The Audacity Of Resilience W/ Farrah Bledsoe

In this episode we sit down with a long time family friend Farrah Bledsoe and talk about how life will offer you the chance to build a story of resilience. During our chat Andretta and Farrah share how continuous loss of family members, businesses and more forced Farrah to truly get in touch with her competitive side and grow out of the shell that others designed for her as she was growing up. 

While known to be the pretty one that always has it together – Farrah shares that her gifts of having a business mind, competitive spirit  and keen sense of opportunity have always been the core of her foundation. We dive deep into the power of knowing your story and how your story shows up in the way that you decide to live your life. We break down the power of resilience and the necessary mindset needed to push through everything life throws your way.

5 Ways to Build Resilience 

It’s common for people to credit their success to confidence instead of resilience. Resilience is one of the most overlooked character building attributes a person can have.  But not many people are able to explain how building one’s confidence is often based on how they  utilize resilience. 

It’s tricky, because life often throws different things at us, but overall we grow from the choices and accomplishments that feed our passion and make us feel proud of who we are. Discovering these fundamental things can be one of the most worthwhile pursuits of your life. Here are 5 ways you can begin building your resilience today and bounce back from tough times:

1. Get Things Done  

Resilience is built on accomplishment. If you achieve small and big goals, you’re going to feel much better about yourself after facing a hard time in life. Those day-to-day goals are what you need to accomplish things today, tomorrow, next week or three years from now to help meet your goal and heal from trauma.

2. Monitor Your Progress

Try to quantify your accomplishments: write down how you’re able to show up for yourself in hard times. If you’re able to exercise daily or be more mindful of the things you eat- write that stuff down. It is important to see how the small things can turn into big things while building up your strength at the same time.  Doing so  will help you stay on course, and you will build resilience as you see the progress you’re making in real time.

3. Exercise   

Besides benefiting your health in general, exercising helps memory retention, improves focus, helps manage stress and prevents depression. It’s harder to be anxious when there is no excess energy to draw upon, and outside of being difficult and uncomfortable at times, exercise improves every aspect of your life.

4. Think Long-term 

The foundation of unhappiness is a decision made for short-term comfort that impedes long-term goals. You have to decide if your short-term comfort is more important than your long-term goals, but know that long-term goals will bring you far more happiness in the long run than your short-term comfort. This is the fundamental element of resilience. The ability to have vision beyond where you are now and realizing where you need to be in order to truly prosper. 

5. Do More Of What Makes You Happy 

What do you love to do in your spare time? Whatever it is that you love, create space for it, because life is short- you need time to enrich your life and to recharge to be your best self. Living in the present is the best gift you can give yourself along with permission to enjoy your life. Time is precious- no matter how much life throws at you, your ability to take it, grow from it and move on better because of it will help you build a testimony that can change the world. 

“Serving The Coffee” … Literally…

In this episode Glenn talks about mindset and the shift he experienced when he learned to ‘serve the coffee’. In the past, everything he did he could watch it turn around and benefit him in the future. It was a transaction. It was also bullshit.

Serving The Coffee is a mindset of serving others and thinking of yourself last. Serving quietly means no expectation of accolades. You do it when you don’t feel like it. You do it even if you’re angry with the other person. It sets the tone for the day. Research shows that those who consistently help others experience less depression, greater calm, fewer pains and better health.

Glenn & Mike challenge you to do one thing for somebody else. Just try it. Serve the coffee.

For more about this podcast:

Visit Sober.Coffee website: https://www.sober.coffee/

Recorded at Audiohive Podcasting: https://www.audiohivepodcasting.com/

In collaboration with Care Addiction Center: https://www.careaddiction.com

Episode 99: A conversation with Dr. Linita Eapen Mathew on grief

She received the Canadian Association of Teacher Education (2021) thesis and dissertation award for her work’s contribution to teacher education. Using her skills and expertise for service, she created and led numerous Grief and Writing Through Grief workshops for educators and bereavement support centers across North America. Apart from being an educator, she is a writer at heart and has released two books based on her doctoral dissertation: Life: To Be Given Back Again to Whence It Came and the companion stories The Revelations of Eapen.

