a keen eye to life’s issues, then you will gain tremendous insights and make the most of your connection. Psychology today is a great resource for finding just the right fit. And like Rachael said, start by having an introductory conversation with several to see who you click with. If you find a great counselor, please drop me a line and let me know your favorite way to work with that professional. Last episode, Dr. Dan Allender shared his thoughts on the trauma of shame and the agreements we make with ourselves to hide that shame, so if you know anyone who may have been silenced by shame, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview our third guest from the Allender Center, Jeannette White and we continue digging into healing from heartache. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com. 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is:...

According to Dr. Dan Allender, we all need to look at those trauma stories we’ve written off as already resolved and say “What more am I to learn and how can I engage these stories with kindness?”   Realizing and Recovering from Trauma and Shame Highlights from the interview: The Allender Center of Abuse and Trauma addresses the heartbreaking reality that nobody goes through life without some level of violation and assault. At some point in our lives, we will all know some violation of our dignity and honor through abuse. Can one recover from trauma and turn their life into a thing of beauty? Absolutely, Jesus turns ashes into beauty. There is the probability, if we’re engaging the story, to enter into that story without despair. Trauma is when our world comes into upheaval and there is no quick way to restore it. Time does NOT heal all wounds.  Trauma is living in a fallen world. Abuse is the experience of some form of violation and injustice in the midst of that trauma. When you combine the two….no one escapes trauma, most people don’t escape abuse. Those issues must be addressed forthrightly, naming what occurred, who brought about the harm, what did you experience, what did your brain do then and now. The byproduct of not addressing it is a lack of wholeness and therefore a lack of joy. When you experience trauma, the portion of the brain that regulates speech goes offline, which is why we often have no memory of what happened and/or we get numb. We must do good things for our fragmented selves. How do you care for the broken part of you? Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()     Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Today I want to talk about naming our hurt. Naming what has happened to us. Dr. Allender touched on this in our interview. Often, we don’t have names for the trauma and shame that has occurred in our lives. Sometimes because we have buried the events and the memories, sometimes because we’ve denied what happened to us, and sometimes because people have told us to get over it or we try to minimize the damage. But as we carefully step into our hurts and write about them, we start to find specific words and language for what happened.   The interesting thing is, as soon as you find words to describe your trauma, it starts to lose its grip on you. It separates you from that emotional pain and puts you in better control of your own story. That is the first step to healing. I encourage you to name your trauma, name your shame, name your heartache, disappointments, and devastations. Take that first step to free yourself from their entanglements. You might want to start by attending my free webinar – the https://www.stacybrookman.com/webinar/ (4 simple, proven methods to writing the first chapter of your life story) in just 7 days. I’ll share how to easily get started writing your own stories and finding the words you need.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, https://www.stacybrookman.com/radneyfoster/ (Radney Foster shared his heartbreak) when his ex wife moved with their 4 year old son to France. He explained what he did to stay connected to his child and to resolve the anger. So, if you’ve had some heartbreak yourself, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Rachael Clinton, our second interview in this trilogy. She discusses tending to heartbreak and I think you’ll find it fascinating.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you

“How did you get into my living room?” That’s what people ask country music singer/songwriter Radney Foster. His songs get to the heart of heartbreak, and life in general. But are his songs borne from experience? You bet!   Radney Foster, Iconic Country Music Singer/Songwriter https://www.radneyfoster.com/ ()Highlights from the interview: Radney has written a book of short stories that match with songs on his album. Both are entitled: For You to See the Stars. Autographed copies can be ordered at https://www.radneyfoster.com/ (radneyfoster.com) Radney believes you have to get in there and dig around in your soul when you write. That’s when you know you’re doing it right. His book writing got a jump start when he fell ill with laryngitis and couldn’t speak for six weeks. Robert Frost quote: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” When his ex-wife took their 5-year-old son and moved to France     Radney’s song, Godspeed, written and played for his son: https://www.youtube.com/user/RadneyFosterMusic/featured (More Radney Foster music and videos here.) Listen to the episode for the full story. Bonus material: http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Everyone gets angry sometimes. Often, it’s from events that are out of your control, like Radney’s ex-wife taking their son to France. Radney knew that anger and hatred would destroy him and he had to dig deep to figure out how to forgive the wrong. We’ve all experienced injustices – both large and small. In addition to therapy, which is incredibly helpful, prayer and meditation provided Radney with the means to get through his emotions. This is similar to last week’s guest, Ed Cyzewski, who has written about contemplative prayer. Doing the inner and outer work necessary to bring peace will help you overcome anger. Science backs the benefits of meditation too. Studies have shown that brain signaling during meditation increases in the left side of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for positive emotions, while activity decreases in the right side, responsible for negative emotions. My favorite meditation app is called Headspace. If you don’t know how to meditate and want an easy way to get started, check out the headspace app to build your serenity.   That’s all we have for today. Hey, remember you can go to https://www.radneyfoster.com/ (RadneyFoster.com) and get an autographed book and CD. Radney told me he autographs these while he’s watching ball games on TV. Last episode, Ed Cyzewski shared his thoughts on contemplative prayer and contemplative writing – so if you need a great way to stop distracting yourself from real life and become more present in the moment, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Dr. Dan Allender who talks about the trauma of shame and the agreements we make with ourselves to hide that shame, so if you know anyone who may have been silenced by shame, be sure to stay tuned.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com. 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (West With The Night by Meryl Markham, written in 1942) When Markham flew across the Atlantic, no pilot had yet flown...

Both writing and the Christian tradition of contemplative prayer depend on us facing our fears and anxieties, and the path to healing is about going through our pain rather than numbing it or distracting ourselves from it.   What does contemplation have to do with it? Ed has long struggled with anxiety from his parent’s contentious divorce and from various incidents that involved them during his high school years. Writing and prayer have served as vital outlets that have enabled him to become more aware of his anxiety, its sources, and the potential solutions. Contemplation helps us become present in the moment so that we can receive God’s love, while writing demands that we stay in the present moment in order to fully see and process our stories or ideas. Writing helps refine ideas so that you can better pray with eyes wide open. In addition, the quiet and stillness of contemplative prayer often uncovers hidden places in your life that need to be explored further in through writing. Why Brennan Manning’s https://www.amazon.com/Furious-Longing-God-Brennan-Manning-ebook/dp/B005FMSK50/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508731511&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=brennan+manning%2C+furious+longing+of+god (The Furious Longing of God) is his favorite inspirational book. It takes a lot of discipline to create a space in your mind to let ideas take shape so when you sit down to write you have raw materials to work with. Listen to the episode for the full story.  https://www.stacybrookman.com/webinar/ () Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. I really liked Ed’s take on healing. He believes that the path to healing is about going through our pain rather than numbing it or distracting ourselves from it. Contemplation helps us become present in the moment and that, in turn, helps us discover places that need to be explored further in writing. There are so many times we try to gloss over our hurts, or past difficulties. We just try to get through them and then ignore them. Or squeeze those tough times into a small place at the back of our mind and just hope that they don’t pop back out. But, when we do that, we aren’t truly recovering from those times. We aren’t resolving that conflict, we’re ignoring it. It hurts us in ways we don’t even realize. Research has proven that pulling that pain out, and the simple act of writing about your feelings, even a short amount, is incredibly beneficial. We know that it even boosts your immune system! I encourage you to try it out. Think back to a tough time in your life, or a time when someone hurt you, and write about your feelings. In other words, lean in to get through. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Evan Hanson discussed the two journeys to manhood – so if you’re raising boys, or know someone who is, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Radney Foster, a legendary country music singer/songwriter. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.     100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (The Moral Basis of Democracy by Eleanor Roosevelt). Click on the graphic to learn about this memoir and all of the most important memoirs of the past 200 years…https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()        ...

Becoming a “man” isn’t a new idea – there are centuries of precedence. But it’s been pretty much forgotten – especially in terms of some sort of ceremony, some sort of moment. Developing Manhood From Boyhood Highlights from the interview: When does a boy become a man? If you’re a man and you’re reading this, there probably isn’t one moment you can pinpoint. Becoming a “man” isn’t a new idea – there are centuries of precedence. But it’s been pretty much forgotten – especially in terms of some sort of ceremony, some sort of moment. Feeding and clothing and sending your son to school isn’t enough. It’s a start, but that’s what it is – a start. These are some things that Evan did with his son in helping him to become a man: he prepared him for relationships, he showed him how to love a woman, he used the community of men around him to tell his son about their failures and what they learned from them, his son went into a place of solitude in the wilderness, his son’s mother wrote him a letter saying goodbye to him as a child, and they had a big ceremony to celebrate him becoming a man. On writing the book: If you want to write a book but don’t know if you can write a book, think of it less as writing a book and more as telling a story. Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Evan’s interview got me thinking about those things we need to teach our children, but often miss out on. We are really not raising kids, are we? We’re really raising adults. We want our kids to grow up to be healthy and happy. In order to do that, we need to teach them a lot of things that aren’t taught in school. That goes for girls as well as boys. And it really does take a community. Maybe think about some of the kids that are in your life, whether it’s your own, or your nieces or nephews, grandkids, neighbor kids, or kids you are connected to in other ways. In what way can you, and I, help mold those kids, help them mature with the tools, skillset, and understanding they need to become resilient adults? What rites of passage need to come about? Who do you need to take under your wing or give a little advice to? I’m going to ponder that myself.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Matt Gagnon discussed methods to gracefully weather life’s transitions – so if you’ve had a recent transition in your life, or are going through one now, you might want to https://www.stacybrookman.com/mattgagnon/ (go back and have a listen). Next week, we’ll interview Ed Cyzewski, author of Coffeehouse Theology.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.     100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ (Karen Blixen’s Out of Africa written in 1937). Click on the graphic to learn about this memoir and all of the most important memoirs of the past 200 years…https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()     About: Evan Hanson Evan is a Marriage and Family Therapist and have been in private practice for over 25 years and his passion has always been on men’s issues and raising boys. He is a former Survival Instructor in the Air Force, and has taught Arctic survival in Alaska, and Desert Survival in Saudi Arabia. He is the founder and visionary for a...

“I am the courageous heart that passionately beats to empower the hurt, broken, and lost. I believe that people are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole,” says life coach Matt Gagnon. “And it’s never too late to write your own comeback story.” Time for Your Own Comeback Story Highlights from the interview: The day he officially became a life coach – September 29th 2014 – was the greatest day of validation for him, because it felt like he was completely on the right track. He helps people through transition periods in their lives by helping them to articulate the story that’s in their head. It helps people because they’ve often never said these things out loud before for fear of being judged. If people aren’t owning things that happened, if they’re not being completely honest, he’ll call them out. He’ll do that until they see vulnerability not as a weakness, but as a strength. Journaling is important. Because you might say something for the first time, admit something for the first time, and then feel that high, that rush, and be proud of yourself. But then, when you go home, when you’re alone, you might feel shame, and you can’t believe you just said those things. That’s when its important to journal, to write it all down, because you’ll start to realize that this voice – the voice of the saboteur – is wrong. Saying you want to focus on your career goals is a safe way to get into coaching – a more accepted way, probably – but it always leads to stuff about a person’s life. Coaching is like taking your mind to the gym. His life and core purpose: “I am the courageous heart that passionately beats to empower the hurt, broken, and lost.” Another core belief is that each client is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. Something to sit with and think about: it’s never too late – to follow your own passion, to live your dream, to write your own comeback story. Listen to the episode for the full story.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. I really enjoyed this interview with Matt because I gained huge insights into what a life coach can ultimately do. They help you move your own road blocks out of the way! How valuable is that? Since we are all naturally creative, resourceful and whole, a life coach brings out the best in us at a critical time. A time when we can’t see or bring out the best in ourselves. They help us take our past and our present, and create a much better future. It’s a gift.   I especially enjoyed the philosophy that it’s never too late to follow your own passion, to live your dream, and to write your own comeback story. Stop and think for a moment. If you were to write your comeback story, starting from where you are right now, what would that look like? It might be worth spending 20 or 30 minutes writing that out. Go ahead, put your dreams and desires, your passions, down on paper, and write your own comeback story. I’d love to hear what those are. Head over to our FB page and share those in the comments section for this episode.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Kathy Gruver discussed conquering stress through writing – so if you’re going through some stress right now, or have recently been stressed, you might want to https://www.stacybrookman.com/kathygruver/ (go back and have a listen). Next week, we’ll interview Evan Hanson who wrote Two Journeys to Manhood.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation....

