Wenora has a genetic condition that makes her highly susceptible to cancer. Learn how she dealt with dating and relationships, family, sexual health, and advocating for herself following treatment for multiple cancers.

Wenora’s Story

This video tells the story of Linda, an ovarian cancer survivor, who encourages other women to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health.

Linda’s Story: Ovarian Cancer

<p>Have you ever wondered why some people achieve big things and others struggle to get through the grocery store without forgetting something on their shopping list?</p><p>Whatever your dream, you can achieve it if you take the right steps and are willing to stretch yourself further than most people would.</p><p>There are some qualities that every successful person has in common, but one of the biggest is perseverance. Success people might fail 100 times, but they keep trying — and then on the 101st time things finally click.</p><p>Learn from your failures, keep moving forward, and consistently follow these 7 steps to accomplish your goals.</p><h2><strong>1. Define a Clear Goal</strong></h2><p>The first step in accomplishing anything is to set a specific goal. Your goal should include:</p><ul><li>The expected end result.</li><li>An example of that finished goal. If your goal is to build a house, you might build a small model to see what the finished home will look like. Or you might visit a model home with the same floor plan, so you can visualize your goal.</li><li>Be specific. Don’t set a general goal of building a house. Instead, write out that you are going to build a two-story, Cape Cod style home with a brick exterior, four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a basement. The more specific you can be with your goal, the better.</li><li>Stick to one big goal at a time. Recent studies show that multitasking is actually counterintuitive to efficiency and may even be bad for your brain. For example, don’t decide to build a house, plan a wedding, and run for mayor all at the same time.</li></ul><p>Once you’ve defined your goal,&nbsp;write it down&nbsp;and display it in a prominent place so you can keep your focus on that end result.</p><h2><strong>2. Set Mini-Goals</strong></h2><p>Once you have your end result in mind, take the time to sit down and write down some mini-goals that will get you to your big goal. For example:</p><ul><li>What will you do first? If you were building a house, your first steps might be to find land, hire an architect to draw up some plans, and find a good general contractor.</li><li>If you aren’t sure of the steps to take, find someone who’s been through the process before and ask them about it. For the house building example, you might talk to a local builder or to a friend who recently finished building a new house. Be sure to ask what mistakes they made along the way, so you can avoid those as well.</li><li>Set a time frame for each task. If you don’t set dates for tasks to be completed, your project may take far longer than you’d like. Even if you don’t meet every deadline goal you set, it is still important to set them and strive for them.</li></ul><p>Once you record your mini-goals, look at the list closely. Can you delegate any of the tasks, so you have time to complete the others? For example, if you need to choose light fixtures for the bathrooms in the house you’re building, ask yourself if someone else could do it for you.</p><h2><strong>3. Develop Successful Behaviors</strong></h2><p>Take the time to discover behaviors that will lead you to success. How can you figure this&nbsp;out? Study&nbsp;other people who have succeeded at what you’d like to do. What steps did they take to succeed?</p><p>Understand that how you handle failure will often determine whether you ultimately succeed. You have to be willing to suffer a little pain as you pursue your goals.