 

Links:

 

Book 1: “Life: To Be Given Back Again to Whence It Came” – A dissection of prolonged grief, cultural grief illiteracy, the healing power of rituals and communal grieving, and an analysis of the impact of expressive storytelling on bereavement can be viewed here: http://www.diopress.com/life

 

Book 2: “The Revelations of Eapen” – The author’s intimate exploration of eastern and western cultural interactions with the phenomenon of grief before, during, and after her father’s death can be viewed here: http://www.diopress.com/revelations-of-eapen

 

Academic Article: “Braiding western and eastern cultural rituals in bereavement: An autoethnography of healing the pain of prolonged grief” – https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1983158

Rocky VIII: “I Must Break You… …finger…”

The guys discuss why a pregnant woman in labor  affects quitting time at the iPhone factory, how Ted has to get permission from a cat to to be on his porch and a bird to drive his car, and the best time for servers to suggest “seasoned” mashed turnips as an acceptable side dish substitution.

thatchecksout.net
snapchat: TCODamonTed
twitter.com/OutWdt
instagram.com/thatchecksoutwdt
facebook.com/thatchecksoutwithdamonandted

Recorded at Audiohive Podcasting
Hosted on Transistor.fm

An Interview w/ Pamela Pelt-Robinson

Jumping rope for most may seem like a child’s activity but for a Chicagoland woman it was the unifying element of a life changing purpose realized. Brown Women Wellness founders Andretta and Aaqila sit down for an enlightening discussion with 40+ Double Dutch Club founder Pamela Robinson to talk about all things health and wellness for brown babes around the globe.

During this podcast, the strength of unity and organization rings deep within the realms of the mental fortitude needed to embrace what it is that you love in order to give your body what it needs to be strong. The women break down the perks of working out without it feeling like a chore and the added benefit of sisterhood being sprinkled on top of it. While reminiscing on the last opportunity they had for such a refreshing activity- the women recalled in shock, highlighting their early teens. 

While dealing with transitioning to an empty nester and challenges within her marriage, Pamela saw the Double Dutch club as something all her own that gave her mental peace and support. A random jump rope in the trunk of her car led to a national movement encompassing over 12 thousand women. Her goal to provide a safe haven for physical exercise, connection and accountability has assisted in redefining what age appropriate past times are. She saw a chance to create a space and opportunity to work out that made being healthy a priority. Pamela sees the 40+ Double Dutch Club as a way to support and galvanize minority communities under the umbrella of physical activity worldwide. Double Dutch isn’t for kids any more; it is for anyone that wants a full body workout that assists with keeping your mind and social skills strong as well. 

Make sure you enjoy some of our amazing tea before, during and after your double dutch work out. Stock up for 2021 now at www.BrownWomenWellness.com 

Facebook Group: LINK

Alcoholism and…. ?? (Dual Diagnosis) Explored

Dual diagnosis is any mental condition along with drug or alcohol addiction. Did you know according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, roughly 50% of individuals with a substance use disorder are also dual diagnosed with a mental illness? Alcohol is a great masquerader of mental illness.

At what point do you identify whether you have a dual diagnosis or it’s the alcohol? Not everyone has the same experience. Listen in at the Sober Coffee Shop as Mike and Glenn discuss their experiences with co-occurring disorders and their dual diagnosis, what path they took to sobriety and treatment, and where they are at today. 

Want more clinical information about Dual Diagnosis?

Visit Care Addiction Center’s Resources For Recovery Blog: https://www.careaddiction.com/edu/dual-diagnosis-substance-abuse-mental-health

For more about this podcast:

Visit Sober.Coffee website: https://www.sober.coffee/

Recorded at Audiohive Podcasting: https://www.audiohivepodcasting.com/

In collaboration with Care Addiction Center: https://www.careaddiction.com

Episode 98: A conversation with legendary music therapist Dr. Russell Hilliard.

His research, advocacy, and consultation have resulted in the development of first- time music therapy programs in hospices throughout the nation, thereby creating many new music therapy positions. He is the author of the text, Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy: A Guide to Program Development and Clinical Care, and his research has been published in a wide variety of scholarly journals. He also wrote a chapter titled, Music and Grief Work with Children and Adolescents, in a book titled Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children, edited by Cathy A. Malchiodi. Dr. Hilliard has provided keynote addresses for healthcare conferences and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences worldwide.