KirstyTV

Click here to view the embedded video. Angela has been a celebrity fitness trainer and nutritionist in Hollywood to Tom Cruise, Katie Couric, and Jimmy Buffet among many others. She is also a survivor of domestic abuse and has bravely shared her story in order to erase shame and stigma and assist others with knowing there is a way out. I ask her how her domestic violent experience began. She explains that it was a very young, passionate, bold and whirlwind romance. She met him on the beach in California and within 9 weeks, she was living in New York and they were married. Angela didn’t see any signs of physical abuse, mental abuse or emotional abuse in that short time. “He just wanted me, he wanted me and it was a really great feeling at that point in our relationship.” She describes the first time he hit her which was only 2 weeks after they had married. When he slapped her in the face for touching another man’s hand in casual conversation. Immediately, he made the physical abuse her fault, to which she took responsibility for and begged for forgiveness. “The signs are there. Absolutely. I should’ve left immediately. I mean, that was a huge sign for me. He slapped me across the face for no reason.” She took the blame and justified his actions by telling herself that if she were better, it would stop, but it only progressed and got worse. It took her 5 years to leave him because he completely broke her and blew her light out. Angela shares more details about the abuse saying, “It was horrendous sometimes. At times in my life, I thought I would die. I thought nobody is ever going to find me.” He isolated her, so she felt she had nobody to call for help. She talks about the mental abuse and the confusion that caused her. He would control her, physically abuse her and then apologize, telling her it wouldn’t happen again. “You don’t know if it’s you; you don’t know you’re the one messed up because he has controlled your mind and your self esteem for a period of time.” “I wanted to make sure that I was ready to leave before I told anyone and I wouldn’t advise anyone to do that. I would say talk about it. Tell people what’s going on. Make sure that you’re safe.” We chat about the cycle of abuse, the horrible love to high love. It’s recognizing that sometimes we get caught up in the drama of it all and we start almost liking this cycle. Angela agrees, “It becomes an addiction for sure. If he didn’t text me 500 times a day, I thought something was wrong. If he didn’t call me 60 times a day—because that’s what he did—I would think. ‘Oh my God, what am I going to be walking into or what’s going on?’ “ Even though she knew that behavior was crazy, it became comforting. That’s when she knew she had an addiction to him and that she was not okay. After she left, she had to really take care of herself by eating right and exercising. She had to take on the role of comforter to herself and turn off his voice in her head that controlled her. The greatest gift in this experience for me was knowing that I wanted to be safe in my relationship and knowing what that really meant to me. And knowing what kind of love I really wanted in my life. And who what happened for me is that I absolutely created that and wanted that in my life. And I valued myself enough to find it. I have the most amazing man in my life that I feel safe with, that absolutely adores me. And we have a very health, beautiful relationship. I don’t think I really would’ve known what that would’ve looked like had I not gone through that relationship. If there is anyone in your life that is treating you bad, whether it is a partner, family member, friend, or boss, find your voice and do not allow it anymore. Learn more about Angela Martindale at www.iamangelamartindale.com Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Domestic Violence Story appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Mental Health and Janine’s Life-Long Struggles and Successes Mental health issues is something that my guest, Janine Francolini struggled with for years. In her mid teens, this developed into an eating disorder and by 17 years old, she was hospitalized after her first suicidal attempt. After years of struggling with mental health, she is here today to share her story. The trauma began at age 7, under the torment of a teacher, she would cry every day. Having been left untreated, her stress levels increased over time leading to extreme anxiety. “Sixth grade, [I] started to get extreme, extreme anxiety attacks. I would have hives on my body—it was really bad.” Her mental health continued to suffer into her late teens when she describes her first suicidal attempt. “I was in complete blackness. I was always thinking about suicide, not sleeping… I don’t know how I functioned.” She planned her suicide for months and tells us how it consumed her thoughts, “It’s a little scary that it was so easy and calm. It was like, this is the night—It was a Sunday night—these are the pills. I went to bed and took the pills. It was easy to do. That’s … wow…” Looking back, adult Janine would tell her teen-self not to hide her feelings and worries. To share them and be more open about her mental health. Janine delves deeper and tells us about her trials with an eating disorder and also about her successes. “I never weigh myself! Since the pregnancy I never weigh myself.” We talk about relapses and what alerts her that she may be having unhealthy thoughts. When she’s having those, “I’m so