</p><p>If the sun goes down before you finish painting your house, you may need to use a light tower to keep working through the night. Ultimately, you must do whatever it takes to meet your goals.</p><p>Give the goal your time. If you are building a house, expect to spend at least several hours a week talking to contractors and checking on their work.</p><p>People who are successful long-term tend to have some things in common, such as good time management skills, paying attention to detail, and being highly organized.</p><h2><strong>4. Push Past Your Comfort Zones</strong></h2><p>People who accomplish big things often do things even though they are scared or uncomfortable. To push yourself outside of your&nbsp;comfort zone:</p><ul><li>Force yourself to talk to people you normally wouldn’t talk to and even ask them for help. You might gain a mentor. For example, talk to that award-winning architect you met at a networking luncheon about your dream house you’re building. He or she might have some ideas to pitch in.</li><li>If you become stressed over deadlines, set a few of them anyway. Then push yourself to meet them.</li><li>Find a mentor who will badger you to push harder and farther than you thought possible.</li></ul><p>If you want to accomplish big things, you have to try new things and new ideas. Success means pushing through discomfort.</p><h2><strong>5. Be Passionate</strong></h2><p>It’s easy to be excited about a new idea, but what about when the project is boring and you aren’t as excited anymore? Here are a few tips:</p><ul><li>Revisit your vision. Try to seek out the excitement you felt initially. If you’re building a house and exhausted from all the little details, such as picking carpet and hiring painters, envision the model home to help reignite your passion for the project again.</li><li>Talk to others about your project. People who haven’t heard about your goal may get excited and this may help you remember your original vision.</li><li>You’ve probably heard the saying “fake it until you make it.” Even if you are tired of your project, force yourself to dig into it. Eventually, you’ll remember why you loved your goal in the first place.</li></ul><p>Staying passionate about a goal isn’t as easy as it sounds, but with a little work, you can keep your initial vision, which will help you through the steps of accomplishing almost anything.</p><h2><strong>6. Celebrate Successes</strong></h2><p>Some people have inner voices that are very cruel. In fact, we are sometimes downright mean to ourselves and treat ourselves in a way that we’d never tolerate from another person. Remember:</p><ul><li>Don’t always beat yourself up for failures. Learn from them and move on.</li><li>Celebrate when you learn something new or solve a problem. Write your success on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror so you see it every time you wash your face or brush your teeth.</li><li>Celebrate with others when something good happens. Is your house halfway finished? Did you hire a brilliant electrician? Go out for a meal with friends and toast to a job well done.</li></ul><p>Take time to appreciate small successes, because they add up to big achievements.</p><h2><strong>7. Never Stop Learning</strong></h2><p>The most successful people in the world learned from their own failures and from the successes and failures of others. They make their strengths stronger and overcome their weaknesses. To become a lifelong learner:</p><ul><li>Read books in your niche.</li><li>Take courses or network with people who know more than you do about a topic.</li><li>Never rule out anyone as being brilliant. The janitor in your building may have a common-sense solution for your squeaky chair, even though the engineer with a Ph.D. can’t figure it out.</li></ul><p>Curiosity is a trait that will serve you well.</p><p>You can&nbsp;accomplish anything&nbsp;you set your mind to. Keep striving toward your goals and before you know it, you’ll be the next big success story.</p>