Why worry twice? We can’t necessarily stop things, but we can stop freaking out about them. Dr. Kathy Gruver explains that the future always starts now. With every exhale we can make a more resilient choice.   Resilient Rather than Freaking Out Highlights from the interview: Affirmations help to reduce stress – particularly if you handwrite them, because they’ll more easily go into your subconscious. People who wrote down affirmations about who they are, or positive events, found they went into future situations looking at the positive side of things, and not thinking about what could go wrong, and even having different reactions to things. It’s much better to say “I am healthy and well right now” than it is to say “I hope I don’t get sick.” Our body is incredibly suggestible to what other people say to us and to what we’re thinking about. Stress is hazardous – about 70 to 90% of doctor’s visits are due to stress-related illnesses. Why suffer twice? If you’re going to get news from the doctor about whether or not you have cancer in a week’s time, why worry about it now? If you have cancer, won’t that be bad enough anyway? Need you have worried about it all week and then felt even worse when you received the actual news? It’s better to think positively because you’ll be in a better state to handle any bad news when it does finally arrive. The more present we can be, the more positive we can be. “The future always starts now.” With every exhale we can make a different and more resilient choice. We can’t necessarily stop things, but we can stop freaking out about them. Listen to the episode for the full story.     http://stacybrookman.com/webinar1 ()       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Let’s talk about affirmations. I’ve got to be honest, because that’s what a journal is about, right? Your honest feelings? In the past, I’ve not really been a fan of affirmations. Reminded me too much of the http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/daily-affirmations-ii/3506378?snl=1 (Saturday Night Live skit with Stuart Smalley). However, I’ve since done more digging into the mind/body connection. Self-affirmations really do help and there’s scientific evidence for that with one caveat. You have to really believe what you’re saying. If you don’t believe it, you could end up feeling even worse! To tweak affirmations and make them effective for you, scientists say that you should write about the things you value, such as your honesty, family, creativity, etc…Affirming those things you value, and remembering those times when you exhibited those values does activate the reward system in your brain and gives you those positive vibes. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/11/why-self-affirmation-works.html (Here’s a great article about affirmations). With that, I think I’ll get to writing a few new affirmations of my own!   That’s all we have for today. That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Manny Wolfe discussed surviving a hellacious early life – so if you’ve had a tough childhood, you might want to https://www.stacybrookman.com/mannywolfe/ (go back and have a listen). Next week, we’ll interview Matt Gagnon who tells us to write our own comeback story.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com. 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin...

Manny Wolfe believes that changing yourself will probably be the hardest thing you ever do…especially if you grew up in a cult in one of the most violent cities in America like he did. If you want to change, you have to take to it like a drowning man taking to a life preserver. Cult + Violence = Tough Childhood Highlights from the interview: Just because you’re born into something – in this case, a cult – doesn’t mean you can’t get out of it. And it doesn’t have to take you looking at an untraceable gun – in your own hand – to have the moment of clarity you need to do it. It also doesn’t mean you can’t someday be an example – a good example. To your son, daughter, and whoever else. And being an example, striving to be an example – that will fill you with purpose and joy. Writing can be the single biggest healing thing you ever engage in. You might need to do some other stuff to get you to the point of writing it all down, but once you get there, you will heal even more. If you do change, remember that your family – the people closest to you – will likely adjust the slowest, because they’re used to who you used to be. Any relationship that’s toxic will take more out of you than you’re aware of. Be warned: once you find your voice, you might not be able to stay away from the keyboard. Listen to the episode for the full story.       Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Today, let’s talk about your origin story. As Manny shows, just because you’re born into a bad situation doesn’t mean you have to drag that baggage with you the rest of your life. Changing yourself like Manny did is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do. In order to change, you have to get clear on where you are and where you’ve been. In other words, your origin story. How do you discover your origin story? You start with your life theme.   Think back to the milestones in your life and the desires you’ve had in your life. Where do those intersect with some conflicts you’ve had in your life? It might be beneficial to get those down in black and white – either computer or paper. Maybe spend some time reflecting back on your life. What…or who…has defined your life? How have you made decisions in your life? What…or who…influenced those decisions? Start writing that down. Those are the seeds of your origin story that you’ll use to change your future.   That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Kamala Chambers discussed writing about love found and lost – so if you’ve ever had to move on in any relationship, you might want to https://www.stacybrookman.com/kamalachambers/ (go back and have a listen). Next week, we’ll interview Kathy Gruver who helps us conquer stress through writing.   I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on https://www.pinterest.com/Stacy_Brookman/boards/ (Pinterest), https://www.facebook.com/stacybrookmanmedia/ (Facebook), https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQYpXODmHfOyEfc4iATRvA/videos?disable_polymer=1 (YouTube), and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.   100+ Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: Walden by Henry David Thoreau written in 1854 Click on the graphic to learn about this memoir and all of the most important memoirs of the past 200 years..https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()         About: Manny Wolfe https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/16388298_1650044005296240_2937256019592027014_n.jpg ()Manny teaches entrepreneurs and high performers how to own the stage, and their message with power, passion, persuasion and precision. After overcoming a childhood of brainwashing, abuse,...

Writing love letters to her seven failed relationships was cathartic and a learning experience for author Kamala Chambers. She made each letter, and it’s subsequent learned wisdom, into a chapter in her book Road to Love.  Listen to discover how writing made her a better person. Writing Yourself Into a Better Person According to Kamala, writing has helped her become a better person. She reflects on where she’s at, and can dissect some things that are tumbling around in her head. And she can get clear on what’s really going on. Usually, we’re not upset about things for the reasons we think we are, and writing unpacks all of that. When you’re vulnerable, when you put yourself out there, there’s a kind of softening towards you. People understand you more, and are more open with you. Keeping a journal can be someone’s saving grace because it helps us to understand the dialogue within. And you can look back on your past journaling, and really tap into what you were feeling at the time. It’s like having access to a past you. Why Love Letter Writing? Love letters are probably the most intimate form of writing there is. You can write about everything from when you first fell in love to where one of you broke the other’s heart. When we fall in love and when we’re in love and when we fall out of love, these are the times in our lives where we grow and develop and learn so much. Writing a love letter to someone you used to be in a relationship with can be amazingly cathartic – because you get to say all of the things you wished you’d said, all the things you wished you’d known. And most of the time, you won’t even feel like you need to send it. And much more…   Stacy’s Journal Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Let’s talk about journals here. Kamala mentioned that keeping a journal can be someone’s saving grace because it helps us understand the dialogue within. I never understood that until I started writing myself. It really is miraculous! I encourage everyone to start journaling. When I first started, I had a few doubts. I started during an extremely troubling time in my life. I thought, gee, I’m just going to write negative things. I don’t want that to be a reflection of who I am. In fact, I started and stopped several times. But…once I realized that just because I write about all the terrible things that happen in my life, doesn’t mean I’m a terrible person, or that I have a bad personality. It actually helped me clear my head of those negative thoughts. It freed me to see the situation that I was in for what it was. Something that I could handle. When you’re stressed, angry, frustrated, sad, or really any emotion, writing down your feelings and writing down the situation will bring you clarity. It puts the situation in the proper place in your mind.  So, yes, I really advocate for journaling. I’ve put a couple of journals that I recommend in the shownotes. That’s all we have for today. Next week, we’ll interview Manny Wolfe who, as a child, survived one of the 10 most violent cities in America. So if you’ve had some tough life circumstances yourself, or are going through a tough situation right now, you might want to stay tuned for that. I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on Pinterest, Facebook and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. 100 Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years This week’s memoir is: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin https://www.stacybrookman.com/100memoirs/ ()Click on the graphic to learn about this memoir and all of the most important memoirs of the past 200 years…   Lifestory Toolkit: WriteWay (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features WriteWay....

Find Your Real Life Resilience In this special episode, I re-launch the Write of Your Life podcast as the Real Life Resilience podcast. I share why resilience is so important, and what this past year has held for me. Webster’s dictionary defines resilience as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. Our lives are filled with change – it’s inevitable. So we, as human beings, might as well learn to be resilient. Strengthening our resilience will make us happier and healthier. We all want to bounce back from difficult experiences, don’t we? Real Life Resilience will help you know how recover from life’s most difficult trauma. Research proves that resilience can be learned and developed in anyone. I’d love to show you how through my podcast interviews. Real Life Resilience Mission The Real Life Resilience podcast mission is to tell stories of recovery from life’s most difficult trauma and provide tools for resiliency. Therefore, Real Life Resilience may spark your curiosity if: You’ve been through hell and lived to tell about it, You’ve got an unbelievable story to share Your family skeletons are poking out of the closet You want to move beyond your label You desire to tell a truth that no one knows Your wisdom cries out to be heard You’ve been told “You should write about that!” You want to be more resilient   Real Life Resilience listeners are people who like an interesting story, people who may at some point write about their lives whether it’s in a journal, a memoir, or a personal essay…for publishing or not. They are people who are just starting to realize the health and psychological benefits of writing through a stressful time or writing to reflect on past difficulty to become more resilient. They are also genealogists who want to tell their family history, teens and youth who want to discover how and why to write about their life, and others who have an interest in memoir and story in general.   I want you, my listeners, to find your resilience. It’s out there.   To help you with that, check out these resources I’ve built for you… https://www.stacybrookman.com/webinar/ ()   And… https://www.stacybrookman.com/art/ ()

Make changes to your body and mind to gain the confidence to pursue your passion and live your dreams.  Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach, has led thousands of clients to “get their mojo back” and transform into their personal and professional best. Her real-life examples will spark your own ideas.   Lifestory Toolkit: Qwerky Writer  (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features http://www.qwerkywriter.com/ (Qwerky Writer), a unique typewriter inspired mechanical keyboard (with the tactile clicky sound) compatible with your computer or tablet. It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth and features industrial strength mechanical switches that provide a unique clicky tactile feel. The Return Bar functions as an ENTER key by default and programmable, remembering up to 5 characters. It features typewriter inspired keycaps plus a built-in stand that can accommodate tablets up to 10 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. You can order now for $349 at http://www.qwerkywriter.com/ (qwerkywriter.com)   Free Download: Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc? https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/14709b273f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5641332169113600/ (Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc?) https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Debi-Mojo-Coach-e1464100566976.jpg ()About: Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach Debi Silber MS, RD, WHC, FDN The Mojo Coach®, CEO of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. and founder of http://debisilber.com/ (www.TheMojoCoach.com) and http://debisilber.com/ (www.DebiSilber.com) is a recognized health, weight loss, fitness, wellness, lifestyle and personal development expert. She’s a speaker, consultant and author of 2 books recommended by Brian Tracy, Marshall Goldsmith, Jack Canfield and many more. Debi’s branded The Mojo Coach® because she’s led countless others to achieve their ultimate body, mind, image and lifestyle; inspiring them to “get their mojo back” and transform into their personal and professional best. In addition to being a highly credentialed and awarded health expert, Debi has her own line of deliciously healthy Mojo Fuel Bars and shakes, has also contributed to FOX, CBS, TEDx, The Dr. Oz show, The Huffington Post, Shape, Self, Health, Working Mother, Forbes, Psychology Today, WebMD, Yahoo Shine, Ladies Home Journal, MSN, Woman’s World and Glamour to name a few. The Mojo Coach® is THE secret behind some of the healthiest, most influential, charismatic and successful professionals today.     Links: Website:  http://debisilber.com/ (Debi Silber ) https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ ()Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/InpsireEmpowerTransform (Debi Silber ) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX30i6nC7ro (Stop Sabotaging Yourself  Tedx)

