EP046: Raw Feelings Put on A Page Can Heal You
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Release Date: 07/28/2016
Mental Health, Anxiety, Self-Harm and More
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
A single act doesn’t define us, nor does a moment in time. When we feel weak or powerless, we search internally for the one version of ourselves that we think will best cope with the situation we are faced with. If our history includes anxiety, anger, or apprehension, we are basically like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’ll get. Often, we systematically compare our pain to that of our peers to self-judge our normality. Still, in doing so, we risk gathering all the pain within ourselves, primarily if we identify with it. Ultimately, we project our anxiety and anger inwards...
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Aging Women Learn About Physical and Emotional Limits
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
*Consider who may be listening with you. This episode contains fun stuff that only adults should hear. A Special Passage for Monica From - Sometimes, it comes as a soft-bellied whisper. Sometimes it holds an edge of urgency, but it always says, “Wake up, my love. You are walking asleep; there’s no safety in that.” Now, Where Did I Put That? Aging can be fun if we consider it a never-ending game of hide-and-seek. The physical aspects of getting older are more accessible for us to deal with than the mental and emotional changes occurring within our bodies. We may understand that a tire...
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Accepting Ourselves Without Judgement
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
In this Best of Straight Talk for a Curvy World® episode, I talk about my book. became a #1 Best-selling book upon release and continues to show up in the top ten even today. It also won SIX national and international book awards and was selected for review by Publisher's Weekly. And even though I write about #Me-Too, my book was released long before the world ever heard that phrase! I hope you'll check it out and leave a review. Click on the title above, or request the book from your favorite bookseller. Emotional Pain in the Physical Form During Christine’s uncertainty about...
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Grief, Anxiety and Moving Through Time
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Lucky is how Mo Hannah describes herself. And when you consider the profound impacts she has withstood, you can agree that Mo Hannah is indeed lucky. Mo was destined to have found the Battered Mothers Custody Conference. Her personal life gave her reason, and her humanity gave her purpose. Ann and Mo talk about how being in the present can alleviate anxiety and how taking your time to feel out a problem gives your inner voice a chance to speak. The physical pain caused by grief is not a structured ailment. There is no amount of time when it ceases to be, but it does change form over time....
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The Journey of Caregiving Our Aging Parents
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Caring for our parents can be one of the greatest gifts in life and one of our greatest hardships. You can never quite prepare yourself for the physical and emotional changes on the way. It is a challenging time that requires us to be many things to many people. We are the lucky ones spending as much time as possible with the people who gave us life. We are not alone on this journey. Mentions:
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Learning to FLY - (First Love Yourself)
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
*This is an adult conversation, so please be aware of who may be listening with you. A Special Passage for Lisa “I am worthy. You were born worthy. You don’t have to do anything to make yourself worthy. You are a superhero born into this world, and being you is all you need to do. Express yourself, and don’t believe the hype that says you need to be anything more than your amazing self. I used to believe I wasn’t deserving of great things, but when I began declaring my worth, my life changed for the better.” - from the soon-to-be best-seller, I AM...: A Girl’s Guide to...
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A Conversation About Mental Illness
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Most of us believe medicines will heal our illnesses. We do not expect a drug to exacerbate our problems, so when one does, it’s difficult to know it is at the root of the problem. Karen shares with us how Prozac caused a mania that led her down the dark hallways of depression, suicidal thoughts, and the disintegration of her marriage to a good man. She has since recovered and sings jazz twice weekly and serves as a spiritual advisor in the unity church. Mentions: - Neale Donald Walsch - Emily Cady
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Jordan Harbinger Talks About How Men Deal With Grief
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Detaching yourself from grief shortly after a loss is a reliable way to ensure you prolong its influence. Frequently, additional losses compound the suffering and may cause other behaviors which eventually take their toll on your well-being. And even though most of us have difficulty handling grief, it seems men are more likely to bottle it up and not let it out. Jordan shares with us his recent reaction to the news about the loss of a peer and how he became aware of the value of living a more fulfilling life. We all must deal with this topic at some point in our lives. Jordan is one of the...
