Never Ever Give Up Hope

When Melony Brown was two years old, she had a significant stroke. She did not choose an overcome attitude as a child but her parents instilled it in her. They did not allow her to use lack of coordination, left-sided weakness, or balance issues as an excuse.  Melony is an author, speaker, and host of the  Challenges Won't Stop Me  podcast. Fighting to overcome life's challenges and thriving is th...

Are you tired of being miserable and broken? Maurice  Martin has been through his fair share of trauma - from masking the private pain of his childhood to battling depression in his twenties. After becoming an award-winning vocalist and songwriter, Maurice hit rock bottom and it became clear that there was only one way out. Maurice had to let go of what had been holding him back. Now that he has h...

Dr. Salvatore Forcina survived against all odds. His story is one of tenacity and perseverance. Dr. Forcina was born in Italy in 1941. This was the time of World War 2 and the war and its aftermath presented locals with few options other than to flee their homes and later, ultimately, their country. Dr. Forcina has been a general and vascular surgeon for forty years and also trained in trauma surg...

How does any parent cope when the doctors tell you that your daughter has an eight percent chance of surviving more than five years? HOPE is a Way to Escape Your Fear Michael Schnabel heard that devastating news that left him weak and defenseless – until he formed a support group to move forward to save her life. In each person's life, some events forever change their course. Twenty-seven-year-old...

When your life is thrown a curve ball and you lose your husband at 47 years old -- what then? What about your future? How do you cope? Kim met tall, dark, and handsome Steve Sorrelle who proposed ten days later.  It was a love story written in the heavens. They raised five children -- life was good.  Kim Sorrelle began journaling after a breast cancer diagnosis in 2009. Four months later, her husb...

ATTENTION: Anyone with back issues in need of surgery MUST read this first.    Dr. Ardavan Aslie is a  board-certified spine surgeon who received his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he double-majored in physiology and genetics. He earned his MD from New York Medical College and completed his residency at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City while working...

Michaell Magrutsche is an Austrian/Californian multidisciplinary artist, awareness/creativity educator, speaker, and author of five books related to art. He is an advocate for helping understand neurodiversity. Michaell's dyslexia and dysgraphia (hand-eye coordination) forced him to develop an awareness of seeing the world purely from a human perspective.  Creating art completed his awareness of w...

When Ron Worley was homeless in 2003 he felt hopeless. He was drinking himself to a coward's death. He had lost everyone and everything that meant anything to him. He called himself a disgusting human being, who looked for his next high rather than find a path to his children. Ron is a successful business owner, real estate investor, mentor, and self-made millionaire who follows his own code – the...

Sara McElroy felt helpless and hopeless in her job . She felt trapped running on the hamster wheel in her CMO role. Even though it was taking a massive toll on her health and well-being, it was everything she thought she ever wanted.  But, she was in for a surprise. Sara McElroy is a former hustle culture devotee, ex-chief marketing officer, the Wall Street Journal's poster girl for pandemic caree...

Kevin Palmieri remembers the pain when opening his final pay stub of the year.  Did he accomplish his goal of six figures? Yes, he did.  But nothing changed.  He was laying in bed that night and had this thought, "Your car doesn't matter, your house doesn't matter, your wallet doesn't matter… your thoughts matter more than anything." And that's how Kevin's life dramatically changed.  You, too, can...

Tez Brooks is a multiple award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, journalist, and author who understands the pain of sexual abuse, bullying in middle school, and then unfaithfulness and divorce. As a former law enforcement officer and police chaplain Tez knows that the stressful position of first responders is often scary, unpredictable, and infuriating. Where do you go to refresh and refocus when t...

Have you – or someone you know – had 'working mother' burnout?  Dr. Susan Landers is a neonatologist who worked full-time in the NICU for over 30 years and raised three children.  She achieved many academic and professional accomplishments, and she encountered challenges along the way, both in her career and in her mothering. She achieved many academic and professional accomplishments, and she  en...

After years of being his own worst enemy, Byron Morrison knows exactly how frustrating the never-ending cycle of hard work, expectation, and minimal results can be.  Maybe You Should Give Up  is Morrison's answer to the question: how can anyone achieve their dreams if hard work isn't enough? It seems like every self-help book and personal development program is the same these days, preaching that...

