The Will to Succeed in the Face of the Adversity of Living With an Autoimmune Disease
Many of us live with symptoms that no one knows about. In fact, most people with diseases don’t know which symptoms pertain to their disease. This was my case from childhood. Many people labeled me as the “mischievous” one, but they didn’t know what I was dealing with privately and how it affected my brain. From childhood, I suffered from epilepsy, which also caused anxiety, brain fog, and many other symptoms. Overall, living with my autoimmune conditions made me more irritable and impatient with frequent mood swings. People saw this as a personality issue, but I meant no harm to anyone. In fact, my goal was to lift those around me.
Read full storyIt Was Never About Me. It Was Bigger Than Me.
I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure to travel around the world and learn about different cultures. This has taught me to be grateful for what I have. Many third-world countries don’t have much, but I loved visiting them because the people are extremely appreciative of others, and there’s a great sense of community. You would think that there would be more crime and scamming where resources are scarce, but this was not my experience. Many of these communities tried to help each other when they could, and they were very bargain and barter driven.
Read full storyHow Entrepreneurs Turn Tragedies into Opportunities
It takes a brave and courageous person to stand up for themselves in adverse situations. Challenges were the stepping stones to my growth. I wouldn’t be who I am without facing adversity head-on. I would not be conditioned to handle people who do not like me if I didn’t have a small taste of that throughout my life and growing from it. We all go through situations that completely destroy us; many end up in the self-perpetuating cycle of feeling down for a long time and cannot do day-to-day tasks or work on their goals. These are turning points in life where we are given options to go a different direction. Instead of being upset about my circumstances, I decided to use them to better my life. We have so many different opportunities on our journeys; if we are destined for greatness, nothing can stop us. I had to step back and look at every situation as an observer and ask myself some questions. How can I do things better? How can I improve my current situation? What makes me happy? What am I grateful for every day?
Read full storyThe Silent Killers of Autoimmune Conditions That No One Knows About
The world is filled with insensitive and uncompassionate people. We live in a time where struggling and suffering isn’t as prevalent as it used to back in the day when people had to do everything manually and barely had enough food on the table. There would be days where they would have to fast and work hard at the same. Resources were scarce, and creativity was a necessity. They didn’t have lawyers or other people to help them every step of the way; they had to learn how to live without an ego and be kind to one another. Nowadays, it is so easy to find a lawyer and protect yourself from anything, but it comes with a cost and usually a chance of losing. Judges usually don’t know the whole story; they just go according to their textbooks.
Read full storyHow to Survive as a Black Sheep in a Toxic Family
I grew up as the black sheep in my family. How do I know it wasn’t just in my head or that I wasn’t making it up? It started with family secrets. Everyone seemed to know something I didn’t. It bothered me, but I never said anything. I started to distance myself because I felt not accepted for living authentically. It was tough because it hurt me more than I thought it would. Then, my dad would do things like keep the house keys away from me and tell others that he didn’t trust my judgment. I started to believe that he just didn’t care about me. I felt that I was the unreliable one. My past was completely different from theirs, and I was grateful for that. I could see things that they could not see, like the view from a high rise. It did occur to me that I was living a life that was more “awake” to the world rather than listening to the news and the media and following the herd. It was 12 against one, but that was okay because I knew I was being taken care of from above. A lot of people who aren’t even my family members disapproved of me simply because I was different. I had a lot more setbacks than they did, and they would never be able to understand the suffering I had to go through to survive what I did. I don’t think they would be able to handle themselves if they had to stand on their own two feet.
Read full storyIs There a Correlation Between Childhood Trauma and Autoimmune Diseases?
