Stories that Empower

When Carlyn discovered she was adopted through an Ancestry DNA test, it felt like a tsunami hit her. Initially, she felt shock, anger, abandonment, sadness and grief. Her identity got pulled out from her. Everything started to unravel. What got her through it all what her profound sense of gratitude. She was able to move through it all and put the pieces back together again. She shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom:

- start a gratitude practice
- gratitude makes us more resilient
- whatever emotion you're going through is not permanent
- there's a greater gift on the other side
- just breathe and let it go
- don't add layers of judgement
- live in the now

http://animalhumanhealth.com/ 

tags: Carlyn, Montes, De, Oca, author, speaker, animal, human, health, expert, dog, doctor, cat, nurse, paws, good, stuff, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

Janna experienced grief in her midlife and her internal dialogue felt interrupted. She spent two weeks in a casita (a small house) by herself, where she made room for and listened for what was being said. What Janna heard was profound, empowering, inspiring and affirming. She realized that she was not experiencing a midlife crisis, but rather grief as we say goodbye to things. Today, Janna helps others to redefine who they are in midlife, helps with changes related to their identities and facilitates new ways of feeling and thinking about themselves. She shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom: - practice forgiveness, grace and self compassion - be kind to yourself - be cognizant of the expectations you put on yourself - be still and listen to your inner voice - acknowledge what voice is saying - make room for your voice without judgement and expectation - allow yourself to make room to listen, nurture, love and receive A thing to know is that Janna's life passion and work consistently revolve around expression through words and images. She calls herself a 'Wordstress.' She perceives the world through words and images, and that's the way she expresses and depicts the human experience. For the first time in her life, she feels tremendous freedom and curiosity, trying new forms of writing and photography, with uncertainty a welcomed part of the adventure. Janna recently published her first book, "Me My Selfie & Eye – A Midlife Conversation About Lost Identity, Grief & Seeing Who You Are." She's proud of what it shares, how it's helped people feel less alone, and how it truly resonates with both men and women. This was a major accomplishment, especially because she never thought she'd write a book. Which is why Janna understands people's fears and hesitation about writing. She. Totally. Gets. IT! And she will be beside you every single step of the way. She hosts a weekly podcast, "Eyedentity Talk" where she talks about identity, love, and the universe with dynamic, diverse people from all walks of life. Her enlivened conversations go DEEP! https://www.jannalopez.com/ tags: Janna, Lopez, author, writer, photographer, blogger, podcast, host, Me, My, Selfie, Eye, Midlife, Conversation, Lost, Identity, Grief, Seeing, Who, You, Are, Eyedentity, Talk, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

Janna experienced grief in her midlife and her internal dialogue felt interrupted. She spent two weeks in a casita (a small house) by herself, where she made room for and listened for what was being said. What Janna heard was profound, empowering, inspiring and affirming. She realized that she was not experiencing a midlife crisis, but rather grief as we say goodbye to things. Today, Janna helps others to redefine who they are in midlife, helps with changes related to their identities and facilitates new ways of feeling and thinking about themselves. She shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom:
- practice forgiveness, grace and self compassion
- be kind to yourself
- be cognizant of the expectations you put on yourself
- be still and listen to your inner voice
- acknowledge what voice is saying
- make room for your voice without judgement and expectation
- allow yourself to make room to listen, nurture, love and receive

A thing to know is that Janna's life passion and work consistently revolve around expression through words and images. She calls herself a ‘Wordstress.’ She perceives the world through words and images, and that’s the way she expresses and depicts the human experience. For the first time in her life, she feels tremendous freedom and curiosity, trying new forms of writing and photography, with uncertainty a welcomed part of the adventure.

Janna recently published her first book, “Me My Selfie & Eye – A Midlife Conversation About Lost Identity, Grief & Seeing Who You Are.” She's proud of what it shares, how it’s helped people feel less alone, and how it truly resonates with both men and women. This was a major accomplishment, especially because she never thought she’d write a book. Which is why Janna understands people’s fears and hesitation about writing. She. Totally. Gets. IT! And she will be beside you every single step of the way.

