Overcomers Overcoming

Dana Diaz was born to a teenage mother out of wedlock who didn't want her but was forced to keep her. Reduced to nothing, she left home during her first year of college and immediately fell for a covert narcissist who promised her the love I never had. Dana married him, who soon verbally and physically abused her, much as her father did. She ignored her intuitive sense and married him anyway. During her 25-year-long relationship with him, he used her verbally and emotionally, drained them financially, manipulated her, cheated on her, and took advantage of her sexually. Accordingly, she did not want to engage with him. As retribution, he stalked her and attempted to kidnap their son. The trauma caused her severe illness. By the end of her marriage, she had autoimmune symptoms and lung syndrome resulting from consistently high levels of cortisol. Getting sick made her realize the self-respect and self-love she hadn't had before. Leaving the toxicity of that relationship has allowed her to heal and thrive. She has finally used her education in journalism and psychology from DePaul University to author a book about her experiences, and she is speaking out for other victims of abuse to create awareness about abuse and the need for more justice for victims. Her life of recovery and overcoming inspires others to show them it's never too late to love or live and fulfill their heart's desires. You can learn more about Dana through her book, Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse, and on her website: https://danasdiaz.com/.

Avi Wolfson inspires audiences by inspiring others to re-activate the spark in their life. Confidence and success are contagious to foster that life change. A true champion isn't someone who wins for themselves but does it to help others achieve what they have. These phrases dominated Avi's life in words without action. Before he became a licensed realtor, professional salesperson, best-selling author, and three-time axe-throwing champion, his successes were more grounded. He enjoyed playing and watching football, ultimate frisbee, and ping-pong. In addition, he loved playing video games, watching documentaries, and solving Rubik's cubes. Avi grew up with the impression he was a loser, which included feeling worthless and helpless. His family culture contributed to that disposition. He struggled academically, and while resilient, he felt inadequate for a long time. As a young adult, Avi was diagnosed as having Bipolar Type I (previously known as Manic Depression) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The anxiety was evident and present within my family but seldom talked about. Avi did not have permission to feel sad or express feelings besides happiness. Further, he felt pressured to take on heavily religious activities in which he had no interest. This took a heavy toll on him, leading him to drink, take drugs, and use music as a vice. He joined the US National Guard in high school to absolve himself of this shame. While he was proud and satisfied to serve his country in uniform, his problems persisted. As a self-starter, independent learner, and resilient survivor, he knew he would have to find it within himself to overcome his feelings of inferiority. With a change of mindset and the help of a mentor, he learned to accept every rejection as having a purpose. With this mindset change, Avi found a sense while discovering how to inspire others to discover their champion within. What started as writing would eventually become thirty titles about his childhood experiences that evolved into life coaching, helping others become confident and experienced, and now a career as a public speaker. You can learn about Avi Wolfson at https://www.terrificspeakers.com/avi-wolfson, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Avi-Wolfson/author/B00QZK1JRC?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true, https://www.linkedin.com/in/aviwolfson/, and https://aviwolfson.com/.

Taimi (pronounced "tie-me") Lawlor lived as a complete perfectionist in her early 20s. Plagued by panic attacks, sleepless nights, severe constipation, and excessive exercise, she was a high-functioning, anxious person who did not believe in rest, recovery, or relaxation while trying to prove that she was "good enough." Instead of spinning in her never-ending symptoms, she put all her energy into getting to the root cause to improve her mental and physical health. Through a process of self-discovery and learning how the body functions are so functionally and integrally related, she discovered she no longer had to struggle with panic attacks, sleepless nights, the inability to poop, and just accepting sub-optimal health. Through many hours of research, trial-and-error, therapy, and self-discovery, she discovered herself and the root causes of her anxiety. Through this, Taimi helps others find and overcome the root causes of anxiety. She has an outreach practice to help others get beyond where she used to be. You can learn more about Taimi at https://www.astretchbeyondyoga.com. She is also on Instagram and Facebook as A Stretch Beyond Yoga.

