Shelley Soderstrom: Stay Strong

Happy Thoughtful Thursday, 

Today’s breath is the Alternate Nostril Breathing which Integrates both sides of brain, Clears your mind, Improves focus, and will Calm and energize you. 

·       Sit in a comfortable position with your legs crossed.

·       Place your left hand on your left knee.

·       Lift your right hand up toward your nose.

·       Exhale completely and then ((((((use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

·       Inhale through your left nostril and then close the left nostril with your fingers.

·       Open the right nostril and exhale through this side.

·       Inhale through the right nostril and then close this nostril.

·       Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side.)))

·       This is one cycle.

·       Continue for up to 5 minutes.

Today’s nudge is:  I can do hard things

You won’t know until you try! Think about something you thought was hard before you tried it, perhaps as a younger child. Maybe you thought riding a bike was hard, but now you can do it without even trying. Maybe you thought math was hard when you were younger and now it is coming easier for you! Perhaps there was a part of your job that you never thought you could master, but you did! Hooray! Those memories need to be relished so they can catapult you into trying whatever you now think is hard. Life is always going to present hard things for us to tackle. Remember how you were able to master those hard things in past experiences and go try whatever you are facing now. You can do hard things!! You’ve already proven that!

I can do hard things

I can do hard things

I can do hard things

Have a great Thoughtful Thursday!

Ray has experienced 35 years of drug addiction in and out of jails and hospitals where he spent 3 weeks in a coma and 2 months learning how to walk again. Ray survived 7 open heart surgeries (3 in 1 year), brain surgery, and an amputated left foot all while remaining in a 12 step fellowship program. Ray has been clean and sober now for 4 plus years. He is semi back to work living a productive life and even started his own small business.   At any point, he could have given up but he chose to overcome and adapt to a new way of life.

We learned from Ray:

If you want to experience drugs first think about what you want to do, what you enjoy, the people you love and who love you…then say, “Good-bye” to all of that!

*Doing drugs may help you to temporarily forget all of your problems, but in the long run it will only create larger problems. 

*When you are exposed to hard-core drugs you have no fear and actually become numb. 

*Never giving up, having family and friend support, and following your dreams all help you get through addictions.

Gretatude: 

*Don’t let the past steal your present- Terri Guillemets

 *Even in the midst of devastation, something within us always points the way to freedom-Sharon Salzberg

 *Recovery is hard. Regret is harder-Brittany Burgunder

You can reach out to Ray Bassin on Facebook or text him at 440-339-0786.

Tracey Watts Cirino..... is an entrepreneur, speaker, author of Beyond Common ‘12 Essentials

for Success in Life and in the Workplace”, business consultant, and the CEO and founder of Lavish Color Salon Inc. She is a growth-minded, fun-Loving, career, and family woman who loves to live a mostly healthy lifestyle and follows the 80/20 Rule. In today’s podcast interview, you will learn how life’s big failures and challenges turned into wins and opportunities for Tracey. 

We learned from Tracey:

*If everyone is aligned with what they are passionate  about, everyone achieves more

*Own your truth

*You can’t suck positive juice out without contributing

*Be kind, be present, have fun

*Hire slow, fire fast

*If you go into hairdressing, you can’t have bad days

Gretatude:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Albert Schweitzer

You can find Tracey at www.TraceyWattsCirino.com

Tony Viola, a former mortgage broker, was indicted three times and tried twice on identical charges by a multi-jurisdictional mortgage fraud task force. Prosecutors alleged Tony duped banks like JP Morgan into making 'no money down' mortgage loans that the bank didn't permit. Tony was convicted in federal court and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in jail. But from jail, and without an attorney, he proved his innocence at a second trial on the same charges using evidence the Justice Department hid before the first trial. Prosecutors possessed evidence proving Tony's innocence all along but never provided it to the defense. In 2019, the Justice Department admitted lying about evidence in Tony's case and in July, 2020, the FBI also admitted making materially false statements about this same evidence. Tony was released from prison this summer after spending 8 1/2 years in prison under false accusations and due to much corruption and fraud within the Department of Justice. 

We learned from Tony:

*There is always something to be grateful for

*Church is a good community which can offer you energy, faith and perseverance 

*Having a purpose can help you get through trying times

*We have to channel outrage for the good

*Having just one person believe in you is very empowering

*You have to take care of yourself and look out for yourself

 Learn more about Tony at www.FreeTonyViola.com

Gretatude:

I hate the unfairness of injustice. Anybody who thinks they are better than others or 'chosen' or feel they have an entitlement... be it through monarchy, government, or money. I think we are all born the same. We are entitled to an equal shot at life. Liam Cunningham 

Evan is a yoga certified instructor and the owner of Cultivate Yoga Space in Avon and Cultivate Yoga Non-Profit which offers free yoga classes to underserved communities. He is a single father of two awesome kids. Even is also a scrum master at an international software development company where he serves as a team level “therapist”  helping colleagues continuously improve and work better together. Evan opened his business a few days before COVID closed it down. He chose to use that time as an opportunity to recreate the space to his liking and create outdoor space for yoga, as well.

We learned from Evan:

*No time is ever right. You must start where you are standing.

*Once you manifest things and take little steps towards it, then things start to gravitate towards you. 