She hosts a weekly podcast, “Eyedentity Talk” where she talks about identity, love, and the universe with dynamic, diverse people from all walks of life. Her enlivened conversations go DEEP!

https://www.jannalopez.com/ 

tags: Janna, Lopez, author, writer, photographer, blogger, podcast, host, Me, My, Selfie, Eye, Midlife, Conversation, Lost, Identity, Grief, Seeing, Who, You, Are, Eyedentity, Talk, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

 

Stefanos was living a life of lies, compulsions and addictions. He was unfaithful in his relationships. Then, Stefanos was caught. This was catalyst that changed his life. He realized that his soul wanted to be caught all along, but he didn't have the courage to stop it. This also helped him to realize the hardship, trauma, abuse and isolation that he felt as a child. Stefanos realized that he had dishonored others and himself. He knew he had two choices; either do the work/go deep or continue in ignorance. Stefanos chose the former. He decided to speak the truth and shift his perspective. This helped him to deal with unresolved issues. Today, Stefanos helps others thrive in the space of relationships and things that matter to them in a profound way. He shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom: - speak your truth - shift your perspective - do the work, go deep - hardship can define us - don't hide in the shadows - strive to resolve past trauma and pain - dishonoring oneself and wearing masks is not sustainable - find gratitude and joy in the present moment - see without judgement https://stefanossifandos.com/ https://stefanossifandos.com/grow-with-stef/ tags: Stefanos, Sifandos, relationship, truthful, intimacy, reclaim, kingdom, conscious, warrior, relating, chaos, clarity, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

Stefanos was living a life of lies, compulsions and addictions. He was unfaithful in his relationships. Then, Stefanos was caught. This was catalyst that changed his life. He realized that his soul wanted to be caught all along, but he didn't have the courage to stop it. This also helped him to realize the hardship, trauma, abuse and isolation that he felt as a child. Stefanos realized that he had dishonored others and himself. He knew he had two choices; either do the work/go deep or continue in ignorance. Stefanos chose the former. He decided to speak the truth and shift his perspective. This helped him to deal with unresolved issues. Today, Stefanos helps others thrive in the space of relationships and things that matter to them in a profound way. He shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom:
- speak your truth
- shift your perspective
- do the work, go deep
- hardship can define us
- don't hide in the shadows
- strive to resolve past trauma and pain
- dishonoring oneself and wearing masks is not sustainable
- find gratitude and joy in the present moment
- see without judgement

https://stefanossifandos.com/ 
https://stefanossifandos.com/grow-with-stef/ 

tags: Stefanos, Sifandos, relationship, truthful, intimacy, reclaim, kingdom, conscious, warrior, relating, chaos, clarity, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

 

Rebecca walked the path of cancer with her mom twice, including when she was going through a divorce with small children. She knew she had a choice. Rebecca could crumble under the weight of it all or accept that change is how we grow. She took on her mom's strength, chose to live a life of gratitude and became an observer in her life. Rebecca shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom: - choose gratitude - find joy in the midst of pain - it's all about perspective - this life is for you - continue to thrive and grow each day - believe that good will come from any experience - be open to what we are here to learn - treasure each moment - take stock of what life means to you Rebecca is passionate about rethinking possible and brings intellectual humility to all of her endeavors, including several teaching roles at the master's level. Her passion in writing is to demystify taboo topics, such as cancer and death, and to inspire others to be courageous and learn about their loved ones' wishes, while creating lasting connections. Rebecca's award-winning debut memoir, The Gift of Goodbye: A Story of Agape Love, is her personal story of walking the End of Life path with her mother. Her second book, All Of Us Warriors: Cancer Stories of Survival and Loss, provides advice regarding how to approach someone you love living with cancer and tips and tricks for helping others feel joy in the midst of pain. She has been a featured Maria Shriver Architect of Change on surviving grief and shared her healing through yoga story on mindbodygreen.com. She holds a certification in the Foundations of Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, is a certified End of Life Doula, and a Fellow of the Nashville Healthcare Council. She has served in healthcare executive roles for several global companies, most recently UnitedHealthcare, and now is the COO of 180HealthPartners. Rebecca is happiest when outdoors, practicing yoga, finding great Medican food, being a mom, and using her chaotic Aries energy for good. She was born in Bloomington, IN, grew up in Houston, TX, and has lived in Nashville, TN, since 2005. https://rebeccawmunnauthor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/rebeccawmunnauthor/ https://twitter.com/rebeccawmunn tags: Rebecca, Whitehead, Munn, author, writer, All, of, Us, Warriors, Cancer, Stories, of, Survival, and, Loss, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

Rebecca walked the path of cancer with her mom twice, including when she was going through a divorce with small children. She knew she had a choice. Rebecca could crumble under the weight of it all or accept that change is how we grow. She took on her mom's strength, chose to live a life of gratitude and became an observer in her life. Rebecca shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom:
- choose gratitude
- find joy in the midst of pain
- it's all about perspective
- this life is for you
- continue to thrive and grow each day
- believe that good will come from any experience
- be open to what we are here to learn
- treasure each moment
- take stock of what life means to you