There are some qualities that every successful person has in common, but one of the biggest is perseverance. Success people might fail 100 times, but they keep trying — and then on the 101st time things finally click.

7 Steps to Accomplish Anything

<p>The workday is over, you head out the office and jump in the car. You are completely drained, terribly tried and you just want to get home to relax. But, there’s a problem…that project you’ve been hard at work on is looming on your mind and you just can’t shake it off. The last thing you want to do is stew over work the entire ride home and it seems inevitable – you’re in a bad mood and nothing can change that.</p><p>How many times have you found yourself in this kind of situation? Probably more times than you can count.It is without a doubt that work can be stressful and it can be hard to find the right work-life balance but it is crucial to juggle both so you can maintain happiness and avoid burning out. With that said, balancing your life at work and life outside of the office starts with your commute home because you don’t want to bring your office stress home. With that in mind, here are five ways you can change your mood into a positive one while heading home!</p><h2>5 Ways To Change Your Mood Into A Positive One While Driving Home</h2><h2><strong>Schedule A Brief Stop</strong></h2><p>When driving home from work, you have a lot of alone time with your thoughts and you don’t want that work stress to spill into your home. Instead of traveling straight home, consider making a brief stop where you can distract your mind from the daily grind. Whether you pull into a coffee shop and sip on a latte or simply stop by the grocery store to peruse the aisles, you can recharge and rework your mindset with these small stops.</p><h2><strong>Hit The Gym</strong></h2><p>If coffee isn’t your thing or you already have dinner picked out at home, hit the gym right after work. Exercising after a long day at work can help alleviate some of that built up stress and frustration because your body increases the production of feel-good neurotransmitters (endorphins) with physical activity. Research from the American Psychological Association&nbsp;has found that exercise enhances the body’s ability to respond to stress. It forces the body’s physiological systems to communicate more closes than usual, all of which are involved in the stress response. The cardiovascular system communication with the renal system and from there it moves to the muscular system, of which, all are controlled by the sympathetic and central nervous system. This line of communication between all systems improves the way our body responds to stress.</p><h2><strong>Listen To Soothing Sounds</strong></h2><p>Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or listening to all the road closures on the radio can exacerbate a bad mood after work. Instead, listen to your favorite tunes. Research shows that you can boost your mood by simply listening to upbeat music! Plus, there is clinical evidence that music therapy can help individuals accomplish goals by making you feel more positive and optimistic.</p><h2><strong>Catch Up On Your Favorite Book</strong></h2><p>Did you know reading a book can be therapeutic and stress relieving? But, how can you catch up on your favorite novel if you are driving? Simple – listen to an audio book. While most of us no longer have cassette decks in our car stereos, you can listen to an audio book via CD or your smartphone. On your drive home, load up the audio book so you can ‘read’ the book and you will soon be immersed in the story – completely forgetting about the stress of work. Whether you want to listen to the latest novel by your favorite author or catch up on an inspirational story, you can certainly find exactly what you are looking for online. There are tons of audio books available on the internet and popular book streaming services like Audible by Amazon will allow you to listen to just about any book.</p><h2><strong>Take The Road Less Traveled</strong></h2><p>You probably drive the same route in and out of work every day and the repetitive scenery provides you with zero stimulation. The next time you leave the office, find a new way home where you will be more focused on traveling through unknown territory rather than hung up on work. A different route home can also spark your curiosity as you might discover some cool things along the way.</p><h2><strong>Hold A Conversation</strong></h2><p>The last thing you want to talk about is work but your ride home could be the perfect opportunity to catch up with loved ones and hear what’s going on with their life. If possible, make a call on your ride home via a hands-free device and ask your relative or friend how everything is going. Their conversation can transform your mindset and boost&nbsp;your mood&nbsp;back to a positive one! Another way to hold a conversation is to carpool, which will not only save you some gas money, but it gives you the chance to interact face-to-face with another person. Whether you carpool with a fellow co-worker or a friend, it can give you the opportunity to chat about funny stories, upcoming weekend plans, and just about anything else that can take your mind off work.</p>

