Stories From Women Who Walk

Hello to you listening in New Taipei City, Taiwan!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.How do you make a connection to others with a story that's unique to you? By discovering your Origin Story and crafting connections to share it with others.I am beyond lucky to have shared a wonderfully enjoyable and value-packed conversation with my friend and colleague Mark Reid of Zen Sammich, a podcast for the independent thinker and anyone who embraces life despite its absurdities. Former professor and lawyer turned Japanese paper maker, Mark inspires mindfulness, humor, and curiosity while talking to fascinating people with stories to share. CTA: Join Mark and me as we share stories, explore what it means to discover your story, and together make your world a bit better than it was yesterday.Listen now to Crafting Connections: Insight On Finding Your Story. Click to access APPLE podcast,  SPOTIFY podcast  or ZEN SAMMICH podcast! LINKS: APPLE PodcastSPOTIFY Podcast Zen Sammich Podcast You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Honolulu, Hawai'i!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories from Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Let's take a break from the news of the day and celebrate who we are in an alphabetical way. This little exercise might take some courage and humor the first time around. Day by day it will become more familiar and fun! Guaranteed!Stand in front of a mirror, see your face and look directly into your eyes. Pause for a moment and breathe in this fact: Never before and never again will there ever be another you. In all of time and space YOU are the only YOU.  Still gazing into your eyes say “I am” out loud and follow that with a quality, virtue, gift, trait and so on that makes you splendidly YOU beginning with the letter A and going as far down the alphabet as you can go today. For example: I am Affectionate, Brilliant, Curious, Devoted.... You get the picture! Give it a go every day until you get to Z. It's a great pick-me-upStory Prompt: What was that like? How did it feel? Where and when will you do it again? Write that story! And thank you for playing along.You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you Indivisible Whidbey activists listening  in Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Greenbank, Freeland, Langley, Bayview, and Clinton on Whidbey Island, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.  On Friday 18th April, 2025 I posted my 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday episode entitled “What Difference Can 1 Ordinary Person Make?” about Granny D Haddock who walked across America in her 90th year to bring attention to campaign finance reform. Click HERE to access that episode.As Granny D walked across America she was asked to speak at rallies, churches, community gatherings, and the like. The following is a short piece from a speech Granny D delivered at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena in Pecos, Texas on May 14th, 1999:“Never be discouraged from being an activist because people tell you that you'll not succeed. You have already succeeded if you're out there representing truth or justice or compassion or fairness or love. You already have your victory because you are changing the world; you are changing the status quo; you are changing the chemistry of things. And changes will spread from you, will be easier to happen again in others because of you because, believe it or not you with your activism are the center of the world.”  CTA: Maybe like me you are coming to realize that activist work is not a job, but a calling to work together. We are called to work together to make the world a better place for all of us doing what we can with what we have for as long as we are needed.Thank you for listening and being one of us!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL CONTENT and IMAGE © 2019 to Present Property of Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening all over America on this Memorial Day our nation's foremost day of remembrance.Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories from Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.On this solemn day of reflection we honor and mourn the men and women who sacrificed their lives for their country in peacetime and war. Today we are at war. Our Democracy, our constitution, our rule of law, and even our people are under assault. Is there reason to fight, to hope? You bet there is!The first weeks of Churchill's Prime Ministership were clouded by the fall of France and the surrender of the Belgian Army, with repercussions for the Western alliance. To delay the German advance towards Britain, Churchill ordered expeditionary forces to retreat towards the port of Dunkirk to allow an Allied evacuation that lasted for nine days. Churchill's descriptions of events were more akin to a war reporter than a political statesman as he explained in great detail to his fellow members the bravery and ingenuity of the British forces in the face of the German war machine. Despite the success of the operation there was still a loss of over 30,000 men and vast amounts of artillery.Yet in the face of such adversity and sacrifice Churchill used his voice and his unshakeable determination to make a rallying cry to not just his fellow countrymen but also the beleaguered French in this historic speech delivered to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on June 4, 1940: “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!”Click HERE to listen to Churchill's voice and take in the unforgettable images that fortified his words.Click HERE to access the Transcript of Churchill's speechClick HERE to access: The Miracle of Dunkirk Click HERE to access the 85th anniversary of the evacuation of Dunkirk with 64 of the original Little Ships heading back to the Dunkirk beaches.CTA: As you go about your day keep in mind that we Americans are not lost as long as we organize and fight together. Thank you for listening and being one of us who shall never surrender!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Sacramento, California!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.My friend and colleague Charlotte Wittenkamp, the Bridge Builder, writes a regular column on the LinkedIn platform entitled: What I Read Today offering a piece from the media along with her astute insights and questions about the article.In like mind here is what I read today and adapted from the novel, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley:If you give up, they win.They want us to be small, so we have to stand tall.They want us to be invisible, so we have to be seen.They want us to be silent, so we have to be heard.They want us to surrender, so we have to show them who we are, what we're made of, what we can do so that we win for the good!Story Prompt: When have you decided not to give up? What happened next?  Write that story?  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Communication Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Saratoga Springs, New York!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.  Over 100 years ago Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, 'We can have a democratic society or we can have the concentration of great wealth in the hands of the few. We cannot have both.” [Louis Brandeis, Supreme Court Justice from 1916-1939]Here we are again. What to do? We organize and work together. If there's no one to start it, you start it. Find your Ordinary Persons, talk with them, listen, have compassion for each other's views, and join together. Step by step your little group of Ordinary Persons can become an Army of Ordinary Persons, maybe even a movement standing up to oppression, greed, injustice. It starts with someone looking around and saying, “I've had it! Enough is enough! This stops now!”The following poem The Low Road by Marge Piercy demonstrates what happens when we organize and work together:The Low Road, by Marge Piercy"What can they doto you? Whatever they want.They can set you up, they canbust you, they can breakyour fingers, they canburn your brain with electricity,blur you with drugs till youcan't walk, can't remember, they cantake your child, wall upyour lover. They can do anythingyou don't stop themfrom doing. How can you stopthem? Alone, you can fight,you can refuse, you cantake what revenge you canbut they roll over you. But two people fightingback-to-back can cut througha mob, a snake-dancing filecan break a cordon, an armycan meet an army. Two people can keep each othersane, can give support, conviction,love, massage, hope, sex.Three people are a delegation,a committee, a wedge. With fouryou can play bridge and startan organization. With sixyou can rent a whole house,eat pie for dinner with noseconds, and hold a fund raising party.A dozen make a demonstration.A hundred fill a hall.A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;ten thousand, power and your own paper;a hundred thousand, your own media;ten million, your own country. It goes on one at a time,it starts when you careto act, it starts when you doit again and they said no,it starts when you say Weand you know who you mean,and each day you mean one more."Click to access The Low Road, by Marge PiercySaturday June 14th is No King Day and Flag Day! Get together with some folks, bash the birthday cake fly your flag because our flag is tied to our Constitution and our Constitution is our democracy and in a democracy it is “We the People” - no king.Thank you for listening!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Communication Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in North Platte, Nebraska!