What is your life theme? If you wrote a memoir, what would it be titled? Why should anyone write about their life? I posed these questions to participants at the Stories From The Heart Story Circle Conference. Their heartfelt answers provide a voyeur’s view into these women’s lives.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/conflogo1s.gif ()Stories Shared at Story Circle Conference What drives a woman to share her life stories? What is the meaning of doing so? Turns out…a lot. I attended the Story Circle Conference in Austin, Texas, last month and met some pretty amazing writers. Many who never imagined themselves as writers in the past. These ladies are using writing to reinvent themselves – or reinventing themselves and then writing about it. I posed several questions and asked them to answer in 30 seconds to one minute. Their fascinating answers will inspire you. Thanks to the Story Circle Network for allowing me to record these wise words. If you don’t consider yourself a writer, but you have a story to tell, Story Circle Network is a great place to dip your toe into the writing waters. It’s a group of supportive women in all stages of writing talent. Actionable Items: Start this week by answering these questions: What is your life theme? If you wrote a memoir, what would it be titled? Why should anyone write about their life? What have you learned from writing about your life (if you’ve done it)? Check out the http://www.storycircle.org/index.php (Story Circle Network) and consider joining   Lifestory Toolkit: Story Circle Network (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features, of course, http://www.storycircle.org/index.php (The Story Circle Network)!  is dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives through memoir, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama, and to raising public awareness of the importance of women’s personal histories. We carry out our mission through publications, a website, classes, workshops, writing and reading circles, and woman-focused programs. Our activities empower women to tell their stories, discover their identities through their stories, and choose to be the authors of their own lives.   Free Download: 5 Myths About Life Story Writing https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/146540873f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5659118702428160/ (5 Myths About Life Story Writing)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/11351444_10205652070514698_1357437564447908585_n.jpg ()About: Story Circle Network The http://www.storycircle.org/history.shtml (Story Circle Network) was founded in early 1997 by Dr. Susan Wittig Albert and received its 501(c)(3) status shortly afterward. It  is guided by a board of directors and incorporated as a Texas not-for-profit corporation. Activities are funded by the annual dues of the members, through educational activities, and by the generous gifts and grants of supporters (such as the $100,000 grant that supported the http://www.storycircle.org/owlcircle (Older Women’s Legacy Circle Project)). The National office is located in Austin, TX, and the membership is made up of hundreds of women around the country who share their experiences in http://www.storycircle.org/circles.shtml (Story Circles) in their local communities, through our http://www.storycircle.org/internet_chapter.shtml (Internet Chapter), and through the http://www.storycircle.org/journal.shtml (Story Circle Journal), http://www.storycircle.org/eletters.shtml (eletters), http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/ (book review website), http://www.storycircleonlineclasses.org/ (online classes) and a http://www.storycircleonlineclasses.org/mentors (mentorship program).   Links: Website:  http://www.storycircle.org/ (Storycircle.org)...

Only by taking better care of yourself can you improve your overall wellbeing. It’s important that you take action for nothing will change until you do. Kevin Bergen walks us through the Bergen protocol to help us understand how to get unstuck in life through expansion writing.     The Bergen Protocol and the Upward Spiral https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/BergenProtocol-ebook-Cover.jpg ()The aim of the Bergen protocol is to improve your well-being by encouraging you to get actively involved in your actions and thoughts. The principle of self-care is advocated and a few actions are recommended. These actions when taken daily will improve your sense of wellbeing. The action you choose can be journaling and creative writing and points are allocated to help you get motivated to achieve your life goals. The motivation received from the daily actions creates an upward spiral that helps improve the different aspects of your life. The actions points you choose can be a combination of easy and difficult actions in order to get you challenged and also motivated. Writing has been used successfully to help people get through traumatic experiences. In expansion writing, you engage in therapeutic writing for four to ten minutes a day, for seven days. It’s recommended that the same sentence stem is used for the first few days as it prompts the mind on what you wish to write about. By using the same sentence stem, you unlock your subconscious and you are able to delve in the deeper issues that may be hurting you. After writing, take time to evaluate what you have written down. You examine your thoughts and feelings on the subject matter. In addition, you will need to look back on the amount of time you spent in the previous day thinking of what you had written on that day. This will make you more aware of your thoughts and feelings on the subject. The last question for you is on how likely you are to write again. These questions increase your level of self-awareness.   Take Home Message: Practice self-care everyday by participating in actions that give you a sense of being better. Adopt expansion writing and allow yourself to grow more aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions. Check out Kevin’s book: http://amzn.to/1VTWohL (The Bergen Protocol) Be sure to get the special Writers Edition of Kevin’s http://www.theactioncorps.com/pages/woyl/ (7-Day Therapeutic Writing Challenge )created just for Write of Your Life listeners   Lifestory Toolkit: ZenWriter  (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features http://beenokle.com/ (ZenWriter), a text editor for Windows that cuts out all the distraction and lets you focus on letting your thoughts flow. It’s a full screen, zen-like program that offers few formatting options but a whole lot of tranquility. If you find yourself, skipping between tabs in your browser checking up on e-mail and Facebook when you’re meant to be writing, ZenWriter is the solution to your distracted mind. Trial and full version is available at http://beenokle.com/ (beenokle.com).   Free Download:   http://www.theactioncorps.com/pages/woyl/ (Kevin Bergen’s 7-DAY THERAPEUTIC WRITING CHALLENGE—SPECIAL WRITER’S EDITION)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/140322-0201-Edit-Edit.jpg ()About: Kevin Bergen When a friend and success coach introduced http://www.theactioncorps.com/ (Kevin Bergen) to a disciplined regimen he required of his coaching clients, he immediately saw the positive impact it could have. He began to apply the approach to his own life and quickly developed it into a full program for his family members, friends, and clients. The benefits were immediate. People who took the actions Kevin outlined in The Bergen Protocol found greater peace, satisfaction,...

“We keep going through the things that hurt us because we fail to let go of the old and make room for new things in our lives.” Michael Neeley, the author of The Art of Forgetting, emphasizes that some of the negative patterns in our lives are from actions that we take subconsciously, without much thought going into the process.   Let Go…or Be Dragged: Writing to Heal From Trauma From his pharmaceutical background, Michael Neeley came across the concept of a blind study and this helped him understand how a person’s beliefs and expectations can influence the actions of others. Constantly repeating a concept to yourself can make it your reality and it’s therefore important to let go of the wrong preconceptions thus giving yourself and others a chance to have a new start. We tend to create negative patterns in our lives because we wish to prove to ourselves that we were right and the outcome can be different. By accepting that we are the common denominator in our experiences, we are able to actively participate in changing the course of our lives. The suntan effect is seen in our lives when we get new information on how to improve our lives and for a few days or weeks it excites us but soon it no longer holds a significant meaning to us. Only by ensuring we let go of our past totally can we then be able to use the new information to help ourselves recover from the trauma in our lives. Let go of the preconceptions you have about others and about yourself so that you can get a new start. Disengage from operating on autopilot and take control of your life by paying attention to all the actions you take (mindfulness). By clearing out the old beliefs and influences in your life, you will make room for new and positive information that will help transform your life.   Lifestory Toolkit: http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ (Visual Thesaurus) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features the http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ (Visual Thesaurus). It is an interactive dictionary and thesaurus which creates word maps that blossom with meanings and branch to related words. Its innovative display encourages exploration and learning. You’ll understand language in a powerful new way. You can find and subscribe to it at  http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ (www.visualthesaurus.com).     Free Download: 21 Ways to Capture Family History https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1457aaa73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5750790484393984/ (Click Here for Free Download – 21 Ways to Capture Family History)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Michael-Neeley-Bio-Pic.jpg ()About: Michael Neeley Michael Neeley is a former professional actor and medieval knight turned writer, motivational speaker, personal development coach, and the creator of the transformational program http://www.michaelneeley.com/the-art-of-forgetting-2/ (The Art of Forgetting) as well as the podcast, http://www.michaelneeley.com/consciously-speaking/ (Consciously Speaking). He has appeared in feature films with Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner, worked on the stage with Andre Braugher and Kathleen Chalfant, and had recurring roles in several popular soap operas. His studies in character development took place both on and off camera, and ultimately fueled his desire to pursue personal development and consciousness training as a profession. His soon to be released book, http://www.michaelneeley.com/the-art-of-forgetting-2/ (The Art of Forgetting), is an essential element for anyone about to embark on, or already on a path of personal growth and discovery. It is a useable set of tools to help you uncover and unplug the underlying stories you’ve created that are now hindering your life’s journey. Not only is he a masterful storyteller, he is also a masterful story-eraser; helping you unwind your past

According to research, 4% of the population are sociopathic and she married into the club. In this powerful story, we discover that truth is often stranger than fiction. Stacy unwittingly fell in love and married a man who appeared to be loving, caring and all that she ever wanted. She was painfully wrong.    Discovering the Sociopath’s Wife Stacy discovered that her husband had been living a double life, seeking sexual activities with other men and women via Craigslist. Stacy knew her marriage was tough, things had been rough for ten years, but that instance proved that she needed to make changes to protect her daughters so they would not grow up in utter dysfunction and think that this was normal. She sought an attorney and thought that would be the beginning of healing. She was wrong… After hiring an attorney, her husband began displaying outrageous behaviors: He cleared out the home of personal belongings and memorabilia He became paranoid and targeted her for ruin He turned off the water source to the house to prevent the family from using it He filled all of the toilets with feces Cut the lights off the walls Cut the wires to the heating system Sent Child Protective Services to investigate her He caused her to lose her job He put spy gear in her car Stacy was the victim of a husband with a personality disorder and it is important to note that there was nothing she could have done to prevent the outrage and behaviors that he exhibited. What I loved about this interview is the raw truth Stacy shared. She wants other women to understand the signs so they can protect themselves and their children. She is wants you to be safe if you are living in the shadows of the control of a Sociopath. Things to look for: Little or no conscience Ability to walk away from any situation without remorse Cuts off relationships that do not serve a purpose Very judgemental Telling a convincing and woeful story Mimicking genuine emotions as a form of manipulation Stacy was able to disconnect from the madness and recreate a life that uses story and writing to break free from pain and begin again. You can find more about her programs at https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Life Story Telling). You can connect with Stacy on https://www.facebook.com/coolwrite?fref=ts (Facebook too. ) Stacy is brave and did what she needed to do and you can too. If you need to talk about an unsafe situation, https://talktofaydra.youcanbook.me/ (you can grab free time with me here) and we can discuss your unique situation. If you are loving the show (and by the iTunes reviews you are!) you can get the show delivered straight to your device every Monday and Wednesday. Simply click on the icon that your carrier uses.     Free Download: Click to Receive Resource https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/145d449f3f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5679974795182080/ (Can I Write About My Ex? And Other Burning Lifestory Questions)   About: Stacy Brookman Stacy Curtis wants to live in a world where everyone feels free to share their stories…and listeners gain wisdom from them. She knows that it feels much safer for someone to process words on paper than confront tough situations. Stacy interviews fascinating people on her podcast at WriteOfYourLife.com. Her latest project – LifeStoryTelling.com – is taking off. This life story and memoir writing course is the culmination of years working to understand the psychology and the art of lifestory writing, and making it easy for others to write their stories. It’s valuable to trace your trouble, transcribe your tale, and transform your life.     Links: Website:  https://www.stacybrookman.com/ (WriteOfYourLife.com) and https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ () Facebook Page:...