5 Ways To Change Your Mood Into A Positive One While Driving Home

<p>With “<em>travel the world</em>” topping&nbsp;New Year’s resolutions&nbsp;list year after year, now might just be the best time to book that trip you’ve been saving for. Think of it as part of your continuing education.&nbsp;<strong>Travel provides those who do it with soft skills like grit, empathy, and global understanding—necessities as global citizens in a world with disappearing borders.</strong></p><p>As you&nbsp;plan out your journeys, consider these tips to ensure you’re getting the most out of your experiences:</p><h2><strong>The Best Tips Before You Travel The World</strong></h2><h2><strong>1) Be Surprised. Do the Unexpected.</strong></h2><p>The tourist destinations don’t always create the most vivid memories. It’s usually the&nbsp;out-of-the-ordinary experiences&nbsp;that do. Be open to surprises, and say ‘<em>yes</em>’ to unexpected opportunities that come your way.</p><p>Whether it’s trying a new food, like deep-fried crickets in Thailand, simply saying hello to someone sitting by themselves in a park, stopping at a place on the map that you’ve never heard of, or just getting lost all together – you could wind up&nbsp;having an adventure that you’ll never forget.</p><p></p><h2><strong>2) Travel Light.</strong></h2><p>As long as you have your passport, a compass, and some cash, you can leave everything else behind: your favorite clothes, your best bag, technology. By leaving the luxuries behind, you can completely immerse yourself in a new country and culture. You’ll&nbsp;bring yourself out of your daily routine. By packing light, you can fully experience everything once you travel the world.</p><h2><strong>3) Be Open to What’s New.</strong></h2><p>When you travel, expect to experience things that are different. Note the differences. Observe and let your curiosity lead you. Even when&nbsp;traveling city to city in the U.S., there are differences to be observed. </p><p>It’s easy to opt out of experiences that are different than what you’re used to in your own everyday life. But when you’re exploring, give the ‘<em>new</em>’ a chance. Participate in a song and dance, try a new dish, attend a place of prayer – you just might bring a newfound experience back home with you.</p><h2><strong>4) Don’t Plan Too Far Ahead.</strong></h2><p>Someone once told me never to book any accommodations when I travel to a place, so that I have the freedom to&nbsp;<a href="https://everydaypower.com/7-most-epic-experiences-to-get-you-out-of-your-comfort-zone/">see what happens</a>. It’s true that many of us get a little anxiety when thinking of going somewhere without an itinerary.</p><p>However, an open mind and a flexible travel schedule will really force you to look at your own internal strengths and resources. This can be educational beyond measure. It has helped me to make some of my very best travel memories.</p><h2><strong>5) Travel as Part of an Education.</strong></h2><p>If possible,&nbsp;<a href="https://everydaypower.com/travel-abroad-in-high-school/">study abroad while you’re in high school</a>&nbsp;or university. Spend a few weeks to travel the world on a service-learning or educational based program over the summer or winter break. This opportunity really only happens once in your life and the experience is unforgettable.</p><p>It’s different than a vacation. By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/10/17/should-more-americans-study-abroad/every-student-should-study-abroad">studying in a foreign place</a>&nbsp;for an extended period of time, you dive deeply into a country’s offerings. You will come out of the experience with many lessons not only about the place you’ve visited but also about yourself.</p><p>If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of&nbsp;<a href="https://everydaypower.com/travel-quotes-2/">travel quotes</a>&nbsp;to inspire exploration and learning from others.</p>