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Anxiety & Starting Over in Your 40s
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
We don’t always plan on being pushed in the right direction, and more often than not, it takes us by surprise, especially when we are in our 40s. It usually happens when we take a deep breath and martyr our lives for those we care about. In Ellen’s case, her push came right after she bought her coveted little red corvette. She suddenly found herself needing a new way to support her family. And instead of wallowing in anxiety, she channeled her father’s wisdom and chose to do something that would make her happy for the rest of her life. Mentions: Daring Greatly
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Building a Better Relationship with Yourself
Straight Talk for a Curvy World®
Many of us are just finding ourselves again in our 40s. Our relationships up until this point have been with people with which we share similar emotional attributes. We may try to recreate our family of origin because it is a familiar place. When we learn to stop living through other people, we start to have better relationships with ourselves. We can then build upon our losses and take risks that catapult us into clarity. Through meditation, we can tune into our inner wisdom, which will guide us in our journey. If you have benefited from this podcast and think it could benefit someone else,...
info_outlineIn 2015, on a street in London, Sheree Angela Matthews was listening to a podcast. The podcast just happened to be my conversation with Shannon Crotty, founder of Polka Dot Powerhouse. Sheree started crying while listening and decided to reach out. I am so pleased she did. Her journey, which she shares with us today, is personal, touching and transformational.
Those Who Can’t Do, Teach?
Sheree has been writing since she was 6 years old. Her father would give her a notebook and a pencil and tell her to amuse herself. She used to make stories of a little mouse who was always the hero and who always saved the day. During her educational years, there was never any talk of being able to have a career in writing. Students were guided towards more traditional work, like police women or teachers. So, Sheree became a teacher but she was secretly writing the entire time. She now has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Newcastle University, two full-length collections of published poetry, she is an expert in Black, British Women’s Poetry, and she is working on her new book. Once she started to take herself seriously as a writer, others did too.
A Need to Be Needed
Sheree knows she has a deep need to be needed by others. Patterns of finding broken people with hopes of mending them started back when she would try anything to get attention from her father. She says she felt she was forever a disappointment to him and she never felt his love.
Socially Challenged
Sheree has had a trying time the last couple of years. She experienced something which caused deep wounds in her soul. People she thought were her friends were saying awful things about her. They called her a liar, a cheat and a thief on Facebook. She lost herself in her own guilt, shame and self-hatred.
She has since risen up from the abyss and has used her intense feelings to write her book, Rubedo: one woman’s search for her authentic voice. It is a gift she shares with her readers and listeners of this podcast to let them know they are not alone. Sheree acknowledges her fear that there will be vultures swirling around her new book, lying in wait for even the tiniest of mistakes, but that’s OK with her. She doesn’t need their approval.
I recommend Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, a great resource for those of you who may be afraid to step out into your triumph. You can also find my conversation with Shannon Crotty here, Straight Talk for a Curvy World Episode #7.
Come Forth and Meet Your Sisterhood
If you would like to read my story of overcoming fear, guilt and shame, I Am More Than Enough - Secrets, Sex, Shame and the Search for Self-love, you will have to wait until September. I wrote this book to honor the journey I took during the first half of my life and to celebrate entering the second half of my life, because I am no longer hiding.
On September 20th and 21st, you are invited to be a part of my book launch, my 50th birthday party and a gathering of world-class speakers for a VIP dinner and all-day life changing events in the lovely Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. To register for this inspirational, first annual live event visit Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live. If you would like to be a part of my book launch team, sign up at I am more than enough.
If your story needs a compassionate and empathetic place to share and you cannot make it to Straight Talk for a Curvy World Live, you can reach out to me @Iamannpeck on social media or send me a private email to [email protected].
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“People can only take you seriously as a writer when you have taken yourself seriously as a writer.”
“I actively looked for broken men because I had a subconscious need to heal them. It was my personal crusade.”
“My mother died suddenly of a stroke so all my plans were thrown into disarray. I started writing for my life.”