Mary G. Barlow chronicles her early life dealing with her mom's death when Mary was seven years old, as well as her adult life in finding peace and joy. Years after her mother died, Mary learned her mom had committed suicide, possibly manifested from postpartum depression following the birth of Mary's younger brother. Based on her life experience and the ensuing trauma of learning how her mother died, Mary wrote the book, "Home, My Story of House and Personal Restoration." In writing "Home," Mary blends literary and medical writing and journalistic talents. As a medical writer, Mary has written extensively for commercial organizations on numerous diseases, life sciences products, and the business of healthcare. She is an expert on how healthcare in the United States works and the challenges related to its accessibility. Before her medical writing career, Mary was a journalist, writing articles for the Blackstone Valley Tribune, a small community newspaper in Northbridge, Massachusetts. She also worked as a freelance reporter, contributing articles to the Telegram and Gazette, a daily paper circulated in Worcester County. Leveraging her journalism skills, Mary researched the historical aspects of "Home." These include Dutch immigrant life in New England during the early twentieth century and the impact of the Industrial Revolution on a small town's mill community. You can learn more about Mary Barlow and her book at www.mgbarlow.com.

Danny McCabe maintained a loving relationship with his wife for nearly twenty years before the underpinnings of their marriage, family, and world crumbled. Their foundation had always been rooted in the mantra that trust is the bedrock of a healthy relationship. Indeed, Erin (his former wife) had always claimed that things couldn't work without trust. But one day, for reasons Danny could not fathom, Erin became suspicious of his every move. Phone calls, text messages, and work emails were manufactured into proof of infidelity, drug addiction, and a network of lies. She enlisted her mother in her efforts, and together, they forged the words of family, trust, and honesty into a metaphorical hammer and beat him into the ground. Their accusations accumulated, twisting reality and eventually resulting in Danny's involuntary hospitalization. Danny was pushed to life's edge. He was nearly ready to jump. Then, God intervened. Erin's shocking revelation, her Third Gift, lit the blind spots in his marriage that Danny had never been able to reconcile. Learn how the expression "You only love God as much as the person you love the least" and "May you find peace" factored into Danny's gift of recovery. You can learn more about and purchase "The Third Gift: My Dance With The Devil (And Her Mother)" at https://www.amazon.com/Third-Gift-Dance-Devil-Mother/dp/1643073834.

Pat Wetzel is an award-winning author who has learned perseverance to get beyond the bumps she is experiencing in life. From Wharton Business School to global finance, from disability to learning to soar (Pat is a sailplane pilot with over a decade of tales to tell), from world travels to travel within, Pat has led an extraordinary life. In her book, she tells the stories of other great people, how they have navigated their bumps in the road and the wisdom they've gained along the way. What's your bump? Business, personal, sports? One of Pat's "bumps" was learning to fly. She loved flying high-tech, single-seat, aerodynamic airplanes with no engine. She belonged to a club that owned its airport. The pilots would drink beer and tell stories about their flights. Stories of accomplishment and sometimes fear. Those stories flew with each of us. And those stories sometimes saved our lives. From that, she saw how the power of sharing stories touches, teaches, and guides us. And now, Pat is telling stories on her podcast and in her books under the Bump In The Road brand. Pat's story includes accomplishment, disability, disappointment, and divorce. It has achievement, spirituality, and, eventually, some wisdom. Add in six years of cancer and a global quest to find her soul that wasn't "out there," but rather it was "in here." Pat chronicles 15 Stories of Courage, Hope, and Resilience in her book. With over four years of podcast guests, their stories are part of her repertoire in a never-ending search for a better understanding of the bumps we face in this road trip called life. You can learn more about Pat Wetzel at https://bumpintheroad.us/about-3/; you can find her book, "Bump In The Road: 15 Stories of Courage, Hope and Resilience," at https://www.amazon.com/Bump-Road-Stories-Courage-Resilience/dp/B0CHL7K2F4, you can listen to her "Bump in the Road" podcast at https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/bump-in-the-road-pat-wetzel-2Cw_ZS1vNzM/#_=_.