fat” thoughts she talks to her friends about it and she talks to herself about it. She confesses, “I have to be honest; the past five years… it’s been hard work to stay on top of it [mental health]. I’ve got my system down. It’s very relaxed. I don’t starve myself, I don’t diet… I just try to work on self-love and self-acceptance.” She speaks to something that a lot of us don’t realize. That our relationship with ourselves takes a lot of work and effort. Just as we need to spend time on our relationships with others (whether they be romantic or work related), we need to invest in ourselves and our mental health. We need to take inventory of our thoughts and how we treat ourselves. She goes on to say, “The bottom line here is that I can’t go to these dark places of helping advocate for people in prison or people with serious mental illness or homelessness when my light isn’t turned on. For Janine, checking in with herself has become a way of life. She checks in with herself moment to moment, just as someone might have to be aware of their blood sugar if they have diabetes. As I do of all my guests, I ask Janine what has been the greatest gift from her experience with mental illness. “Knowing that depth of darkness, the greatest gift has been the ability to hold space for others and to be able to do this work in the world. There is nothing that shakes and rattles me. Nothing.” If she were speaking to someone who was contemplating suicide, she would try to connect with them. “The isolation is lethal. So, I wouldn’t judge, I wouldn’t say things like, “Oh, it’s going to get better, don’t worry.” Because when you’re in that spot, you just want to be seen and heard and have that space held for you, where you’re at.” I hope that you have learned something really amazing from Janine’s story. If you’re dealing with mental health, if you’re suffering from suicidal thoughts or an eating disorder, reach out. Get help, there is support out there. Do your self work, figure out what your triggers are and figure out how you can be healthy, happy, whole and move forward. Follow Janine Francolini on Twitter @flawlessgrats Learn more about Janine’s work to end the stigma about mental illness at www.flawlessfoundation.org Read her great blogs on The Huffington Post here! Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Mental Health – Her Suicide and Eating Disorder Battle appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Understanding Grief and Dealing With Death I’m a big believer in self-help, learning, and growing. One of the toughest topics that we often learn the most from is grief. We are never really prepared for the loss of a loved one, but we can learn about grief from people like my guests who have learned valuable wisdom after having lost a loved one. Therese is a palliative care nurse. She sits with people at the end of their life and tells us the key things she’s learned about end of life and grief. She says, “You have to be careful with grief because it’s insidious. After the tears, don’t shift into a joyful grieving. You can go down that slippery slope and it’s very dark.” At an event, I met Ken Druck, who lost his daughter. and heard his take on grief. “When we are fighting for our lives in the beginning of grief, it’s like we are on life support. We have to learn self-care.” And then I sat down with Pamela who lost her husband in a tragic car accident. She found a way to move forward in her life and found understanding in the grieving process. She tells us, “People are afraid to talk to you about it. And at that time, you need more than anything than to talk about it.” I hope that you learn something from all of my guests on this heavy-hearted topic. If you are coping with grief, I hope that you find their wisdom helpful in moving on. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Grief – 3 Things You Should Know About The Grieving Process appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Chase your dreams! Following your dreams sounds really exciting doesn’t it? Sometimes the reality isn’t so glamorous. The reality of writing a book, for example, is 9 months of blood, sweat, and tears. A bit like a pregnancy; by the end, you just want it out! And then when it’s out, it’s like a child; you love it, you’ve forgotten all about the pain, and you’re ready to have another one. The reality is that you might work from 7am to midnight sometimes. It can be hard, but most of the time, there are certainly more ups than downs when you chase your dreams. Maya Angelou says, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.” Without those downs and hard days, I don’t think we truly appreciate the ups and the great days. Click here to view the embedded video. Who truly knows themselves? Who reflects on what’s working, what’s not working, and what needs to be done differently? That for me, has become sort-of a mantra. Something I think about at the end of a presentation, at the end of a pitch, and at the end of a networking opportunity. Sometimes after conversation with family! What’s working, what’s not working, and what do I need to do differently. —————– Motivational Speaker, Kirsty Spraggon is, “Simply one of the best speakers I’ve seen…” Looking to hire the best keynote speaker for your conference? kirstyspraggon.com What Kirsty Spraggon’s clients have to say about this top motivational speaker: “Simply one of the best speakers I’ve seen…” – Sotheby’s International Realty “Motivational, energetic & incredibly