I am full of energy, gratitude and optimism today.  While my brother is my real-life hero, my mother is my inspiration and provides the strength I need to forge ahead.

She has always been by my side. That is why it was surprising to hear that prior to my being born, she never thought in a million years, that should could care for a sick child. However, she did it and was great at it too. She is the definition of strength and inspiration in my book. That is why I had asked her to be a guest on my podcast, specifically  to talk about her experiences as a mother to a child who was in and out of the hospital for the first six years of their life (me).

As you will hear in our conversation, this woman, is amazing. There is one sentence my mother kept repeating during our conversation “You just do what you have to do. You don’t think about it, you just do.” Mom, I have to tell you, not everyone thinks that way and that is why you, you are an inspiration.

Listen to Episode 3

Something was off this week, I felt like something was missing. Whatever the case, it was just one of those weeks. You know what I am talking about. A week in which you feel like you aren’t getting enough things knocked off of your to-do list. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but my energy was lackluster.

As I sit here on this somewhat gloomy Saturday morning, in my office, it just clicked. Something WAS missing. Because I was so busy, I did not have any extra time to do the one thing I love the most. Podcast Production. Producing podcasts makes me happy, it allows me to be creative in so many different ways. By nature, I am a creative person. I enjoy designing websites, creating videos, creating audio, writing stories and more. So, any time spent on podcast production whether it be updating the look of my website (which I started to do earlier in the week, but then had to put that on hold) or coming up with topics for future episodes, I am at my most happiest. This is not to say that I am not happy when I am doing other things. Many things I do in my life make me happy, especially when it comes to the work I do for my clients.

The point here is, I didn’t find the time to do the one thing that makes me the MOST happiest. We all have to remember to stop and take time to ourselves, to take joy in whatever it is that makes us ultra-happy. I believe by doing so, we will see amazing results in our lives and in our work. Energy levels will rise and stress levels will decrease. Remember to take the time to do what you love. I certainly will do my best to do so! FYI: if you are a subscriber to my blog or following me on Twitter and see I am not active, this can only mean one thing — I am ultra-busy and forgetting to stop and smell the roses — Send me a message and remind me to take my own advice, okay?

“Continue to Follow Your Dreams ~ Do What You Love ~ The Rest Will All Fall into Place” Darlene

I stated in my first podcast that I would incorporate my life story into various episodes and blog posts. In the first episode of Your Blooming, I talked about how my life began.

I would like to take you through my journey which has led me to the path I am currently following today. I recently wrote a guest blog post for Nacie Carson over at The Life Uncommon. I am going to take excerpts from that blog post and elaborate on them here. So, without further delay — here is part one in My Journey.

I was born on an autumn day in 1976. I was premature and because of this I was born with several birth defects. I was only a few hours old when I underwent my very first surgery. For the first six years of my life; the hospital was my home away from home. The doctors and nurses were my friends, the other patients my playmates and my mother was by my side every single step of the way. While other children my age were playing kick ball in the playground, I was participating in wheel chair races up and down the hallway of the 2nd floor pediatric unit. Although my days were spent in the hospital, I was always a happy child and it showed.”

The biggest memory I have of the time spent in the hospital is being with my mother. She was always there, always. I would wake up in the morning and she was there. When the lab technician would come to take my blood each morning, my mother was there to hold my hand. In fact, she taught me how to count at an early age, just as a way to distract me from having my blood drawn. When the techincian was about to plunge the needle into my arm, my mother would take my opposite hand and say “Ok, Darlene…let’s count.” And together, we would count, all the while my blood was being drawn. Eventually, I learned my ABC’s this way too. We would also sing together, tunes like “You Are My Sunshine” and “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck”. She was loving, caring and always there.

It is no wonder then, that I look back on the times in the hospital without any sadness or fear. My very own guardian angel, my mother, was always there to watch over me and protect me.

**My mother shares her side of things in an upcoming podcast episode.**

Every morning, I receive a few  “Quote of the Day” emails.   Some days I read these emails and think to myself, “Oh, well isn’t that nice?”,  then I quickly delete it from my inbox and move on. On other days, a quote may resonate with me or simply cause me to smile. When the quote evokes such a response, I like to share it with others. Today was such a day and so, here is the quote:

” I’ve continued to recognize the power individuals have to change virtually anything and everything in their lives in an instant. I’ve learned that the resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright.” -Anthony Robbins

Do you have a dream you want to fulfill? Well, what are you waiting for?

Yay! The very first episode of Your Blooming is here.

Read the Blog Post to learn about the inspiration behind and creation of Your Blooming.

 

 Episode 1 - An Introduction [8:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (113)