With “travel the world” topping New Year’s resolutions list year after year, now might just be the best time to book that trip you’ve been saving for. 

5 Tips for Traveling the World

Mark was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at age 26. He went through multiple rounds of chemo. Mark shares his story of regaining mental and physical health after treatment, as well as the importance of building and using support systems.

Mark’s Story

<p>Who gets to decide your limits? What is possible and what is not? Think about this for a moment:</p><p><em>Right now, human beings are capable of running a mile in under 4 minutes. This might not seem like a really big deal. We are used to hearing about runners achieving this amazing feat.&nbsp; Until 1954, however, most people thought it would be impossible. Roger Bannister was the first one to achieve this tremendous milestone. He did so by constantly visualizing his achievement. After he did it, several others followed suit.</em></p><p>How does something go from being&nbsp;<em>impossible</em>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<em>possible</em>? Here is another example:</p><p><em>I specialize in working with female pitchers.&nbsp; Even five years ago, throwing 60 mph was a really big achievement.&nbsp; It still is, but every year, my athletes throw harder and harder. Every year, more girls surpass the 60 mph mark and the bar is raised higher and higher.</em></p><p>A few days ago, I read an article that suggested that today’s athletes are not really that much better than the athletes in years past.&nbsp; It suggested that today’s athletes simply have better training, better equipment, better research, and better technology.</p><h2>These examples help show us what is possible</h2><p>Of course, all of those things contribute to performance. When I consult with an athlete, we talk about their nutrition, recovery, kinematics, and training regimen. Even making small adjustments to these elements can make a huge difference.</p><p>So is it all about research, technology, and equipment, or is something else happening?</p><p>In one study, runners who thought they were being injected with EPO (a performance-enhancing drug) ran about 5 seconds per mile faster than the times they recorded without EPO.&nbsp; In reality, they were being injected with a saline solution.</p><p>Even more interesting, was the fact that those who expected to see greater improvements through use of the “performance-enhancing drug” did. However, those who did not think the “drug” would improve their performance, did not improve as much.</p><p>Many participants in the study reported increased confidence with the placebo. They also reported a desire to push themselves near the breaking point.</p><p>Why is this important information for everyone, regardless of whether or not they are athletes?</p><p>The answer is all the aforementioned instances show the methods by which limitations become destroyed.</p><h2>1. Suddenly, something that seemed completely impossible becomes possible.</h2><p>When people thought that the 4-minute mile was beyond human capabilities, no one could do it. Once people saw the possibility, it became more and more commonplace. 60 mph used to be rare for female pitchers, but now we see it with much greater frequency.</p><p>When people whom you know personally are achieving these milestones, you know that it is a&nbsp; real possibility. The barrier is removed, and you are able to realize your capabilities. The runners taking the placebo thought they were hitting their limit before they were injected with EPO. Afterward, they felt their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/6-tips-for-conquering-word-limits_b_9957688">limits expand</a>.</p><p>So, is it possible that the high-tech equipment is helping us because we expect it to?&nbsp; Or are we expanding our consciousness and forcing our bodies to catch up?</p><h2><strong>2. There is a willingness for growth and exploring different avenues</strong>.</h2><p>If an athlete has hit a physical limit, a willingness to try something new could help! Things like hypnosis, visualization, or meditation can still expand their capacity for explosiveness. Proper nutrition can improve endurance.</p><p>Better recovery methods can allow them to train harder again and sooner. The desire to grow and become educated will allow you to achieve your goals. You will smash your limits to pieces.</p><h2><strong>3. Limits are frequently a self-fulfilling prophecy.&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>If&nbsp;you don’t believe that,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>review the EPO study.&nbsp; The truth is that if you think that you can’t do it, you can’t. If you feel that something you are doing will really help you and allow you to grow, it will. Take the negativity away. You will find that you can do so much more.</p><p><em>“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t―you’re right.”&nbsp;</em><strong>―&nbsp;</strong>Henry Ford</p><p>As you can tell, this applies to more than just athletic performance.</p><p>Outstanding athletic performances serve as both a metaphor and inspiration for reaching previously unachievable goals in one’s life. Your goals might be financial, physical or spiritual, but there is always a road to achieving them. It just depends on how you set your inner GPS.</p><p>Most limitations are mentally self-imposed. They can, with special, refocused effort, be overcome. Know exactly what it is that you want today. Create your action steps. You will thereby create the person you want to be tomorrow.</p><p>Start seeing what you can really do by taking the word “can’t” out of your vocabulary.</p>

