For years, I had been working toward independence. Somewhere along the way, I realized I was actually living it.

In Episode 15 of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I’m sharing a season of my life that was filled with change, growth, relationships, unexpected joy, and some lessons I didn't fully understand until years later.

I had moved into my own home. My speaking career was growing. I was spending more time with the people I loved and discovering what it meant to build a life that was truly my own.

But this season also challenged me to think differently about what I was waiting for, what I was afraid of, and how I wanted to spend the life right in front of me.

In this episode, I share:

• How my dream of speaking full time began to take off
• What I was learning about independence and living in the present
• Some of the relationships that shaped this season of my life
• Why saying yes—to people, experiences, and even a few unexpected additions to my home—brought more joy than I anticipated

There are stories in this episode that make me laugh and others that are still emotional to tell. Together, they remind me that resilience isn't always about overcoming one huge challenge. Sometimes it's about having the courage to keep living, growing, and embracing what is right in front of you.

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh: Episode 16, When Love Found Me. After years of keeping my heart protected, someone was about to come into my life who would challenge me to face one of my greatest fears—letting someone in.

Learn more and connect with me:
Visit TashaSchuh.com to learn more about my books, keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, and other resources.

Thank you for listening to Resilience with Tasha Schuh. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow or subscribe and share it with someone who might be encouraged by my story.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

At 16, I couldn't imagine how I would ever live independently. Ten years later, I was building a home of my own.

In Episode 14 of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I’m sharing one of the biggest leaps of faith I had taken since my accident: deciding at 26 years old to build my own home and begin preparing to live independently as a quadriplegic.

I had no idea how to build a house, where I would build it, or how I would manage living on my own. But one decision at a time—and with some incredible people supporting me—the pieces began to come together.

In this episode, I share:

• How a simple conversation with my sister led me to decide to build my own accessible home
• The people who came alongside me and helped turn an overwhelming idea into reality
• Two frightening health scares that happened while my house was being built
• What it meant to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of my accident in a home I never imagined I would be able to build

This season of my life taught me so much about independence, acceptance, faith, and resilience—and about discovering that a meaningful life can look completely different from the one you once imagined.

Watch: How Ibuprofen Almost Took My Life

During this episode, I briefly share about the health scare that led doctors to discover my hemoglobin had dropped to 5.3 after internal bleeding caused by taking ibuprofen on an empty stomach. I share the full story in this video:

https://youtu.be/cd1xl_TkpYQ?si=xePLYdj0jC2cEnPX

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh:

In Episode 15, I’ll share more about what it was really like to live independently as a quadriplegic, the special time I spent with my nieces and nephews, how my speaking career continued to grow, and a realization I had about how much of my life I had been putting on hold.

It was a season when I began choosing friends, fun, and the life that was right in front of me—and discovering just how much was possible.

Learn more about my story, speaking, books, and resilience coaching at TashaSchuh.com.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

What if the life you thought you lost was actually preparing you for the life you were meant to live?

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share one of the most meaningful seasons of my journey as I discovered gifts, purpose, and possibilities I never thought I'd have again.

From changing my college major to Communication Studies... to pursuing music after being told I would never sing again... to graduating from Winona State and beginning a second bachelor's degree... this chapter was filled with moments that slowly changed the direction of my life.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Changing my major and discovering a new purpose through public speaking.
• The miracle that followed after being told I would never sing again.
• The friendships, independence, and experiences that shaped who I was becoming.
• Graduating from Winona State and beginning the next chapter of my journey.

If you've ever wondered whether your life still has purpose after a setback, disappointment, or unexpected change, I hope this episode reminds you that sometimes the greatest miracles aren't the ones we expect—they're the ones that quietly shape us into the people we're becoming.

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh:

I'll share the story of deciding to build a home of my own, taking another big step toward independence, and continuing to pursue the dream of becoming a full-time Inspirational Speaker.

Learn more about my story:

My Last Step Backward and My Next Move Forward are available on my website (tashaschuh.com) and on Amazon.

If this episode encouraged you, I'd be so grateful if you'd follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a little encouragement today.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

Freedom. Independence. Possibility.

When I was lying in the ICU after my accident, one statement from my doctor seemed impossible to believe:

"She'll be able to drive."

I couldn't imagine how someone with a C5 spinal cord injury could ever drive again.

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share the incredible journey of learning to drive with adaptive technology, overcoming fear, and experiencing a level of freedom I wasn't sure I'd ever have again.

From my first terrifying driving lesson...to getting pulled over by a police officer...to eventually driving through Twin Cities traffic and taking road trips, this chapter of my life reminded me that sometimes the things that seem impossible become possible one mile at a time.

In this episode:

• Learning to drive with electronic hand controls and adaptive technology
• The challenges, fears, and funny moments that came with gaining my independence
• Why driving became so much more than simply getting from one place to another
• How this season of life prepared me for an unexpected new direction

Want to see my adaptive driving equipment in action?

Watch my van video on YouTube here:

https://youtu.be/4JGbLap9WGs?si=rKgtqI-zffzTOh43

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh:

Learning to drive gave me independence—but I was still searching for my purpose.

In the next episode, I'll share how changing my college major, discovering a love for communication, experiencing the miracle of singing after being told I might never sing again, and earning a second bachelor's degree all became part of the incredible way God was preparing me for the life He had planned.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

I wanted God to heal my body.

I never expected Him to begin healing my heart first.

After my accident, I believed in God—but I was angry, full of questions, and only wanted Him to answer my prayers. I wasn't interested in surrendering my life to Him.

Everything began to change during my senior year of high school and continued through my freshman year of college as I discovered a hope, peace, and purpose I had never experienced before.

