My blurred opinion

The dynamic duo

In this episode, we have two guests, Meridith, the mom, and her daughter Schuyler. Their story pretty much starts when Meridith gets a phone call and her daughter has been crushed underneath a boulder while in another country, and she is told that she is unlikely to survive. Schuyler is alive and well, and thriving. We do discuss all the damage that the boulder did cause, and how her life is different now, but with the support that she has from her mother and the rest of her family, she is still a great life. You talk a lot about the before, and after, and where they're at today.  
Their website https://www.gritmindsetacademy.com
Their  YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaXPFb9V1efxJZbqZmvnLVQ
Their Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/meridithalexander/

Don't be a victim be a victor

Our next guest is Sara Freeman Smith, she's a delightful woman who has her method of dealing with life, and I'm always fascinated by how other people do it, even if it's not entirely for me, or maybe it is, but I'm just curious on what keeps them going, and what it is that they figured out for their survival and comfort. When she was in the peak of her career, and life was going really well for her, she had sudden significant vision loss, and she was told that she was legally blind, and her condition was incurable. She has not let that stop her one bit, she has the passion and determination to help others continue along their path, no matter what steps in front of them.
Her website https://www.urgems.com
Her Facebook group  https://www.facebook.com/urgemsgroupinc

Trying to make sense on what's wrong with me

Allison is our next guest, and I met her on TikTok, I reached out to her after watching one of her videos, and eventually, we became friends. I got to know her a little more, and I wanted to have her on to share her experiences and struggles with mental health, and her physical conditions.  She talks about discovering what suicide was, that she had those feelings at the very early age of nine years old, and that she has had depression anxiety, and chronic pain, her whole life. She also discussed how at times her family didn't take her condition, totally seriously, because she was so young, but after time she had to make them understand to extreme measures. 
 
Her TikTok @woofpt.2

Win no matter what

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Win Charles has defied the odds by becoming an author. Her memoir I, Win is an amazing story of how she remembers her life through the years of having a condition called “CP”. As a competitor in the Kona IronMan Triathlon and motivational speaker, Win Charles truly inspires many. Today Win Charles tours the country, speaking to schools and institutions to raise awareness about cerebral palsy and living a full life no matter what holds you back. She is also an advocate for veterans across the world. I appreciated talking to Win, because she's really genuine, and though life continues to throw curveballs at her, she just keeps on swinging.
 
You can get her book here  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Win-Kelly-Charles/author/B009VNJEKE?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Her YouTube channel   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIQoDeF9IWQ

This is your life, and you better learn to live with it

Deb Comerford is our next guest, she has a crazy condition called atypical trigeminal neuralgia. She explains this condition and how it's affected her life for the last 15 years. She talks about the before, and the after of having this condition, and why she won't take the risk and get the surgery that could help. We also talk about what helps her, mitigate the pain, and using your good health days to be more productive.
 
her Facebook groups. Trigeminal neuralgia Australia  New Zealand
 Descramble neuropathic pain chat group 

Mood stabilizer

This episode is with Mindy Allen, she's a delightful person. I met on TikTok.  She talks about her struggles with depression and anxiety, being homeless, but keeping an upbeat attitude. We talked about how much animals, particularly her two cats mean to her, and how much they've gotten her through. She also has chronic inflammatory response syndrome or CIRS, which is the condition she feels is the most curable at the moment. Though she may have phone on hard times, she keeps herself going and is determined to change that trajectory of her life. 
 
 

I wanna celebrate you

Our next guest is Nico Morales, he is the perfect example of a person who overcame where he from, his past, and his demons. He was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was an athlete, an opiate user, and over-drunk alcohol. Now is an author, graduate, and business owner. Nico had adverse childhood experiences that he repressed, this mental unrest led to an exploration of substances, eventually propelling him into opiate use disorder. By twenty-two, Nico was living out of his truck and spent most of his time finding odd, sometimes illegal ways to make money to support his drug habit. After seeing others close to him pass from overdoses and recounting the times he came near death he recognized there was a reason he was still living. He put down the needle and unfortunately, he picked up a bottle. The cycle of addiction repeated itself and because of the extent of Nico’s over drinking, he found himself staying in a building with no utilities. After exploring different unsuccessful counseling techniques, Nico turned to an alternative method for care, personal development. He now uses his life experience to inspire, coach, and train others to find their purpose, push through difficult moments, and remind them no one was created to be perfect. 
 
His website https://nohalonm.com
 

Don't take candy from a stranger

This episode is with two delightful ladies named Dawn, and Ann. They are two women that are trying to inform the community about human trafficking, and to do their part to help save some of these women and children. We discussed what human trafficking is, the statistics, who is most vulnerable, and what the future holds if we do nothing. 

Talkative Tommy

This episode is with my friend Tommy Grieco. We met at the new job that I now have, and we instantly connected. Even though he's a guy who struggles, he is solid and resilient, and he's just an overall nice person to be around, he's one of those people who inspires you simply on how he gets around, and how he does it with confidence. In the episode, we talk a lot about his accident, advocacy, family, regrets, and so much more.  We talk about his struggles with him being in a wheelchair, but at the same time we also relayed the message that it is insurmountable, and you can live a good life.

The blilers

This episode is with Dave, and his daughter, Paige. Both of them have a disability, Dave, being in a wheelchair, and Paige having epilepsy, but they are both really close, and they both meet each other very much. In this episode, we talk about the struggles of having a disability, the government, employment, caregiving, and much more. They are a fascinating duo who balance each other out, and protect each other at the same time.