*The people who are meant to be with you on your journey will end up with you.

*Don’t victimize yourself: Things don’t happen TO US, they just happen.

*Be in the moment and cultivate what is happening at the time.

*Sit with yourself, listen to your own voice, hear your own truth. Only you know what is right and what is your limit!

Gretatude: Cultivate your thoughts into positive seeds and see your life change for the better.

 Theresa is a wife of 17 years and mom of two children through transracial open adoption. She has been a type 1 diabetic for over 30 years, which is why her husband and she chose adoption to create their family. Theresa is also a school-based speech-language pathologist serving elementary students.   |   | 

 
 | We learned from Therese:

*When faced with any disease, especially when young, it is ok to be clear with your identity and not hide your disease.

*A good way of dealing with friends who unfriend you during your trying times is to believe, “If you can’t take me at my worst, then you don’t get me at my best”. 

*Love can get you through difficult times. Support one another when needed!

*Sometimes when dealing with the unknown, you have to get on with your life despite the constant “waiting” in the background.

Gretatude: Love is a fruit that is always in season-Mother Theresa 

Theresa is a wife of 17 years and mom of two children through transracial open adoption. She has been a type 1 diabetic for over 30 years, which is why her husband and she chose adoption to create their family. Theresa is also a school-based speech-language pathologist serving elementary students.   |   | 

 
 |We learned from Therese:

*When faced with any disease, especially when young, it is ok to be clear with your identity and not hide your disease.

*A good way of dealing with friends who unfriend you during your trying times is to believe, “If you can’t take me at my worst, then you don’t get me at my best”. 

*Love can get you through difficult times. Support one another when needed!

*Sometimes when dealing with the unknown, you have to get on with your life despite the constant “waiting” in the background.

Dallin currently is a college student at BYU in Idaho. He is studying business management with an emphasis in marketing. In school, he didn’t make the basketball team but later ended up becoming the basketball manager. This led Dallin to join track where his mindset and physical strength were tested and stretched every day. He met many wonderful people who lifted him through that experience. Slowly but surely his confidence and mental game became stronger and he started to lift others which is what he enjoys doing now. Dallin served a two-year mission trip for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and was able to inspire people there. Now, Dallin does a podcast, is writing a book, and is involved with some other endeavors, all with the intent to lift others and help them be heard and live their dreams. 

We learned from Dallin:

*Small actions of connecting with others can help give you your voice as they give you an opportunity to speak.

*Don’t tell yourself why you can’t, tell yourself why you CAN!

*An acronym for YIELD: Yes, I Envision Love Demonstrated

*Trust God and move forward. Your journey will all make sense when you look back.

*Yield to the prompting of God and go help others

*God prepares us now for what we will experience later

*Like Johnny Appleseed you can plant seeds even if you don’t know what happens to them. 

You can find Dallin on his podcast, “Yield Today” and his new book, “Five habits to Find Your Voice in your Youth.”

Pearl comes to us having traveled the world to learn from healing masters: a
 Sikh yogi, a Toltec family, a Bhutanese monk, a Vietnamese nun, an
 African shaman, a Native American healer, an Indian guru and experts
 in Borneo, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Hawaii.
 
 She has had a diverse history of careers including a filmmaker, with a Masters in Film and working in finance until she realized her job wasn’t serving her.  And She is now a Zumba® Instructor, not just teaching master classes, but also pioneering Zumba Gold® with chair classes for people suffering from multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.
 
 She is the award-winning author of 70 books, of which more than 35 are
 officially best sellers. Her book "free Feeling Real Emotions Everyday" is about waking up to the things inside herself she had numbed.  She didn't do it with alcohol or drugs, prescription painkillers, gambling, work or even perfectionism, mainly she did it with positive thinking - looking on the bright side and shutting down anything that wasn't "keep smiling."

We are going to learn how Pearl helps people feel alive, wake up to their own life, and follow their hearts through writing, photography, books, classes, videos, whichever tool feels right!!

We learned from Pearl:

Whatever you experience in a lifetime is worth sharing.

*You don’t have to travel in order to explore.

*You can wake up your life by reading, watching videos, taking classes, writing and photography

*You only get one life-Live it fully

*If you are spending your weekends recovering from the stress of your workweek maybe it is time for a change. 

Ask most kids who play an instrument what they want to be when they grow up. "I want to be a rockstar," they'll say. Well, our guest today, Matt Teck, got that opportunity! After touring part-time around his sales career, he got the call -- the call that took him to Branson full-time performing in a headline show. We'll get into the details during the interview, but Matt had to get moving on some side hustle after their first pay cut. He takes us through the circumstances that led into a lawsuit against their producer and how he became a Director of Sales in the hotel industry with no hotel experience. Immediately, he walked into a career that takes most experienced hotel employees years to achieve. Let's hear how he did it. 

 We learned from Matt Teck: 

*If you are looking for a job, tell them about your strengths, be honest about your limited experiences emphasizing that this is what will make you moldable to their company’s specific needs.

*Choose a “Victor” attitude over a “Victim” attitude.

*The setbacks in your journey may be the very catapult you needed to get to the next step in your journey. 

*Have the courage to take risks. You will be amazed at where they may take you! 

You can find Matt Teck on his podcast: TeckTalks, where he interviews others who have overcome adversity.