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit mire) for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you could use a bit of good news right  about now. What if you could find the “best America there ever was?” Best-selling author and award-winning journalist Bob Greene found it in a small town, North Platte, Nebraska. As the story goes: During World War II, American soldiers from every city and walk of life rolled through North Platte, Nebraska, on troop trains en route to their ultimate destinations in Europe and the Pacific. What happened next?Prompted by one woman's idea this tiny town of 12,000 people transformed its modest railroad depot into the North Platte Canteen. Every day of the year, every day of the war years the Canteen - staffed and funded entirely by local volunteers - was open from five A.M. until the last troop train pulled away a little after midnight. In a time of coupons, shortages, and doing without that comes with war this community provided welcoming words, support, baskets of produce, fresh-baked goods, homemade sandwiches, magazines, books, bottles of milk, cauldrons of coffee, and treats to more than six millions GIs by the time the war ended four years later.Think about it. At a time of national adversity, crisis and deprivation because everything was going to the troops and the war effort, ordinary people pulled together to honor their country's brave sons by giving from the heart and their kitchens, their fields and dairies. Interviews with some of the volunteers and servicemen tell a love story of small-town generosity because it was something that they could do.Question: Yes, these times are perilous; but so was World War II. We might feel like we're fighting a war on our own soil for the first time since the Civil War. But we are not lost when we choose to summon the great expanse of hope that is the human heart. If 12,000 ordinary persons could care for six million GIs, what is in our power to do? Where is the next “best America there ever was?”Click to access book: Once Upon a Town - The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob GreeneYou're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Communication Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Fort Collins, Colorado!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Two Old Women by Vella Wallis recounts an Alaska legend of betrayal, courage and survival. Based on an Athabascan Indian legend passed from mothers to daughters of the Upper Yukon Valley in Alaska this tale tells how 2 old women abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine create a means to survive. After being left behind in a snowy woods one woman says to the other, “We may die out here - at least let us die trying.”My prayer goes like this: “One day I will die. Let me die doing - no try.”  Story Prompt: I imagine you have a prayer of your own. Where did it come from? What inspired it? How does it help you? Write that story! Practical Tip: The magic of stories is also in the sharing. If you wish share your story with someone or something.   All that matters is you have a story.You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by the website, check out the Communication Services I offer, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts and on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Pender Island, BC, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.I will tell you something about stories. They didn't come first. They came second. What do I mean?Our oral tradition of narratives, origin stories, creation myths, and so on - up to the present time - came about because we are a meaning-seeking people. Our ancestors looked up into the heavens, saw comets and asked, “What does this mean?” The same with weather patterns, crop failures, upheavals - virtually anything they encountered and did not understand. They created stories to make sense of things, to remember the meanings. They shared those stories with other humans to connect, to bear witness to the lives they were living. And the same is true today.CTA: What would you like to learn about the meaning and power of story? When you're ready I can help.  You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by the website, check out the Communication Services I offer, arrange a Discovery Call, and stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts and on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Adelaide, Australia!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently I was delighted to share the mic as guest with Christi Cassidy, the host of Moving Along podcast.  We giggled our way through stories about travel, relocation, and transition inspired by a sense of curiosity, adventure, and possibility.There are tales of youthful independence and the courage to chart one's path. Childhood memories of collecting S&H Green Stamps for camping gear setting up a love for hiking and a life marked by exploration trekking the Camino de Santiago as a transformative milestone and reminiscences about backpacking adventures across Europe. With a trusty travel guide and a heart full of optimism, Diane's early journeys reveal an enduring spirit of adventure. If this sounds like a journey you want to take, join us as we navigate the journey of a life in motion!  CLICK for Direct mp3 Download Link  Click for Apple PodcastBe sure to write a 5-star review on Apple or your podcast platform of choice, and subscribe. It helps us all!CONTACT LINKSContact: christi@movingalongpodcast.comMore podcast information: https://movingalongpodcast.comApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/moving-along/id1592133578Past episodes: https://moving-along.simplecast.com/Tag and like Moving Along episodes on Facebook and Instagram!You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, Opt In to stay current with me and on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.The Camino de Santiago de Compostella is fairly well marked with yellow arrows painted by volunteers and images of scallop shells pointing the way West. But every once in a while - like life - the way is unclear, unmarked, hidden even. You can get lost. I learned this the hard way. Now what?You must stop and listen to your own voice. Silence the noise, the chatter, the distractions about which way to go. Your own knowing will help you out when you ask. And your guidebook. And your experience. Breathe. Quiet. Listen. Choose. Walk on. Eventually the Camino taught me that there is always a yellow arrow; but it might not be where I was looking.Story Prompt: When have you walked your way from lost into the clear? What happened next? Write that story!  Practical Tip: The magic of stories is also in the sharing. If you wish share your story with someone or something.  All that matters is you have a story.You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, Opt In to stay current with me and on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Issaquah, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you're curious about what makes you different. Cultivating our identity helps us to know who we are, where we're going, what we have to offer.What makes me different is an ability to listen for the meaning beneath the surface of the words, the context that gives life to content, the back-story. I uncover what my clients fear and desire so I can help them arrive at their authentic story. Together we translate the experience of living into a sense of purpose.I believe that my clients know what they need and want to say; it is my purpose to listen it out of them, to help them say it in their own true words making me the only “story doula” I know.One of my clients said this: “Diane is like the practice wall or backboard on a tennis court that tirelessly reflects the problems you are bouncing toward her and returns with solutions you didn't know you had.”  If you are curious to learn more email me: info@quartermoonstoryarts.net for a no-obligation conversationYou're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by the website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts and on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Farmington, Missouri!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.  This photo is my view of Ebey's Landing, Whidbey Island, Washington looking south toward the Admiralty Head Lighthouse, Fort Casey, and Admiralty Inlet which becomes Puget Sound. Fields are cleared, tilled, planted. Even a dwelling (Ferry House circa 1860's) still tucked in the woods. A brilliant summer day. But imagine how it began ......In 1854 Jacob and Sarah Ebey were 61 and 58 years old respectively (more than twice the age of the average traveler) when they left Missouri and set out on the Oregon Trail. Traveling over 2,000 miles and across the rugged, forbidding Rocky Mountains they made their way to Whidbey Island, Washington. Why leave home and all they knew for this arduous journey in their late years? Because their son Isaac said that the farmland was far better than any in the Midwest making this new frontier home for the families.  You have to wonder about these settlers who were willing to leave the comfort of all they knew unaware of what awaited them on the other side except maybe this: that the lives they had led were not going to be the lives they would lead.  How did they forge new frontiers? I imagine that it took willingness in the face of uncertainty.  Like them, we're all challenged with forging new paths in our lives; but we can and we will as long as we remember to say “Yes! Despite the odds. Yes! Come what may.”  