From Broken To Brave Podcast

Sometimes life can be a little too much. It's a sign that something needs to change if you discover that the days fly by and you don't even feel like you have time to breathe.

Just like when we used to work, we wanted to accomplish more in less time, thus we were unaware of how crucial it is to take a break.

In this episode, Heather talks about knowing your own worth by taking or giving yourself a break from everything to flourish and the importance of respecting time.

Key Points;

• Nobody can take care of yourself, better than you.
• Taking a short break - Broken to brave
• Schedule "You Time"
• Are you busy just to stay busy? or

         Are you being busy because you genuinely need to be.

• What happens when your plate is full?
• Stuck with being busy.
• It's okay to cry if you want to.
• Do anything that helps clear your mind.
• Journaling
• Walking away from things you love.
• Learning to say "No"
• Being not a part of the organization anymore.
• Respecting your OWN time
• Understanding your worth
• Understanding what you are capable of.
• Setting boundaries
• We can never be done with healing but we go to the season of growth.
• Living for yourself.

Quotables:

"Nothing wrong from walking away or closing a chapter."

"How can you ask them to respect your time, if they can't respect their own."

A natural reaction to loss is grief. When a loved one passes away, there is no right or wrong way to handle it. Grieving is a difficult process- and it's different for everyone. Not only must one learn to deal with loss, but also with change, and that takes time.

After losing her child in 2016, Christina set out on a quest to accomplish more than simply endure grief. In this episode, she also shares her experience about the loss of her daughter and how she copes by changing her mindset in finding gratitude after loss.

Key Points;

• Christina Stiverson' quick bio.
• Addie/Adelaide Marie's Story (Christina's Daughter)
• Learning about Addie's case (Hepatoblastoma)
• Hardest realization on Cristina's journey after losing a child.
• Investing in research. 
• Timeline of grief.
• Desperate to find answers to my grief
• Things that help Cristina get through it.
• "People hold on to pain until they find something they value more"
• "I can't Imagine anything worse than losing a child"

• Empowered by grief
• "The highest tribute to the dead is not Grief but Gratitude."

• Some of Cristina's ways to reconnect to Addie's memory and find ways to reframe.
• Help other mothers that are stuck on their grief.
• Helping other people to heal.
• How listening to other people helps you.
• Christina's advice for somebody who is struggling with their grief.
• What Christina would tell to her younger version of herself.

When you've never had a decent father figure in your own life, how do you learn to be a good dad? or, Can you still be a good dad if you never had one? 

Tune in as on this episode, CJ Epps answers and shares his experience of growing up with an abusive stepfather, how he overcame the situation of pain that he endured as a result of abuse to become a great father himself and be the stepfather he never had.

Key Points;

• CJ's Brief Introduction
• What made CJ interested in Web Development.
• Being a daddy figure.
• CJ being the father he never had.
• His experience growing up with an abusive stepfather.
• Impact
• Try to empower them
• Too much destructive criticism
• "You're stronger than you think you are."
• Aim for progress.
• Don't repeat the same mistakes
• What you become in your tough process.
• CJ's most impactful thing he learned about being raised by a strong woman?
• What CJ's want to tell their mom knowing what they went through/letting her know that you wish you had then?
• Focus on the present
• Favorite non-physical quality about his fiancé
• Future Goals
• Be more organize
• Good to have someone to check in.

What to do when we feel that there is no light at the end of the tunnel? Or you feel hopeless?

It's typical to feel as though there is no hope and that nothing will ever improve after suffering a traumatic loss, an upsetting life transition, or from chronic depression. Hopelessness is a state of despondency or the absence of belief that life can be better than it is. At its worst, suicidal thoughts may result from these sensations, which frequently cause a lack of engagement in or interest in life.

Living in a bleak situation makes life extremely difficult. No matter how horrible things may appear, there are some things you can do to improve your life when you feel helpless.

