Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the fiftieth episode into the binge-able Past to Present Series.

“Sometimes it will take something devastating and heartbreaking to guide you to your actual purpose. Things may feel foreign after you’ve practiced it routinely day in and day out. Sometimes the spins will become memories to cherish. Sometimes the song you practiced to every time for your competition will remind you that you’ve still got it — that ambitious drive. It may not be that ice skating rink you practiced on, but it’ll be the reminder you need to pick yourself up after your long and hard days. After all, the real performance isn’t on the ice."

In Episode 50 on On The Grow, I talk about my 5-year run with my oldest favorite sport — figure skating. I talk about my figure skating ambitions, that mentality of striving for more, what those years taught me and how it applies to where I am now, and how my figure skating goals to be the next Michelle Kwan came to an end.

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-ninth episode into the binge-able Mental Health Series.

“As we step out of our comfort zone, we become conscious of what we’re doing. That makes us stronger to take it to the next step. And that’s when I really started to work on myself — work on personal development. And even now, at age 60 because I don’t want to go through life unconscious. My whole life I was fitting into a box to make other people feel comfortable. Fearlessly Authentic means living outside of the rules that society thinks that someone my age should be living in and be constantly truthful to the way I want to live my life and not to be scared to do that. My whole life, I was scared to be me." 

In Episode 49 on On The Grow, Jodi Harrison Bauer, a two-time World Fitness America and World Fitness Universe Champion, personal trainer for Jodi Fit, podcast host for Fearlessly Authentic, someone who made the New York Post cover for Top 60 at a Sports Illustrated Swim open casting call out of thousands of women, and was featured on Good Morning America for being fearless and not letting age hold her back, shares her perspective on ageism -- aging backwards, the turning point in her life where she truly found herself, feeling boxed in by societal standards, not feeling in tune with people her age, and healthy approaches to life mentally, physically, and emotionally. I also share a sneak peek of the next podcast season at the end of the episode! 

You can find Jodi on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jodiharrisonbauer 

You can find Jodi on her website here: https://jodiharrisonbauer.com/ 

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-eighth episode into the binge-able Mental Health Series.

"I think we’re all similar in that aspect — we hold onto the things that had purpose at one point in our lives. Whether that’s a relationship that signified our first love, or a person who showed us something we’ve never experienced, or a materialistic item that was bought for a specific reason or given from a special person, we are collectors."

In Episode 48 on On The Grow, I expand on one of the 4 things I shared in my previous episode — Take Out the Trash. I talk about the “trash” and irrelevant people and thoughts we hold on to — the “trash” that don’t really serve any purpose, don’t help us but instead hurt us, and some stories from my past. I focus on how this affects our mental health and why it’s “healthy” to take out the trash.

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-seventh episode and a *bonus* episode recapping the end of 2020.

"We persevered and learned through the trials and tribulations of 2020. I think we all have a lot to be grateful for because of it. It was the greatest lesson we’ve ever faced. And this doesn’t mean things will magically get better when the clock strikes midnight. This doesn’t mean that COVID-19 disappears and the tragedies stop. This means that the hardships we’ve gone through will prep us for the next course in our lives. It’s built us to be stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. I pray that we all don’t feel the desire to “run away” from this year and close this chapter to never reopen it again. I pray that we will always look back at 2020 and remember it as the year of growth. The year where we truly grew stronger in our faith, in ourselves, and each other."

In Episode 47 on On The Grow, I do a recap on the podcast seasons this year, I talk about 4 things I learned this year, what I'm looking forward to next year, and more. 

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-sixth episode into the binge-able Mental Health Series.

“The world requires so much of us. We are required to work 24 hours a day and because we are always on our phone, we are always scrolling. I was constantly working, constantly trying to make my dreams come true. But little did I know, I was killing myself. And my mental health slowly began to deteriorate. Adderall causes extreme Addorexia — which is body dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety.” 

In episode 46 of On The Grow, I have a conversation with Audrey Stimpson, a friend I met in New York City a few years ago, who shares her battle overcoming an Adderall addiction of 23 years, her experiences seeking professional help and guidance, and a discussion on addiction and what that mentality entails. 

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. Please consult with a physician before making any changes.  

You can find Audrey on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/audreystimpson/ 

You can find Audrey and other resources on her blog here: https://www.audreystimpson.com/

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-fifth episode into the binge-able Mental Health Series.

"It’s important to check in on people. A lot of times you don’t even know if someone is going through something like that. It’s important for us, especially now, but always to check in on each other. Even if you think someone has their life together. People look at me and see me traveling all the time (safely) and living the best life, but really I’ve just been really depressed for four months. You can’t believe what you see on social media, you can’t judge someone. You’ve just got to ask them."