“It’s so hard for people who share children with narcissistic individuals because sadly, most people don’t understand what they need to do in a shared-custody situation”.  Kim Saeed, a No Contact Coach, shares her story of suffering and survival from emotional abuse at the hands of a narcissist husband.   Why is No Contact Important When You’re Involved With a Narcissist? https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Book-Cover-Kindle.jpg ()Kim Saeed is a No Contact Coach, an author, and an expert who has been helping survivors of narcissistic and emotional abuse. Her articles and blogs generally emphasize having no contact with the narcissist. From her personal life experience, Kim has been able to point out the reason why one should hit the red button if one’s partner is a narcissist. She lived with a narcissist for 8 years, and even had a son with him, but she couldn’t let go of her abuser easily because she was emotionally attached. Every rational human being feels they shouldn’t give up hope, but it is wiser to realize that it’s an illusion with these individuals. “It took me a lot of time to detach from my ex. I was just too emotional and that was how I broke down,” says Kim. Emotional trauma is a particularly insidious form of social abuse. It’s overwhelming to see that a lot of people don’t realize that emotional trauma is the vehicle for injury. It can shrink one’s hippocampus which is in charge of our short and long term memory. The hippocampus is involved in the formation of new memories and is also associated with learning and emotions. Narcissistic abuse is an insidious form of emotional abuse. This is where the no-contact rule applies. No contact is completely blocking a person out of your life. No contact helped Kim to recover from narcissistic abuse from her ex. Through writing about her own story, Kim inspired many folks who previously refused to speak out on these issues. Writing about it also birthed her phoenix process. As humans we tend to forget those traumatic experiences, so it’s important to write them down as they happen, this will help you to see clearly and you can look back and say yes this happened on that day. When she started blogging about her situation, she was motivated by online comments eventually making her feel there are other people who have similar or even more horrible experiences. When you start writing, don’t be surprised if it brings up some repressed memories and repressed emotions because these will help to work out the regrets of the past. Her recently published book – How To Do You No Contact Like A Boss! educates people about No Contact as well as Modified Contact for those who have children with their ex and who are on the verge of leaving. Sandra Brown who wrote Woman Who Love Psychopaths. She states that psychopathy is actually our number one health risk. It cost ten times more than depression does. Gas lighting is defined by things that the narcissist does and says to make you doubt your perception and lose faith in yourself and your ability to make intelligent choices and decisions.   How to Know You’re With a Narcissist Some of the most common symptoms that a person has when they are with a narcissistic person are: Isolation from friends and family, either because your partner wanted that or over time you just got so embarrassed about it, you wanted to hide the abuse. It’s not that you’re crazy but you feel that way from all the blaming and name calling and other narcissist projections. “They want us to believe that we are guilty of the same relationship crimes as they are.” You can diagnose yourself by asking, “Was I like this before I met this person?” You regularly forget the bad things that happen. The solution is to write down things down that happen to you. Many times you can’t talk to friends and family because they don’t understand. Writing helps...

Journaling about his everyday golf game turned into a book opportunity for former professional golfer Tom O’Stasik. Along the way, he discovered that writing helped him get through the emotional challenges of life and process his thoughts.   Golf Journal Turned Into Books https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Ostasik-3.jpg ()O’Stasik was a professional golfer for 6 years. He started writing in a journal at the age of 17, due to his love for golf. A coach recommended journaling as a way to help him figure out how to improve, how to have more self-awareness and how to process things both good and bad. He soon realized that his writing reflected his personal life, especially when he was going through emotional challenges in different relationships. He went on to write two books, the Putting Assassin and The Men’s Divorce Playbook and he’s in the process of writing two more. Journaling helped him cope through his struggles and ultimately he was able to find himself and become the person he is today. http://amzn.to/25LnXNp (The Men’s Divorce Playbook) is about helping men cope with divorce Tom helped many other men deal with divorce and relationships as they turned to him for advice. He then realized there was value in some of the things he was sharing with them. He was inspired to turn his journal into a book after reading a book about somebody who did the same. The only person who initially knew about his journal was dad, this was because of the unique relationship they had. He is now coaching students to journal their thoughts, which will help them to achieve their dreams. O’Stasik journaled through his divorce, knowing that he could get through it because he had been through worse situations and came through on the other side. He uses journaling as a way to quiet his mind, by writing down his thoughts on paper, which makes it easier for him to organize them and get clarity. Journaling has increased his self-awareness by helping him work through issues and figure things out. Part of what Tom wrote were his goals and dreams. He soon realized there was power in writing with your own hand writing.   Take Home Message When writing about your life, tell yourself no one is going to read this. I can write whatever I want and just get started writing. Commit to your writing for a certain amount of time. When starting don’t worry about grammar and spelling, all that matters is getting out these thoughts, these feelings, whatever it is you’re trying to express, without judgement and without critique. Don’t be critical of what you’re doing, just commit to it and commit to the time and just write.   Lifestory Toolkit: http://keepwriting.boxjar.com (Keep Writing) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a software tool called http://keepwriting.boxjar.com (Keep Writing). This software is at keepwriting.boxjar.com. It is a word processor that works like an old school typewriter: it doesn’t let you delete. If you really, really have to, you can type over mistakes just like with a real typewriter. The idea is that this will let you focus on productivity (instead of endless polishing) and on reaching your word count goals. It simply encourages you to Keep Writing!   Free Download: You Don’t Have to be a Writer to Write Your Stories! https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/143e42173f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5720605454237696/ (You Don’t Have to be a Writer to Write Your Stories!)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Ostasik-4.jpg ()About: Tom O’Stasik Tom O’Stasik, is a podcast host, a writer, and a former professional golfer. The author of two books, http://amzn.to/1RY776B (The Putting Assassin) and http://amzn.to/25LnXNp (The Men’s Divorce Playbook), Tom...

“For me the end goal is always to help people tell a story with their photos. I realized in the process of helping my clients do that, if they couldn’t find their photos and they didn’t know where they were, they couldn’t even get to that next step.”  Cathi Nelson founded The Association of Personal Photo Organizers which aims to help clients organize important family traditions and memories that are captured through pictures.   Cathi Nelson, Treasured Memories Through Photos A picture paints a thousand words, but a group of pictures tells stories of memories and traditions that are treasured in our minds. In the fast paced development of technology the number of pictures taken has more than doubled and more memories are being captured every minute of every day through our handheld devices. The storage of digital memories has become more complicated, especially with the advent of the cloud. Many memories are wasted because of unorganized pictures.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/appo.png ()Cathi Nelson has formed a group of professionals who specialize in photo organizing called the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO). Photo organizing, creates a story and helps relay the story with the digital or printed memories. Organizing pictures lets you see the life story behind the photos and help pass those memories and stories on to another person. According to Cathi, “We take photos chronologically, but we live thematically; in other words we live through our family stories and traditions a lot of times.”   One of Cathi’s favorite quotes is from Ursula Le Guin: “There have been great societies that did not use the wheel but there have been no societies that did not tell a story.” Says Cathi, “I believe the reasons we take photos is to tell the stories of our lives. Our photos connect us to the past, present and future. The problem is often folks are too overwhelmed with their photos, they don’t know where to begin and they feel overwhelmed by the organizational process. I created the ABC’S of photo organizing to help.” Cathi shares an easy way to sort through both electronic and physical pictures call the ABC method that anyone can do. She explains how to document your family stories: “It’s okay to create the story, to tell the story, to set it up; and then use photos as a prop to document your story.”   Take Home Message There are different methods of organizing photos which can enrich the memories and stories of family and friends. Cathi’s ABC method is in her free download: https://thephotoorganizers.leadpages.co/photo-organizers-guide/ (Ultimate Guide to Photo Organizing) If you’re interested in a career helping people tell stories with photos, Cathi has a free e-book which is available at http://www.appo.org/ (http://www.appo.org/) called “Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Photo Organizer.”     Free Download: Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc? https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/14709b273f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5641332169113600/ (Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc?)   About: Cathi Nelson Cathi Nelson founded the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) as an answer to the growing challenge of our digital age – an easy solution for organizing printed photos, digital photos, videos and everything in between. Some five million photos are taken every day and in a world where technology and camera shutters move too quickly for people to catch up, families and organizations find it increasingly difficult to sort through, organize and preserve precious memories. APPO provides a solution by connecting trained small business owners with clients who require photo organizing services. Today, APPO serves hundreds of members throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. As a pioneer of the growing photo-life management industry,

“If someone else can see themselves that much in my songs, then I kinda owe it to myself to share it; even if maybe just three other people get a little bit of healing from it.” Shellee Coley a mother and singer-songwriter, continuously influences future artists in creating and molding music as a reflection of life and experiences. She shares the impact of music on personal growth and harmony. https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Shellee-Album-Cover.jpg ( )Shellee Coley, A Music Of HealingHer love of music has been with Shellee from childhood. She wrote her first song at the age of 13, she now helps teen girls express their feelings through Circle Sessions. In creating music, she has become closer to her beliefs and is growing as person. Life definitely is an art; it is a never ending process of action and reaction. Every bit of experience and challenge that influence our life can reflect in the understanding of a larger story. A singer-songwriter, a teacher and a influencer, Shellee desires to help more girls in understanding the motivation and influence that the songwriting art has to offer.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/coleybeautyhere.jpg ()Take Home Message:It is the small chunk of our life story and evaluating each experience that will help you understand the bigger picture of life. Influencing the youth in developing their skills, for the continuous development of a culture of creating art and helping more people express their feelings through songwriting. Our talents are our way of sharing our experiences to other people. Our experiences may help other people ease their hardships and can be a factor of motivation. Shellee’s free download is http://www.shelleecoley.com/about/ (here) – don’t miss it!   Lifestory Toolkit: https://wordcounteronline.net/ (WordCounter)(Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a Word Counter. https://wordcounteronline.net/ (Wordcounteronline.net) is a word count and a character count tool. Simply place your cursor into the box and begin typing. Word counter will automatically count the number of words and characters as you type. You can also copy and paste a document you have already written into the word counter box and it will display the word count and character numbers for that piece of writing. Knowing the number of words or characters in a document can be important. For example, if the author is required to write a minimum or maximum amount of words for an article or paper, word counter can help them know if their article meets these requirements. You can find Word Counter at: wordcounteronline.net   Free Download: 5 Reasons to Get Kids Writing and One Sure Way for Them to Enjoy Ithttps://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1466eec73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5763263606292480/ (Free – 5 Reasons to Get Kids Writing and One Sure Way for Them to Enjoy It)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Shellee-Coley.jpg ()About: Shellee ColeyShellee’s love of music has been with her from her childhood and is continuing until now that she has become a mother. In 2009, she made multiple studio projects with Red Tree Studios. Became the top 12 finalist at the 2012 Songwriter’s serenade, and a Finalist in The Bugle Boy’s Showcase for Aspiring Artists. Since 2012, she works with young songwriters with Real Life Real Music, as well as her own company Circle Sessions. She became a featured supporting songwriter at the 2014 Dripping Springs Songwriter’s Festival. Right now Shelee is the Creative Director of Red Tree Recording Studio.   Links:Website: ShelleeColey.com https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ () Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/shelleecoleymusic/ (ShelleeColeyMusic) Twitter:...

