When I first went into sales in my early 20's and then started my own business in my 30's, I soon learned that rejection was just a part of life and it came with the job. I think we actually shy away from going after our dreams because of the fear of rejection. And, I wonder as parents how often we protect our kids from being rejected thinking that we are helping them, when actually we need is to let them experience it.

Generation Why’s Missions statement is “Inspiring every generation by Revealing their Purpose, and providing opportunities to Pursue it.” We are Mental Health Advocates ending teen suicide, & teen bullying through mentorship classes embedded into the school system, the creative arts, specialized curriculum, a hands-on internship programs, & a travel team taking the mission of Purpose all over the state of Oklahoma/Nation servicing 20,000 students annually. We are an extremely dedicated Organization with a Home Team to serve our community & Travel Team impacting the world by providing purpose to the students how are struggling and hungry for life. v

In honor of National Suicide Prevention Month, I am highlighting people on my podcast this month who have been touched by suicide in their life by the loss of a loved one or have thought about ending their own life, as well as people who are on this mission to end suicide, too.

This week's podcast is with my friend Suzi Freeman who thought about ending her life at a young age and has now created the 'Zero Youth Suicide' campaign. Please listen to our interview, subscribe & share, and read this information on how to support her campaign to empower teens!

Ross left so many amazing legacies and is affectionately remembered with fondness and marvelous stories that are still shared among family and friends. He was a gregarious extrovert by nature and made everyone around him feel like he had known them for years. 

Our family legacy is that he blessed me with two amazing children who adored him, and now through our daughter we have two darling grandsons who I wish could experience the gift of his presence in their lives. We often talk about him and refer to him as ‘Grandpa Ross.’ 

As you know, I have had my fair share of major adversities to live through and am still on the journey of healing. To be honest, even though it has been over nine years since losing half my family, this year has been one of the hardest so far. I am putting a lot of work into finally dealing with the grief and the trauma.

It is no secret that I have had some major storms hit my life. As a mature adult, I have been through a lot of life's adversities, the same as many of you. However, after losing my husband in 2014 and then my son in 2017, both of them to suicide, numerous people ask me how I got through it all and what helps me even today.

Sometimes you just can't ignore when a word or phrase keeps popping up everywhere you look. For me, the past two months the word has been the word 'Reinvention.' Guess I have a new word for the year! 

When we pause and wait on God, we give ourselves time to reflect, pray, and seek guidance from Him. It is during these moments of stillness that we are able to tap into our inner selves and listen to the voice of God.

I am dating myself, but who remembers an inflatable punching bag toy named Bozo the Clown, who when knocked down popped back up? Believe it or not, you can still find this guy on Amazon! I am definitely getting one of these for my two-year-old grandson (he’s gonna love it!) and am considering taking Bozo out on the road when I speak about getting through adversity.

There are very few things in life that are truly outside of our control. I realize you know this, but do we really apply this truth when things get really tough.

For example, the things that are within our control, how do we manage those things to improve the quality of our daily lives? One strategy that has helped me is making the choice to shift my perspective of the situation; to actually change how I see and feel about it. I believe this to be a three step process:

One of my major goals this year was to genuinely work on becoming more aware of my thoughts. A chain of events contributed to my having more alone time than ever before. That “alone time” space forced me to take a hard listen to the voice talking to me all the time. I will meekly tell you; it has been quite a humbling journey.

I love the spirit of the holidays but I am not a fan of what they have become. I am not sure if my disenchantment is because of accumulating birthdays, the fact I now live alone, or if it is a consequence of all the loss I have experienced. When I think about what has become the norm for this holy season I actually almost start cringing.

The holiday season is the time of year when we can feel all the human emotions. Joy, love, excitement, anticipation, gratitude, and being blessed can be mixed with sadness, grief, comparison, disappointment, anger, and loneliness; just to name a few. To be honest, I feel them all.

This is the time of year and the season for expressing thankfulness, love, and gratitude. We give thanks for life’s blessings and we show our gratitude by sending cards and gifts to those we love. Why don’t we do this more often?

Five years. It took more than a five year journey for me to arrive at the point where I felt enough peace to release my son Cole’s ashes. I am so grateful to the funeral home that has patiently held on to his cremains for all these years. It goes without saying, this final tribute was simply too painful to consider earlier.

In my journey of loss, one of the most healing things I have learned  is to pray and ask God for signs from Him and signs my loved ones in Heaven. I am undoubtedly aware that they are with me all the time; sending love, cheering me on, and guiding me. In my heart, I know they want me to be at peace, be happy, and continue living my life with renewed purpose.

One of the true blessings in my life are the people who surround me; precious ones who are my mentors, my friends, my colleagues, and people I call family. Their love and support means the world to me! Many times, I have said that having the right people in your ‘front row’ is vital to your health, wealth, and personal success.

When was the last time you sat down, looked closely at your life and did an assessment?

On a recent flight home, I was listening to Jay Shetty. He was proposing undertaking an exercise to take stock of your life. A few of the questions he suggested were:

A few days ago, I returned from being at a conference that I never thought I would attend. I found myself in a room with 900 parents who have lost their children (along with thousands from around the world watching virtually). One month prior to this conference, I was introduced to this amazing organization called “Helping Parents Heal” and even though it was completely sold out, a seat and a hotel room just ‘happen’ to open up for me within a short 48 hours of hearing about it. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was being guided to attend.

It’s that time again for me to do some back-to-back trips. I was thinking about these upcoming trips and how much my planning and preparation for these journeys has improved.  The tips I would share for stress free travel can readily be applied to life in general. Whether or not you want to travel, perhaps you can apply these pointers to your personal life to help live with less stress and to fully enjoy the journey!