Have you felt lonely? Left out? Less than?  Have you ever wanted to blend in with the wallpaper so you were not noticed?  Do you know how to connect with other people who fill your heart rather than drain your soul? If yes to any of these questions  - Then you will relate with Cheri Strange who turned that loneliness into helping over 700,000 women redefine their worth. Cheri is a published author...

As a parent, how would you respond when told that your young son had severe hearing loss along with other symptoms eliminating his quality of life? When Jeff Seitzer was younger, he thought he was struck with bad luck. He had encephalitis at age four leaving him with major residual effects. At ten years old he was in an accident that left him partially disabled and as a teenager was diagnosed with...

"Stop Trying to Win the War in Your Mind Just Do Your Job!" In his wildest dreams,  Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Bradley P. Jones never thought he would make a career out of the military. Through the setbacks, the disappointments, and the trials, there were many life-changing moments, including the  death of his first wife  when he was 37 years old and had 3 young children.     Bradley P. Jones (C...

Divorced after 28 years of marriage Dawn Damon lost everything, her job, friends, identity, and social status. It was painful. She felt helpless, but not hopeless. Dawn has been an influencer, pastor, global communicator, podcaster, coach, and best-selling author for over 20 years. She  is the founder and CEO of the Brave Hearted Woman, a transformational coaching and personal growth development e...

ARE YOU A SPITFIRE WHO REFUSES TO QUIT? When Stephanie Jordan's husband passed away in Dec 2014, she had an 8-month-old, 2-year-old, 7, 9 and a 13-year-old who went into chaos. Together with her loss, she homeschooled and owned a large salon company. She was totally traumatized and felt as though she did not possess a brain cell for nearly a year and a half. She struggled with suicidal thoughts an...

Have you dreamed of doing something big? Something EPIC?  Have you dreamed of crossing the finish line at the big race, standing on the peak of a mountain, owning your own business, achieving a career milestone, or becoming financially independent? Too often, we think of these things as just dreams. We place limits on ourselves, reducing our full potential. BRYAN GILLETTE  knows what it is like to...

Wendy Spooner understands the pain of defeat and easily gave up when trying something new. Like many others, she did not believe in herself. ..or her power to succeed. But, as an adult, she learned that failures are part of success -- a crucial learning tool on the path to success. Wendy Wilson Spooner, Lic. G., LCoT, is a professional Genetic Genealogist by day, a writer by night, and an artist i...

What do you do when life sends trauma and pain where you hoped for love and kindness?   Have you felt broken? Betrayed? Traumatized? Rena Groot endured years of abuse that could have destroyed her. But she realized she had a choice to allow it to make or break her spirit.  Rena was abandoned, rejected, and unloved during her entire childhood while being tossed into horrific foster care homes repea...

Todd Christianson is an a uthor, podcaster, speaker, Accredited Financial Counselor®, certified HUD housing counselor, and education manager at Money Fit by DRS. Todd has facilitated thousands of personal finance workshops and one-on-one counseling sessions since 2004,  helping consumers of all backgrounds  and income levels regain control of their finances, get out of debt, rebuild their credit,...

Until the age of 35, Barry Braun's life was all about money. He had made lots of money and lost lots of money. Then something happened which made him wonder what the purpose of life really was about. Barry's story helps us understand some of the struggles we often go through while achieving success.     After Barry experienced a deep self-reflection exercise lasting 18 months, he concluded that li...

Bob DePasquale was diagnosed with cancer and experienced a terrible act of terrorism within a few days.  He thought the world was coming to an end.   Bob had always believed in taking care of the things he had been blessed with by helping others do the same. His perspective derived from his battle with cancer and his life threatened at the age of 18. After this experience,  Bob realized the powerf...

Jim Barnard has dealt with disappointment and distress many times which led to significant depression. His wife, Alisha, had two near-death experiences and was not able to carry a pregnancy to term - adding to Jim's severe anxiety. But this is only the beginning of the story of how Jim and Alisha turned the impossible into the possible.     When Jim Barnard and Alisha planned their future together...