Who gets to decide your limits? What is possible and what is not?

Destroy Your Limits With These 3 Tips

<p></p><blockquote><p>“<em>I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be</em>.”-&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams">Douglas Adams</a></p></blockquote><p><strong>For those taking their first step over the threshold of their rehab center and walking slowly outside of its confines, the journey of&nbsp;addiction recovery may be short, but filled with a lot of emotions: hope, relief, apprehension, trepidation,&nbsp;</strong>even pure fear<strong>.</strong></p><p><em>The answer to this is simple</em>. All of us experience some form of emotion when about to embark on a journey into the relatively unknown.</p><p>As a recovering addict, such a short journey magnifies those emotions to the extreme. However, as you take those first few steps into what you hope is a new life for you, free from those things that put you there in the first place, please remember this:&nbsp;<strong>the rest&nbsp;of your life will continue to be a journey, no matter how you look at it.</strong></p><p>Take it from someone who has been here. You can decide your destination, you can decide those places that you visit, those people that you will remember as friends made, and the sights that you see.</p><p><strong>Someone once said (can’t remember who), that&nbsp;travel broadens the mind.</strong>&nbsp;As a person going through addiction recovery, your thinking will be very narrow, very self-focused, and very reserved. In the early stages, this is vital, without a doubt.</p><p>Yet, there is something you can do to help such thinking grow back to where it used to be. To travel. To simply pack a few things and hit the road. You do it on a plane, on a train, in a car – however you choose.</p><p><strong>This article will explain the four reasons why traveling helped with my addiction recovery</strong>; my whole recovery experience was enhanced by simply choosing to go and see some of the worlds I had yet to see.</p><h2><strong>How traveling helped with my addiction recovery:</strong></h2><h2><strong>1. Open-Mindedness</strong></h2><p>Recovery begins by showing addicts new ideas that can even seem unthinkable, compared to our usual way of viewing the things that affect us. We are encouraged to be as open-minded as possible, to look at these ideas and think of how we can implement them into our own lives.&nbsp;<em>However off-the-wall they may seem</em>.</p><p>Early in addiction recovery, we are told to really look into ourselves, through self-reflection, honesty, even prayer. During one such period of distinct personal honesty, I remembered exactly how I used to feel when traveling.</p><p><strong>Even though I was far from where I lived, wherever I was, just seemed like home. It reminded me that different places provide different experiences and different ways of viewing the world</strong>. In other words, new, not-so off-the-wall ideas for living.</p><h2><strong>2. Perspective</strong></h2><p>In one of the books written by the previously quoted&nbsp;<em>Douglas Adams</em>, he describes a futuristic machine, where those placed inside were given a quick glimpse of exactly their role in the universe as a whole, where they fit into it, and just how important they really are.</p><p>Apparently, it’s a real eye-opener for those who enter. If only that machine actually existed. I’m sure it would take a great deal of the pressure of those leaving rehab.</p><p>As addicts, our problems can feel unmanageable, too immense to cope with. But we are human. We make mistakes, and we cannot be expected to&nbsp;make the right choices&nbsp;every single time. And we are just a tiny, tiny part of what’s around us.</p><p><strong>Traveling provides a similar perspective. You may set foot in another country, see new cultures and new ways of living. Those things will surely continue after you have gone away. However, there is nothing wrong with taking a little part of that new knowledge with you.</strong></p><p>I once had a friend (not an addict) who, whenever he encountered a problem, he simply went away. He wasn’t running away. He was giving himself perspective. He usually came back, made the right decision,&nbsp;solved the problem, and got on with his life.</p><h2><strong>3. Discovery</strong></h2><p>So traveling makes you more open-minded and gives you a better perspective. On the other hand, traveling has another great side effect:&nbsp;<em>discovery</em>.</p><p><strong>Regardless of where you travel to, you are guaranteed to find something new, something to be discovered. It could be new cuisine, a new hobby, or even a new truth about yourself. Whatever it may be, it will make you a better, more defined person.</strong></p><p>Remember that apprehensive, yet hopeful person who underwent addiction recovery a while ago? Imagine them traveling around, with no fear, only hope. It could be YOU. And that’s the best discovery you will make, my friend.<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><h2><strong>4. Your New Addiction</strong></h2><p>If you have had the nerve to book that plane ticket or book your seat on that huge traveling bus, take it from me: you have come a long way down your road of addiction recovery.</p><p>For many, it really IS stepping into the unknown. The grounding your rehab gave you, coupled with support of family and friends, has got you to this point. Plus, you deserve it.</p><p><strong>Before you know it (and you have my sincere best wishes on this), traveling will be your NEW addiction – healthy, educational, enlightening, and, ultimately, personally fulfilling.</strong></p><h3><strong>The Road Less Traveled…</strong></h3><p><em>Recovery can be a lonely place for many. Traveling will remove that&nbsp;loneliness.</em></p><p><em>Recovery may have left your thinking very open-minded. Traveling will open your mind.</em></p><p><em>Recovery may have thrown your perspective up in the air. Traveling will give it back to you.</em></p><p><em>Recovery may leave you contemplating your old life. Traveling can help you discover a new, more meaningful one.</em></p><p><strong>Traveling left me with a profoundly different way of thinking and&nbsp;gave me much-needed perspective. Yes, I left my rehab apprehensively, wondering whether what was beyond the gates had really changed. But it was ME that had changed – and traveling proved it.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>So there you have it, the four reasons that traveling helped with my addiction recovery. These same things still apply today, believe me. If you have found other reasons to enjoy travel as part of your recovery, please feel free to share with a comment below.<br/><br/></p>