“Stay yourself. I know that’s so cliché but it means something…be yourself, stay yourself. Look how you want to look, sing how you want to sing, write how you want to write and just make your music and follow your dreams. Because that’s why I’ve been doing and that what I’ll continue to do. And it has done a lot for me.” This is how 16-year old Mia Z is making her mark as a singer-songwriter in the midst of the image conscious mindset that is pervasive in the music industry these days.   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MiaLiveshowweb-e1454559199276.jpg ()Mia Z on Staying True to Yourself Having been born to a musically-gifted family, Mia has been singing and writing songs since she was a child. It also helped that she had the support and understanding of her mother who helped hone her musical talents. Eventually, she joined as a contestant on the show “The Voice” in Season 7 and made it quite far before being eliminated. Through this, Mia stayed true to herself as an artist. And staying true to herself has paved way for tremendous opportunities that have come her way since.   Take Home Message: Songwriting (or writing in general) is typically a solitary activity. But having a partner who can help flesh out the ideas you want to write about can help a lot. As parents, we should not push our children too hard but rather, allow and help them to be themselves and feel their way as to what they want be. We live our lives not knowing beforehand and eventually learning after. Just push through and live through whatever new experiences that come your way and get to learn and enjoy from them.   Lifestory Toolkit: http://ravensheadservices.com/ (Write It Now) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a software tool called http://ravensheadservices.com/ (Write It Now). This software is at http://ravensheadservices.com/ (Ravensheadservices.com) and it helps keep your writing organized. It coordinates your scenes as well as your thoughts and it helps with keeping your timeline straight for chronology and continuity. It helps you keep track of your characters, conflicts, storylines, chapters and keeps them accessible on a sidebar at all times. The software is priced around $60, but has a free demo version you can try to see if you like it.   Free Download: 21 Ways to Capture Family History https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1457aaa73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5750790484393984/ (Click Here for Free Download – 21 Ways to Capture Family History)     https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/10402959_1052740021445025_1480984455607868278_n.png ()About: Mia Zanotti Mia Zanotti grew up in a family that is into music. Her grandmother and grandfather were in a band together and her mom and uncle also performed in a band. Mia’s foray into music began when she was 8 years old, when her mom and uncle asked her to sing a blues song with them. She soon joined them in the band as the lead vocalist. In 2015, she would join as a contestant for the reality TV singing competition “The Voice”, making it as one of the artists under the team of Pharrell Williams. Though she did not make it to the Top 10 of the competition, Mia continues to thrive as a musician, having recorded a single composed by Pharrell Williams and some original material to show as well.   Links: Website:  http://miazmusic.com/ (MiaZMusic.com) https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ () Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/themiaz (The Mia Z) Twitter: https://twitter.com/miazanotti (MiaZanotti) iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mia-z/id539181269 (Mia-Z) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/miazmusic (MiaZMusic)

You have to get past your ego and find your shared experience with people. The things we’re most afraid to show people are the things we have most in common. Since I’ve come to understand that I’ve been able to write towards this common ground and connect myself with people and create an environment full of shared understanding.  And I really think that’s the power of music. The Songwriters Experience The biggest challenge of songwriting is to get over yourself and realize that the most beautiful thing about writing a song is that it can be shared. Growing up in the quiet little Texas town of Dublin seems a fateful beginning for a soul singer. The youngest of four children, an unlikely series of childhood ailments provided Luke with an early sense of perspective that many never find even as adults. A bout of spinal meningitis proved almost fatal, a paintball accident left him blind in one eye and some years later a severe heatstroke left him struggling to overcome temporary brain damage and amnesia. And though these experiences inevitably influence his music, it is not in the fatalistic way you might expect. While his songs may have that soulful ‘written on the porch because the house was too damned hot’ feel, the end result is a style that feels ever hopeful. Luke explains the moment he realized he was a singer/songwriter and he had realized his potential. Take Home Message: When you practice songwriting, it’s like someone asks you questions that you don’t know the answer to and you explore that and turning the answers into stories. Understand the value and the challenges of having a unique perspective. Everyone’s life is completely unique to them. Within that, you can find shared experiences to connect with other people   Lifestory Toolkit: America’s Footprints https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AmericasFootprints.jpg ()(Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a website called https://www.americasfootprints.com/ (America’s Footprints). This site gives you an easy way to privately tell your story in the form of a digital memoir. When you log on, you can create what they call a “footprint”. This “Footprint” is a unique profile, created on your own and in private, containing the poignant moments that make up your life story. You’re essentially building a digital profile that will forever store the memories and milestones in your lifetime…for the purposes of preserving your footprint in history. You can think of a Footprint like a memoir or autobiography, but on a much smaller scale. For example, as a member you can share stories of your childhood, and important lessons you have have learned along the way. You can talk about where you have been (schools, careers, etc.) and what dreams you wish to pursue in the future. You can add historic photos from your past that have meaning or significance in some way. And you can leave behind personal messages for your closest family, your friends, and even your future descendants. It’s at https://www.americasfootprints.com/ (americasfootprints.com)   Free Download: Click for Resource https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/145d449f3f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5679974795182080/ (Can I Write About My Ex? And Other Burning Lifestory Questions)   About: Luke Wade Fort Worth Texas Soul Singer Luke Wade ended up just shy of the Top 4 of NBC’s Emmy Award-winning musical-competition series “The Voice” Season 7.  Luke was featured on The Today Show, the Ellen Show, Entertainment Tonight, E!, and many other nationally syndicated programs throughout his journey on the show.  He is now on tour throughout the U.S. Check out his tour schedule here: http://www.bandsintown.com/LukeWade   Links: Website:  LukeWadeMusic.com...

“We have all of these weird urges or thoughts or ideas that don’t fit and you’re not allowed to say publicly. But if you can get that all out in not just a safe way, but a constructive way, you can use that to make something through stories,” says Author James Kennedy, creator of the 90 Second Newbery Award Film Festival. What’s a vomelette? You’ll have to listen to discover   90 Second Newbery Awards The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create weird movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. Every year, the best movies are shown at gala screenings all over the country—co-hosted by founder James Kennedy and other great children’s authors. The Film Festival is now entering its fifth year! James’ book The Order of Odd Fish includes a villain based on a real-life person – The Belgian Prankster. It has been given high praise, including receiving recognition as the 2014 Young Adult Library Association Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, the 2009 American Library Association nominee as Best Book for Young Adults, and is a 2008 Smithsonian Notable Book for Children. Listen as James shares his crazy imagination, why Harry Potter works for kids, writing as therapy and art, writing your story and being ruthless with your own creations. And of course, there’s the vomelette story….   Take Home Message: Kids sometimes write weird, horrible, or crazy stories to deal with the pressures of living. Don’t let those stories worry you. They are processing the world and making it safe for themselves. Make time every day to write   Lifestory Toolkit: http://cliche.theinfo.org/ (Cliche Finder) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a http://cliche.theinfo.org/ (Cliché Finder). As a good writer, you want to eliminate overused clichés from your story. It’s much different than a metaphor, which helps clarify a concept in a fresh way. Cliches are overused expressions. Ones that have lost their meaning over time and don’t provide the details needed for great writing. We need to eliminate them because we want to provide original and unique ways to share our stories. The http://cliche.theinfo.org/ (Cliché Finder) is an easy way to find the clichés in your writing. Just copy and paste your text on the website and the clichés are highlighted so you can eliminate them. Easy as that. You can find it at http://cliche.theinfo.org/ (cliche.theinfo.org).   Free Download: Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc? https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/14709b273f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5641332169113600/ (Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc?)     https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/james_kennedy_picture.jpg ()About: James Kennedy James Kennedy, author of http://amzn.to/1JDUzRk (The Order of Odd-Fish), has dreamed up quite a challenge for kids: Share the plot of your favorite Newbery-award winning book in a 90-second movie. The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create weird movies that tell the stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. Every year, the best movies are shown at gala screenings all over the country—co-hosted by founder James Kennedy and other great children’s authors. James believes that the ability to get distracted is an easily misunderstood talent and that irresponsibility might be a secret virtue.   Links: Website:  http://jameskennedy.com/ (James Kennedy) and http://www.90secondnewbery.com (90SecondNewbery) https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ () Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/The-90-Second-Newbery-Film-Festival-273691935986140/ (The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival) Twitter:...

On day one of self-employment, Nick Loper’s website went down and his vision of hammocks and four hour work weeks disappeared. Google shut down his account and he realized the importance of diversification. Since then, he’s written about his side hustle life, chronicling his experiments for the world to see. Lifestory Toolkit: Pro Writing Aid, Free Download: 5 Myths About Life Story Writing. Scripting the Side Hustle  Chief Side Hustler Nick Loper never imagined his first day of self-employment after quitting his corporate job would be a disaster. But he made lemons out of lemonade by trying out multiple side jobs and blogging about how well they worked for him. His life is an open experiment for others to see. Nick approaches most things in life as an experiment because it lessens the sting of failure and positions it as an opportunity for learning and growth rather than a life or death event. Nick has enjoyed writing since his grade school days and early in life started a blog to chronicle his life. “My Mom would say ‘Go play outside’, and I would say ‘No, I am just going to write a story’. It was like a weird thing to do, but you have that outlet even if nobody was reading it,” says Nick. http://amzn.to/1MZS9qR ()Ultimately, Nick niched his writing down to his side hustle explorations. One of the most addicting platforms he writes for is http://amzn.to/1MZS9qR (Amazon). He reaches many more people there than he can on his website. Listen in for Nick’s fascinating story! Take Home Message: Persistence in writing on a regular basis is a skill worth having. If you work at it, you’re going to improve it. Check out Nick’s website and podcast at: http://www.sidehustlenation.com/   Lifestory Toolkit: http://prowritingaid.com?afid=2359 (Pro Writing Aid) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a web app called http://prowritingaid.com?afid=2359 (Pro Writing Aid Editing Tool). This software has a basic package that’s free and helps improve your writing by finding overused words, clichés, repeated words or phrases, and also uncovers diction problems like vague language and redundancies. There’s even a plagiarism checker. You can use it with Microsoft Word or Google docs, and there’s a Chrome extension as well. The premium version is just $35 per year and really that’s the one you need. The software is at http://prowritingaid.com?afid=2359 (ProWritingAid.com).   Free Download: 5 Myths About Life Story Writing https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/146540873f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5659118702428160/ (5 Myths About Life Story Writing)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Nick-Loper-HS-cropped.jpg ()About: Nick Loper Nick Loper helps people earn money outside of their day job. He’s an author, online entrepreneur, and life-long student in the game of business. His latest role is as Chief Side Hustler at SideHustleNation.com, a growing community and resource for aspiring and part-time entrepreneurs.   Links: Website:  http://www.sidehustlenation.com/ (SideHustleNation.com) https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1417f0b73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5757715179634688/ () Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/SideHustleNation (SideHustleNation) Twitter: http://twitter.com/nloper (NLoper) Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sidehustle/ (SideHustle) Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NickLoper/ (Nick Loper) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickloper (Nick Loper)

“Women have to put their foot forward and say I’m entitled. If I’m doing an equal job, I should have equal pay. For all the young women now who have never had to deal with these problems…I walked the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for you.” When Norma Yaeger acquired her New York Stock Exchange license in 1962, she didn’t know of any other women in the industry. The Stock Exchange didn’t even allow women to step foot on its floor. But having just escaped poverty in NY’s Catskill Mountains, and determined to support her children, Norma wasn’t going to let the exclusionary traditions of the financial industry stop her from becoming a stockbroker.     https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/51fQMWzClIL._SX315_BO1204203200_-e1451479537943.jpg ()Equal Pay and Other Insights During the last century, Norma Yaeger broke down walls for today’s women. She earned a job in a male-dominated industry and demanded equal pay. She didn’t start her book http://amzn.to/1OQ9XX8 (Breaking Down the Walls) for her audience, but for her family. She wanted her children to know what she had been through. Everyone has a story to tell. Make notes along the way, whether you intend to write a book or not. Because you don’t know what you intend to do years from now. She admits to failures, but she learned from them.  Resilience comes from picking yourself back up and doing things differently the next time. Unless you know where we’ve come from, you have no idea what the future can hold for you. Many things will change during our lifetimes. Norma paved the way in many areas: If Norma didn’t find work, her family would have nothing In her day, women couldn’t hold a credit card She wrote “At that moment, I knew I am a woman who will punch through glass if I need to.” She had to get a loan to get new work clothes, and the banker said she had to get her husband’s approval. She refused, but got the loan anyway. When Norma got the job as a stock broker, her boss said there was one problem, “We don’t know what to pay a woman, we’ve never had one.” She got equal pay because she explained, “I have more expenses than the men….I have to hire a wife! Why shouldn’t I get equal pay?” Her book teaches women how to negotiate. Listen to the full episode as Norma tells her fascinating story. Take Home Message: The first five people to email stacy{at}stacybrookman.com with their mailing address will receive a copy of Norma’s books. Start writing notes about your life today. You never know when you will need those notes. Find obstacles and overcome them. Negotiate and step forward and say “I’m entitled.”   Lifestory Toolkit:  https://onestopforwriters.com/ (One Stop For Writers) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) https://onestopforwriters.com/ (One Stop For Writers)https://onestopforwriters.com/ () is a powerhouse online library like no other, filled with brainstorming tools and descriptive content to help writers elevate their storytelling. I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this resource. It’s one of those things where you think…Why didn’t I already know about this? One Stop’s signature thesaurus collection is amazing. Yes, I said thesaurus collection, go ahead and geek out on that. There are many unique thesauri, plus idea generators, flowcharts, downloads and tools. Extensively cross-referenced and intuitively searchable, writers spend less time researching and more time writing. One Stop For Writers is a synergy-driven collaboration between the creator of Scrivener for Windows, and the bestselling authors of The Emotion Thesaurus. So there you go. A match made in heaven. The website is https://onestopforwriters.com/ (OneStopForWriters.com) and...

