What’s Your Word?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:35 — 26.9MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Embrace the Moments
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:05 — 42.9MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
The past few weeks have been quite a ride and then just 2 days ago I realized we, as a family, were about to close another chapter in our lives.
Change happens. Life keeps moving forward, even when we are not ready, even if we don’t want it to. It is inevitable.
We as humans don’t really embrace change well, it takes some getting used to but, it is what helps us grow. When we are forced out of our comfort zone, a place we’ve become accustomed to, we can feel out of control, scared, and unsure of ourselves and our path. It can be disorienting and make us feel like we are failing.
What I have learned over the past 9 years is that within moments we feel chapters closing, and our life taking on a new direction, with acceptance and positive mindset, embrace these changes, we succeed and begin fly once again.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy. As a matter of fact, changes that deeply affect us and make us stumble or strike fear in us, take time to grapple with before and accept. But the sooner you accept the change the sooner you’ll find yourself flying once again, and you might even see how it’s made you grow in certain aspects of your life.
New chapters happen often throughout our lifetime. If we could only remember that and enjoy the ride, then we can stop worrying and start really living our best life, a more deep and meaningful life, taking in the moments that we often take for granted. So often we get caught up in worry and stress, wondering what will happen next, and wondering if we can handle the curveballs life is throwing at us that we forget that life is happening, and life is about the ups and downs, the journey, the struggles, the triumphs and joys. We tend to lose sight of the big picture. New chapters open and old ones close. New adventures begin and we learn more about ourselves and our people we surround ourselves with by how we handle the situations in life. But it is in the small daily moments that we must remember to embrace, and cherish. they are fleeting moments and quickly become memories.
This young man is now a 20-year-old. We said good-bye to teen years this week!😢
My youngest! His team won State this past weekend and he graduates high school next week!😭
I am in a season of change, yet again, in my life. This momma’s heart will weep and be sad for the change, but I know that new doors open, allowing us to grow some more, to build character and perseverance for the next step.
Enjoy today, for all its worth.
It may not be perfect or fun or pain-free, but find the joy. Embrace the moment. Love the challenges or triumphs you are in, right now.
Take mental pictures to store in your heart forever and love your life.
Every time you find yourself struggling with frustrations, anxiety, or fear stop and slow yourself down
Take 5-10 deep breathes in through your mouth, hold for 2 seconds and then exhale through your nose.
Next, write down:
5 things you love about your life,
or 5 things you are proud of,
or 5 things that were positives about your day.
Our minds are powerful and whatever we tell our brain, it believes!
Feed your mind positives and watch how your mindset and life change for the better.
As always, until next week:
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie
Enjoy the Journey
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:17 — 21.5MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Traveling Home Once Again
Me and Dad traveling back to Chicago after his stay with us.
Coming in for a landing, Chitown.
City lights, oh how I’ve missed you!
O’Hare Airport doing it up right! Love this airport.
God Bless America and the Veterans who fought for our freedom.
I am HOME! Chicago will always be my home, no matter how long we may be apart. Every year my family travels back to Chicago, where most of our family lives, for visits; one in the summertime, and one near Christmas. The pandemic made other plans for us this past year. We were very overdue for this trip.
Since I haven’t traveled much for almost 2 years- no flights, at least, I was a little rusty on packing. I hate packing for trips as it is, but when you are an amputee or have other medical issues, then packing becomes a bit more time consuming and anxiety building. There are so many things to remember to bring, then having to make sure it all fits. Whew! What a task.
This podcast is very unique as it is the first one I have done away from my home setup. This one may sound a bit different because I used different equipment and actually recorded outside on the deck at my parent’s house-you may hear cars and wind in the background. But keeping with my “keeping it real” vibe, this shouldn’t surprise you, and actually I am pretty impressed with the quality of this episode, all things considered.
I hope you can feel the love I put into this one, as I was recording in a place my Mom and I use to sit and chat when I’d come visit. I recorded on the deck that holds many memories of BBQ’s with my whole family over, moments where my mom was standing and smiling down at me while I played with my boys in the grass below (grass was always fun to play in since we have none in Arizona!), watching her watch her hummingbirds flit in and out of the deck’s feeders, and so many more. I have laughed, listened, cried, and hugged the people I love on this very deck, it only seems fitting to have an episode done here, too, to add to the memories.
Being here in Chicago has been such a blessing, even through the pains I have been feeling in my residual limb. As I discuss in this episode, though, we need to see past these painful moments and live for the positive things going on around us, or we will miss the good in life. What I feel today, may be gone tomorrow and I don’t want to miss any more moments with my family, so I resolve to buck up and push through, knowing less painful moments are on the horizon. I pray you do the same. We are all on a journey, and this journey will be filled with endless ups and downs. We need to take the good with the bad and know that with every hard episode we go through, a better, more joyful one will be right behind it.
Don’t fret. Don’t think negative thoughts. Chin up, Warrior, life will get better.
Find the positive when it seems like it’s not there. Surround yourself with positive people and keep your chin up in the hard moments, realizing that this will pass and it’s just one moment in your life. Your attitude will dictate your outcomes, so stay positive, happy, upbeat. Even when you’re hurting, find the strength to smile. You’ve got this, Warrior, you’ve got this!!!
As always:
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!
Chitown 2021- We Are BACK!!
Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win!!
Water Tower- Michigan Avenue
Much love,
Angie
Embracing Vulnerability
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:40 — 38.6MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Wow! What an experience I had! To think that I felt totally at peace and right with my amputation, yet coming to terms with it, through a horse, and finding that I had some deeper fears that I wasn’t allowing myself to show-like it was a sign of weakness instead of courage! It was such a profound moment for me, one that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.
I am in awe of the grace and yet strength and connectiveness of horses to the people around them. It’s like they have a 6th sense to detect what we would otherwise ignore or try to hide. They live in the moment and expect the people they come in contact with to do the same. I will be forever changed because of this experience and I am grateful that Cherokee taught me a hard, but valuable lesson, about myself.
Listen in the hear my story of the time a horse taught me to let go.