I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be.

4 Reasons Traveling Helped with my Addiction Recovery

<p>The first step to moving forward is to learn to trust life and figure out which journey you are on.</p><p>Now, I know that sounds pretty basic. However, if you are anything like me, you might be surprised at how often you think you are on one path and then—Nope. You find you are actually on another.</p><p>Here is an example: earlier this year, I decided to get in shape. I stepped on the scale to find I was heavier than I had ever been. The extra inches around my belly (and everywhere else, to be honest) belied the notion of ‘muscle gain.’</p><p>So, I got myself a personal trainer. I figured if I spent the money, I would be motivated. Then, I went to four out of the ten sessions before quitting. The trainer was working me hard and I balked. Does this sound familiar? I bet you can apply this situation to several of the goals you have had.</p><p>Here is how I realized the problem was that I didn’t trust life, and wasn’t even able to actually recognize the journey I was on.</p><h2>Question your journey to move forward confidently</h2><p>Even though I quit, I still wanted to ‘get into shape.’ I had always prided myself on being strong, lean, and fit. However, I was too tired to work out. My evenings were spent in what felt like a well-deserved rest on the couch, binging on TV shows.</p><p>The cat became my evening companion. I drank red wine and ate nuts. Maybe I consumed an apple for dinner. Cooking required more energy than I possessed.</p><p>So, what was going on? It slowly dawned on me over the next few months as I attempted over and over to ‘get back in shape’ that I was on another journey.</p><h2>Be ready for the answers</h2><p>I am a documentary filmmaker. A year ago, I finished making&nbsp;<em>A Small Good Thing</em>, a film that asks ‘what makes a good life?’ This film follows six people as they change their lives to live with a closer connection to their community, nature, and to their purpose.</p><p>The film has been a labor of love. It took three years to make, during which, I had to learn to hold on to my vision in the face of enormous self-doubt and contention. People in the industry questioned the manner in which I worked. Even the stories and themes of the film were criticized.</p><p>After much struggle on the set, I let go of one of my team. He was a friend and has still not forgiven me. Then, a year later, I let go of two other key players. This sent me on a downward spiral, one where I wondered if I even knew how to make a film.</p><p>I closed down the production and spent some time away by myself. After four months, I realized that the film did need to be made and I was the one to do it. I found some good people to work with and the film is finished.</p><h2>Discover the root cause of your struggles</h2><p><em>A Small Good Thing</em>&nbsp;went out into the world on the Festival Circuit last spring. The reception from audiences was good. We won some awards. The critics liked us.</p><p>Despite this good news though, the film was not sold for distribution.</p><p>Now, this is not uncommon for independent films. My new team and I decided we would set off on a self-distribution course.</p><p>The problem was that I did not want to distribute the film myself. I was tired and wanted a break. Beyond that, I was resentful that no one wanted to purchase the film. Despite knowing better, I felt personally rejected. Maybe the film was not good.</p><iframe></iframe><h2>Trust in life’s revelations when you dig deep</h2><p>So, I was hurt. Angry. And yet, I knew better. Many good films have trouble finding their audiences. Still, I fought with myself about doing this work. I did not even have to do so much work as I had a brilliant team who managed well.</p><p>I hated that I was angry. Hated myself for not ‘bucking up.’ For not getting on with things.&nbsp; So, this inner conflict set me on a course of comfort eating and watching TV shows. There, within the fiction of television, everything worked out in the end. Binging TV late at night also meant I had problems sleeping.</p><p>I was worn out.</p><h2>I was on a journey of depression and self-deprecation that led to self-discovery</h2><p>On a quiet retreat, it occurred to me I have to learn to be kinder to myself. I was feeling hurt by the lack of sales. Well…that was okay, but I needed to acknowledge the reality of this feeling.&nbsp; Cry. Grieve. Complain. Then, do the work of getting the film out or quit.</p><p>Nobody was forcing me to make movies….</p><p>So, I found I was on the journey of self-discovery.&nbsp; The journey for me is—how do you do the work you feel called to do when you’re not sure anybody cares?&nbsp; And what I found was that I could not let this film disappear after a few screenings and Festivals.</p><p>The film needs to be seen, just like I knew it needed to be made. It contains a message of renewal and courage that people want. I want that message.</p><p>So, I &nbsp;am learning to get out of my own way, put the self–doubt and anger to rest, and to embrace this part of the journey.</p><iframe></iframe><p>And, I have begun to&nbsp;exercise&nbsp;again. Slowly at first, then being me, I went too hard and could hardly walk. Remember to be kind to yourself! Know your limits. I am still learning.</p><h2>Take good care of yourself and the rest will come</h2><p>I have re-discovered the best reason to exercise and eat well: taking good care of myself gives me the strength to do this work. Otherwise, I lose my curiosity about the world. And,&nbsp;<em>A Small Good Thing</em>&nbsp;deserves a chance. It is not about me. Whether folks recognize that I made a good movie or not does not matter. It is about the film.</p><p>So, my brilliant team (who go about promoting and blogging and writing emails to engage new audiences despite my slothfulness and my groaning about being tired) and I are getting the film out.</p><p>That is a small good thing. It’s actually a great&nbsp;good thing. The audience response has been amazing. People love this film and want to share it with their communities.</p><p>And, oh!&nbsp; I have lost four pounds. 🙂</p><h2>Get out of your own way and trust life</h2><p>How can all this help you? Well, if you are struggling with a goal, remember to question the journey you are on. Then be ready to accept the answers even if they are not what you thought they would be. Dig deep into the situation to discover the root cause of the problem, and trust life to bring about the right revelations.</p><p>Then you have to be brave enough to walk the journey you are actually on, even if that is uncomfortable. Figure out your purpose, and how badly you want to continue on your paths. During that time, remember to be kind to yourself and take good care of yourself!</p>

The first step to moving forward is to learn to trust life and figure out which journey you are on.

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