The Power of Storytelling - Episode 32
Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean Stitcher and more!
Welcome back to The Power of Storytelling!
Helene and Veronica - thank you for sharing your stories, your words, and your journey with all of us.
This month’s episode reminded me that our choice to live our message is healing, empowering, courageous, and the source of so much joy. When we believe and honor in ourselves, our choices, and our hearts - we can inspire and empower others to do the same. There is always a reason behind what we experience, and there is always an opportunity to transform our experiences into something more.
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 Helene and Veronica 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.
Helene Lerner is the founder of WomenWorking.com. For more than two decades, Helene has been addressing the concerns of contemporary women. As a prolific author, independent public television host, Emmy Award-winning executive producer and Fortune 500 workplace consultant, she covers a wide array of women’s issues—from breaking barriers and work-life balance, to health and wellness, to relationships and building self-esteem.
Under the umbrella of Creative Expansions, Inc. the company she founded in 1994, Lerner has produced more than 20 televised specials and received American Public Television’s (APT) “MVP” award for her outstanding contributions to public television. She is also the author of 13 books including — The Confidence Myth: Why Women Undervalue Their Skills and How to Get Over It and In Her Power: Reclaiming Your Authentic Self.
In this week’s new episode, Helene shares her journey overcoming major depression and a battle with her weight that impacted her mindset and overall well-being. She so vulnerably shares the moment she decided to take her own life, and her realization that there was more to live her. She reached out for help, and she realized that she was eating for all of the wrong reasons - she was eating as a way to self-soothe. She realized that she could start living her life one step at a time, find new ways to cope, self-soothe, feel her emotions, and set boundaries. She started to listen to her inner voice, and she realized that she needed to help others do the same. She found a professional and personal passion and energy to empower other women. She launched her own company to independently develop media with the common denominator of providing women with what she once lacked: the support and information needed to overcome obstacles and make the most of their lives.
Today, WomenWorking.com is committed to supporting women to live fully, giving them tools, tips, and inspiration to move through challenges in every aspect of their lives. Helene’s story will remind you that when we stop, and don’t go for what we truly want, we stop ourselves before we’re even able to get started. Helene is a firm believer that we all know our passion, and the voice inside us is strong. It’s when we ignore our inner knowing that we lose touch with who we are. You might hear a lot of “no’s” along your journey, but all it takes is one “yes!”
“I challenge you to look and recapture your vision. Right now the world is shaken up by atrocities and health challenges, and it’s a great opportunity to look deeper. Look inside, what is it that you really want to do, that you haven’t been doing? What have you put on the back burner? Now is the time to resurrect it.”
Veronica Villanueva discovered her “why” after being diagnosed with stage IV cancer in 2016. She knows she is alive today to share grace, blessings, and the lessons that cancer has taught her.
As Veronica shares in this week’s episode, cancer was the best thing that ever happened to her. She believes that everything that happened in the process after her diagnosis paved the way to her new life of fulfillment. Veronica chose to live, and she chose to have her pain, struggles, and sufferings empower and transform her - mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Her “incurable” disease gave her the gift of knowing herself, loving herself, and sharing herself with others in a profound way. She’s alive today so that she can share the grace, lessons, and blessings that cancer has taught her.
Veronica so beautifully shares her choice to not just live, but to live a well intentioned, conscious life. Her strong, undesirable will to live fueled her, and she’s learned to live for herself. She’s learned to own her life - and this message, and her choice to honor herself and prioritize her health, will inspire you to do the same.
Today, Veronica aims to inspire others to embrace a holistic lifestyle built on a commitment to growth, eating healthy foods, taking the time to create memorable moments, and of course, fostering loving relationships. She works with women to listen to their intuition, believe in themselves, honor themselves, and empowered thinking. Veronica continues to help others learn to grow from the pain in their lives, and live her message, The Grace of Cancer!
“Why not learn from the pain and suffering and use it to fuel us? Why not turn our pain into our purpose? It is time we change the way we see pain. Rather than being fearful of it, let’s use pain to inspire us, to seek our truth, to uncover our purpose, and expand our minds. We all have the capacity to learn and grow from the pain in our lives.”
To learn more about Helene and Women Working visit their website https://www.womenworking.com and on Instagram @womenworking Facebook @womenworking Twitter @womenworking on YouTube @HeleneLerner and you can find her new card deck, Soulful Wisdom: Cards for Women Who Do Too Much here
To learn more about Veronica and her work visit her website veronicavillanueva.com and on Instagram @badassbeliefcoach and on Facebook @badasslifecoach
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