Question: What new frontier might you be willing to venture into?You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me and on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you longtime storytelling galpal Michelle in Victoria, BC, Canada! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.The other day Michelle alerted me to a post in Seth's Blog, a long, long, long-running publication by Seth Godin, author and strategist. A protest or a project?Protests let off steam. They organize people who might not show up by creating a moment in time where there's enough opportunity and social pressure that they participate.A protest sends a message.But almost every time, the very things that made a protest appealing mean that it fails to change much. That's because protests are momentary, temporary and urgent. The status quo is good at surviving protests. That's why it's still the status quo.The alternative is a project. A project begins with a protest that ends with, “we'll be back tomorrow, and we're bringing our friends.”A project is impatiently persistent. It plays a longer game, one that can outlast the status quo.A project identifies the system and brings a systematic approach to changing that system.Projects can seem boring when seen with a stopwatch, but they're powerful when measured with a calendar.Story Prompt: What happens next when the protest is over and you come back with your friends to unbalance the status quo? Write that story! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Nairobi, Kenya!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.The old ones in China tell a story about an equally old painter who invited friends to his home to see his latest work.His friends gathered around to admire the artist's painting which he had hung on a wall. The painting was a scene of a little park and a tiny footbridge crossing a stream that meandered through a forest that opened onto a meadow where stood a small cottage with an equally small door painted blue. Those gathered together turned around to tell the painter how much they admired his work but he was nowhere to be found. One of his friends said, "Look! There he is! In the painting!" He walked up the path that led to the door of the cottage, stopped, turned, smiled, and disappeared inside.Question: Imagine becoming so engrossed in your work that you end up disappearing into it in the same way. What do you imagine happens next? Become that!You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on Substack, LinkedIn and now Pandora RadioStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening all over the world, and especially Ukranians here and abroad. Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.  Feeling completely broken down after having witnessed the world-wide-televised brutality by our so-called leaders shamefully berating President Zelensky and, by extension Ukraine and its citizens, while the rest of them sat mute on the sidelines, I turned for a little comfort to a move I had been wanting to watch.The 2023 BBC movie, One Life, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helena-Bonham Carter and others brought me face-to-face with an ordinary person doing extraordinary things in a dark-as-hell time in 1938. Nicolas (Nicky) Winton, a British stockbroker orchestrated the escape of 669 Czeck Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. But it wasn't until 50 years later in 1988 when his wife discovered a scrapbook detailing the rescue of these children that his work came to light, and he was able to come to terms with the burden he carried of not being able to “do enough.”BONUS: You can read more about Sir Nicholas Winton and how rescuing 669 refugee children eventually gave 6,000 people their lives HEREBefore I leave you I want to read about Nicky's legacy:“Nicky's legacy is primarily the more than 6000 people now alive because of the Kindertransport rescue; however, his history demonstrates his conviction that living a good life involves more than just doing no harm.  He believed strongly that a meaningful and ethical life involved reaching out to help others in need, whether in the local community or further afield.  He felt that learning about history was only worthwhile if it led to positive action today and his legacy includes inspiring others to give their time to those in need.Encouraging the public to help save child refugees in 1939 in a letter to a newspaper, Nicky stated the following: “… there is a difference between passive goodness and active goodness which is, in my opinion, the giving of one's time and energy in the alleviation of pain and suffering. It entails going out, finding and helping those in suffering and danger and not merely leading an exemplary life in the purely passive way of doing no wrong.”CTA: For those of you who are moved by his story, taking positive action to help others would be the finest way to honour him.You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, (including Android, Amazon Music, Audible & Pandora Radio) and join us next time! Remember to stop by the Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services I offer, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts as well as on LinkedIn and Substack as Wyzga on Words Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Newport News, Virginia!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Kindness. What is it good for? Absolutely everything!✓ Reduces stress, anxiety, feelings of pain and depression, and lowers blood pressure✓ Boosts self-esteem, feelings of well being, happiness, and optimism✓ Fosters a sense of community helping people feel connected and supported✓ Encourages compassion and understanding to break down barriers of prejudice✓ Promotes a more caring and supportive environment, making the world a better place for everyone.✓ Kindness is contagious rippling out to others to create shifts in attitudes, behaviors and even cultures.✓ Of all the many things you can be in your lifetime, be kind.Story Prompt: When has someone extended kindness toward you? When have you extended kindness toward another? What did that feel like? What happened next? Write that story!  Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Bainbridge Island, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.The Hands Off! rally was the largest of its kind that Whidbey Island has ever seen! 600 people responded to Indivisible Whidbey to attend and 1,500 showed up!  The message was clear: if 47's regime hoped the American people would concede and fall in line, we and millions of Ordinary Persons are taking back America!Ordinary Persons - like us — who share our values — who want to do something - together - as we build an Army of Ordinary Persons.Let's keep seizing the momentum to turn a Protest into a Project:Share Your Story: Tell your friends and family about your experience, the people you met, your favorite signs, the potential you took home from Hands Off!Engage Others: Let those who have felt afraid or overwhelmed know how being in community joins us together in solidarity. The Power of the People is mightier than the People in Power.Stay Involved in Your Local Indivisible & Grass Roots Organizations. Remember this: They tried to bury us, but we are the seeds of social change. Seeds germinate and then grow!Click HERE to watch our Indivisible Whidbey Hands Off! video:Be well, do good work and keep in touch. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Mumbai, India!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Walking the Camino de Santiago was miles and more miles. 500 of them. No matter how many I had walked, there were still more to walk. Uphill, across hot, dry plains, and then the rains in the mountains that turned everything to muck and ankle-twisting rubble. I kept hearing “Just goes to show you, it's always something! If it ain't one thing it's another!” a mantra about life from Gilda Radner's father, for her SNL character Roseanne Roseannadanna.The voice in my head asked: “Well, Diane, what did you expect? You're walking a pilgrimage. Beyond the miles are more miles.”A TIP: I had to learn that the way out is through. Stop thinking that you will enjoy a trouble-free pilgrimage. Dive into the audacity of what you've chosen to do! Let go of trying to get free of the aches and pains, complications, limitations, and disappointments. They are part and parcel of what you said you wanted: to be a pilgrim. These problems are the pilgrimage. Now what? How will you solve them? Don't just start over. Keep starting over. And then look back on what you achieved.  Question: What do you do when faced with “It's always something”?Be well, do good work and keep in touch! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Dublin, New Hampshire!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Imagine this: It's February 1998. You are 89 years old. You have arthritis and emphysema. You live in a small town in New Hampshire. You laid to rest your husband of 65 years after caring for him with Alzheimer's the last 10 years of his life. Your best friend of 50 years has also died. Now what, asks your son? What will you do?I have an idea, you say. Money is the big divider between people and politics. The tycoons with the money are buying the politicians and making all the decisions. Someone has to tell the American people about the need for national campaign finance reform. I can do that. How, your son wants to know.I'll go on a walk. And so she begins getting in shape walking 2 miles a day, 5 miles a day, 10 miles a day, and carrying a backpack. After 7 months she declares herself ready to go on a walk and tells her son she is starting in Los Angeles, California.After collecting petitions on a beach in Los Angeles Doris Haddock, a.k.a. Granny D begins 14-month walk across America through California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Arkansas and on up to Washington, DC. She has no GoFundMe account or any real plan except to get out and talk to as many people as she can about the need for campaign finance reform.My friend Granny D eats with the people she walks with along the way, sleeps in a spare bedroom, on a couch or in a church basement. She gives talks about national campaign finance reform at rodeos, county fairs, schools, and local gatherings. 