The Power of Storytelling - Episode 30
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Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Eda, Janine, and Ashley - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This month’s episode reminded me that we have the power to create our own mission statement. No matter what life throws our way, we can choose our mindset, we decide how we want to show up in any given moment, and we can always be the protagonist in our own lives. The choice is up to us - and it’s a choice we often have to make, over and over again.
It’s truly my honor to share the stories and provide the space here to share a little bit more about the women behind these words. I encourage you to check out Eda, Janine, and Ashley after you listen to this week’s new episode.
*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Seek The Joy Podcast.
Eda Schottenstein is the founder and CEO of Multi-Role Woman™, a personal wellness and lifestyle brand that supports women in creating healthy, happy, balanced lives. She is also the author of “You Got This: 21-Day Mental Wealth Challenge” — a step-by-step action guide and journal anyone can use to transform their experience of personal wellness in just three weeks.
In this week’s new episode Eda shares her about her passion and her journey. She openly shares about her ADD diagnosis, the times she’s been riddled with self-doubt, and this overarching feeling that she didn’t have what it takes to reach her goals and potentials. It wasn’t an easy mindset to live in, and it took a lot of soul searching for Eda to realize that the only person that was responsible for change in her life - was her! She did the work, research, and dove in - and it all led her to building her own unique toolkit for change. She amassed a wealth of knowledge that she knew was life-changing, and she knew she had to share it. Eda recognized how important it is to have tools and tips, and implement them into your life, in order to reach your goals and bridge the gap between where you are, and where you want to be. Today, that’s exactly what she’s done. Eda’s story will remind you that your story and experiences are valuable, that our struggles are more universal than we realize, and the impact of our vulnerability is far reaching. value, and you never know how it will impact someone else.
Eda holds a B.A. in psychology and is currently completing a master’s degree in mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy. A songwriter and piano player, she writes music and lyrics about mental health issues. Find her on your favorite music streaming app. Eda also loves to cook, practices Orthodox Judaism, and speaks five languages: English, French, Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew
“I believe so strongly that in sharing my story, and being open about my struggles, I can help create a climate of connection where we feel less alone. In the world we live in today, it’s so important to help each other feel understood, not stigmatize mental health struggles, and recognize that we’re all better off when we support each other. I will continue to share my story, coach clients, give workshops, and help people bridge the gap between where they are, and where they want to be.”
Janine Hernandez is a published author, mentor, speaker and world changer, and the founder of Purpose Driven Initiatives and JJ & Sons Tea. Her purpose in life is to impact other women, and she’s doing just that. Through her women empowerment events, motivational speaking, business consulting, and book publishing - everything that Janine has created and everything that she does comes from a desire to have an impact, support others in sharing their story, and spread joy.
In this week’s new episode, Janine shares her story of always knowing that she wanted to be an author. From as early as the age of 9, she knew she would become a world famous self-published author whose first-hand experiences would lend credibility to her work. True to her childhood dream, at the age of 26, Janine self-published her very first book.
As Janine shares, there were a lot of experiences and moments that challenged her and stopped her from pursuing her dreams, and accomplishing the things that she wanted to accomplish. Today, Janine is working on her third book. In this week’s new episode, Janine also shares a difficult relationship experience that changed her life and her perspective. It also asked her to deal with and face her emotions - and that’s exactly what she did. She had this deep desire to go out into the world and overcome her fears - fear of mountains, planes, etc. - so what did she do? She went skydiving! She overcame her fears, and she quickly realized that life is all about jumping, speaking your truth, recreating yourself when you need to, and overall - just not being afraid.
Today, Janine is committed to working with motivated individuals who are ready to take ownership of their life and take action towards their dreams. She coaches aspiring authors and speakers and hosts book publishing workshops. She speaks country wide and her topics include: Manifesting the Life you Desire, Entrepreneurship for young adults, Living your Life with Joy and Book Publishing 101 to name a few. When Janine isn’t reading or writing amazing stories, she loves to spend her time hiking, traveling and exploring the world. She is an avid reader and is passionate about working on becoming the best version of herself from the inside out.
“When anything negative happens in our lives, it’s usually because something amazing is coming! After 6 months of being down in the dumps and dealing with my emotions, I was able to recreate myself as a woman. I started to live for me, and I started to wake up every single morning living for Janine, and living for everything that I stand for.”
Ashley Surma is the co-founder of For The Good, created with the mission to help people maximize their potential to serve the world with purpose. For The Good is a community created for sharing uplifting messages and stories with the intention to inspire and impact people in a deeper, meaningful way.
After digging in, Ashley and her husband Jordan recognized how our mindset impacts the way we live our life - and in the way we react to what comes our way. As Ashley shares in this week’s new episode, through their experiences they’ve learned how important it is to have a strong mindset based on positivity and gratitude. Through For The Good, Ashley and Jordan strive to uplift people through the elevation of mindset - with the understanding that although we don't control what happens to us in life, we do control how we respond. As Ashley so beautifully shares, when you realize the power to overcome anything that comes your way is already within you, you will feel an empowerment like never before.
In this week’s new episode Ashley opens up about the loss of her father, his struggle with addiction, the power of forgiveness, and how her experiences led to her purpose. As Ashely shares, most of us follow a path that has been laid out by culture, society, or our family's expectations. At the end of the day, it’s our decision and choice to create the life we want, and the kind of mindset we want to have. You can overcome any experience and obstacle, and through sharing her story and For The Good, Ashley is on a mission to empower others to discover their purpose in difficult times too.
“A few months into starting For The Good, through sharing these stories I have felt empowered to dig a little deeper. I’ve learned that the power of sharing stories can bring healing to others. When it comes to telling our stories, we tend to feel a lot of pressure, often wondering what if my story is too much? What if it’s not enough? Will anyone be able to relate? Our stories bear the scars of valleys treaded, victories won and lessons learned. Yet we fear that when we reveal them to someone else, they might be misinterpreted, misunderstood or rejected. I’ve learned that one person’s authenticity inspires another’s audacity, and inspires them to speak out about the hidden parts of their story.”
To learn more about Eda and her work check out her website www.multirolewoman.com and you can connect with her on Instagram @edaschottenstein
To learn more about Janine check out her website www.janinehernandez.com and you can connect with her on Instagram @janinehernandez_ @feathers.in.the.sky @janinepops
To learn more about Ashley and her work visit her website www.forthegood.com and you can connect with her on Instagram @forthegoodofficial @ashurma Twitter @forthegood Facebook @forthegoodofficial
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