CleftCast

So many of us born with cleft and craniofacial anomalies have potentially never come across the idea of loving ourselves just as we are physically and, well, facially. Messages from society, well-meaning friends and others can literally break hearts and souls pretty badly. Yet we do have the opportunity to love our anomalies and to own them in a way that makes us stronger and definitely not weaker. Host Joe Rutland talks about the process of owning and loving your anomaly in this week's "CleftCast." Be sure and stop by Joe's Facebook home page for a very special "CleftCast Announcement To The World" video. https://www.facebook.com/joe.rutland

Or you can catch the YouTube video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idDCmlI-fEs

"Take a minute. Stop. Breathe. Slow down. Get in touch with yourself and your environment." Are you caught off-guard by all those words and statements? Well, here's the idea. If those of us in the cleft and craniofacial community can slow down our busy lives, between doctor's appointments, surgeries, therapy sessions and the like, then we might have a better chance of listening not only to ourselves but others, too. Also, it gives us a chance to not speak out of anxiety and fear ... but through the voice of love and compassion. In this week's "CleftCast," host Joe Rutland discusses these opportunities that we all have for growth and self-care. Download "CleftCast" at Blog Talk Radio and iTunes. Every minute counts ... and you are loved.

Many children and adults within the cleft and craniofacial community are quite familiar with spending time in speech therapy. Sure, some in third-world countries may not have the privilege of receiving such help. All of us, though, can agree that merely speaking words and having them come out of our mouths properly has been a hurdle many have faced. Host Joe Rutland, in this week's "CleftCast," talks about the power of words, speaking them, hearing them from other people (not always a nice thing, either!), and having the power to speak for ourselves. Download "CleftCast" at iTunes and Blog Talk Radio. Also, make sure and pick up a copy of "The Christmas Smile," now available at Amazon.com. Every minute counts ... and you are loved.

It's 2015 now and time to take concrete steps toward making this year a wonderful one in the worldwide cleft and craniofacial community. What if we all attempted to smile and meditate more in 2015? Both have great benefits from a health standpoint. Smiling and meditation ... separately and, well, together ... can help improve an individual's mood. Hey, it's worth trying for a week, isn't it? "CleftCast" host Joe Rutland talks about these two subjects in kicking off another year of "CleftCast." Download the #podcast at iTunes and BlogTalkRadio.

Also: BIG NEWS! "The Christmas Smile," a novel focusing on a couple giving birth to a child with a cleft lip and cleft palate anomaly, is now available through Amazon. Here's the link to the novel, written by "CleftCast" host Joe Rutland. Buy it, share the link with friends, and enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Smile-well-being-craniofacial-community-ebook/dp/B00RJOB9VE/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420132600&sr=1-3&keywords=The+Christmas+Smile+in+books