The Gardenia Project -Women's Storytelling

Ep 17 Jeannie | What we Celebrate

Jeannie had a regular life, just like all of us, until one day it changed in an instant. Her entire life hung in the balance and no one was sure what would happen. What Jeannie talks about throughout the interview are the small steps she took to put on foot in front of the other. The little things along the way that ended up being huge milestones in her recovery. Small things that were big celebrations!

What she teaches us is to celebrate the small stuff in our lives. The things that seem little, but make a big difference. The daily minutiae that just blends in and we tend not even to notice. That stuff. It IS worth celebrating. It’s worth slowing down and seeing. Because that is where we derive joy.

Jeannie has plenty of joy and positivity. Enough to go around for everyone. She was so fun to interview. We laughed a lot about the things that happened to her in the story. She has a great sense of humor. And I loved that her story serves as an example of the strength of the human spirit as well as a touchstone for celebration. As you will hear, she is just the right person for that. Re-birthday and all!!

 

A huge thank you to Jennifer Elizabeth Moore of Modern Medicine Lady for sponsoring this episode of The Gardenia Project. She can help you to recover and grow your tools for being an empathic woman in this world. She offers and teaches EFT and much more, head over to her website to learn more!

 

Want to see portraits of Jeannie? Head over to my website www.jendeanphoto.com to check them out as well as the other women that have shared their stories!

 

Ep 16 Sarah, No Is a Nice Word

“BE NICE”. That is overwhelmingly the message that girls get their whole lives. You know the old saying “Sugar and spice and everything nice. THAT is what girls are made of”. UGH! I can see now how dreadful that is as a message, but I still feel that pressure every single day. Really, I do. We are just conditioned from the time we are little to not make waves. To be kind and for many in my generation, also obedient. So yeah, it’s a lot to come out from under.

Sarah tells the story of what happened to her that set into motion a string of events that completely changed her life. All because she just couldn’t find the way to say, No. It is a wild ride and a valuable lesson for anyone who listens on how far things can go without out that one word.

Boundaries are super important and learning how to put them in place is a skill we all need to have. Come listen to the story of a journey that went to far and how she came back. How Sarah learned this lesson in a big way.

This episode was brought to you by the sponsorship of the wonderful fairy god mother, Jennifer Elizabeth Moore, Modern Medicine Lady. Click the link below to sign up for her webinar on how to manage being an empath in this world! 

Empath Secrets Webinar Link: http://empathsecrets.com/

Here is a link to the ACES study that Sarah refers to in her story. I tool the time to read this and was blown away. The story about the doctor working in an obesity clinic and how he ended up doing this study is totally fascinating. Totally worth your time to read!

https://acestoohigh.com/2012/10/03/the-adverse-childhood-experiences-study-the-largest-most-important-public-health-study-you-never-heard-of-began-in-an-obesity-clinic

Want to see the portraits of Sarah? Here they are:

https://www.jendeanphoto.com/blog1/no-is-a-nice-word

Ep 15, Sarah, I Believe You

The theme of this podcast is, Belief. Right now in the United States we are a part of the #MeToo movement and just finished the Kavanaugh hearings. It is devastating for many many women to know that if they spoke up they would not be believed. While so many women have come forward to share their stories of sexual abuse and stand together there are still so many more that stay quiet. That live in fear lest they should be judged. Sarah was brave enough to speak up. I thank her for those of us that stay silent.

Sarah chose to share her story, not all the gory details, but the impact. The way that it changed who she is. Both sides, the ways that she battles still against the belief that she is unlovable and the ways that it has made her appreciate how amazingly beautiful the world can be.

To see the rest of the portraits of Sarah go on over to my blog post here: 

 

 

Ep. 14 Sarah, Embracing All Sides of Yourself

Sarah was born in Calcutta, India and adopted at 6 weeks old by a family in Maine. That should have been the biggest change for her life, but it wasn't, by far. She faced alopecia as a child and then vitiligo too. Sarah was super shy growing up and then found a way to deal with it. All of these things taught Sarah a lot. She shares her journey from India to America, sickness to health, and all sides of her personality with us along the way. Her story reminded me of that we all can learn from each other. Always. 

Love this podcast? Want to buy me a cup of coffee...figuratively? You can support Stephanie (my producer) and I here on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thegardeniaproject

You can also advertise on the podcast now! Just head over here and send me a note!

https://www.jendeanphoto.com/the-gardenia-project-sponsorship/

Ep 13 Britt, A Flicker of Light

Britt's story is truly unlike any I have told here before (or ever heard for that matter). It is one of an early teen life full of sadness that ends up with her being kidnapped. And then it spirals out from there. I won't say more, but this is an episode you won't want to miss. Because like all the rest of the woman who have shared their stories Britt's life now is a wonderful happy success story that she is proud of. Often though when we look back we are embarrassed or ashamed of our story. More often those emotions come from things that were outside our control, but we still blame ourselves. And that is one reason why I share these stories. So we know that we aren’t alone. That we all feel the same and that we can escape our shame. 

Hey guys I am now on Patreon. If you love this podcast and want to support me you could buy me a cup of coffee in the form of $2 per month. (: These donations will help me pay for my new producer Stephanie Cohn!

Here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/thegardeniaproject

Ep 11 Kim, Love Carries You Through

This story from a dear friend of mine may be hard for any of you that have lost a child. I want to make sure that you have that warning before listening since it is such a delicate subject matter for those of you that have experienced this loss. However, her story is one full of love and laughter. She talks about the things she learned from Garrick. How he taught her to see all the beauty in life and be grateful for it every day. How the love from friends and family really does carry you through. 

Kim still grieves every year and yet manages to be a light for so many. She chooses to see the love all around her despite deep loss. She talks about moving on and the fears that came when she had another child. This in depth look at life after the death of a child is a tribute to how fragile life is and how strong we can be. 

Ep 10 Hilary, My Inner Voice of Strength

Happy International Women's Day 2018 my friends!! I am celebrating the amazing women in the world today by releasing another podcast telling the story of a strong woman! 

Today's story is one of sudden trauma, how your life can change in a split second, and how the inner voice in your head can decide a lot about the way we heal. Your entire life is hugely effected and somewhat decided by your attitude. Sometimes we forget what a huge role they play. This story is a reminder of how important it is to keep our voice a positive one! 

Ep 9 Jesseca, To Love and Accept

We all learn different lessons in life and they come to us in numerous ways. Jesseca shares a lesson that she never dreamed that she would have to learn. It has taught her about love and acceptance of those that she loves in a whole new way. I respect her so much for the way she handled herself in the middle of watching her life fall apart. I also respect what she let that time in her life teach her about the world, accepting others, telling the truth, true love and kindness to ourselves.  There are so many things that life will teach us if we choose to learn them. 

What have you learned? Interested in telling your story? Click here to fill out the application to be part of the project: http://www.jendeanphoto.com/the-gardening-project-application/

Ep. 8 Stefa, Galvanized to be a Different Person

Warning: This episode is especially difficult and could be triggering for some people who have dealt with suicide in any capacity.

We talk with Stefa about her family history. Where they came from and how their past played out in her life growing up. Our families are our lives, they teach us values, give us a sense of self, and help us learn how we navigate the world. For better or worse we live with them for many years and their history greatly influences our own. 

Stefa's story shows that all of us have the capacity to endure things that we don't think we can live through. Not only that, but we can come out the other side of these repeated difficulties, that seem unbearable, to be a kinder more compassionate person. She is a beautiful example of just that.  

Ep. 7 Bambi, Rewiring My Brain

Many people feel embarrassed or ashamed after realizing they had a panic attack because our culture tells us that it's all in our head and that somehow it's our fault. While we have a long way to go in changing our views of this awful disorder we can learn how to control it. Learning to cope with the anxiety our brain creates and how we can take back control is the subject of the this podcast. Bambi suffered from panic disorder and debilitating anxiety and learned how to control the panic before it escalated to a full blown attack.  She is now a brain coach.

She describes herself this way on her website : I call myself a "Brain Coach" for anxiety transformation and success acceleration. I teach entrepreneurial women how to leverage brain science, mindset, the human energy body, and the Law of Attraction to dismantle limitation and unleash power, confidence, and momentum. 

Check out more of her portraits here : http://www.jendeanphoto.com/blog1/bambi-on-rewiring-our-brain

Take a listen to her fascinating story and learn about the ways she overcame this crippling disease.