For the longest time, I never understood why I was born with so many health conditions. As I got older, I realized it was all triggered by mass cell activation syndrome, and it got worse in certain environments. I was always wheezing and had allergies. I didn’t understand why, and I also didn’t understand how I had so many different food intolerances. Many people can eat just about anything and have a good life. However, I had to take care of my health and make it a priority—more so than the average person. Why did I gain weight more easily than others? My pictures made me look very puffy without really eating anything. The inflammation was caused by food. I knew there was something wrong. I would ask my dad, and he would just have me taking a Benadryl or something that would fix the issue short term. He never really looked after his health holistically; he wasn’t taught to treat his health that way. He was taught to take a pill for every ill. Unfortunately, it cost my dad his life. He passed away as he was walking on the beach fromcardiac arrest. My dad never consumed enough nutrients, and he was malnourished in more ways than one. When you don’t look after your health holistically, how can you be sure you are doing all you can to prevent an acute incident from happening?
Read full storyWhy People With Disabilities Don’t Receive Enough Compassion
I just found out my father passed away. I was in total shock. I was shivering all the way to the hospital. I didn’t know what happened, and I didn’t want to think too much about my loss. When I got to the hospital, my family was supportive of me for the first day. Then, the next day, they started to spread rumors and gossip about me. I thought they had my back and would always be there for me. Instead, they stabbed me in the back, threatened to call the cops if I attended my father’s funeral, and kicked me out of my home. It was disheartening to say the least. How could they not understand what I had to overcome alone to get to where I am standing? How could they not see that I had gone through so much suffering from my health to be the miracle I was today? Why were they making me feel like I was not good enough?
Read full storyHow to Cope With Mental Illness in Your Family
I grew up without a support system. Unfortunately, I had to witness other children’s parents supporting them every step of the way. They were there, holding them up through every circumstance and challenge while I was tackling my life as a one-woman show. I built up a tolerance for my situation and my mom. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis. When I was young, I didn’t know what that meant, but I felt betrayed.
Read full storyBe Your Own Here During Times of Adversity
Last year tested me, and I had the opportunity to understand the people in my life and what their roles were. I thought I had many amazing and supportive family members and friends, but over the year, I witnessed something I would call the grand purge. Everyone who I thought was the most supportive in my life stabbed me in the back and found opportunities to try to dim my light. They wanted to see me fail, and they were doing everything in their power to see me fall. I didn’t understand what they gained from this besides them finding amusement trying to “put me in my place”—an ego-driven mindset that was totally unhealthy for my evolution and where I wanted to go in life. Most people don’t care to think before they speak, and they are too stuck in their selfish desires to care about anyone else.
Read full storyWhat An Entrepreneur Needs to Know About Taking Legal Action
I have had to take legal action several times in my life—I did not get paid by a client once, was embezzled another time, and also had to deal with a robbery. I only did it if the value was greater than $100,000; if it wasn’t, then it was not worth fighting the battle. Many lawyers will fight for anything as long as they are getting paid. They never guarantee results, and this is why you have to really think about taking steps for litigation before moving forward. You think an attorney will protect you through the process, but sometimes, this is wishful thinking because the attorney is just there to fight your case. If they can’t resolve the matter for you, it is considered a loss. The fees are not cheap, and unfortunately, they can add up fast.
Read full storyWhy Living Without Desires Ultimately Gets You What You Want
The most difficult times where I faced many challenges at once conditioned me to become more focused and have that extra mental strength. My journey has never been easy, and usually, when there is one challenge, it pours other challenges. At first, you feel like you are just having a bad day, and then when it pours, you feel like dropping everything and giving up. During the challenging times, it was hard for me to find meaning in life. After every loss, I also decided to stop having desires. My desires were keeping me from experiencing true happiness. There are times where we must embrace what we have and enjoy it to the fullest. I was facing a series of losses, and after every loss, I was still grateful for what I had left. I always aimed for the stars, but I was also happy at rock bottom.
Read full story3 Things I Learned About Hypoxia and How It Affects Your Brain
This year, my father passed away, and I also lived with many health conditions, including seizures and anxiety, among many other brain conditions. I wondered what caused these conditions, and I was willing to get to the bottom of it. I knew some blood-brain barrier was involved in having caused this situation. It was tough for me to figure out, but I spoke with many health professionals who were all about the supplements. I didn’t understand how a supplement could help manage or create a healthy environment in my brain. Then, I researched and understood oxygen’s role and the blood-brain barrier. Without oxygen, brain cells can die. I read more about hypoxia and how it affects the body. I never realized the role oxygen played in the body and how it feels without extra oxygen. I started drinking oxygenated water from Kaqun, and it made a world of difference. I felt like a completely new person. Oxygen is more important than people realize; it is vital to life. I had to understand this the hard way through my father’s death. I was an avid fan of oxygen treatments because they helped me through my autoimmune conditions. They were temporary, but they made me feel healthier and more nourished. I didn’t know fully realize its importance until it affected one of my family members.
Read full storyAn Inhumane Society Doesn’t Work
I have traveled all over the world and met many people who believed in different ways of helping others in their country. I know one thing: No matter where I traveled, people would try to show me around, help me figure out the best way to assimilate, and teach me something new. They never asked me to pay them for their time, which helped build solid, healthy relationships. I didn’t do things with ulterior motives or try to manipulate others for my own good. The deep side of helping others is knowing that there are no expectations for reciprocity. Sometimes, people do things for others from a place of selfishness, then they expect the person to give back in whatever way they are expecting them to. If they don’t return the favor, they will feel rejected and turn bitter. This destroys humanity. I have witnessed this the most in America. People are so busy looking after themselves and their business that they forget what life is actually about. All of our experiences are so unique, and we go through them to be able to help others.
Read full storyHow to Bring Balance Back to Your Life After a Loss
Last year, I had to deal with many unanticipated losses. I was totally in a black hole. I was trying to be more optimistic, but as soon as my energy was positive, something else would happen. When it rained, it poured. I was robbed of my savings, then my dad passed away, and my family believed I was a criminal and kicked me out of the home before the funeral. These were some of the darkest moments of my life, but I realized what was going on. I also saw what I was being prepared for, my destiny. Many of us go through these events, allowing them to make us depressed and negative. This is where the observer’s point of view came in. I saw every circumstance I was dealing with as a lesson, a stepping stone to the next phase of my life. I knew things were going to change for me for the better, and I had to keep going. I had to keep reaching for the stars because, at some point, everything would turn around, and the people that mobbed against me would see their mistake. I didn’t want to keep going because of other people’s opinions; I wanted to keep going for myself. I believed in myself and what I could achieve.
Read full storyThe Correlation Between Entrepreneurship and Adversity
I believe an entrepreneur’s journey is more unique than the average journey. It involves many events that will try to break you and destroy you. Are you up for the challenge? Most entrepreneurs do not allow adversity to get to them; they have faced it head on. It isn’t easy when there are multiple people and entities against you, but you still decide to keep going. There have been many moments in my life where it was 50 against one, and I had to believe that somehow, the truth would prevail and shock everyone. It usually does, and this is part of the conditioning that comes with leadership. Most leaders can’t be good leaders unless they have faced a tremendous amount of adversity. They had to go through events that completely destroyed them to challenge them and see if they can come out the other side. These challenges are what ultimately build character and the core values important as an entrepreneur.
Read full storyHow To Lose Stubborn Weight Without Fad Diets
I tried every fad diet in the book and wondered why my weight was not budging—including fat loss. I know it is harder for women to lose fat than men because we hold on to the extra pounds for fertility and childbearing. However, fat loss should not feel impossible. I often wondered why fat was so much harder for me to lose than my peers, who could drop weight like it was nothing. I have learned a lot about weight loss over the years, some of which may actually shock you. For example, cardio is not the most effective form of exercise to lose fat. Something about doing endless cardio workouts makes people feel they are shedding fat. This could work with a balanced diet, but nutrition is key. I found that even beyond nutrition, fat loss is more about how you metabolize food, which is why personal trainers and nutritionists aren’t always the right people to work with to lose weight. I have never lost a single pound working with a trainer, and I always wondered why. Most trainers had me doing the same general workouts and meal plans as their other clients. The truth was that my blood sugar was spiking a lot with their plans, resulting in fat storage. I realized that I couldn’t lose weight on their plan because it did not address my health problems.