Ann expects to die with an open notebook in her hand. In fact, her tombstone inscription is already prepared: Loved This World, Pen In Hand. This poet and has been writing since the fifth grade. She believes writers live life twice, and that’s her favorite quote from Anais Nin. Listen as Ann shares how writing spurred her curiosity in life, and helped her get through depression. Lifestory Toolkit: Noticing The Details,  Free Download: 5 Ways to Get Kids Writing and 1 Sure Way For Them To Enjoy It   Curiosity for Life At 25 (in 1971), Ann drove cross country on her own to visit everyone in her address book, and picked up hitchhikers along the way She hitchhiked on her own through the US and Europe She loves to meet new people, and once introduced the US Ambassador to Scotland and a CIA agent on a plane. She is now invited to teach in Scotland whenever she travels there.   Writing Habits Ann writes every day, but not at a set time She handwrites (prints) because it is slow and it is about the period of a breath In her classes, she asks people to handwrite because of the pace and physicality of it Although you don’t get every idea, your ideas will come out at some point – perhaps connected to something else Ann collects her favorite quotes and writes them in a journal along with the name of the author, these serve as inspiration for her writing   Writers Live Life Twice The first time, you live your life The second time, you re-live it and re-experience it through writing about it There’s so much around to help you remember Ann’s depression took hold of her for a year. To keep her spirits strong, before she went to sleep, she wrote one thing of beauty that she’d seen that day. That helped her get through that year. At one point, her therapist asked if she was suicidal. Ann said, “I’m not suicidal, but I know why people commit suicide.” Writing (and a good prescription) helped keep the spark alive.   Lifestory Toolkit: Noticing the Details (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features an activity I call: Noticing the Details. Writing that draws a reader in is composed of details that most people don’t think about until you’re conscious about it. This week, go take a walk through your neighborhood. What do you see? Notice the architectural details of the houses. What kind of plants are in the yards? What brand of cars are in the driveways? What do you hear? Birds? Kids playing? Cars on nearby roads? What smells do you smell? Flowers? Cooking? Car exhaust? Record these on your smart phone as you go along. Then, when you return from your walk, see just how many of those details you remember. Be a bit of a Sherlock Holmes and notice the details. Those are your little bits of information to include in your writing that will make it come alive. You’ll bring your reader on the walk with you, which draws them into your story. Try it once a week and see how much more you’ll notice about the world.   Free Download: 5 Reasons to Get Kids Writing and One Sure Way for Them to Enjoy It https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1466eec73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5763263606292480/ (Free – 5 Reasons to Get Kids Writing and One Sure Way for Them to Enjoy It)   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/1-Ann.jpeg ()About: Ann Staley Ann has been writing since the 5th grade when her mother gave her stationary with her name printed across the top in red. She began as a correspondent, then became a Literature and Writing teacher, and continues both, teaching a poetry class at Benton Center, and participating in five writing groups. She expects to die with an open notebook in her hand. A retired teacher with four decades of experience — the normal kinds, junior and

Writer Kristi Willis started using Evernote by clipping and organizing her vast collection of recipes while watching football games. She shares some unique ways you can use Evernote (a virtual productivity tool) for all stages of writing, from sketching an outline of your idea, capturing audio notes and interviews, collecting research found on the internet, to putting it all together. Lifestory Toolkit: Headspace App. Free Download:  21 Ways to Capture Family History   https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/411p-pbXy5L._SX352_BO1204203200_-e1450790286843.jpg ()Untethered And Productive Kristi co-authored a book entitled http://amzn.to/1S7RB9s (Untethered With Evernote: Tips and Workflows for Independent Entrepreneurs). Evernote is a key tool for writers. The book is for people who work in messy places on-the-go such as airports, client offices, and coffee shops.   Evernote Productivity for Writers  We’re just scratching the surface of how to use Evernote in this interview. If you want to write your family stories, Evernote can help keep you organized. Ideas that Kristi shares: Collecting research and keeping it organized Tagging/labeling the individual pieces of different projects Record interviews with people (hint: family members) and share them Collect and preserve pictures – scan or upload Write names/dates/details right on the digital picture Share these virtual notebooks with others in the family Organize chapters of your book along with the research associated with each one Upload and attach documents to specific notebooks The search inside Evernote is powerful…even if you’ve taken a photo of a word it will show up in a search Pictures, audio files, text, Word documents, PDFs and other formats can all exist in one note. Evernote syncs between all devices that you have (desktop, web, phone, tablet) Two or more people can edit a document at once, Evernote shows you the other person is there The best way to discover how this tool can help you, think about a problem that you have first. Then brainstorm ways that Evernote can help you solve that problem. Listen to the podcast to discover Kristi’s two favorite tools within Evernote – Skitch and Scannable. https://blog.evernote.com/ (Evernote Blog) has different ideas on how you can use this tool to help organize your life. The basic sign-up is completely free, plus version is $24.99 per year, and the premium version is $49.99 per year (which includes unlimited storage). https://www.evernote.com/referral/Registration.action?uid=10828127&sig=1b4dbe4ad4bae6b3003deefa1e305b5e (Here’s the link to sign up.)   Lifestory Toolkit: https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app (Headspace App) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) I’m a big fan of the https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app (Headspace App). I’ve heard many times that meditating or mindfulness is helpful for your focus, relaxation, and getting more things done. But I was never able to do it. This app is fabulous because it actually talks you through it every time you use it. So it’s a guided meditation and helps you make it very useful. There are various goals you can tell it to help you focus on health, performance, change, appreciation, creativity, happiness, focusing itself, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and many more. A 10-session foundation course is free, so check it out. To unlock the full headspace journey and choose what you want to focus on you can get a monthly or annual subscription for as low as $7.99 per month. I encourage you to take 10 minutes each day to help you balance and focus your brain.   Free Download: 21 Ways to Capture Family History https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/1457aaa73f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5750790484393984/ (Click Here for Free Download – 21...

“I believe everyone has a story and that storytelling has the possibility of changing the world. It’s a high concept, I know. This doesn’t mean everyone will write a memoir or a piece of fiction. But, if we know how to read our stories we’re so much better off in articulating our purpose and knowing next steps. Sometimes, that purpose includes writing. Other times, it’s just decisions that leave us stumped. We can’t know our story unless we’ve allowed it room to breathe,” Elora Nicole, author and coach. Storytelling is an Excavation You can’t bite everything off at once and expect to be the same person afterward It’s like a chunk of ice, you have to take an ice pick to it and work around the edges The more you write and focus on the peripheral of your story, the more some of the core pieces will surface   Storytelling is Currency for Human Connection Tell me a story, the why behind the why, I’m more likely to connect with you and understand on a deeper level. When faced with a conflict, it’s natural to reach for a story That’s why storytelling changes the world When you have a connection with someone, it’s harder to ostracize them and use them as a stereotype   Take Home Message: Get a HUGE discount for Elora’s Coterie premiere writing membership site for a https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K7GYQ7PTQYB2E (monthly membership of 17 dollars) Start excavating YOUR story by working around the edges   Lifestory Toolkit: http://pomodorotechnique.com/ (Pomodoro Technique) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features the http://pomodorotechnique.com/ (Pomodoro Technique). It’s a way of getting any work done, whether you’re writing, working on the job, or just need to make progress on any project. For many people, time is an enemy. We race against the clock to finish assignments and meet deadlines. The Pomodoro Technique teaches you to work with time, instead of struggling against it. A revolutionary time management system and the fundamentals of the Pomodoro Technique are simple yet incredibly effective. Here’s how it works: First, choose a task you’d like to get done…big or small. Second, set a timer for 25 minutes and make an oath to yourself that you will work exclusively on that task and not interrupt yourself. If you think of something else you need to do, quickly jot it down on a piece of paper and go back to working on your task. Third, when the timer rings, stop what you’re doing and put a checkmark of success down on a piece of paper to track. Take a short break, get a cup of coffee, breathe, take a short walk or do something relaxing. When the break is done, set the timer for another 25 minutes. Every four Pomodoros, you’ll want to take a longer break of 20 or 30 minutes. Give the Pomodoro technique a try and you’ll be surprised just how much progress you’ll make. You can find more information at http://pomodorotechnique.com/ (pomodorotechnique.com.)   Free Download: https://lifestory.leadpages.co/leadbox/145d449f3f72a2%3A14b4a7bd3b46dc/5679974795182080/ (Can I Write About My Ex? And Other Burning Lifestory Questions)   About: Elora Nicole Elora has been telling stories her whole life. It started with Dr. Seuss, writing in the margins of her books ways in which she felt the story could improve. As she’s gotten older, her love of storytelling morphed into teaching high school English for ten years, graduating with an M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction, and writing three novels. We can get caught on the term story. It’s kitschy. It’s popular. It’s overused. But she believes in its purest form, storytelling is one of the best currencies we have for human connection.   Links: Website:  Ehttp://www.eloranicole.com...

Most people are trained to hold their own story at arm’s length. The goal of academic writing is to separate your own experience from what is objectively true. That lifelong training can make it very hard for people to write from their own heart and soul. The interesting thing is that when you get in the middle of a writing project, those lines start to blur. When you go on a writing journey, you discover a lot about who you are. That’s when it gets really interesting. When you reveal yourself, become vulnerable and show your passions, that’s what makes it exciting for the reader and that’s where the magic happens. Lifestory Toolkit: The Emotion Thesaurus. Free Download: Does Your Scrapbook Have a Story Arc? and Behind the Scenes of Writing a Book. Struggling with Procrastination First of all, don’t beat yourself up. Everyone struggles with procrastination at some point in their lives-it’s part of the human condition. Those moments when we procrastinate tend to indicate that we are approaching something that is important-the more you procrastinate, the more important that project may be for your life. Ask yourself out loud or in writing: Why is this project important to me? Tip: Morgan has her author clients write out 1 to 3 sentences on a Post-It note and put it above their computers. Seeing that intentional, visual goal everyday helps tremendously with motivation. Personal Example: “I’m writing this book to inspire and encourage writers to stop procrastinating and to give them the tools to write their book. This book will change some writer’s life. She will write the book she always wanted and that book just might change the world. This book will help me connect with authors and grow my business so that I can support my family and work from anywhere in the world.” Free Writing-The First Step ‘Free Writing’ is Morgan’s favorite exercise for beginning a book It’s a necessary step, because when you approach writing as “I’m going to sit down and write my book right now”, your internal editor turns itself on and starts judging before you even put any words down You need to push past that and write so fast that your internal editor doesn’t have time to judge! Tip: sit down with a timer, hands on the keyboard (or pen on paper), and just bring to mind what you want to write about. Start typing or writing as fast as you can-no rereading, backspacing, etc. There will be an almost direction connection between what your hands are writing and what’s sitting in the back of your mind. When you push yourself to go that fast, you will find that you are pushing past the predictable words and that the unpredictable is starting to tumble out. A few of these free writing sessions will open the floodgates and provide clarity and motivation. Note: You don’t need to use the free writing in your book. It’s just a tool for getting practice, ideas and direction. Not Just the Facts, Ma’am Most people are trained to hold their own story at arm’s length. Schools, in particularly college, really train people to be objective and not rely on their own opinion, but to just ‘state the facts’. The goal of academic writing is to separate your own experience from what is objectively true and that lifelong training can make it very hard for people to write from their own heart and soul. Entrepreneurs and business people tend to do the same thing because they have been trained to present a self that is objective and professional. But, the interesting thing is that when you get in the middle of a writing project, those lines start to blur and it’s hard to say “this is an objective statement and it’s separate from who I am”. The writer can’t be separate from the words, so when you go on a writing journey, you discover a lot about who you are. That’s when it gets really interesting. When you reveal yourself, become vulnerable and show your passions, that’s what makes it exciting for the reader and that’s...

