My blurred opinion

Small in size, large in courageousness

Alex Manard is a guy I met through a mutual friend, and we immediately clicked because we had similar ideals and points of view on many issues. I'm glad to call him a friend, and I'm even more proud to be able to share his story with everyone. His condition is dwarfism, I and he is a great representation of that condition.  We talk about the misconceptions of dwarfism, also the many different variants of dwarfism. One of the things that I got to learn from Alex is how much pain goes through, because of his size and not developing properly, how much he has to endure, and how much he will have to take down the road. He has a very strong spirit, and he doesn't let anything hold him back, he's been on many reality shows, and he has been a very strong advocate for those in the dwarf community. He pushed through his mental health and the naysayers, and he just wanted to push the boundaries of what someone with his condition could do, and put himself on a stage where people were forced to recognize and except him as a person with strength.

Andrea the healer

When Andrea first reached out to me, I immediately said yes, because I knew she had value and would bring positive energy to the show. She is originally from Romania but now resides in Canada. She has three kids, and one of her sons has multiple brain conditions that affect his daily living. She is very open about talking about him, but she keeps him secluded from the world because she is ultra-protective of her kids. One thing I've noticed about Andrea talking to her on the show, and off the show, she tries to be positive no matter what's going on in her life, and that's a rare quality in a person. Andrea combines a unique form of insight to help others center on the present moment. With laser-focused energy, she allows her clients to expand their hearts for themselves and their families. She has her own podcast/YouTube channel, and I've even been on it, she's a great interviewer, and it's a really positive thinking type of show.Andrea is one of the people from the show that not only keeps in touch with me but tries to help me find some peace in my own life, as you will be able to tell from the episode he's a very kind person and wants nothing but good things for those who are struggling in this world.
https://andreapetrut.ca/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-petrut-602a11217/ 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCikPmNCVo9XUzuY0L_QHdpQ
 
 

Stress is an 8 out of 10

Ann hince has a very delightful spirit, but she comes from a lot of pain and trauma as a child. She starts out by talking about her two alcoholic parents and then eventually walking in on her mom dead in the bathroom at age 19. After an incident with another parent at her child school, she felt a sudden rage and anger, and emotions that she didn't feel were healthy, and she knew she had to get to the bottom of where those emotions came from.  She feels that all of that came from when she was a child, a lot of emotions, and pain that she never dealt with, and she just suppressed and went on with her life. So this is a story of a woman who has been through and seen a lot, and she takes us on her journey of healing and dealing with the issues that she never did many years ago. I think it's great that she's so sweet and kind, and she found a true self, and she never lost herself on that journey.
 
https://annhince.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AnnHinceWisdom  https://www.facebook.com/groups/onapathwaytoinsight https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTc4hb7ZKvih1LlRHK0cUjg  Book: A Pathway to Insight https://amzn.to/3u3ZAL1
 

The special ability warehouse

I was so happy to do this because these two people were a treat on the show. Mary who is the mother, and Gabi who is the daughter, have such an amazing relationship, and they've learned so much from each other, and they bring so much good energy anywhere they go. Gabby has down syndromeand , she never let it hold her back, but after constant rejection in the workplace, Mary was very frustrated and felt like she had to do something, not only for Gabby's  happiness, but also for her own independence. She met a bunch of other parents who lived in the area also had children with down syndrome, they formed  there own group and a bond with each other. Gabi who always wanted to own her own started making and packaging her own coffee, after many years of raising money, and little pop-ups here and there, we're able to get themselves a warehouse, and now even a few warehouses where they have hired at least 30 other people with special abilities. 
https://gabisgrounds.com

Eating your pain

I was thrilled to connect with our next guest Jessica, because we got to talk about a subject matter that I haven't delved into yet with the show, and just for the simple fact that she has great energy, and is a very positive person. We start off with her struggles with eating, dieting, and all her struggles that came with it. We talk about the shame, depression, and the pressure to keep up her outer appearance up to a certain standard. You tell her about the difference between bulimia, and anorexia, which she suffered from, and we also discuss the many misconceptions about eating disorders. Addiction is such a problem in this world, but one people tend to forget about is food addiction, because it's something we need to survive.  She now is doing so much to give back, help others like her, she is a real soldier in the fight against eating disorders. Link: FoodFairyTales.com, use discount code TJ for $30 off the workbook