In this episode, Laura shares ways to cope with stress and gives advice for people who are struggling, how becoming a mom changed her and why breaking generational curses is so important.

Key Points;

• Brief introduction how they've met.
• Laura's Introduction about herself.
• Why Laura wanted to be an Exercise Physiologist.
• Laura's suggestions for somebody who's really struggling and somebody who just may not see the light at the end of the tunnel.
• Perception as supermoms.
• How important it is for Laura to be the example for her daughters.

• Breaking generational curses.
• Crying is okay.
• Ways to manage stress.
• How tone changes everything.
• Laura's guilty pleasure.
• Laura's advice for her girls.
• It's okay to be honest about how much things suck.
• What works for your family?
• Gender roles.
• What would Laura tell to the younger version of herself.
• Reciprocating friendships

Connect with Laura here:

https://instagram.com/_laurmcd

Train with Laura:

www.LauraMcDonaldFit.com

Heather interviews fellow loss mom Raquel DeLeon and she shares how she was able to continue her pursuit for higher education after her son Dominic passed.

She finds inspiration for blazing a trail for her rainbow baby Elia and reminds us that breaking generational curses isn't easy.

Connect with Heather: https://www.facebook.com/hspeakman

http://www.frombrokentobrave.com/

This podcast is edited and produced by: Resilient Heart Media. 

Heather sits down with her cousin Airik Ranjo and they talk about mental health, Airik's fitness journey and the challenges of going to college away from home. They talk about their beloved Lola (grandmother) and reminisce about what it was like growing up with her. 

Heather shares the full circle moment as she watched Airik take care of Lola before she passed away in August of 2021.  Airik's tik tok @airikranjo

IG: @airik.xe 

Connect with Heather Here: 

https://www.facebook.com/hspeakman

https://www.instagram.com/speakman6pack/

This episode was produced and edited by: Resilient Voice Media 

In this episode Heather sits down fellow heart mom Lauren Herman. Lauren shares her son Levi's battle with congenital heart disease and all the challenges he faced. She was dedicated to making each day in the hospital count and celebrating the small wins. Lauren reminds us that the small wins are still something to be proud of. We can still find joy in the middle of the storm.

Levi passed away on August 2, 2021 after charging the storm of CHD and that's when Lauren's fight started. She started a non profit in Levi's honor. You can learn more about the non profit here: 

Levi's Legacy

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/thelevilegacy?igshid=NWRhNmQxMjQ=

Connect with Heather:

https://www.facebook.com/hspeakman

https://www.instagram.com/speakman6pack/

In this episode Heather double dog dares you to wear the damn bikini! We all have imperfections and things we don't like about our bodies but what if we wore the bikini anyway?

What if we spoke life into ourselves in a way it feeds our souls? What if we showed our children what it's like to be confident even though we're a work in progress?

We have little eyes watching us and wether we like it or not they're learning from us. Sometimes it's not always positive and that's exactly why we have to do better! I don't want my kids thinking they can talk down to themselves as a defense mechanism.

The game changes when you start loving yourself. I believe you have that power in you. Little by little you will start to notice that you are capable of so much more. It all starts by doing one brave thing at a time.

C️onnect with Heather: https://www.facebook.com/hspeakman

https://www.instagram.com/speakman6pack/

https://www.instagram.com/frombrokentobravepodcast/

This podcast is produced and edited by Resilient Voice Media 

This is a clip from Heather's solo episode titled: No Regrets. 

Heather gives you insight on letting people go. You can only do so much. This clip is short but powerful. 

Listen to the orginal episode here: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/23502827

Connect with Heather here: https://www.facebook.com/hspeakman

visit her website at: www.speakman6pack.com

This clip was produced and edited by: Resilient Voice Media 

This is a clip from the ever so inspiring episode with Cherie Urban. In this clip Cherie talks about what she learned going to marriage counseling by herself and tells us how she met her husband! 

The original episode is titled: Overcoming Abuse and Finding Love Again. Listen to it here: https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/23361143