Read full storyHow to Build Your Mental Strength as An Entrepreneur
Many mentors have told me I had to have “thick skin” as an entrepreneur, but that has a diluted interpretation. Thick skin can mean to keep going in the face of adversity or not taking offense at anything. Having thick skin is more than that; it’s about mental strength. Imagine you are on a fitness challenge, and you have to follow the protocol no matter what. This could mean having to sacrifice social outings and seeing friends and being on your own. You have to do these things anyway to become an entrepreneur. Mental strength grows through adversity, and you will be experiencing a ton of it. I remember being in the initial stages of starting a new business and getting rejected by partners, investors, and even new hires. I also realized that there was deception that I hadn’t considered when I was going through the hiring process. Somehow, I overcame these challenges through my mental strength. You have to be prepared for people ready to take advantage of an entrepreneur just starting out. I didn’t know this because I thought everyone would be supportive of my journey, which is not the case; many people will tell you things that detour you from your path.
Read full storyHow Micro-Tuning My Health Helped Me Reverse Three Autoimmune Conditions
When I realized that I was completely different from other people who had normal functioning bodies, everything changed for me. I had to live differently than the average person. Eventually, I felt okay with that because I knew my life was going to change. I was more informed about my health than many others. Most people don’t consider the little things because they don’t impact their health. They will eventually realize what a poor job they have done maintaining their health when they are hit with an acute situation they cannot reverse. This is when they usually start taking their health more seriously, but they also usually don’t have the answers. I learned a lot from my autoimmune conditions. I had three of them that almost killed me. I didn’t know what to do, and the doctors were not very helpful when it came to learning about how I could reverse my situation and still continue living. They gave me a lot of conventional advice without going in-depth about the problem. The only way I could reverse all three conditions was by becoming my own advocate. I was in a hopeless situation, living with symptoms most people didn’t understand. I was fighting a battle every day just to feel healthy, and no one even knew it. It was tough for me to keep going with a disability, but I was determined to find answers for my condition.
Read full storyHow to Be Your Own Health Advocate and Not Give Your Power Away
I’ve often wondered why I have to fill out so many intake forms at the doctor’s, yet never receive the answers or help I need. Furthermore, many forms are very detailed and take a lot of time to complete. Then, I found out that many doctors don’t even read the information on the form and go straight to prescribing something to help you. Does this sound right to you? Why do we give our power away to someone who has never lived a day in our shoes? This was exactly why I stopped being a patient and started questioning everything these doctors were telling me. It’s discouraging when you feel sick and the medications make you feel worse.
Read full storyHow Entrepreneurs Maneuver Through the Jungle of Deception
When I wanted to become an entrepreneur, I had everyone and their mom telling me they would help me do this and support me with tasks. Ambitious me anticipated all this amazing help I would be getting. I thought, How did I get so lucky to have such a great support system in my life? I always remained optimistic, no matter the circumstances I was dealing with. I wanted to make sure I always had a reason to stay positive. The one thing that bothered me was people’s integrity. I was getting all this “support,” but people weren’t following through. Everyone will disappoint you in this life in some way at some time, but you have to keep going—with or without them. The best thing you can do for yourself is not to be upset but to become unstoppable. When you become unapproachable, people will realize what they lost. Make it a goal to become someone who cannot be stopped, no matter what adversities land on your plate. Throughout my life, I had many obstacles that left me saying, I am ready to give up… please just take me. Being a slave to my health for a long period was a setback, then dealing with many cons, frauds, and people with ulterior motives who took me for all I had earned. I was in a real black hole, but this is where I realized my worth, power, and who I truly am.
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