In episode 45 of On The Grow, I have a conversation with Rina Min, a friend here in New York City, on her experiences with anxiety and depression. She shares how she has been coping during the pandemic, her experiences with anxiety and depression in a relationship, routines and steps that helped her get through it, and overall, bringing awareness to help others understand how to approach someone who has anxiety and/or depression.

You can find Rina on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/whoneedsmin/

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-fourth episode into the binge-able Mental Health Series.

"I try to make money a positive experience. I grew up with strong, negative beliefs on money and I really try to look at money as an opportunity. I don’t want to feel shame around money, or feel like I’m not good with money, I want to make sure I’m examining what actually is coming from my spending and my purchases.  If I do see a month where I made too many takeout orders, I ask myself ‘what led to that? How can I make money a positive experience for me?"

In episode 44 of On The Grow, I have a conversation with Maya Fleming, the author and creator of Gentler Podcast, self-care enthusiast, avid speaker for financial self-care, and a recent college grad from Georgetown University. We discuss how to feel good about money, tips on finding that balance between spending and saving, her biggest tip for financial self-care, and finding ways to earn money that align with your passions and values. This is such an informative episode for budgeting, for those of you who are struggling to balance finances, and uncovering the taboo subject on MONEY.

You can find Maya on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mayanfleming/

You can find Maya on her blog here: https://mayafleming.com/

You can find Maya on Be Gentler Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gentler-practical-self-care/id1486917785

Pre-order Maya's Financial Self-Care E-Book here: https://www.begentler.com/new-products/gentler-guide-to-goal-setting-pre-order

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-third episode into the binge-able Winter Months Series.

Does anyone ever feel like they’re moving at a faster speed during the winter months? Like everything on your to-do list doubled or tripled and the deadlines seem so much closer? I always feel this way for some reason. I don’t know if it really IS the fact that my workload is multiplying, but the end of the year always feels like some sort of deadline. Gotta finish this by the end of 2020, gotta finish that... maybe it’s the mentality that everything you were supposed to get done needs to be complete before the year ends. I honestly think that our stress increases because there’s just too much going on in December. 

In episode 43 of On The Grow, I cover the topics of holiday stress, heartbreak, weight gain, and finding happiness till the end. I’ll discuss the ‘holiday heartbreak’ many of us experience, why exploring yourself and staying single can be a GOOD thing during the holidays, the touchy subject on holiday weight gain, holiday stress and what many of us might be going through right now, and staying hopeful in times of uncertainty to the end of this crazy year. 

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-second episode into the binge-able Winter Months Series.

"Loneliness can feel excruciating, especially during the holiday season as the rest of the world has its share of family reunions and limited celebrations. The “holiday hype” is hard to resist, I get it. The Hallmark movies, the Christmas advertisements, the joyful holiday songs can leak into our subconscious and alert us whenever the holiday season rolls around. There’s something about December that makes this time for lonely people extremely difficult. You start to wonder why you don’t have someone to kiss under the mistletoe on Christmas or a date for New Year’s Eve, even though you were perfectly fine with your single status in November." 

In episode 42 of On The Grow, I cover the topic on 'Loneliness During the Holidays.' I discuss what many of us go through during this time of year, how we “pretend” to be happy even though we don’t always *feel* that way, how loneliness during the holidays affects us mentally, and ways we can change our mindset. 

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee

Welcome back to On The Grow, I'm Grace Lee.

This is the forty-first episode into the binge-able Winter Months Series.

"We often question the roadblocks in our paths and see them for what they are in real-time: roadblocks. We sometimes look at our timelines and wonder why we’re in this seasonal rut. When things don’t go the way we plan, it makes sense we question ourselves and what we’re even doing. Maybe the roadblock is helping you understand that the seasonal rut is HELPING you get out of something else that was bigger and more destructive down your path. Maybe feeling “stuck” where you are will open another door and give you a wake-up call that what you were doing all along wasn’t making you happy. I think we should always pay attention to the things that get in our way because there is always a reason for it."

In episode 41 of On The Grow, I cover the topic on SEASONAL RUTS. I talk about what it means to be in a seasonal rut, shifting our mindset on the things we CAN control, how to get out of one, and some anecdotes that you might find enjoyable.

If you ever have any questions, comments, tips or suggestions, contact me here:

email: [email protected]

Blog: www.gracefulleemade.com 

YouTube: www.youtube.com/graceleeblogger 

IG: @bygracelee -- instagram.com/bygracelee