“Like many people, I’ve had a difficult childhood,” says Author Mary DeMuth. “One of the things I struggled with in telling my story openly was that I didn’t know if I was through it yet and in a way, I don’t feel like I’m 100% completely healed of that story. I also worried about what other people would think, particularly family members who are still alive. And that was something I had to come to terms with. I realized that if everybody had that fear, and if everybody waited for all the people to die before they could write their memoir, then there would never be any encouragement for those who are walking through the muck of healing from their past.” Lifestory Toolkit: Trello Free Download: I Should Have Raised My Hand Pain and a Broken Childhood Mary DeMuth, author, speaker, and founder of Re-Story Me, had a very difficult childhood, including having been the child of 3 divorces and a victim of sexual assault.  Those issues can’t but help come out in writing because so much of what makes up our lives is formed in the first few years.  Pieces of Mary’s story are told in her book “Building the Christian Family You Never Had” which was followed up with her full memoir, “Thin Places”.  She has gone on to write much more and today, she’s also an international speaker, working with Compassion International at college campuses, and she is a guest at writer’s conferences. Journaling to Achieve Healing-the First Steps Mary has always been a journal writer, so that much of her story was already in words but it was still ‘bottled up’ inside. When she first became a Christian, she started telling everyone her story, the ‘awkward oversharer at the party’, because she was desperate for people to hear her and to heal; she just didn’t know how to do it. She learned that was not always wise and it wasn’t until college, when she found a trusted group of friends that would pray for her, that the real healing started to happen. Her advice: If you haven’t already gotten your story out, journaling is an excellent first step, and then sharing it with a very trusted friend who won’t diminish or dismiss its importance.   Healing and the Creative Process God has used every book Mary’s ever written to heal her, so every time she’s inspired she wonders what He has to say and show her. God uses the creative process within our own lives for our benefit. You don’t have to write for public consumption. You may just have to do it for your own eyes, but God is going to do amazing things through your words by you simply writing them.   Letting Go of Fear One of things Mary struggled with when telling her story very openly was not knowing if she was ‘through it’ yet She didn’t feel 100% completely healed and how that might affect her writing She also had a fear of what others might think, especially relatives who were still living. She realized it was just something she would have to handle because if we all wait for everyone to die, there would never be any encouragement for others who are dealing with the muck from their past. Although you never truly get rid of that fear, Mary knew she had to overcome it because God had put her in place to write these books. It was a very scary and tenuous place to be, but after publication she never gave it another worry; she knew that her words would set people free . That joy trumped the fear.   ‘Mind if I Pray for You?”- Mary’s Website and Newsletter She knows that many people receiving her newsletter have deep struggles and may be in a dark place, so she when she first started it, that piece of praying for her readers evolved and “Mind if I pray for you?” became a good habit Mary believes that people’s lives are changed for the better when they are prayed for; and It also allowed her readers to get to know her better The goal for her readers is to be a community, a group for those that she...

“The interesting thing that always strikes me when I write about emotional moments like this is just realizing that I’m very much writing about the experience as I experienced it, not necessarily as it was,” says Brett Gajda, host of Where There’s Smoke podcast. “What actually happened in the past is blended with our experience and our emotions. What happens over time is our emotions change, so perhaps our truth changes with time and distance from the event.” Lifestory Toolkit: StoryCorps App. Free Download: 5 Myths About Lifestory Writing     Bringing Your Truth Into the Story https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/WTS_FullRes_Icon-300x300.png ()When we’re looking to connect with people and make a point, we often tell a story. Through his podcast, Where There’s Smoke, host Brett Gajda brings poignant concepts to consider and tells stories to encourage deeper thinking. Telling his own stories on the podcast helps connect him with listeners and also helps him reflect on his own life truth. Brett shares this wisdom: A real writer shows up even without the muse. The muse that inspires you is fickle. You, the writer, have to show up every day. Self-awareness is the foundation of self-development A huge part of showing up in the world the way you want to show up is our ability to constantly be practicing being present and self-aware Writing is being able to step back a foot from who we are and what we’re experiencing or even to look back on something and slightly remove ourselves from it and then say “Okay, what happened there? What do I observe?” And that’s both connecting with our own feelings but it’s also separating ourselves from our own feelings just enough to try to keep some sort of unbiased perspective about it.   On Writing Well Borrow things from fiction writing that make an interesting scene to bring to life a lifestory. Use morning pages to get your thoughts out…and you don’t even have to read it. Sometimes writing is just about getting rid of the noise. To begin writing, ask yourself what is the purpose of writing for you. There are infinite reasons to write. Judgment for your own writing doesn’t belong here. Judgment from yourself should never be part of the equation. Recommendation: Go online and look up The Gap with Ira Glass. He talks about the concept called The Gap. At it’s core, any artist when they start doing something is the gap between what they know is good, and what they are currently doing. Whatever your “there” is, you’ll get there eventually.   Take Home Message: https://vimeo.com/85040589 (Watch The Gap with Ira Glass). Then bookmark it, believe this truth, and watch it whenever you doubt yourself. For the first 5 listeners who email Brett, commenting about this show, he will give a shoutout to you (and whatever you’re creating) on his show.   Lifestory Toolkit: https://storycorps.me/ (StoryCorps App) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) Thehttps://storycorps.me/ ( StoryCorps app) and https://storycorps.me/ (StoryCorps.me) were created as a global platform for listening, connecting, and sharing stories of the human experience. You might know them from the StoryCorps stories on National Public Radio. The StoryCorps app—a free mobile application—brings that experience to ALL of us! It seamlessly walks users through an interview by providing all the necessary tools for a wonderful experience. You receive help preparing questions, finding the right environment for your conversation, recording a high-quality interview on your mobile device, sharing the finished product with friends and family, and uploading your conversation to the https://storycorps.me/ (StoryCorps.me) website. In addition, all interviews uploaded to the platform during the first...

Meg Worden spent 2 years in prison for conspiracy to sell the drug ecstasy. Problem was, she had already cleaned up her life and had a 2 month old baby when Federal agents knocked at her door with the indictment. Being able to tell her story is what liberated her from having to deal with the stigma of her situation. She wanted her son to live a life without shame. Listen as she discusses her search for value and what she’s done with her life now. Free Download: How to Tell When it’s Time to Leave Your Man and Meg’s Free Your Mind. Lifestory Toolkit: Morning Pages. A High Price to Pay https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MegWorden-blog-banner-213x319.png ()“Why can’t we hang out with people that go to the Guggenheim?” Meg asked her boyfriend/drug runner. It’s a high price to pay when you are dealing drugs. You hang out with uncultured drug dealers…and her boyfriend was involved in an organized crime ring. Drugs gave Meg a sense of power and value. People came to her for something that they wanted. It was a feeling that she could take up space in the world and she had something of value. Ultimately, she realized the boyfriend and the drugs weren’t doing her any good. She started practicing yoga, cleaned up her life and had a baby. However, Federal agents had secretly been carrying on an investigation involving her past. Although her life was cleaned up, her past arrived in full force when she was indicted and sent to prison. Writing to Heal from Shame There is a microcosm of real-life inside prison. It gave Meg time to think about definitions of things. For instance, people say they’ve been “given time” for prison, but they were given time as a punishment instead of a gift. People on the outside world long for “more time”. That started her on a journey of re-editing herself through creating and redefining life. When Meg returned to the outside world, she started writing. She invested emotionally into what story she was going to tell to the world about what happened. She also needed to separate her story from her son’s story, because she didn’t want him stigmatized. Listen to this episode as Meg share her story about writing to heal from trauma and shame. Meg has a free mini-course called Free Your Mind….the basic foundation for creating a physical foundation for your success. You can find that here: http://megworden.com/free-your-mind (http://megworden.com/free-your-mind) Take Home Message: Writing your stories can help you release the shame and fear that you have…so get started! The experience of telling your story is transformative. Start thinking about how you define things in your life. Naming those definitions can help bring clarity. Take Meg’s free mini-course http://megworden.com/free-your-mind (Free Your Mind)   Lifestory Toolkit: Morning Pages (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) If you’ve looked at writing blogs or books you may have come across the concept of Morning Pages. Here’s the deal: Basically, everything you write initially is crap. Yes, I said crap. It’s, like, rip it to shreds, flush it down the toilet, “I can’t believe I even thought about being a writer” crap. However, the strange and ugly secret of all writers is this: you can’t get to the really great and inspiring words that will change the world…unless you write a bunch of crap first! There’s no getting around it. Young and old, experienced or not, you have to slog through the mire first. So the practice of morning pages, is designed to get that crap out of the way so you can write the good stuff. You can do this at any time, but traditionally Morning Pages are three handwritten pages (one side only) done when you wake up in the morning. There you can put your worries for the day, your vision,...

“I was the only 8 year old who was using her allowance to buy death certificates,” says Lisa Louise Cooke, author of http://amzn.to/1S3cGPZ (The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox). She’s discovered that Google is ‘cousin bait’ because our family history is in each others’ attics and Google is the portal. Listen as Lisa also describes how to take the intensity out of your core family relationships by picking your own values from your ancestors instead of your immediate family. Free download: 5 Fabulous Google Strategies for the Family Historian. Lifestory Toolkit: Scrivener Demystifying the Genealogy “Why” https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/GenealogyGems1400.jpg ()Lisa Louise Cooke feels that everyone should invest in learning about their family history. “If you don’t know where you’re coming from, it’s hard to know where you’re going,” she says. Learning about your rich family heritage…including the good, the bad, and the ugly…demystifies the “why”. She has found it has almost eliminated animosity completely around some dysfunctional family situations. You regain a sense of control when you pick the values that work for you and put them into action. You don’t have to be in victim mode. The first step is just to DO. She encourages us to start with baby steps. One hundred percent perfect but not done doesn’t help anybody. Eighty percent perfect but done will help somebody. Cultivating the Storytelling Muscle Lisa says that we should all tell our stories. Cultivating the storytelling muscle is a key way to ensure your family history research will last and benefit future generations. Lisa has a stand-alone podcast for beginners called http://lisalouisecooke.com/family-history-podcast/ (Family History: Genealogy Made Easy).   Take Home Message: Start a free blog and talk about your family history stories…Google may just pick up on keywords and introduce you to a distant cousin You can look into your ancestors to pick from family values to adopt as your own. You aren’t limited to your immediate family. If you don’t know where you’re coming from, it’s hard to know where you’re going.   Lifestory Toolkit: http://www.literatureandlatte.com/index.php (Scrivener) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/11106057-homepage-sliced_04.jpg ()Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents. While it gives you complete control of the formatting, its focus is on helping you get to the end of that awkward first draft. Writing a memoir, research paper, script or any long-form text involves more than hammering away at the keys until you’re done. You might have to collect research, order fragmented ideas, or shuffle index cards in search of that elusive structure—most writing software is fired up only after much of the hard work is over. Scrivener is different. It’s a word processor and project management tool that stays with you from that first, unformed idea all the way through to the final draft. Outline and structure your ideas, take notes, view research alongside your writing and compose the constituent pieces of your text in isolation or in context. Scrivener won’t tell you how to write—it just makes all the tools you have scattered around your desk available in one application. They have versions for Mac and Windows and it’s a one-time fee of $35 to $45 depending on the type of license. I love that it’s not an ongoing cost.   Free Download: http://lisalouisecooke.com/ (5 Fabulous Google Strategies for the Family Historian) Lisa Louise Cooke’s free 20-page e-book...