Rebecca is passionate about rethinking possible and brings intellectual humility to all of her endeavors, including several teaching roles at the master’s level. Her passion in writing is to demystify taboo topics, such as cancer and death, and to inspire others to be courageous and learn about their loved ones’ wishes, while creating lasting connections. Rebecca’s award-winning debut memoir, The Gift of Goodbye: A Story of Agape Love, is her personal story of walking the End of Life path with her mother. Her second book, All Of Us Warriors: Cancer Stories of Survival and Loss, provides advice regarding how to approach someone you love living with cancer and tips and tricks for helping others feel joy in the midst of pain. She has been a featured Maria Shriver Architect of Change on surviving grief and shared her healing through yoga story on mindbodygreen.com. She holds a certification in the Foundations of Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, is a certified End of Life Doula, and a Fellow of the Nashville Healthcare Council. She has served in healthcare executive roles for several global companies, most recently UnitedHealthcare, and now is the COO of 180HealthPartners. Rebecca is happiest when outdoors, practicing yoga, finding great Medican food, being a mom, and using her chaotic Aries energy for good. She was born in Bloomington, IN, grew up in Houston, TX, and has lived in Nashville, TN, since 2005.

https://rebeccawmunnauthor.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/rebeccawmunnauthor/ 
https://twitter.com/rebeccawmunn 

tags:  Rebecca, Whitehead, Munn, author, writer, All, of, Us, Warriors, Cancer, Stories, of, Survival, and, Loss, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

 

Diane lived in an orphanage, then adopted by a family. She felt rejected and abandoned, as if no one was coming to retrieve her. Diane internalized the trauma. She became her own mother and father; with inner logical voices of wisdom. Then, Diane's biological father contacted her. Initially, her cart was turned over, as she had to become conscious of her new and old self. Then, Diane began to feel complete and utter relief and thought 'at last'. She began to dismantle the stories she had constructed about herself and erase the old patterns. Diane started stitching together a new identity. She accepted herself for who she was. Diane shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom: - stories are at the crust of our identities - let go of others' expectations - trust that you have everything you need within you - recognize that we are flawed - embrace yourself, the dark and the light - speak and own your story - you have the right to your story - connect to yourself and others through your story Gulf Coast author Diane Dewey writes a memoir of family secrets, lies, love, and redemption. Adopted in America from a German orphanage, she met her Swiss biological father at age forty-seven after he searched for her. The impact of uncovering these roots was Diane's quest to find her German biological mother and learn her story. These discoveries reverberated throughout her life in myriad unexpected ways. https://dianedewey.com/ tags: Diane, Dewey, writer, author, memoir, Fixing, the, Fates, Adoptee's, Story, Truth, Lies, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

Diane lived in an orphanage, then adopted by a family. She felt rejected and abandoned, as if no one was coming to retrieve her. Diane internalized the trauma. She became her own mother and father; with inner logical voices of wisdom. Then, Diane's biological father contacted her. Initially, her cart was turned over, as she had to become conscious of her new and old self. Then, Diane began to feel complete and utter relief and thought 'at last'. She began to dismantle the stories she had constructed about herself and erase the old patterns. Diane started stitching together a new identity. She accepted herself for who she was. Diane shares these powerful nuggets of life wisdom:
- stories are at the crust of our identities
- let go of others' expectations
- trust that you have everything you need within you
- recognize that we are flawed
- embrace yourself, the dark and the light
- speak and own your story
- you have the right to your story
- connect to yourself and others through your story

Gulf Coast author Diane Dewey writes a memoir of family secrets, lies, love, and redemption. Adopted in America from a German orphanage, she met her Swiss biological father at age forty-seven after he searched for her. The impact of uncovering these roots was Diane's quest to find her German biological mother and learn her story. These discoveries reverberated throughout her life in myriad unexpected ways.

https://dianedewey.com/ 

tags: Diane, Dewey, writer, author, memoir, Fixing, the, Fates, Adoptee's, Story, Truth, Lies, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean

 

Watching her mother and grandmother experience alzheimer's disease, encouraged Joan to pursue to educate and empower herself on the disease. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: - there is no way to calculate own personal risk - we need to be comfortable with the risk of alzheimer's - good writing is authentic - educate yourself about alzheimer's at https://alz.org/ Originally from Mount Vernon, New York, Joan Cohen received her BA from Cornell University and her MBA from New York University. She pursued a career in sales and marketing at computer hardware and software companies until she retired to return to school for an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has been a Massachusetts resident for many years, first living in Newton, where she raised her family, and later in Wayland. She now resides in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires, with her husband and golden retriever. http://joancohenauthor.com/ tags: Joan, Cohen, author, writer, Land, of, Last, Chances, storiesthatempower.com, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean