Jordi - Happiness Hero

In this episode, join Jordi as she interviews her friend Kelsey Rain and they delve into what it is like for her living as an indigenous, poly-amorous woman.

Kelsey Rain is a mother, a skilled writer, a talented thespian & musician, a passionate educator, Native American, and a member of the queer community. Being a minority on several fronts, her story offers a unique perspective into cultures that many are not familiar with. Along the way, we learn that love can exist and manifest in a vast spectrum of ways. Just as no two humans are exactly alike, no two people feel and express love exactly the same way. What may be normal for other people doesn't have to be normal for you, and that's ok. Learning to live and let live, and to approach life with curiosity as opposed to judgement, helps us to live a life rooted in love and not fear. And, love ALWAYS wins.

In this episode, join Jordi as she interviews her friend Kelsey and they delve into what it is like for her living as an indigenous, poly-amorous woman.

Kelsey Rain is a mother, a skilled writer, a talented thespian & musician, a passionate educator, Native American, and a member of the queer community. Being a minority on several fronts, her story offers a unique perspective into cultures that many are not familiar with. Along the way, we learn that love can exist and manifest in a vast spectrum of ways. Just as no two humans are exactly alike, no two people feel and express love exactly the same way. What may be normal for other people doesn't have to be normal for you, and that's ok. Learning to live and let live, and to approach life with curiosity as opposed to judgement, helps us to live a life rooted in love and not fear. And, love ALWAYS wins.

Happy Pride Month!

Our series this month is dedicated to celebrating all queer humans, regardless of our own sexuality, and approaching the unknown with curiosity, not judgement. It is all about love, and LOVE ALWAYS WINS.

For the first episode of the series, Jordi sat down with the incredible Andrew Pruitt, who just graduated from UNCW, to discuss his experience of growing up as a queer youth in the south. Although Andrew is young, he is wise beyond his years, and can teach all of us a thing or two about being more tolerant, thoughtful humans. Give this episode a listen, and I promise you'll learn something from this phenomenal young human.

Happy Pride Month!

Our series this month is dedicated to celebrating all queer humans, regardless of our own sexuality, and approaching the unknown with curiosity, not judgement. It is all about love, and LOVE ALWAYS WINS.

For the first episode of the series, Jordi sat down with the incredible Andrew Pruitt, who just graduated from UNCW, to discuss his experience of growing up as a queer youth in the south. Although Andrew is young, he is wise beyond his years, and can teach all of us a thing or two about being more tolerant, thoughtful humans. Give this episode a listen, and I promise you'll learn something from this phenomenal young human.

In the final installment of her 2023 Mental Health Awareness month series, Jordi decided to call on a few friends to help her Squash the Stigma surrounding therapy/seeking help. Together, they share some of their favorite wisdom nuggets that have stuck with them after going to therapy. Do you have a piece of wisdom that has stuck with you? Please share it with us on social media and tag @jordi_happinesshero so we can see it! Keep the discourse alive so that we can keep squashing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Everyone experiences dark times in life. In these moments, where can we find the light?

This episode, part four of my Squashing the Stigma series in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, is all about finding sunshine in the inevitable storms of life. I was fortunate enough to get to interview my dear friend Stacy Rosales, who remains a steady ray of light to everyone around her despite the fact that she's fighting a losing battle for her life. Stacy may be losing her battle with kidney disease, but she isn't letting herself fall into the shadows of despair.

This episode is a powerful reminder that there's always sunshine to be found if we fight to find it. Despite our circumstances, we don't have to lose ourselves in the darkness.

To learn more about kidney disease and live organ donation, visit the National Kidney Foundation's website at https://www.kidney.org/

Everyone experiences dark times in life. In these moments, where can we find the light?

This episode, part four of my Squashing the Stigma series in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, is all about finding sunshine in the inevitable storms of life. I was fortunate enough to get to interview my dear friend Stacy Rosales, who remains a steady ray of light to everyone around her despite the fact that she's fighting a losing battle for her life. Stacy may be losing her battle with kidney disease, but she isn't letting herself fall into the shadows of despair.

This episode is a powerful reminder that there's always sunshine to be found if we fight to find it. Despite our circumstances, we don't have to lose ourselves in the darkness.

To learn more about kidney disease and live organ donation, visit the National Kidney Foundation's website at https://www.kidney.org/

Mother's Day can bring up so many emotions in different people, and it's not always sunshine, rainbows, and gratitude. By allowing mothers to be human, we actually allow ourselves to grow as humans and to be more understanding. For this week's episode, I invited my three daughters to interview me about my mental health journey. Even mothers struggle, and it is normal. Maybe, instead of praising them for being superhuman, which they aren't, we could notice the ways in which they're struggling or hurting, no matter how well they hide it, and find ways to help them out? Hopefully, for those of us who are mothers and struggle with mental illness, we're able to use our difficult experiences as teaching moments for our kids. Now and always, I try to keep an open line of dialogue with my daughters about mental health, and stress the importance of getting help when they need it. In this episode, they asked me some tough questions, and I feel like I'm better, and they're better, for the discussion we had.

In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month, every episode in May will focus on Squashing the Stigma surrounding Mental Health.

For today's episode, I chatted with Jacksonville, North Carolina local, and former marine kid, Haley Frazier about her mental health journey. How did her perception of mental health evolve from childhood to adulthood? What is her motivation to keep going? What tools helped her overcome her mental health struggles? This episode reminded me that I could interview any person, even someone I've never met, and find an inspiring story. We ALL, as human beings, have experiences that have taught us and helped us grow. As part of the human experience, we ALL have ridden the mental health struggle bus at some point, and there is power in talking about it. No one is alone in their mental health struggles, and the more we talk about it, the closer we come to squashing the stigma.

Trigger Warning: This episode mentions suicidal ideation and attempts.

In honor of May being Mental Health Awareness month, every episode in May will focus on Squashing the Stigma surrounding Mental Health.

For today's episode, I chatted with Jacksonville, North Carolina local, and former marine kid, Haley Frazier about her mental health journey. How did her perception of mental health evolve from childhood to adulthood? What is her motivation to keep going? What tools helped her overcome her mental health struggles? This episode reminded me that I could interview any person, even someone I've never met, and find an inspiring story. We ALL, as human beings, have experiences that have taught us and helped us grow. As part of the human experience, we ALL have ridden the mental health struggle bus at some point, and there is power in talking about it. No one is alone in their mental health struggles, and the more we talk about it, the closer we come to squashing the stigma.

Trigger Warning: This episode mentions suicidal ideation and attempts.