10 miles a day, every day, walking across America in her 90th year.By the time Granny D arrives in Washington, DC a blizzard has blocked traffic so she cross-country skies to the Capital to meet then Senators McCain & Feingold who sponsored the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act which will become law 2 years later in 2002. The primary purpose of the Act was to eliminate the increased use of so-called soft money to fund advertising by political parties on behalf of their candidates.    Of her walk Granny D always had her doubts; but she persisted. Here we are 25 years later and deeper in soft-money shit than she could have imagined thanks to the bought and paid for SCOTUS decision in Citizens United that equated money with free speech, kicked open the floodgates to a tsunami of dark money, and tilted political influence toward wealthy donors tycoons, and corporations.    I knew Granny D, we wrote letters back and forth. Sometimes I wonder: What was the point? What difference did 14 months of walking and talking do? I'll tell you. It did this: I'm still talking about her and the wild possibility that she actually realized. She was one Ordinary Person who took up a cause she believed in, talked to thousands of people as she walked across America in her 90th year and kept on talking until she died at the age of 100. Like every good story Granny D lives on to inspire, motivate, and remind each of us - young and old - what we are capable of, what we can achieve before and even after our 90th year.  Yes! we are Ordinary Persons standing shoulder to shoulder with other Ordinary Persons drawn together like filings to a magnet building an Army of Ordinary Persons to Free America, unbalance the status quo, and create a Citizen's Future of hope, dignity, and inclusion. We are the stories of light we struggle to write in these dark times and will be proud to share with those we leave behind when we walk on.  Story Prompt: Who are you? What is your declaration of wild possibility? How are you shaping the future for good? Write that story!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Seal Beach, California!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga. I remember a story about a woman who sat down at the bar in a pub, placed her order, turned to the person sitting next to her and said, “Hello.” When he turned to her she asked: "What is something you are really satisfied about?" Why does that story stand out in my mind? Because everything in our personal and professional lives rests on our willingness to connect and engage as well as our ability to communicate.Nothing communicates better than your heartfelt story artfully told in your own voice designed to connect, engage and influence your audience. When you have your origin/personal brand story well in hand you can:Declare what you do, how you do it, for whom, and the benefit of your product or service;Give your elevator pitch in a clear, concise, and confident manner;Invite your clients to feel the way you do about your business;Clarify your ideas and amplify your message to the audience who needs to hear it; and  Simplify the process so you stand out from the noise.CTA: This calls for a Story Architect. Let's have a 20-minute, no pressure, no sales, no obligation Discovery Chat. Email me at info@quartermoonstoryarts.net  OR  DM me on LinkedIn and let me know how I can help.You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out What I Offer,✓ Arrange your free Story Start-up Session,✓ Stay current with me on LinkedIn.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening all over the globe!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.After 5 unbroken years on the podcast airwaves with 1,200 episodes and over 202,000 plays it's time to take a break from producing daily episodes. Why? To shake things up and unbalance the status quo of this podcast.I'm consolidating and reorganizing Stories From Women Who Walk to make it even more relevant to you, my global audience, bringing even more truth and value. For now 60 Seconds episodes will be broadcast 3 days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to celebrate, illuminate, comfort, inspire, and motivate.I intend to focus on my Substack platform beginning with a name change from Wyzga on Words back to Quarter Moon Story Arts where I can summon the wisdom of a storyteller, the audacity of an activist, and the values of a lawyer to better share communication and storytelling skills with you. Why? So that you can say what you mean, mean what you say, and be seen, heard, understood, and listened to in these days. In other words, change things!  Check me out on Substack and subscribe!Expect a revitalized NewsAudioLetter, maybe short and sweet interviews because brevity is a girl's best friend, workshop ideas and more.Meanwhile, click HERE to access all 1,200 (!)  episodes of Stories From Women Who Walk  archived for your listening pleasure! Please feel welcome to email me at info@quartermoonstoryarts.net with your questions and suggestions.Be well, do good trouble work, and keep in touch!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in King, North Carolina, The Gateway to the Foothills!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Our very own Whidbey Island Poet Laureate, philosopher, and Bard of the Boardroom, David Whyte once said,“Poetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew.It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future.We need that same skill as an art of survival.We need to overhear the tiny but very consequential things we say that reveal ourselves to ourselves.” [Flying Edna Digital Calendar 2024]Question? What amazing idea did you overhear yourself say? Now, how might you put your amazing idea into play so you can help others aspire to amazing?You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer,✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on Substack Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Thornton, Colorado!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate  Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently I had the privilege to share the mic with my friend and colleague Lori Murphy, the host of SHEThrives: Influential Women podcast. If you are ready for some good positive influence, supporting each other, and lifting each other up so that together we can celebrate the wins and conquer the difficulties, this episode is for you!Highlights:• How a life unfolds unexpectedly over time  • Origin Story: how you got from there to here in your life• Importance of military service as a US Navy nurse• Role of a heartfelt story achieving justice for the injured• Fall Down 7 - Get up 8 - Taking Risks & Using Your VoiceEPISODE NOTESClick HERE to access our conversation & transcript on YouTubeAdd a 5-star rating and great review on Apple; it helps us all! And be sure to subscribe to Lori's podcast to keep up with her episodes, guests and help grow another deserving woman-hosted podcastContact Lori MurphyEmail: lmcempowerment @gmail.com  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lori.a.dowli...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lori_murphy...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@loria.murphy?...Website: https://www.lorimurphycoaching.comYou're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Chiclana de la Frontera, Spain!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently, I was told to stop using a script for my podcast. I was told to take off the training wheels. I was told to fly free. I said “No!” Ever wonder why top speakers and broadcasters often use scripts? It's not a crutch—it's a tool for excellence. 10 ways your script serves you:✓ Precision: Scripts ensure every word counts, especially in time-constrained formats.✓ Clarity: Writing helps organize thoughts, resulting in a more coherent message.✓ Concision: Scripting allows for editing, cutting fluff, and honing key points.✓ Consistency: Regular scripting develops a recognizable style and voice.✓ Preparation: Scripts reduce anxiety and boost confidence before recording or speaking.✓ Professionalism: Well-crafted words reflect dedication to your craft and audience.✓ Time Management: Scripts help maintain pacing and hit crucial points within time limits.✓ Flexibility: A good script serves as a guide, not a cage, allowing for natural delivery.✓ Quality Control: Writing enables review and refinement before going live.✓ Respect: Preparing thoroughly shows you value your listeners' time and attention.Story Prompt: A script isn't about reading robotically—it's about crafting your message with intention. The best speakers make their carefully prepared words sound spontaneous. How do you embrace your script, not as training wheels, but a launchpad for powerful communication? Write that story! You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your Origin Story & communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on SubstackStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music