Happiness researcher Gretchen Rubin is interested in all facets of human nature. She shares her insights into the 8 Splendid Truths of Happiness, including “feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right in an atmosphere of growth.” Sometimes happiness doesn’t always make you feel happy, and sometimes we do things for our happiness that don’t actually make us feel good. Find out why in this episode. Happiness Challenged by Habits After conducting research and interviewing multitudes of people, Gretchen found that the subject of habits came up often as a common cause of frustration. She discovered that our habits and productivity challenges greatly contribute to our happiness or unhappiness. One of the solutions is to figure out when you were consistently productive and what was different then from now. People expect to be motivated by their desire to do something. For many people, accountability is really the key aspect. Sometimes we develop a habit of hiding our own story from ourselves, and we start to become unhappy. We need to pay attention to those things we want to hide. Part of the key to happiness is discovering what you are hiding from yourself. What are you not contemplating or reflecting on?   Challenging Yourself to Happiness We feel happier when we’re growing. When we’re learning something new, challenging ourselves, helping other people, somehow acting in a positive way in the world. Learning something new for ourselves is an important engine for happiness. When everything in your life is feeling very bad, if you can seek out an area where you have an atmosphere of growth, it gives you a surge in energy.   The Four Tendencies Gretchen has created a framework for dividing humanity into four categories called the four tendencies. To discover which category you fit into, go to http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself/ (GretchenRubin.com), or you can visit https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1950137/Four-Tendencies-January-2015 (Happiercast.com/quiz) for the free quiz and report. We have to understand how we are different from each other, to relate to one another. “We all have to figure out what is right for us“, says Gretchen. “You can succeed if it’s set up in a way that is right for you.” If we have habits that work for us, we are more likely to be successful and productive. She has developed 21 habits strategies, because she believes when we change our habits, we change our lives.   Take Home Message: Take the http://gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself/ (Four Tendencies Quiz here). Think about how you can “feel good, feel bad, and feel right, in an atmosphere of growth.”   Lifestory Toolkit: http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com/ (Six Word Memoirs) (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) SMITH magazine celebrates the joy of storytelling, with a focus on personal narrative, through Six Word Memoirs. They believe everyone has a story – just like we do! Writing in six words is a simple, creative way to get to the essence of anything—from the breaking news of the day to your own life and the way you live it. Try it out, just for fun! Can you boil your life down to just six words? The great thing about Smith Magazine and Six Word Memoirs, is that it’s for anybody. It’s a storytelling community: a place to read, write, and share stories. They’ve published four books of Six-Word Memoirs, including the NYT bestseller, “Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure.” SMITHTeens.com, is their younger cousin, and is is a beautiful world of self-expression, in six words, by teens across the world. I encourage everyone listening to...

“There’s been much research about the healing effects of writing. What writing does is connect these two parts of the brain that normally don’t talk to each other. Every time someone says, ‘Oh, this is gonna sound crazy’ I know they’re about to say something profound and true,” says writing instructor Anais Salibian. Many studies have shown that it’s emotionally healing for survivors to write about traumatic events that took place. Research done by Dr. James Pennebaker shows that there are actual health benefits from writing about unresolved experiences. Listen to the show to learn more. How Writing Helps You Heal From Tough Life Situations Trauma memories are encoded in our bodies, and they are different from regular memories. The part of the brain that registers your bodily experience is a different part than the part of the brain that is conscious of what you think about yourself. Writing helps to connect these two parts of the brain. When trauma is happening to you, the speech part of your brain shuts down. So when you write about a traumatic event or other life difficulties, it’s a sort of communication between the body and the mind and you’re establishing a broken connection, one that is meant to be there. What is trauma? Trauma is anything that happens that causes you to become so overloaded that you can’t process it at the moment. It causes your body to go into a fight or flight or a freeze response. Trauma can be caused by anything from a hurricane, to a war, to a teacher yelling at you. One of the symptoms of trauma is feeling utterly alone and isolated. It is not the event itself that causes the trauma to happen. It is how people respond to you after the event. We need another human being to be there and help us process the feelings that come up. Secondary trauma can be caused by witnessing someone else, or hearing stories of others being traumatized. It often occurs in EMT’s and other medical personnel.   One Little Spark Can Change a Life “Healing is an ambient effect of good writing, and vice versa. Simply focusing on what makes for good writing, writing teachers are encouraging their students on the path to self discovery.” From http://amzn.to/20FeSDm (The Mind’s Eye: Image and Memory in Writing about Trauma) by Marian MacCurdy. Writing a story, having a story arc (a beginning, a middle, and an end) is important to the healing. To overcome trauma, you’ve got to write about the actual event plus what you felt about it. Both of those together are critical in the recovery.   Get Started Writing About Your Life “Write as if you have a body,” says Anais. Whatever you put down, it should be through the five senses and what you’ve experienced. You can get bored if you just write down your thoughts or feelings. But if you write down what happened and use all five senses that’s important (i.e., what does the light look like, what is the texture of what you’re wearing). Writing about a memory changes where and how it’s stored in the brain.  If you’re writing about a traumatic memory and you’re able to construct a story out of it, it stops being something that people have flashbacks about and makes it like a normal memory. It stops defining you and ruling your life.   Take Home Message: Articulating out loud what your experience is immediately de-stresses the body and allows for healing. When you are able to craft a story of something that has happened to you, it gives you authority over that thing that has overwhelmed you in the past. You gain power over it.   Lifestory Toolkit: http://amzn.to/20Fepkm (The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal) https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/61ibgXm27dL.jpg ()(Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life...

According to Steve Forbes, “Jim Stovall is one of the most remarkable and inspiring individuals of this age – or any age. His example of doing good and great things in the face of what others would consider to be debilitating challenges is uplifting and inspiring.”  Despite losing his sight in his twenties, Jim Stovall has shown the world that you don’t have to be blind to see. Find out how he became a renowned author of over 30 books and how he writes without seeing. No Blind Guys in the NFL Jim admits that his highest goal in life as a young man was to be an all-American football player, and playing for the NFL Dallas Cowboys. Assured by scouts, coaches and trainers that he would be heading to the NFL, a routine physical one year before eligibility, discovered a condition which would eliminate his sight. “Talk about all your plans going into reverse,” he states, “I did not know what I was going to do. I instantly realized that there was no blind guys in the NFL.” He jokes that there may be a few referees some are concerned about, but he soon realized he would have to do something else. Serving Needs of the Visually Impaired After college, Stovall helped invent a technique to help blinded and visually impaired persons access movies and TV. “We serve the 13-million Americans, and many more around the world through our Narrative Television Network,” he states. From that success, he was asked to make speeches and then to write books. Writing was the farthest from his mind when he was first diagnosed. Since that time, he’s written more than thirty books, with as many as five movie options, has ten million books in print and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Telling The Story Describing his philosophy of writing, Stovall explains, “It’s all  story. To me, writing is like you and me talking now. I like books, but I can’t read, and I like movies, but I can’t see. So, the genre of the media doesn’t matter so much to me… I never was a reader.” Stovall credits digital books from the National Library for the Blind, and high speed audio players for helping him read a book every day. “There has not been a day in the last 22 years that I haven’t read a whole book from cover to cover,” usually before he’s picked up to go to work. Jim Stovall has never typed or written longhand any of his books. “I have dictated all thirty of my books. I write a weekly syndicated column… my screenplays for my movies — I dictate everything to Dorothy.” So, quite literally, Stovall does, indeed, tell every story he’s ever published.   Take Home Message: Download a free sample chapter of the book “One season of Hope ” print or audio at http://www.jimstovallbooks.com (jimstovallbooks.com) Any time you think your problem is overwhelming, you can contact Jim@jimstovall.com or call him Great writers develop their craft, write through the junk until you get to the golden nuggets.   Lifestory Toolkit: Scriggler.com (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features a neat community called https://scriggler.com/ (Scriggler.com). Their tagline is “a new type of writing, blogging, and debating platform”. You can find it at Scriggler.com. Scriggler is first and foremost a very supportive community. It’s not just for writers – it is for anyone who feels the need to express themselves in long form. It can be stories, poetry, opinions, essays, news commentaries, research – there are no limits. Contributors range from absolute novices making their first steps in fiction or poetry writing to established authors with multiple published books under their belt. You can also think of Scriggler as a blogging platform with a strong social networking aspect. This is what sets them apart from everyone else. They’ve created the whole range of tools and algorithms to make sure readers are able to find material...

This ain’t your Momma’s scrapbooking! Anna Broome, National Sales Director for Forever.com, has a passion for helping people preserve their memories.  She shares her unique idea for Love Letters to your kids on this episode. Every year in January she selects one photo that she took the past year for each of her children. She then writes a heart-felt letter to that child mentioning events from the previous year, challenges they had, what she’s most proud of, anything she wants them to remember (and herself to remember). Discover what she tears up about and the most amazing way you can preserve your family history. Anna gives a special discount at Forever.com to Write of Your Life listeners. Preserve Your Family History Forever.com was started to make sure that everyone has a place for their stories to be preserved. It is a place for families to collect, curate, and celebrate their memories. They can preserve their memories for generations – it’s permanent and private. You can provide different people access to different albums within your account, and it’s all mobile.   Other ways that people use Forever.com include digitization. Memorabilia can be preserved, such as children’s artwork, ceramics, clothing, flags, anything that’s important can be digitized and stored in your account. You can even send in old photo albums to be digitized and then shared with other family members. They also put photos on a coaster or holiday mugs, or other gift items. It’s a way to enjoy the photos without having to pull out the photo album. Love Letters to Kids https://www.stacybrookman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/734811_10200160768875962_530835429_n.jpg ()Anna shares her unique idea for Love Letters to your kids. Every year in January she selects one photo that she took the past year for each of her children. She then writes a heart-felt letter to that child mentioning events from the previous year, challenges they had, what she’s most proud of, anything she wants them to remember (and herself to remember). These love letters have had a huge impact on her kids. Every year they look forward to their special letter about themselves. One year, her son got big tears in his eyes. When she asked him why he was crying, he said “Mom, you said such nice things to me!” When you start to think about your everyday interactions with your kids, you realize how much of the thoughts of praise you keep in your head while you are actually telling them to pick up their dirty socks.  When you write it down, they will have it forever. Ultimately, they will have a story of their life. Anna doesn’t make it a very long letter, so she doesn’t procrastinate. It literally takes 15 minutes and $5. She prints the letter/photo for their personal scrapbook through Forever.com and it comes in a mailer. When they arrive, they read the story of each of the kids together around the dinner table. It’s fun to hear each other’s stories. Take Home Message: Don’t worry about what you haven’t done, just start writing from the heart Store your photos permanently and securely by scrapbooking online at Forever.com Write of Your Life listeners get a 25% off discount at Forever.com. Use the code: Curtis25   Lifestory Toolkit: http://amzn.to/1WcU1HA (Your Life as Story) by Tristine Rainer (Brought to you by https://www.lifestorytelling.com/ (Lifestorytelling.com) – Discover YOUR life stories!) This episode’s Lifestory Toolkit features one of my favorite books about life story writing. It’s called http://amzn.to/1WcU1HA (Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer). I love this book so much, that I’m on my third tattered copy of it. It’s my go-to book for all stages of lifestory writing. Tristine brings memoir and life story down to our level and makes it easy. Her exercises are designed to build the structure for your writing without you even realizing it. So, in no time, you have stories to write, and she tells you exactly how to...