Becoming Aligned

This episode of Becoming Aligned will be a bit different. I'm not going to be interviewing anyone. Instead, I'm going to take some time to share some of my personal thoughts and reflections after completing the first 2 seasons.

My plan is to put out a short episode like this after each season where I look at themes that have come up for me after listening to all the episodes. And also share a bit about myself as I do so. I hope you enjoy this episode.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this short bonus episode, my dad, Jim Ryan will share some of his favorite books and authors. He is someone who always has a stack of books by his side, so it was fun to hear more about the books that have really left a mark. He also shares a few more thoughts on getting older that we can all practice no matter our age.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode I talk to my dad, Jim Ryan. This is part 2 our conversation. If you missed part 1, please go back and listen.

In part 2 we talk about what it was like to transition from his experience in the army and in Viet Nam to life, school and work in Chicago.

He shares some of his favorite stories and moments from his days working as a cameraman at CBS news

And we talk about family, fatherhood and what he's learned as he's grown older.

He also opens up and shares an experience that happened during battle while he was in the army during the Vietnam war. It's an emotional story that takes place from the 48-50 minutes mark. I wanted to give fair warning in case it may be triggering to anyone listening.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I talk to my dear friend, Steph Cattie. We were college roommates and teammates back in the early 90's.

Currently she is a mom, a nursing student and a volunteer

We talk about her interest in science and a little bit about her former career as a science teacher.

She openly shares lessons she learned after she left teaching in order to advocate and take care of the needs of her oldest who has downs syndrome

Then we discuss what motivated her to take this next step and study nursing.

Steph is one of the most modest people I know, but her story and character truly inspire me.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I interview Saran Horwell. We talk about the different roles she has had in her life from, fitness instructor, tv personality, to being a new mom.

This woman is a force of nature. Her positivity and energy is contagious. I loved learning more about her childhood and what shaped her into the person she is today.

But like everyone else, she has faced her own personal challenges. In this episode, Saran opens up and shares a particularly tough experience in life and what helped her move forward.

I hope you enjoy this episode!

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I continue my conversation with Lynn Rogers. In part 1 we learned more about Lynn as a person. She shared stories that helped to shape her positive mindset and help her discover her "why".

Please go back and listen if you missed it!

In part 2 of our interview we'll learn more about how Lynn went from training and being ready to do an ironman to trying to figure out what was going on with her body. As she experiences numbness, tingling and pain which quickly progressed. She ends up being hospitalized for 5 1/2 months and is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). The diagnosis is eventually changed to the acute version of GBS, CIDP. She tells us about this experience and how she's navigating her way through.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I talk to Lynn Rogers. This woman is driven, talented, funny and has some amazing and inspiring stories to share.

She went from someone who was ready to do an Ironman to being temporarily paralyzed from the chest down and discovering the cause was an autoimmune disease called Guillain Barre Syndrome.

Her diagnosis was later changed to the chronic version of GBS which is CIDP. But we'll learn more about that in part 2 of my interview which will be out next week.

In part 1 , we get to know more about who Lynn is as a person. We get a glimpse into how she developed her positive, growth-oriented mindset. And we learn the importance and value she places on community and how well that's served her. Its pretty incredible!

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I interview Susan Booton. She's a friend and old roommate of mine. She's someone I've had the opportunity to watch become an amazing mom to two young boys with special needs. During this time period, she also became more outspoken for what she believed was right for the needs of young people in her community.

We talk about what led her to become more outspoken and to use her voice in a way that really aligned to her values.

I really appreciated Susan's honesty and openness as we talk about what it means to live a life according to her values and the challenges she faces as she works towards becoming more aligned. And owning it!

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode I talk to Rhys MacLean. A few years ago, Rhys left her job in corporate America, rented out her beautiful condo and said goodbye to her amazing friends/family to take an extended solo trip around the world. She ended up traveling for 27 months!

She's back in Chicago now and is already planning her next adventure. During our conversation, we talk about the small steps she took to make her dreams of travel a reality. And how she's now working part-time as a travel coach to help others make dreams of travel come true.

Please check out her amazing blog called Someday is Now RTW and her beautiful Instagram page at SomedayIsNow_RTW.

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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In this episode, I interview my friend Dafina Dunmore. She is someone that radiates positive energy and I think you'll feel that coming through in our conversation. She lives her life from a place of authenticity and it shines through in how she chooses to spend her time and how she finds a sense of balance in her life.

We dive into how she began to practice creativity and how she has developed as strong sense of self. I hope you enjoy!

To learn more about this episode and any resources mentioned, please see the show notes.

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