Hello to you listening in Fredricton, NB, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for  Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you have a robust imagination that works overtime to figure out all possible bridges that might be crossed in the future and how to cross them. The “what if” worries.And then I remember something mom used to say whenever I got to fretting about the not-yet-arrived tomorrow: “We will cross that bridge when we get to it.” Until tomorrow arrives there's no way to know what we'll be faced with and how to manage it.Meanwhile, our needless worrying sucks all the oxygen out of the joy, purpose, or wisdom of the present moment and piles on suffering like a bag of rocks on your back.Hear me when I say I recognize that these are mind-blowing times. We don't know what's what from one minute to the next.Practical Tip: Despite the current craziness we can practice loving kindness toward ourselves whenever our worries begin to run amuck. How? Repeat after me, “We will cross that bridge if and when we get to it.”You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Communication Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on SubstackStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Shrewsbury, UK!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.“It doesn't matter how long you have forgotten, only how soon you remember.” (Buddha)We don't often recall our memories with any reliable accuracy. But that's okay. Sharing our stories is not about nailing down the facts of an event or the exact recall of circumstances. Rather, the point of stories is to take the splintered, fractioned, mismatched pieces of our lives and, by telling the stories we need to tell stitch together moments of wholeness.Over my storytelling decades I have to come to realize that I don't need to translate or provide meaning for life events. When I speak my stories from the heart I begin to shift away from painful episodes to heal the suffering I've attached to what those episodes mean or meant. What happens next? By sharing my story maybe I help someone else heal. How do I know? I hear someone say: “What! You, too! I thought I was the only one.” C.S. LewisLike the Badger in Crow and Weasel by Barry Lopez reminds us: “The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memory. This is how people care for themselves.”Question: What happens when you open the door to retelling a story that you've forgotten but now you remember? You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Communication Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on SubstackStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Berlin, Germany!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (& a bit more) for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.This lovely poem you're about to hear was written in Portugese by Ricardo Gondim Rodrigues, a Brazilian theologian and progressive pastor. The English translation and title (“My Soul Has a Hat”) is often mis-attributed to Mário de Andrade (1893-1945), poet, novelist, essayist, and one of the founders of Brazilian modernism.Click HERE to read the backstory.Click HERE to read “My Soul Has a Hat” by Mário de Andrade Is Fake News for more information. Remember, not everything you find on the InterWeb is correct. Accuracy is everything!O Tempo que Foge (The Time That Runs Away)"I counted my years and realized that I have less time to live by, than I have lived so far. I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first, he ate them with pleasure but when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures and internal regulations are discussed, knowing that nothing will be done.I no longer have the patience to stand absurd people who, despite their chronological age, have not grown up. My time is too short: I want the essence; my spirit is in a hurry. I do not have much candy in the package anymore.I want to live next to humans, very realistic people who know how to laugh at their mistakes and who are not inflated by their own triumphs and who take responsibility for their actions. In this way, human dignity is defended and we live in truth and honesty. It is the essentials that make life useful.I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch the hearts of those whom hard strokes of life have learned to grow with sweet touches of the soul.Yes, I'm in a hurry. I'm in a hurry to live with the intensity that only maturity can give. I do not intend to waste any of the remaining desserts. I am sure they will be exquisite, much more than those eaten so far.My goal is to reach the end satisfied and at peace with my loved ones and my conscience. We have two lives and the second begins when you realize you only have one."Question: Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have. You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Communication Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on SubstackStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Helsinki, Finland!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.These days it takes more than the usual effort to stop trying to burst people into flames with my mind.  What's going on? What isn't? The craziness is triggering our uncertainties, raising our blood pressure, interrupting our sleep, and worse.My dad used to say, Diane, Nie mój cyrk. Nie moje małpy. Not my circus - not my monkeys!  Practical Tip: Do not sell your soul for peanuts to feed the monkeys at the circus. It's not your circus. It's not your monkeys. Instead, find a moment of beauty and shelter in that for now.You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Communication Services I Offer✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your communication challenges, get in touch with me today✓ Stay current with Diane as “Wyzga on Words” on SubstackStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you longtime storytelling galpal Michelle in Victoria, BC, Canada! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.The other day Michelle alerted me to a post in Seth's Blog, a long, long, long-running publication by Seth Godin, author and strategist. A protest or a project?Protests let off steam. They organize people who might not show up by creating a moment in time where there's enough opportunity and social pressure that they participate.A protest sends a message.But almost every time, the very things that made a protest appealing mean that it fails to change much. That's because protests are momentary, temporary and urgent. The status quo is good at surviving protests. That's why it's still the status quo.The alternative is a project. A project begins with a protest that ends with, “we'll be back tomorrow, and we're bringing our friends.”A project is impatiently persistent. It plays a longer game, one that can outlast the status quo.A project identifies the system and brings a systematic approach to changing that system.Projects can seem boring when seen with a stopwatch, but they're powerful when measured with a calendar.Story Prompt: What happens next when the protest is over and you come back with your friends to unbalance the status quo? Write that story! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Labrador City, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Question: What does it mean to be gifted? Some of us come into this world with a natural talent in say, music, sports, or art that isn't shared by most people. Those of us who aspire to that gifted state and work hard to achieve it might still lack that certain something that sets the truly gifted apart.On the other hand, we are gifted. Think about the gifts of education, community, faith, a roof over our heads, coaches and teachers who encouraged us to excel, the opportunity to work hard and be rewarded for our efforts, sheer grit and determination to succeed, integrity, family, and so much more. If we pause to examine our lives I imagine that we will be surprised by all the many ways in which we are gifted.Question: How do you see yourself as gifted? How do your gifts show up in the world? CTA: Don't you dare give up showing up with your gifts because you're too darn smart and important to stop now.Be well, do good work, and keep in touch!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Brockville, Ontario, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.Question: What is the difference between knowing something and knowing about something?The distinction is important because people often write what they know about based on what social media tells us whether that's politics, sports, entertainment, social justice, and so on. Social media also tells us how come what we know about is important to us. As a result what we know about often doesn't matter that much. The disconnect shows up in our writing, as if maybe AI generated it.What we know comes from lived experience. What we know is a clue to what matters to us. For example, I might know about the grinding defeat of poverty; but I know from lived experience the defeat of betrayal.When we write a heartfelt story about something that we know we are pulling on imagination, sensations, memories, feelings, and emotions. Those universal story elements are shared by every other human being. When we write from that place of knowing we more easily connect with, engage and inspire our readers and listeners to action.CTA: Curious to learn more? Email me at info@quartermoonstoryarts.net to have a no-obligation conversation.Til next our paths cross, be well, do good work, and keep in touch.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening all around the world!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Today marks the 5th anniversary of Stories From Women Who Walk which launched (no fooling!) on April 1st 2020. As you may remember the first year I interviewed men and woman who were walking their lives when a conflict showed up unexpectedly causing them to pivot. The conflict that caused me to pivot to the daily 60 Seconds format was COVID because we were no longer commuting in cars listening to longer podcasts.Here we are 5 years, 1200 episodes, and over 202,000 downloads all across the globe. Who made it all possible? You did! You stuck with me and our global community. I'm here because you're there. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!Going forward we have work to do as Ordinary Persons still gathering together to build an Army of Ordinary Persons that demands a better way of life for all of us. You can count on me to provide a daily 60 Seconds episode to inform, delight, illuminate, provoke, and energize! There will be resilience and resistance balanced with hope and stories because we're going to live each day trusting that our collective decency, goodness, and strength will help us birth something much better than what we have right now. I welcome all of you on the journey!Be well, do good work, and stay in touch!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening here, there, and everywhere your feet touch the ground!  Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.All over America Ordinary Persons like you and me are getting ready to hit the streets as an Army of Ordinary Persons on Saturday April 5th, creating some “good trouble” at “Hands Off!” rallies.Day by day, the energy is growing. People are angry like never before about the hour-by-hour attack on our rights, our health, our food, our people, our veterans, all of us. Thousands turned out for town hall meetings with their members of Congress. Thousands more have been coming together for peaceful protests. Record crowds have turned out to support each other at the Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) Fighting Oligarchy Tours. Real Americans creating a real movement.The April 5th message: The time has come for a massive, coordinated show of defiance all across the country. We the People are fed up with the Musk-Trump power grab. We the People demand an end to the lawless raiding of our government. “Hands off!” is a our rallying cry against an illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional power-grab by tycoons who are throwing our democracy, our economy, our national security, even our private lives into chaos.Hands off our Medicaid & Medicare.Hands off our Social Security.Hands off our public lands.Hands off our jobs.Hands off our public education.Hands off veterans' benefits.Hands off our undocumented neighbors.Hands off our trans siblings.Hands off Ukraine aid.Hands off our diversity programs.Hands off Canada.Hands off Greenland.Hands off our reproductive rights.Hands off our democracy.CTA: REGISTER to attend Hands Off! events in cities across the country.CTA: Events in the Great State of WashingtonTool Kit to help you organize a rally  We the American People have serious work to do. Let's get it done! Show up on April 5 to cause some “good trouble!”You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation discovery chat, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Lucknow, India!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga./“Story is a way to resurrect our humanity so that we can engage and connect with others and transform the lives of those we serve.” [Diane Wyzga]We are all “living stories.” The best stories usually arise from the pivotal moments of our lives. Why? People face hardships. Our hardships show us the way to recovery. When we tell our stories - when we give ourselves permission to express that wounded, vulnerable, authentic side - those who hear our story can say, “What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.” [C.S. Lewis] And now that I know I'm not alone I, too, can summon the courage to get myself from Here to There.Story Prompt: When have you given yourself permission to tell yourself about how you overcame hardship? What happened next? Write that story!You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe and spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer,✓ For a no-obligation conversation about your story questions, don't delay - get in touch today,✓ Stay current with Diane as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women W60 Seconds, your daily dose of hope, imagination, wisdom, stories, practical tips, and general riffing on this and that.A man drives into a filling station and asks the attendant to fill the tank with gas. The attendant sees 3 penguins standing on the back seat of the car and tells the man, "Hey! You should take those penguins to the zoo." The man says, "Good idea!" And drives away.About a week later the same man returns to the filling station and asks the attendant to fill the tank. The attendant sees the same 3 penguins but now they're wearing sunhats, sunglasses and beach sandals. He says, “Hey I thought I told you to take those penguins to the zoo!”  “I did, replied the man, and we had such a good time today we're going to the beach!”Practical Tip: When in conversation with someone ask yourself:What did they say?What did I hear?Was it the same, or different?This is the place to thrive together. Come for the stories - stay for the magic.  Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! You're invited to stop by the website and subscribe to stay current with Diane, her journeys, her guests, as well as creativity, imagination, walking, stories, camaraderie, and so much more: Quarter Moon Story ArtsProduction Team: Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 - Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Hello to you listening in Bow-Edison, Skagit County, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.“Being underestimated because of gender (or any other reason) is an advantage when you're a spy on the street trying to move around unobserved. Being underestimated is a problem for everybody when you are a woman in a national security community trying to make yourself heard about something important you have discovered.” [The Sisterhood - The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy]  Reading those words from The Sisterhood - The Secret History of Women at the CIA reminded me of all the ways in which women feel underestimated, personally as well as professionally. How do we correct that? It starts with unlocking the power of clarity and intentionality that is Your Who.We each have a particular story at the core of our lives: our Origin Story. Our Origin Story reveals how we got from There to Here. When we own our Origin Story we stand in courage and confidence.How so? By trusting the hardships we've faced and achievements we've won we connect with our self-worth, what we stand for, what we won't stand for, what we no longer fear. We have something to say because we discovered WHO we are. This gives us the power to be heard and listened to.CTA: If you're curious about how to make yourself heard by creating Your Who, email me (info@quartermoonstoryarts.net) OR tap the Link in the Episode Notes to schedule a no-obligation Discovery Chat. You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer,✓ Arrange your free no-obligation Discovery Call to learn more,✓ Opt In to my NewsAudioLetter for bonus gift, valuable tips & techniques to enhance your story work, and✓ Stay current with Diane on Substack as Wyzga on WordsStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.I paused my computer screen saver as it pulled up a photo from my Camino pilgrimage: a lake in a town on a sunny day - and swans. Graceful, regal, fully in their watery element, no longer bound to the land. While swans can lumber across the ground swaying dangerously side to side, their element is water. That's where they belong.  Following is a version of Rainer Maria Rilke's poem - The Swan - translated by Robert Bly:“This clumsy living that moves lumberingas if in ropes through what is not done,reminds us of the awkward way the swan walks.And to die, which is the letting goof the ground we stand on and cling to every day,is like the swan, when he nervously lets himself down into the water, which receives him gailyand which flows joyfully underand after him, wave after wave,while the swan, unmoving and marvelously calm,is pleased to be carried, each moment more fully grown, more like a king, further and further on.”Maybe like me you've been asking yourself: What is my element? Where do I belong? How will I find it? Could it be looking for me?Question: What is your element? How do you know?You're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out What I Offer,✓ Arrange your free Story Communication Session,✓ Stay current with Diane on Substack as Wyzga on WordsStories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello, to you listening in Darmstadt, Germany!