The Hope Warrior Project Podcast

We talk with Lorrie Rivers about how her experience with a disease that literally stopped everything taught her some incredibly valuable lessons.

When Lorrie was in her 20’s, she suffered for over 8 years with severe ME/CFS which stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There was a period where she was so weak that her father had to feed her; she couldn’t go up the stairs; and she had to be carried to the bathroom, all the while being in excruciating pain. 

Before this, she was a very active person, running 3 miles a day, pursuing an acting career and on film sets for 12 hours a day. After she became ill, she had to give all of that up, even to the point of not being able to have any career for the first 6 years of her illness.

Throughout those years, she learned the importance - and power - in acceptance. She stopped trying to force a solution, and instead, made the decision to rest – both literally and figuratively. And she had the chance to put these lessons into practice again last year when her ME/CFS returned in the form of Long COVID.

Lorrie's experience and her hard-earned wisdom has given her the opportunity to help so many others who suffer with similar conditions.

Want to connect with Lorrie?

We have heard so many incredible stories this season that have continued to teach us the power in sharing our experiences. But we've also discovered there is power in just knowing our stories.  

On this episode, we discuss how understanding our own life experiences can bring us healing from the past and allow us to create a more intentional future for ourselves. 

Are you ready to share your story?  

Check out our guest overview form and send us an email at [email protected].

Joseph went into "fix-it mode" when he got the devastating news that his wife had cancer. He was convinced that if they did the right things, his wife would be healed and that her story would be a source of hope to others. He documented the journey and although his goal was to heal his wife, the healing through that process was really meant for him. Now Joseph uses his new outlook on pain as a way to motivate and encourage others.

Like so many of us, Hayley’s life was busy. At 29 years old, she was married with a small child, trying to get pregnant again, and working a stressful ‘part-time’ job that had the workload and schedule of a full-time job. She knew the stress wasn’t good for her health, but she kept plugging along. Until one day, a severe pain in her side landed her in the emergency room where she discovered she had stage 3 ovarian cancer that had spread to her appendix and colon.

After finishing cancer treatments, her doctor told her to go back to living her normal life and come back in 3 months. Hayley knew she wasn’t going to leave her health to chance again, so she took control over her lifestyle and made some big changes.

Today, she is cancer free and helping other women gain confidence and tools to support them on their own cancer journey!

Connect with Hayley at www.revivewellness.com and download her “7 top tips to keep cancer away and feel confident in your body again.”

Louis Dooley was a young man who found himself imprisoned with a life sentence +100yrs for theft and attempted murder. On his first night in prison, his plan to retaliate and kill a fellow inmate took a drastic turn and instead, Louis set his gaze on faith. Even though he was physically behind bars, he experienced a different kind of freedom that transformed his life.

Miraculously, Louis was released after serving 15.5 years and today is sharing his story to help people break free out of their own unique chains. He is the author of “Prison Saved my Life”, he is a public speaker, and he provides pastoral counsel to current inmates.

Follow Louis' journey at www.louisdooley.com

42 years ago, at the age of 14, Ollie Garza suffered a major injury while playing in a high school football game. Ollie went from being an extremely active teenager, to not being able to move anything at all from the neck down. He had to relearn everything, including the things so many of us take for granted like brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and getting dressed; and at the same time keeping up with his studies as a freshman.

He had every justification to feel hopeless, and he did go through a period of blaming God and feeling sorry for himself, asking “why did this happen to me?” But he didn’t stay in that mindset.

Ollie is now sharing his remarkable story, including how he learned to not only accept, but also embrace his new reality; and from that, has found that the sky is the limit.

Want to follow Ollie's story?  Connect with him at www.olliebabegarza.com

Lauren is a stand-up comedian who wasn't always able to see the humor in her life. She struggled with perfection which manifested into eating disorders and lead to an Adderall prescription. The pills became an addiction and served as a gateway to other forms of escape. Lauren talks about how she overcame that challenge and continues to overcome today. 

Follow Lauren's comedy at "Kosher Barbie Comedy"

Imagine feeling useless, scared, helpless and paranoid. Then pair that with panic attacks and relentless crying, but you have no idea why or what is happening. That is what Sara was feeling when menopause started for her at age 50. She was completely unprepared for the symptoms that often come along with this normal stage of life.

Sara knew she needed to better understand what was going on and find healthy ways of managing the symptoms. She started researching and talking to her doctor about treatment options.  When she started a menopause support group at work, she discovered that many women struggle in silence, reluctant to raise the issue of menopause in the workplace.

Through Sara’s personal journey, she has become passionate about educating others on the effects of menopause and helping women feel more comfortable talking about their own experiences.

If you would like to connect with Sara, reach out to her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-brinn-johnson-5aa6239/

When Erik's mother remarried and started a new family, he was sent to live in the garage. Feeling abandoned and also being a witness of the abuse in the household, Erik fought back at just 14yrs old and got kicked out of the house....(well, actually the garage). Left to his own devices, he turned to the comfort of drugs and alcohol and accumulated $28k of debt by the age 21. Feeling lost and lonely, Erik opened himself up to change and he was answered with an invitation which flipped the script. 

Want to continue to follow Erik’s story? Connect with him on the platforms below:

Website: ErikAllenMedia.com 

Podcasts: The Erik Allen Show & Top Rated MMA Show

Sarah faced several challenges growing up which she says had a snowball effect on her emotional wellbeing. Feeling unseen in her pain, she attempted to end her life at an age that most of us would see as only the beginning. She was obviously in a very dark and hopeless place but after she survived her attempt, she vowed to never leave herself in that space again. Sarah took responsibility for her healing and has become passionate about how we can access what we need for healing through the mind-body connection. She talks with us about the various reasons why we may make poor decisions for ourselves and how productively feeling our feelings is actually a learned skill. 

Want to continue to follow Sarah’s story? Connect with her on the platforms below:

Website: www.thegeniusbody.com

Podcast: The Mind Body Academy Podcast

Email: [email protected]