Your Story is your Strength

Listen now: Episode 1: A Farmer’s Daughter

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

I will be sharing one of my own stories, that’s right. You don’t have to have just one story, I have quite a few, and today I start with being a farmer’s daughter.

Raised to be tough, have a ‘never give up’ attitude, always pushed myself until I had nothing left, and then push a little harder.  And because I was the only daughter and in the middle of two brothers, it was a driving force to always want to outperform the boys, because limitations are only those you set in your own mind.

This might explain why I am how I am in my life and in all of the other stories that I will share with you in future episodes of this podcast.

Listen now. Episode 2: Creating connections with your storytelling

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

I share about creating connections with your storytelling. I point out how we are all capable of it and that it might take some time and soul searching but it’s definitely something we are all capable of.

I share an example of a story that I am using to build awareness around Multiple Sclerosis. I tell a light version of my diagnosis and what it has led to. You won’t want to miss it.

Listen now. Episode 3: Breaking the Stigma

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

A stigma by definition is a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person. I grew up in an environment where to feel overwhelmed, to be anxious or not yourself meant you were “crazy” and weak. That you should be a strong enough person to overcome, to push through it and to just bottle it up and push it down deep inside of you. (sounds healthy, right) It was also a shared thought that mental health doctors were all ‘quacks’ and would only make you crazier so to keep you as a patient and paying for their services.

Listen now. Episode 4: Relationships

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

Some relationships are fleeting and only for a specific time in your life. For example, I had ‘friends’ in high school that are simply acquaintances today but I also have some that I am sure to stay connected with on social media and by engaging but I may not see that person at all anymore. Still a relationship I cherish and social might be the only way we each find time to catch up with one another, and that catching up is just viewing each others posts and liking and sometimes even commenting.

Listen now. Episode 5: Embracing the Seasons

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

As the warm summer days slowly fade away, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new season. With the arrival of fall and winter, our bodies undergo fascinating changes to adapt to the shifting temperatures and shorter days. In this episode, we'll explore how our bodies respond to the changing seasons and offer some tips to make the most of this transitional period. For me, personally and having Multiple Sclerosis the transition period takes a little longer and sometimes fluctuates throughout the season. It’s important for all of us to keep the following things in mind,

Listen now. Episode 6: Life – Living makes you stronger

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

I believe there are two things with life.

 Things that make YOU and things that make YOU STRONGER. 

Let me be clear, you can FEEL broken, but you can never BE broken.  We are the best versions of ourselves, and no one can be us better than us, right? Let’s hold that as fact for this discussion.

 I was raised to Rise up, above all the teasing and taunting through middle school, all the struggles I felt I was having personally during high school and the difficulties that college put in front of me. What I now know, through therapy and exercises of learning who I really am, is that it wasn’t to just swallow the fears, anxiety and pain but to learn from it all, the teasing said something about the others doing the teasing, to learn for my errors, mistakes, past experiences...

Listen now. Episode 7: Words Matter

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

I'd like to discuss our words, how we use them, what we think they say and what they might be saying to others.

Words hold so much power and have an incredible impact on our lives. They shape our thoughts, emotions, and relationships. However, what we think we are saying may not always convey the same meaning to others. Today I want to explore the profound influence of words, the importance of kindness, and the need to educate ourselves for effective communication.

Words have the ability to uplift, inspire, and heal. They can also cause harm, spread negativity, and create misunderstandings. The impact of our words goes beyond our intentions. They have the power to shape perceptions and influence behavior. Therefore, it is crucial to be mindful of our choice of words and their potential consequences.

Listen now. Episode 8: Disconnect to Connect

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I'd like to discuss embracing the concept of disconnecting to Connect and Prioritizing Quality Connections by Doing Less. Now if you know me you know that this is a personal challenge as I am always looking to be online, building schedules, creating to do list and keeping active and busy.  But as we are quickly approaching the HOLIDAY SEASON with Thanksgiving approaching and soon after Christmas and I wanted to take a moment and point out that we don’t have to buy it all, cook it all, or DO it all.    

In today's fast-paced world, where we are constantly bombarded with notifications and obligations, it's becoming increasingly crucial to take a step back and reassess our priorities. In a society driven by productivity and constant connectivity, we often find ourselves overcommitted, struggling to maintain meaningful relationships and [insert your own overwhelming feeling here]. ….

Listen now. Episode 9: Painful Stories Shared

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube with captions.

I'd like to share a very recent story that most definitely has made me stronger, as the most painful ones typically do.  I wasn't going to publish a podcast this week as it's coming off a holiday however I must share as it's weighing heavily on my mind. 

 My partner was verbally assaulted in the grocery store on Thanksgiving Day. She had run out to get us coffee and whip cream for our pie.  we'd overlooked it and pie just isn't pie without whipped topping.

She was proud of herself and excited to be going to the grocery store.  A place she hasn't been in probably 4 years. She masked up as that's how she feels safest and entered the store…

Listen now. Episode 10: MS Ambassadors Unite

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube. This is my personal favorite way to experience this podcast as it’s a video podcast!

This podcast was my 10th episode after a break at the end of 2023 due to catching COVID. It’s also the first one I did on video instead of just audio. I had a lot of fun with this one because I got the pleasure of enjoying special guest, Kris Inman, a fellow MS Ambassador! We took the opportunity to highlight that the month of March is MS Awareness and Education Month and to tell our stories on why we are Ambassadors and why it’s so important to be an ambassador and advocate for MS.

Our stories truly shined as our strength in the podcast, join us and hear why Kris is an ambassador and what our life long missions has become. Hint: A cure is on the line.

Listen now. Episode 11: The Mission is to Educate & Advocate

or if you prefer to view it on YouTube. This is my personal favorite way to experience this podcast as it’s a video podcast!

This podcast is about how people's stories or journeys through their lives, events and activities are their strengths.

Hosted by Sarah Locke, MS advocate and ambassador. She is joined by guest, Julie Stamm, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2007 and became a person on a mission to educate, advocate and support others with chronic illness. She is also a mom, an author and an MS warrior.

We take the time to talk about Julie's experience with MS, the different kinds of MS, the challenges of living with a progressive condition, and the projects that Julie has been involved in to raise awareness and inclusion for people with diverse abilities and messaging it all toward explaining it to children. She takes the fear out of the topics and lets the conversation flow as children are amazing, thoughtful and insightful little humans with feelings and worries too.

The overall message is that telling one's story is a way of showing strength, vulnerability and courage, and that spreading MS awareness is important because a cure is on the line. Take a listen!