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently, I had the pleasure of sharing the mic with my friend and colleague Alethea Felton whose coaching mission is “Courageous, Authentic, Purpose-Filled Living Despite Obstacles.” Question: What happens when we uncover, discover, embrace, and share our unique personal story? We recognize the strength in our own voice and the greatness we're destined to achieve. This episode is for anyone ready to rewrite their narrative, speak their truth, and discover just how influential their story can be. Get ready for an exploration of courage, resilience, and the undeniable ripple effect of embracing all the potential that is your origin story!Highlights:• How Diane's love of storytelling led to becoming an origin  story co-creator for women;• Unpacking the essence of an origin story and its pivotal role in shaping identity and purpose;• Examining the intricate dance of listening and sharing, pushing back against injustice, and the importance of being seen and heard through the unique lens of personal experiences; and• Sharing strategies for overcoming the fear of vulnerability and the importance of women voicing their stories.Click HERE to catch the replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on BuzzSprout.   Click HERE to catch the  replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on Spotify. Click HERE to catch the replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on Apple Podcasts.Connect With Alethea Alethea Felton Coaching, LLC: https://www.aletheafelton.com/Connect with Alethea: https://linktr.ee/aletheafeltonListen to The Power Transformation Podcast: https://powertransformation.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: coach@aletheafelton.comInstagram @aletheafeltonLinkedIn @Alethea FeltonFacebook @Alethea FeltonYou're always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time!Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to:✓ Check out Services I Offer,✓ Arrange your no-sales, Complimentary Coaching Consult,✓ Stay current Diane on Substack as Wyzga on Words.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Toronto, Ontario, Canada!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently, I was talking with my friend and fellow podcaster, Jeff Ikler of Getting Unstuck - Cultivating Curiosity podcast. We were comparing notes about growing up in a time when we made do with what was available to us. What we had was enough even if we wished for just a little more. I promised Jeff a story.Diane's story version:  Once upon a time long ago and far away there lived in a small town a Jewish tailor. He had been making clothes for the people in that town for as long as anyone could remember. He was a skilled craftsman creating lovely dresses as well as fine suits, trousers, and shirts.And even though the clothes he made lasted a good long while the tailor was always busy. You see what set him apart was being thrifty. While other tailors would use a whole bolt of cloth and charge their customers for the extra fabric, this tailor knew how to carefully and skillfully cut the fabric so that there was little waste.  But here's something else the people in that town knew. Never once had the tailor sewn something brand new to wear himself. Until one day he decided that it was time. He selected a bolt of fine fabric and made himself a coat. He wore his coat with pride until one day he realized that his coat had seen better days. So he took it apart and made himself a jacket. He wore that jacket with pride until one day he realized that it had seen better days. So, he took it apart and made himself a vest which, yes, you're right he wore with pride until it really had seen better days. That vest became a jaunty cap and in time that cap became a covered button for his trousers. When that button was gone he had nothing left but this story. And he told his story to everyone with pride in his voice.Story Prompt: Think about a time when you finally did something wonderful for yourself. What was it? How did it feel? Write that story!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you Michelle, friend, world traveler, and storyteller listening in Victoria, BC, Canadalands!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories from Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you've been hearing how this country of ours is miserably divided in ways we have never been before. It's true. We have our divisions born of misunderstanding, ignorance, lack of compassion, and precious few opportunities to enjoy a neighborhood potluck with good food and stories because if ever there was a way to heal division we bring out food and stories to connect us.And! Music! Here's a favorite song by folksinger Lorre Wyatt  called Somos el Barco (We Are the Boat). Listen to the original recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwPA6WdfJ0YAnother version was recorded by The UU Congregation of Phoenix Video Choir. Click HERE to listen and spread the music all over like grape jelly on a toddler!Click HERE to access English & Spanish lyrics so you can sing along  CTA: Be the first on your block to host a potluck, eat good food, tell some stories, sing some songs, and get us all back on track!"Be well, do good work, keep in touch!" You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Colville, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently I was asked: How are you disrupting the status quo narratives? How and where are you sharing your stories, and encouraging others to tell theirs?I believe that I listen keenly to stories and then tell the world something it needs to hear. How do I do that? I've designed my daily 60 Seconds podcast episodes to help shift the status quo narratives so we - especially women - are seen, heard, understood, and listened to. Whether it's words of poetry, a page from my life story, something to ponder as you wander, or a story prompt to invite you to begin your own writing, I now have over 1,200 global episodes in 5 years on air inviting us to shift attitudes, behaviors, and even culture.  As Quarter Moon Story Arts I help women discover and uncover their origin or personal brand story because it's the most consequential one they will ever tell: how they got from There to Here. I'm a storyteller who believes in the power of the spoken word. There are few words more powerful than those spoken by women. I help professional women find the words they didn't know they had to connect with, engage and influence their audience while transforming the lives of those they serve. That's what I stand for.CTA: If you are curious about how to create a ruckus with your words, disrupt the status quo narratives with your story, connect and engage with the power of your voice, contact me for a no obligation, no sales, no pressure  Discovery Chat at info@quartermoonstoryarts.net or on Substack as "Wyzga on Words." There are stories waiting to be told and heard.  They are yours. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  

Hello to you listening in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.As many of you know I served as a US Navy nurse taking care of children in medical and surgical pediatric hospital wards. All these years later that time holds some of my very fondest memories.Recently we noted the 5-year anniversary of the COVID epidemic when nurses all over the world put themselves on the line for the patients that came under their care.Did you know that nurses take an oath, too? It's called the Nightingale Pledge from 1893. Over time it has evolved but the spirit of the original pledge is still the same:  “I solemnly pledge myself to the service of humanity and will endeavour to practise my profession with conscience and with dignity. I will maintain, by all the means in my power, the honour and noble tradition of my profession. The total health of my patients will be my first consideration.” Here's my shout out from page 103 of the Pluto Living book written by NJ Wight. You may recall how Pluto the Dog cheered us on via YouTube during the COVID times. Click HERE to re-visit.Meanwhile,“All nurses belong to a tribeA tribe with a very good vibeWith courage untoldAnd hearts made of goldTheir commitment is hard to describe.” [Pluto Living by Pluto & NJ Wight]CTA: Today send some really good vibes to nurses you know.Til next our path cross, be well, do good work, keep in touch!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Peoria, Arizona!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Recently I had the pleasure of sharing the mic with Christine Gautreaux and Shannon Mitchell as their guest on Women Connected in Wisdom Podcast. We enjoyed our time together connecting with stories of hope, inspiration, and wisdom. If this sounds like something that would nourish you, I have the links to listen!Highlights:  • Witnessing: The Difference Between Hearing & Listening• The Art of Storytelling• Discovering & Delivering Your Story• Imagination & Values• Those Who Inspire UsDirect mp3 Download Link  Interview on Apple PodcastBe sure to write a 5-star review on Apple or your podcast platform of choice, and subscribe. It helps us all!"Til next our paths cross, be well, do good work, stay in touch." Contact Christine and ShannonChristine Gautreaux, MSW, Organizational Trainer Coach Author Speaker, InterPlay's Integrity and Innovation DirectorEmail: christinegautreauxmsw@gmail.comCell: 770-256-9191  Website: www.linktr.ee/christinegautreauxmswprograms@interplay.orgShannon Mitchell, Women Connected in WisdomEmail: shannonmitchell99@gmail.comWomen Connected in Wisdom Podcast: womenconnectedinwisdompodcast@gmail.comYou're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Powder Springs, Georgia!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.What is vocation? Frederick Buechner says, “...it's the place where your deep gladness meets the world's deep hunger. What a long time it can take to discover, to be called to  your deep identity, your true self who came here with your very own vocation. Yes, for some of us it can be a long way to find out who we've always been and then to become that. We may wish to try on the selves of other people but at the end of the day the question still remains: Why are you not you?It was a very long walk but I found my way as Quarter Moon Story Arts. Story Prompt: Who are you when you are your truest self? Where does your deep gladness meet the world's deep hunger? Write that story!You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us again! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Cornelius, North Carolina!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga.Maybe like me you toil in isolation as a writer, a podcaster, an artist, and so on. You believe in what you're doing so you keep on keepin on trusting that the work you do is vital, that someone will say to you, “What! You, too! I thought I was the only one.” [C.S. Lewis]What a delightful surprise to receive some kind words. Here are a few that came my way recently:“After a day of action I finally took a break. Once again your podcast lifted my spirit and called my soul to continue to dig a little deeper. Make those calls people, push forward!”“Your words carry the kind of strength that turns ripples into waves. An Army of Ordinary People—extraordinary in their resolve. No time for doubt, only action. Shoulder to shoulder, we push forward. No retreat, no surrender. Into the fray we go, side by side. Strength in numbers, fire in our hearts—no turning back now.”“Friday night while I was lying in bed utterly drained, I asked myself  "what tools have I not used today"? The light bulb went on "I forgot to listen to Diane"!  your podcast was the perfect tool needed to calm my weary body. Thank you for recognizing the importance of this moment in history.  Thank you for your AMAZING podcasts and thank you for your continued service to our country. Be well, be safe.”“Diane--Keep sharing your words; they are a daily slice of pie for me and others.”Kind words mean the world to the sender and receiver both. Today more than ever we have the opportunity to spread good kind words all around us like grape jelly on a toddler.  CTA: Tell someone something good today! You can always begin with your own good self. Maybe say something like “You hoisted yourself out of bed this morning and kept on going! Atta Girl!”  Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us again! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Natick, Massachusetts!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.  Recently I came across a question in a report about the thousands of federal workers who are being unlawfully and indiscriminately fired by an unelected businessman who seems to be running our government with his doggy team of similarly unelected high school graduates:Question: "Who's going to be brave enough to speak truth to power if speaking truth to power means you get fired the next day?"What if speaking truth to power means you not only risk getting fired, but harassed, spit on, ostracized, attacked, arrested, or even killed? What about your family being harmed? What about your loved ones?Am I brave enough to speak truth to power? Don't know.What I do know is just making phone calls, signing petitions, and writing emails is not going to get us what we want: FREE AMERICA from the hostile takeover of our government.  I stand as one Ordinary Person inviting other Ordinary Persons to draw together - like filings to a magnet - building an Army of Ordinary Persons to FREE AMERICA.  Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us again! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Hackensack, New Jersey!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Time Out Tuesday and your host, Diane Wyzga.I'm a gardener in the Pacific Northwest. Right now I have what's called a “winter-looking garden.” The cherry trees, maples, and plants are mostly brown, not at all looking like what I expect will be flourishing in the next few months.Deep down in the cold soil they are getting.Goethe said, “Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Looking at its sad appearance who would think that those stiff branches, those jagged twigs would turn green again and blossom and bear fruit next spring; but we hope they will, we know they will.”And he said, “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”Question: How are you keeping your own good self flourishing these days?Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.      You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us again! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Houston, Texas!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga  While I am not a constituent of the 77-year old Democratic Congressman Al Green of Texas, I am certainly a Fan Girl! The point isn't whether you agree or not with his intentional decision to tell "47" that he does not have a mandate to take a wrecking ball to Medicaid in an effort to save dollars for his millionaire and billionaire buddies. As if a million or a billion wasn't enough money for any one person. Silly me. It's not about money. It's about rapacious greed. But I digress.Congressman Green stood up, said his peace, walked out of the chamber  with dignity, spoke to reporters about what moved him to speak up for healthcare for the poor in his district and then took his medicine when the House of Representatives censured him. Shame on you! Those among you have behaved in a rude and offensive manner in the chamber and yet was considered proper behavior. Shame on you.CTA: Know what you stand for and what you won't stand for. Wear your values like you wear your sport team's ball cap. Say what you mean and mean what you say in a clear, concise, and confident manner. And when someone models bravery, decency, morality, compassion and more, tell them that they have motivated you to act with bravery, decency, morality, compassion, and more."Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."     You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us again! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello to you listening in Eugene, Oregon!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday with your host, Diane Wyzga.In various conversations lately I've been talking about being broken or, at least being cracked. We are cracked. We complicate being cracked by creating inner stories about our worthiness while trying to ignore our pain and hide our flaws.  Maybe it's true and maybe it isn't but there once was a woman who carried water from the river to her hut. Her pot was cracked while her neighbors had perfect pots. Each looked at the other with envy or disdain. Until one day the woman noticed that along the path she walked with her cracked pot flowers had sprung up from the watering the seeds received every day.Story Prompt: Without you being just the way you are, flowers of strength, courage and wisdom would not have bloomed where you are walking.  Flaws and weaknesses are natural parts of life. Where is the beauty in your flaws? Write that story! Practical Tip: The magic of stories is also in the sharing. If you wish share your story with someone or something.   All that matters is you have a story.You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, (including Android, Amazon Music, Audible & Pandora Radio) and join us next time! Remember to stop by the Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services I offer, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts as well as on LinkedIn and Substack as Wyzga on Words Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts  

Hello to you listening in Jasper, Indiana!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Thoughts on Thursday and your host, Diane Wyzga. In the early 1990s a cellist in Sarejevo, Vedran Smajlovic, went out into the square when the bombs were dropping and started playing his cello. A journalist asked him, "Why are you out here playing your cello while the bombs are dropping?" The cellist replied, “Why are they dropping bombs while I'm playing the cello?”In the face of tragedy art and beauty might be all some of us have to offer. Art and beauty give us hope, remind us of our humanity even when someone else denies it, as well as help shape the stories of the society they reflect.Walking life's path can be made a bit more hopeful when we have art, music and brave souls to walk along with us.Whether the voice of a child singing a tune from the movie, Frozen; Vera Lytovchenko, violinist and teacher playing in a bomb shelter dressed in an evening gown; a piano player outside a train station; or men singing their country's anthem.Click HERE to listen a 2 minute broadcast from 2 years ago. It's the voices and music of a determined nation fighting for its unbowed Ukranian soul and winning albeit at great cost. But music alone won't do it. Hear us, world leaders: if Ukraine maintains its determination and gets necessary external military support, it can win this war of attrition!  NOTE: During the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo that ended in 1996, Vedran Smajlovic played Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor on his cello in ruined buildings, including the Vijecnica, the Bosnian capital's destroyed city hall. He also played at funerals despite the threat of sniper fire. His powerful music became a sign of resilience and of the triumph of humanity over brutality. You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, (including Android, Amazon Music, Audible & Pandora Radio) and join us next time! Remember to stop by the Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services I offer, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts as well as on LinkedIn and Substack as Wyzga on Words Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts