By Pollyanna Charnley
Hello and WELCOME to the Be Glad Movement, my name is Pollyanna and I'm on a mission to bring you as many stories as possible of good coming out of bad and reasons to be glad.
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The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.
On Saturday 20th June, this weekend, it will be world refugee day. In these unprecedented times of Covid 19 I think we are all feeling varying degrees of seperation from our loved ones but nothing quite compares to the type of story I’m so grateful to be able to share with you today. At 12 years old, Gulwallai mother told him and his brother to leave home for Europe and never return to war torn Afghanistan. As a mother I cant even begin to imagine what that must have been like for her. Let’s listen to Gulwallais story.
#safepassage #refugees #refugee #children #afghanistan #worldrefugeeday #worldrefugeeday2020 #thelightlesssky #weareallhuman #kindness #humanity
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How could I not interview Jason Rawles, on the ‘About ’ page of Jasons website the very first line reads ‘The book of Jason is a story of personal accountability and extracting goodness from the bad.’ Everything the BeGlad Movement stands for.
This is a story of a man who had various struggles throughout his life but through grit and determination managed to make a success of himself in the IT sales world. He was a high flier, literally flying around the world and earning hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Unfortunately all this extra cash did not buy Jason happiness, something was not in alignment. He’d lost friends and wasn’t spending time with his family or having and adventures. He got so low he realised something had to give and it was time to take response-ability for his own happiness.
Watch the full interview to hear how Jason took himself off to ask himself some probing questions and take a good long look at what he had become and how that contrasted with who he really knew he wanted to be deep down.
Jason now leads guided hikes and expeditions as well as being a keynote speaker on the following topics
www.jasonrawles.com
https://www.theadventurerclub.co.uk/
www.beglad.co.uk
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/beglad in aid of the Samaritans
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With the rise in mental health awareness pretty much all of us are now familiar with the term anxiety but what’s it like to discover you have anxiety and how do you learn to cope with it on a daily basis. In this episode I talk to Lucy Smith who really went through the mill with her anxiety but now has the tools and a killer morning routine which makes her totally unstoppable, listen on to hear her story.
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In this episode I talk to Simon Harmer Simon was a medic on patrol in Afghanistan when he stepped on an IED. He lost both of his legs. Despite his injuries Simon has gone on to do lots of charity work, fundraising and speaking events. He feels it is now his duty to serve in a different way and give back having been so fortunate to receive so much help while he was recovering.
In this episode we talk about
· Simons military career
· Being blown up in Afghanistan
· Positive mindset
· Casevac club
· Giving back
http://www.blown-away.org/
www.beglad.co.uk
#Casevacclub #SimonHarmer #blownaway #veteran #medic #casevac #medicallydischarged #amputee #limbloss #ied #militarylife #paramedic #woundedservicemen #lossoflimbs #speaker #motivationalspeaker #keynotespeaker #mentalhealth #strong #inspirational #pollyanna #beglad #gladgame #begladmovement #positivemindset #positivethinking #blesma
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In this episode I talk to Faye Kilgour. I think this interview is important for the times we find ourselves living through at the moment. This is a very open and honest account of a time when Faye suffered with her mental health and anxiety. At no point does Faye try to dress down her privileged position and I commend her for that because the message truly is, that it doesn’t matter how much the outside world thinks you do or don’t have, illness is illness. I know incredibly fit and strong people struck down with cancer, physical fitness does not ensure we are immune to physical ailments so why should money and the trappings of what many would consider a gifted life mean that person is immune to mental illness. I’m no angel and I’ll be the first to admit that in the past I’ve come out with statements like ‘What have they got to be worried about, etc’ but as time has passed and my own demons have come to challenge me the more I know that you just cannot judge others. We simply have no idea what they grew up with and how life has impacted them. Anyway without further ado lets hand over to Faye.
Personally I feel Faye was very selfless and brave to tell her story. I know there are many people out there who feel like they aren’t entitled to feel the way they to, especially from the military community, people from the military community with complex ptsd who actually were traumatise by life before the services, then found safety in the structure of the armed forces only to suffer again when they were back into civvy street thinking they aren’t allowed to feel bad because they never went to a war zone or got a leg blow off. Please don’t compare yourself to others, reach out for help and talk about how your are feeling. My favourites as always being the Samaritans, freephone from the UK on 116 123, that number again is 116 123.
In this episode we talk about:-
Loneliness
Anxiety
Mental Health
Comparing yourself to others
Healthy practices for mental fitness
Follow Faye on Instagram here @thewhatifcoach
#loneliness #anxiety #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalillness #mentalfitness #authenticity #kindness #selflove #meditation #mindbodysoul #workingfromhome #startups #selfemployed #selfmotivation #pollyanna #gladgame #silverlinings #begladmovement #privilege
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In this episode recorded back in 2018 I talk to Allan Kleynhans the international speaker and high end performance coach. Allan really is a bit of a jet setting super star in my eyes, so full of positivity and energy but he wasn’t always that way, he trained himself to be that way, in fact, at one point in his life Allan suffered terribly with depression and post traumatic stress from the conflict in Angola which he had to take part in as part of his national service as a South African. Listen on to hear how Allan turned his life around and the book which got him started with that endeavour.
· Growing up in South Africa
· Conscription/National Service in the military
· The Angola conflict
· Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich.’
· Personal Development
· International Speaker and Coach.
www.allanspeaks.com
@allankleynhans
www.beglad.co.uk
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Lauren was working in the international financial services sector working with teams around the world. She loved her job and the people she worked with.
However things started to go wrong. She wasn’t sleeping well so would turn up to work fatigued and struggle to remember what it was she was meant to be saying in meetings.
One day she was lucky that a colleague was there to catch her when she fainted. Her boss noticed that things were not quite as they should be and Lauren was able to work from home a little bit but she really did feel like she was losing the plot.
While on holiday with her son in Iceland Lauren slept well and had a lovely time, so much so that her son asked if they could come back when the snow had melted. The last night of their holiday Lauren found herself in floods of tears, she called the doctor.
Unbeknown to her Lauren had gone through the menopause.
As 50% of the population will experience the menopause at some time in their life Lauren decided that more awareness needed to be raised around the subject so that women could face this period of their life with dignity and not be penalised. Lauren now runs training workshops for men and women on what to expect. Lauren has even had men say to her after workshops ‘I think you just saved my marriage.’
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In this episode recorded back in 2018, I talk to Alice Bromage who was in the army for over 20 years. Her career took her to some interesting places and had her working with all different cultures but in this episode specifically we talk about the effects of toxic leadership on a team and how one person’s abhorrent behaviour has the ability to undermine team moral. Follow the link in the bio to hear Alice’s story, what she endured and how her business now delivers comprehensive training to teams and leaders on the importance of resilience and good leadership techniques.
There are some really important points made by Alice. I was particularly interested in the work she did with the Special Forces after her experiences with the toxic commander and what a massive contrast she found with the culture, especially the exercise element. I know I’m guilty of having certain knowledge and not putting it to good use.
In this episode we talk about the impact of toxic leadership and how other people can drain your energy.
· Resilience
· Trauma from human contact
· Knowing verses doing
· The importance of exercise
· How the little things count
· Empathy
Find out more about Alice and what she does here https://www.empowering-success.co.uk/
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In this episode I talk to Lawrenzo Jacobs who struggled after his parents divorce, with a rebellious streak as a teenager which led him to a life of crime. It was while serving his time he discovered the power of words and the affect positive affirmations could have on his mental health and actions. He did a lot of introspection and learned that he could channel his energy into more positive pursuits, listen on to hear how Lawrenzo turned things around and what he is up to now.
If you liked this podcast please do share rate and review. I’m looking for more guests so please do get in touch if you know anyone.
In this episode we talk about: -
· Divorced parents and moving with a military step father
· Incarceration – self study and self improvement
· Positive affirmations.
· The importance of words and their true meanings
· The so called free world – mental incarceration.
· Using positive thinking to overcome a broken neck.
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Carrie Creed was born in 1982 with the rare genetic condition called, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. The Ehlers Danlos Syndromes (EDS) are a group of heritable connective tissue disorders generally characterized by poor wound healing, hypermobile joints, and soft velvety skin. There are currently 13 distinctive types of EDS, the most common being Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) which is the type that has affected Carrie.
Carrie’s first surgery relating to EDS was in the spring of 1999 when she was suddenly unable to walk. Doctors shortened the ligament in Carrie’s right leg that had “stretched” out and by doing so, her leg realigned. Carrie went through months of physical therapy to regain strength in her leg and to be able to walk again without any assistive devices.
After Carrie’s freshman year of college, she noticed her leg bending similarly to how it bent in 1999 before her surgery. Within a week, she was unable to walk again. On September 12, 2002, Doctors performed a double rotational osteotomy on her femur, tibia, and fibula. Basically, the doctors completely sawed through her leg in multiple locations and then rotated the bones to realign her leg. They then inserted 12 extremal rods to hold her leg together. Even though the surgery initially went well, Carrie contracted a serious infection and also needed a second emergency surgery. She spent 73 days in the hospital while enduring painful physical therapy daily. Unfortunately, her leg wasn’t healing properly and there was no longer a benefit to staying in the hospital. Carrie was discharged a few days before Thanksgiving and spent six months in her family’s two bedroom apartment in a hospital bed that was setup in the living room. She had physical therapy 3x a day and was unable to get out of bed without the assistance of two people. A few weeks after Carrie turned 21 years old, the infection got worse and she was rushed back to the hospital to prepare for surgery and the possibility of losing her leg.
On May 29, 2003, the pins were removed and miraculously doctors were able to save Carrie’s leg even though the bones were only ~20% healed at the time. A custom made brace was made for Carrie to wear 24/7. After a few weeks of in-patient physical therapy, Carrie was moved to the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald where she and her mom lived for another five months. Carrie took a wheelchair van each morning to out-patient physical therapy and completed countless hours of full body intensive physical therapy each day to learn how to walk again. Throughout this time, she regained almost full mobility in her leg (a positive side-affect from EDS).
A year later, Carrie returned to college in September 2004 and she graduated with honors in May of 2007. Carrie continues to live in daily pain and has some physical limitations due to the realignment of her leg, but she is tremendously grateful to be able to live a fairly active lifestyle. She attributes her recovery to the positive mindset and focus both she and her Mother had while going through this arduous time and the determination of never giving up hope and pressing forward.
Carrie and her husband, Jamie learned in August of 2017 that they were expecting their second child. (Their son, Tristan was born on February 3, 2015.) Things were going well throughout her pregnancy, but during Carrie’s 20 week ultrasound, she found out she had Placenta Previa. Placenta Previa occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix — the outlet for the uterus. Placenta Previa can cause severe bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. On January 5, 2018 at 25 weeks pregnant, Carrie started severely bleeding. After being taken to the area hospital and then transferred to a hospital with a Level III NICU, she stayed there on bedrest for 65 days.
While on complete bedrest, Carrie’s condition worsened and her condition changed to Placenta Accreta and then Placenta Increta. Placenta Accreta is a serious pregnancy condition that occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall and Placenta Increta is when the placenta invades the muscles of the uterus. Typically, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall after childbirth, but with Placenta Accrete and Placenta Increta, part or all of the placenta remains attached. This can cause severe blood loss after delivery, other life-long medical issues, and in some cases, death. Carrie was told that even though her unborn child was doing well and thriving in her uterus, that she would not be able to carry her baby for longer than 34 weeks since the risk to her own life would greatly increase.
While isolated in the hospital, Carrie decided to make the best of the situation and pulled strength and knowledge from her leg surgery to get her through the experience. She covered every inch of her very small hospital room with positive quotes, ultrasound photos, artwork from her son, cards from friends and family and anything that made her smile. She threw herself into her sales career and dominated her sales quota in just a few weeks. She set a very strict daily schedule to stay busy, focused, and calm.
The birth of Carrie’s daughter was scheduled for March 6, 2018 and even though most of the medical staff felt Carrie would end up delivering earlier, Carrie knew that if she stayed focused and continued with her positive mindset that she could reach her goal and that is exactly what she did. Carrie delivered a beautiful baby girl, Tenley Evelynn during a scheduled surgery on March 6, 2018. As planned, Carrie needed to have a hysterectomy during delivery since that was the only way to remove her placenta. She did receive a blood transfusion due to the amount of bleeding during surgery, but she was alive and so was her daughter. Tenley stayed in the NICU for 18 days and on March 24th, Carrie, Jamie, Tristan, and Tenley were all finally under one roof.
Once home, most people thought Carrie’s challenges were over and the difficulties were all in the past. However, that was furthest from the truth. Carrie had been through such a highly charged traumatic experience that she ended up suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Carrie found herself extremely angry and full of anxiety about the entire experience and was easily triggered by seeing anything that reminded her of the trauma and fear of dying that she experienced for such an extended period of time. However, through weekly therapy sessions she started to heal. Carrie’s attributes her healing to a fairly new, nontraditional type of psychotherapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Through this therapy, she was able to relive her trauma and reprocess it in order to heal. Tenley has recently turned two years old and Carrie not only feels like she is more than 90% healed from her trauma, but she is ready to share her story with the world. Carrie’s goal is to help others overcome life’s uninvited challenges and push on when there seems like there is no other option.
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The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.