Looking Up From Here

Leaning into Hope: How We Nurture Resilience

What if hope isn't just about wishing for the best? 🤔 In our latest episode, we talk about hope shifts our sense of what is possble--especially in uncertain times. It's a deeply personal episode that comes at a time when many of us are feeling the weight of the world and its many dysfunctions. Hope might feel fragile or elusive to you right now...or even naive. But hope is not a passive feeling. It is an active and resilient force that allows us to navigate life's uncertainties, encourages us to embrace both joy and pain, and helps us foster a sense of gratitude for the present moment. To frame our conversation, Samantha shares her favorite passage from an essay by Václav Havel. Havel was a Czech poet and revolutionary, who survived persecution and imprisonment under the Soviet Union to then become the first democratically elected President of the Czech Republic. Havel distinguishes hope from optimism. Hope is not merely an expectation of positive outcome but rather an "orientation of the spirit." In this episode we explore what that kind of hope means to us and how we experience it in our own lives. It serves as a heartfelt reminder of the importance of nurturing hope within ourselves and our community as a means of--in Angie's words--"keeping that little light inside of us burning."  Leave a comment and tell us how you're leaning into hope these days and nurturing resilience. We love hearing from you! Tags: hope, resilience, personal growth, Václav Havel, Stockdale Paradox, mental health, community, gratitude.

Seen & Unseen: How We Navigate Identity, Needs & Time

What's obvious to us may not be so obvious to others. In this episode, we continue our conversation about the disparities between how we see ourselves and how others see us. The gaps in those perceptions often create misunderstandings and unmet needs and has an impact on our lives in ways that surprise even us. We get into some of the nuances of the disabilities that others can see and the ones they can't--like chronic pain. Along the way, we take some funny detours on time management and productivity. Chapters 00:00 Exploring Identity and Disability 02:40 The Impact of Unmet Needs 05:39 Navigating Social Perceptions 08:38 The Complexity of Accessibility 11:32 The Role of Time in Disability 14:30 Embracing Slower Living 17:17 Invisible Disabilities and Their Challenges 20:21 The Intersection of Disability and Work 23:27 Coping with Chronic Pain 26:14 The Influence of the Pandemic on Work Culture 29:20 Rethinking Time and Productivity 32:07 The Future of Accessibility 35:00 Reflections on Identity and Experience

What Doesn't Kill You: Uncertainty & Endurance

This episode takes a candid look at disability as an endurance sport—where identity, resilience, and community reshape what care and compassion mean. We explore the emotional and physical endurance of living with a disability, framing daily life as a constant act of adaptation. Our conversation delves into how identity evolves through loss and uncertainty—especially within medical systems that often lack answers. We reflect on how we cope with fundemental changes to our sense of self and how resilience is forged from adversity.

Prioritize the Possible: When Our Needs Clash with Self-Perception

Needing to use a cane or wheelchair can throw a person into an identity crisis because of the stigma they carry. Accepting the use of an aid can be a difficult transition and one that many people resist or reject even when an aid is important for their safety and independence. This conversation delves into how our sense of self is impacted by our needs and how we can reframe our thinking on aids to get the most out of the technology available to us.

Laura's Journey: Learning to Be Present in the Body

In this conversation, Laura shares her journey of living with spina bifida. She discusses the challenges she faced growing up with disability and the innovative therapies her family sought out to help her thrive. She shares her experiences trying to fit in at school, the isolation she felt, and how she finally gave up her mission to make other people comfortable with her limitations. Laura also reflects on her discovery of the Mind Body Solutions (MBS) program and how yoga transformed her relationship with her body, leading to a deeper understanding of self-acceptance and peace.