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share the deeply personal journey of how my faith became the foundation that carried me through some of life's biggest uncertainties.

In this episode:

• Coming to realize that God was real
• Finding genuine friendship and community through college
• Discovering hope through reading the Bible
• A remarkable answer to prayer that strengthened my faith

This is a part of my story I simply couldn't leave out. I hope it encourages you as you continue following my journey.

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh:

Learning to drive again felt impossible after my accident—but it became one of the greatest gifts of freedom I could have imagined. Join me as I share how that journey began and how God continued revealing the purpose He had for my life.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

College was supposed to be the next exciting chapter…

But before classes even began, I was already facing obstacles I never expected.

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share what it was like to leave home, choose a college, and discover just how inaccessible the world could be after my injury.

From finding the right campus and navigating caregivers to learning independence, advocating for accommodations, and adjusting to college life, this season stretched me in ways I never imagined.

In this episode:

• Choosing the college that felt like home
• Discovering the realities of accessibility
• Moving away from home and starting over
• Learning independence and self-advocacy
• The unexpected lessons that shaped my first year of college

This chapter wasn't just about earning a degree.

It was about discovering who I was becoming.

Next time on Resilience with Tasha Schuh:
I'll share how my faith became a life-changing part of my college journey and the unexpected ways God began shaping my purpose through one of the most transformative seasons of my life.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

What happens when you've fought so hard to survive... and now you have to figure out how to live?

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share what it was like returning to school, navigating new challenges, and trying to find my place in a future that looked very different than the one I had imagined.

Along the way, I discovered new sources of hope, gained important independence, and began to realize that life after my accident could still be meaningful, purposeful, and full of possibilities.

But even as things improved on the outside, there were still battles happening beneath the surface.

In this episode:

• Returning to school and adapting to a new routine

• The life-changing impact of wheelchair camp

• Finding greater independence through surgery and adaptive equipment

• Graduating with the class I was determined to finish alongside

• Learning that hope can exist even when life doesn't go according to plan

Mentioned in this episode:

Tenodesis Splint Demonstration Video:

https://youtu.be/oRuRnb_zqLY?si=xzyqaIe2J-YYKvaO

Next time:

Graduation marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

As I began exploring colleges and preparing for life after high school, I found myself facing new challenges, new opportunities, and important questions about who I was becoming.

The future was waiting.

I just wasn't quite sure where it would lead.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

Leaving the hospital was supposed to feel like freedom.

Instead, it brought a whole new set of challenges.

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I share what it was like to leave the safety of the hospital and begin adjusting to life outside its walls.

From moving into the Ronald McDonald House… to relying on my family in new ways… to returning home and facing a world that suddenly felt very different, this chapter was filled with uncertainty, emotion, and important lessons about perspective.

While some moments brought hope, others brought heartbreak.

But through it all, I began discovering that resilience isn't about having all the answers.

Sometimes it's simply about finding the courage to keep moving forward.

In this episode:

• Leaving rehab and transitioning to the Ronald McDonald House
• Learning to adjust to life outside the hospital
• Returning home and reconnecting with friends
• The people who helped carry me through one of the hardest seasons of my life

Next time, we'll continue the journey as I learn new routines, prepare for graduation, attend wheelchair camp, and continue figuring out what life after injury would look like.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

What happens when the fight isn’t just physical anymore?

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I take you deeper into my rehabilitation journey — a season where the emotional weight of everything I had lost began catching up with me.

As therapy continued and progress was being made on the outside, fear, grief, uncertainty, and depression were quietly building underneath the surface.

From learning to navigate life in a wheelchair… to facing the reality of what my future might look like… to the people who helped me laugh, cry, and keep going — this chapter of rehab became about far more than physical healing.

It became the beginning of emotional healing too.

In this episode:

• The emotional battle that rehab brought
 • Fear, grief, and trying to “hold it together”
 • The people who helped me through my darkest days
 • Small victories, overwhelming changes, and learning to take life one day at a time

Next time, we’ll continue this journey in:

Finding My Way: Life After Leaving the Hospital

Leaving rehab was only the beginning. In the next episode, I’ll share what it was like to move into the Ronald McDonald House, prepare for prom, move into our new home, and step back into school and everyday life after the hospital.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.

Rehabilitation was supposed to be where I started getting stronger…

But it didn’t feel that way.

In this episode of Resilience with Tasha Schuh, I take you inside the early days of rehab — a season that was far more difficult than I ever expected.

After leaving the ICU, I spent five months on the rehab unit. What looked like progress on the outside felt overwhelming on the inside.

Long days of therapy.
 Constant physical exhaustion.
 And a growing emotional weight I didn’t yet understand.

In this episode, I share what it really felt like to begin rebuilding — while trying to stay strong for everyone around me.

Because resilience isn’t always loud or inspiring.

Sometimes…

It looks like simply making it through the day.

In this episode:

• The transition from ICU to rehab
 • The reality of daily therapy and exhaustion
 • The fear of being alone — and the people who showed up
 • The beginning of a battle I didn’t yet have words for

Next time, we’ll continue this journey in:

Rebuilding Me – The Fight of Rehabilitation (Part 2: Finding Strength in the Routine)

As the physical routine continues, the emotional battle begins to surface in ways I didn’t expect.

Want to learn more about my speaking and coaching? Visit TashaSchuh.com to explore our mission of helping others build resilience through keynote speaking, one-on-one resilience coaching, online courses, books, and other resources.

I would also love to hear from you! If there are topics you’d like me to cover or guests you’d love to hear from, please reach out and share your ideas with me at [email protected].

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe to Resilience with Tasha Schuh and share it with someone who could use hope and resilience today.