When a crisis happens – especially one that lasts long-term – we spend much of our time simply in survival mode, and for good reason. But how do we find empathy for ourselves during the most difficult times of our lives?

Our guest this week is Patti M. Hall: a writer, collaborator, book coach, and founder of The Story House book-building mastermind. She’s also the author of “Loving Large: A Mother’s Rare Disease Memoir.” 

In this episode, Patti discusses her son’s rare disease diagnosis, and how that period of chaos and crisis sent her into physical and mental overwhelm – and how she eventually found balance, self-compassion, and light at the end of the tunnel. 

What You Will Learn: 

4:46: How Patti has come to embrace her own voice, as opposed to just helping others find theirs

5:49: Patti tells the story of her son’s rare disease diagnosis, and how it affected both her family system and her internal world

8:24: How Patti’s mental health suffered in the period of time after her son’s diagnosis

11:38: Why Patti was “floundering” and how she expanded the “fight, flight, or freeze” mechanism in her brain to include something else

14:54: How Patti balances responding to crisis with self-compassion (and how she defines self-compassion)

18:10: Patti explains how her son is doing now, as well as how crisis has united her family

19:55: How Patti tunes into her inner child, even (and especially) during hard times

24:57: How Patti has moved from “island” to “community”

26:35: Why writing was a tool for Patti to heal her pain, and how she coached herself through the writing process to make peace with her most difficult memories 

29:30: What Patti would tell people who are curious about writing as a path towards healing, and why we need to take the “mystique” out of writing

30:31: Why writing a book with the audience in mind first is “missing the point” and how stories can release us

33:17: What “scheduled unscheduled time” looks like for Patti and how she uses color coding to give herself space for herself in her daily life

Relevant Links: 

• Visit Patti’s website: https://pattimhall.com/
• Buy Patti’s book, “Loving Large: A Mother’s Rare Disease Memoir”: https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Large-Mothers-Disease-Memoir/dp/1459746368/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=loving+large&qid=1622642484&sr=8-2
• Follow Patti on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patti_m_hall/
• Free Soulcation Daily Planning Page: https://www.melodymiles.com/daily-planning-page
• Follow Mel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulcationmel/
• Purchase the Soulcation Planner: https://www.melodymiles.com/soulcation-planner