Jenny Alexander overcame the trauma of divorce. She recently found love and a new marriage again. She overcame the fear of starting over in a new province and leaving my 25+ year career. Are you trapped in the aftermath of a divorce, desperately seeking a path forward? Is your quest to find the spouse you deserve an elusive dream? Are your friendships causing you distress? Perhaps you're facing a crisis of faith or seeking to enhance your family's devotional journey. Jenny understands your struggles no matter where you are on your relationship journey. She has walked the path of healing after divorce, navigated the dating maze, experienced distressing friendships, and overcame a faith crisis. She has a master's in human services counseling from Liberty University and has shared her wisdom and experiences on numerous podcasts. You can learn more about Jenny at https://www.jennyealexander.com/.

Dr. Kathryn Vecchio was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a Sicilian family. Her family traditions and culture became the rhythm of her soul. Her father played jazz trumpet and infused the arts into their family experiences. She was blessed to explore all aspects of creative and expressive art forms. Throughout life, she was touched by addiction, adoption, and complex trauma. As an athlete, she had to overcome extraordinary obstacles while applying her life lessons to her programs. Through her life experiences, she integrates her evaluated life experiences and education to develop her unique intervention and program. She awakens people's imagination and creativity by combining art, personal development, and spiritual and mental health principles. Her primary intervention is through individual and group therapy. The opportunity to build on social and relational skills in group therapy sessions is enormous. She also offers the Art For The Heart © program for individual family coaching and training in her system and programs. Groups meet weekly for an hour in person or through Zoom for those who travel or have health concerns. Art group projects have included acrylic painting on canvas, watercolors, drawing, decoupage, beading, and incorporated music, photography, and poetry. Previous groups have been resoundingly successful (with a high return rate) and provided measurable benefits in socialization skills, executive functioning, self-awareness, creativity, self-confidence, and other problematic symptoms. You can learn more about Dr. Kathryn Vecchio at https://www.artwithaheart.net/ and https://artfortheheartfoundation.org/, and https://rewriteyourlifestory.podbean.com/e/episode-15-rewrite-your-life-story-dr-kathryn-vecchio-bringing-imagination-and-creativity-to-life.

Natalie Riede had a near-death experience from surgery complications, causing her to spend a month quarantined in a hospital, hanging between life and death. This experience set her on the path to discovering and harnessing the power of the subconscious mind. She learned different tools and techniques to overcome everything and move forward with her life instead of being crippled by fear and anxiety. Through her life experience, she empowers women to navigate their cancer journey with a positive mindset. She focuses on mental health, self-care, self-love (especially loving your scars), emotional resilience, and stepping into a new version of you after a cancer diagnosis. Natalie is a certified life coach, Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and Stage IV cancer survivor. You can learn more about Natalie Riede at https://www.newinspirationmedia.net/post/thriving-through-adversity-a-cancer-survivor-s-journey-to-positivity-natalie-riede and https://www.instagram.com/natalieriede/.

Amanda Blackwood survived human trafficking and child abuse. Those with a nefarious intent to exploit vulnerable people do so through cell apps and internet means. Through her life experiences, she is a public speaker, published author, and trauma recovery mentor for those seeking ways to combat PTSD and trauma responses. Amanda's mission is to be a catalyst to work with as many people as possible to lead them to live a fulfilled life through Christ. She's a woman who transformed her trauma into resilience and strength. Now, Amanda uses her knowledge of growth and healing to inspire trauma survivors everywhere so that they can become anything. On a cold day in 2018, she saw formerly trafficked people standing firm and showing their beautiful resiliency on a stage at an anti-trafficking event. At that moment, she finally knew her life's purpose. Since then, Amanda has spoken on many stages, international summits, and radio programs and had over a dozen books. Trafficking is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem. Through awareness, we can take appropriate action to become involved to stem the flow of this invasive activity. We can engage at the grassroots level to be effective in identifying those involved in all aspects of trafficking. She launched two podcasts - one that focuses on interviewing other authors of trauma and the other that discusses the long-term consequences of trauma and how to fight back for a better life. You can learn more about Amanda and her books at https://www.facebook.com/profile/100063483876426/search/?q=Amanda%20Blackwod.