The sacrifices to get your life back

Justin is the husband of our last guest Juliet, we learned a little about him through her, and from what she did tell us, I knew he would be a perfect fit. He is an influential person in every way, and I love that he doesn't let his cerebral palsy define him. He actually learned how to talk before walking, and he even had to wear braces on his legs to help him stand and move around more fluently. As a kid, we discussed how he coped and developed techniques for better mobility.  We talked about early on in his schooling how he was put into special classes, and he didn't completely fit, and the anger and sadness that came with that was a precursor to what to come . He had to find a place where he fit in. He does have a major love for athletics and physical competition like wrestling, and it helped him to deal with his mental health and his shame for what he has and what he doesn't. I think Justin is a very brave person, and I'm so happy he and Juliet have each other because as you listen to both their stories, you really realize how they came into each other's lives at the perfect time, and how great they are for each other. And one other thing we spend a good amount of time talking about addiction and mental health, because both of these things have played Justin's life, but to this day he still is overcoming both.  His instagram is @airjustin22

Challenges and growth

Juliet's story is a fascinating, and unique story, she is a writer who has lost a daughter to cancer, and who also has a husband with cerebral palsy. We talk a lot about her daughter, and all the challenges she faced, everything that she went through, but also after her passing, how much Juliet took certain values and learnings from her, and used it to better her life. She talks about her struggles with mental health, and one of the major causes of that, is not being heard or taken seriously.  Julia is a very sweet person, she never judged her husband, no matter what is thrown on her plate when it comes to her daughter, she just wanted to provide the best life for her possible. No matter how much sadness and wrong for doing what is done to Juliet, she still kept doing the right thing.
Website https://www.authorjulietrose.com
https://www.instagram.com/authorjulietrose/
 

How can I be like everyone else again

This episode is with Ryan, when I first met her, I realize what a Nice person she is, I don't always look into their story fully, I like to get to know it through the interview in a genuine way. So when she started to tell me her story, I was captivated and humbled by her sweet and kind demeanor. She became a paraplegic when she was 16-year-old from a car accident. We discuss how she was before the accident, and who she became after. She really had to adjust her mindset, because she set out to find out if she was cool or not based on her wheelchair, and how she looked to others. We talk a lot about school, the good the bad, and the ugly of the new person with a disability, and how all the attention can be put on you based on your appearance. She was an athlete before her accident, she was a professional swimmer, and she wanted to figure out how she could get back to that being a paraplegic, by joining the Paralympics, but she had a lot of doubt if she could even do it, because of her situation. One of the things that woke her up was the realization of her accident, and her paralyzation affected her family. Ryan is a very strong person, it just took a lot for her to realize how special she is, and her inner stress is so powerful.
https://www.ryanraeharbuck.com
https://www.instagram.com/ryanraeharbuck
/https://www.facebook.com/ryan.r.mclean
 

I have passion I have love

In this episode, we have the delightful guess known as Denise pane, an Accredited Accessibility Expert and a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and the World Wide Web Consortium. Denise does not have a disability herself but has a brother who is developmentally delayed and has epilepsy. He and her mother are the most important people in her life, she was inspired on how her mother took care of her brother, and how their bond grew.  He saw how the family spent a lot of their own lives making her brother's life a fantastic life. She was hired by that dedication, and it made her want to contribute in a bigger way to others like her brother. You can really tell from the View that they have a real bond between them, brother and sister, they're very protective and supportive of each other. Denise has always wanted to help those with disabilities, but working at camps, and working with the Special Olympics for many years.  After seeing how the pandemic affected people with their mental health and how there wasn't much inclusion for those with disabilities during this time online.  She just wanted to make a difference, so she got with her team, and made them WEB more accessible.
Her website https://accessdesignstudio.com
 
Her LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-design-studio/about/
 

Control your pain

Dawn cady has a beautiful soul, and I'm happy to discover her. She's on the other side of the world all the way from Australia. She is a psychotherapist that also helps you battle chronic pain. Her main goal is to show those with chronic pain how to overcome their pain mentally, emotionally, and physically. We also spent a lot of time on how she overcame her mental health, and techniques you can use to help your own. She also gives a look into how she cured, and or mitigated her pain. She's a really smart person, she's very intuitive, and a very kind person, who means well in everything she says.
Helpful Resources
1. Sovereignty Masterclass 09 July, early bird registration is open till June 30 https://workshop.alleviatepain.com.au/sovereignty
2. Free E-Book: "6 Stages of Healing": 
https://sixstagesofhealing.alleviatepain.com.au/ebook
3. Meditations by Dawn: https://insighttimer.com/dawncady/
4. Telegram Channel "Heal Yourself: https://t.me/healyourselfdc
5. Facebook Support Group: "Heal Yourself": 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/healyourself.DC 
6. website: www.alleviatepain.com.au