relatable.” – Sotheby’s International Realty —————– As featured in TEDx, Fox Business, Women’s Health, The Huffington Post, Forbes, and The Today Show. The best keynote speaker for your convention or event, Kirsty speaks all over the world on inspirational and motivational topics including: How to live your best life, achieve your dreams and succeed as an entrepreneur. —————- Kirsty Spraggon – Inspiration – Empowerment – Connection www.kirstyspraggon.com The post Chase Your Dreams – Motivational Speaker, Kirsty Spraggon appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Move forward in life and look forward to your new future! Isn’t bouncing back after things go wrong key? But often when something tragic happens, such as disability, trauma, loss of a partner, and grief, people wish for their “old life” back. Time and time again, my guests share that what helped them move past their hardships was not yearning for their past life, but bouncing forward toward the future. Sam Cawthorn, Author of Bouncing Forward, was one of those guests that shared this insight, “I think everything is choice—everything is choice! It is your decision, not your condition. It’s your attitude, not your condition.” Pamela Burrus who lost her husband also shared this philosophy of having to move forward in life and accept that things were never going to go back to how they were. “I needed to accept that it had happened and that my life as it was, was never going to be that way ever again. We stay with what was and then we suffer even more. Acceptance is key and then really being authentic with your grief.” Mia Schaikewitz who is in a wheelchair, also shared this philosophy of bouncing forward in life. “I really speak to that “darkness to light”. I think every single person has those moments where they’re in the dark and they don’t see the light. And they can stay that way, but that’s the opportunity to be able to go into the light and really feel a difference.” No matter where you are in your life today, accept that you are where you are. And instead of wanting to go back to where it was, think about how amazing your future can be and go and move forward. This episode of KirstyTV is sponsored by MantraBand bracelets. “On a mission to inspire and empower with positive messages.” Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post How to Move Forward in Life appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. I want to share with you one quick tip. It’s something that you can apply to your business straight away. Get back to the basics when it comes to following up. Often we meet tons of people throughout the year. We network or meet, but we aren’t disciplined about our follow-up. This year, my sales buddies helped keep me accountable to making 7 sales calls a day, 5 days a week. By the end of the first week, I had to slow down to 4 sales calls per day! I could barely keep up with the amount of work that was generated and was spending an average of 30 minutes per sales call. Who could believe that these busy business people wanted to spend 30 minutes chatting with me on the phone! Not only that, but following up with them on the things we discussed during our initial sales call was taking me an additional half hour to an hour. The results have been astounding, so I encourage all of you to get back to basics. To pick up the phone, make your sales calls, to not just meet people and network, but to go back to those people months later and follow up. I hope that helps you. I look forward to sharing more great ideas! Click here to view the embedded video. I previously have spoken on the importance of discipline around our sales process. That means, getting on the phone, making 7 sales calls a day, religiously for 5 days a week. Since, I’ve had people ask questions about building phone call rapport and sales. These are some of the things that came up about making sales calls that I want to share with you so that you can be successful. Q – What if I haven’t spoken to them for a while? A – Get over it! They’re not thinking about the time lapse. Just pick up the phone, express how you’ve been thinking about them and go from there. Q – I’m afraid of the phone. What do I do? A – At the end of the day, it doesn’t get easier unless you do it. Practice makes perfect, so start making your sales calls and be disciplined about it. Remember that you are just connecting with people! We do business with people we like. So spend the time getting to know them. You don’t have to cut straight to the chase and make it all about business. Often I’m spending 20 – 40 minutes on the phone because we are spending the time connecting on something that we did the time before. I’ll lead in with that and then I’ll reconnect, asking them about this year and current events in their lives to figure out how I can add value. Also remember that you can’t make an impression if you are coming from a place of depression, flatness, or fear! Get into a good, energetic, fresh state of mind and pick up the phone. Another great thing to do to start off the conversation is ask, “Have I caught you at a good time?” before you launch into things. You can always reschedule the call for another time. I hope that these tips help you with your sales calls. Watch more transformational talks and business tips. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Sales Calls Increase Business in 5 Days! appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Overcoming Adversity by Finding the Gifts  Today I want to talk about one of my favorite things that come up in my interviews on KirstyTV. It’s something that initially surprised me quite a bit; that all my guests, no matter how much trauma they’ve been through, were able to overcome adversity and now see their tragedy as a gift. They saw it as something beautiful that happened in their life that made them who they are today. Stronger, more empathetic. It was quite incredible because some of the things that my guests have been through were really dark. Petra, for example, a victim of human trafficking and raped by over 40 men for 3 days, shared with me that she had to change they way she felt about it. Little Peggy, grew up as a little person, wanting to be big. She told me that she had to change her perception—change the way she saw herself, “ I made a choice to focus on the things I could change.” Overcoming adversity is a life changing, character shaping experience. Positive thinking is a crucial tool you can use to overcome anything! I hope, that no matter what you’re going through, you get to a place where you see it as a beautiful gift in your life.  Continue watching my guest’s full interviews: Chappale who witnessed his mother’s murder, Petra who was human trafficked, Peggy, who lived life as a little person, and Lauri who suffered extreme child abuse. I’ll see you later and remember, sharing our stories heals ourselves and heals others. Thanks to our wonderful sponsor, mantraband.com/kirstytv. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Overcoming Adversity With Positive Thinking appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Overcoming Fear Can Feel Like Climbing Mount Everest Did you ever start to think, I don’t know that I can do this? Have you ever had one of those moments? When that incessant chatter in your head tells you that you can’t go further? That you should give up? On a seemingly impossible hike, I felt the sun beating on my back as exhaustion set in. I asked myself what I would normally do in business when fear crept in. What would I do if I think I couldn’t do something while climbing my business mountain. I started singing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, mortifying my brother. It wasn’t until that experience that the quote, ‘It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.’ by Sir Edmund Hillary really sunk in. It was then that I truly understood we can achieve anything, if we can overcome the mind. Overcoming fear is really all about overcoming your self-doubt. Conquer your mind and you will conquer your mountain. Kirsty’s sessions are energetic, dynamic and inspiring. She is easy to work with on and off the platform and will be a fabulous contribution to your next event or convention. Visit her speaking website, www.kirstyspraggon.com to book her for any speaking engagements or check availability. If you prefer to email her directly, send your inquiry or note here: kirsty@kirstyspraggon.com  The post Overcoming Fear Starts With This appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. I followed my vision even though I didn’t know where it was leading. How I started an online talk show that helps people all over the world find healing.   Today we are going to turn the tables around on me. Tania is one of my amazing and beautiful assistants who helps me with everything KirstyTV. In this video, she interviews me and asks me how the vision for KirstyTV started. The vision started with the fact that everyone has some adversity that they’ve gone through in their life. It really began with my own challenges in my life and wanting to feel less alone. I wanted to create a show with all of these stories to show people that they are not alone, they are not the only ones and there is always someone else who’s gone through it.  The first day of shooting the show was the most beautiful day of my life. I imagine that’s what it’s like for other people when they meet their soulmate. It was as if the universe was giving me a big kiss. I felt so at home. I had always wondered why I was creating the show and had this dream until that first day of taping. My brother helped encourage me to film the show by suggesting we not wait and just shoot it! He was in film school, so we kicked our parents out of the house, he brought his film buddies, some film equipment, I interviewed friends and the show was born. They shared their stories with me and it was clear to me why I was given this dream to pursue.  My assistant asked me when I’m my happiest. I am my happiest when we are creating content that is sharing those stories. After filming for the show, I’m left with a feeling of awe about my brave guests who open their hearts to share their stories that will help so many other people. She asks how long it took for me to share my own story. Great question. It took me 18 years. That for me, is also why this show is so important. Because I don’t want anyone else to wait 18 years. I don’t want anyone else to think that they are alone for that long. Every guest that I have on the show, feels the same. They come on the show to tell their story because they also don’t want anyone else to wait and think that they are the only one. They don’t want people to think that there is no solution and no way forward. And that’s what I find most inspiring about my guests; they’ve all found a way to a turning point and healing. They not only share what happened, but also tools, tips, resources, strategies and hope!  There has been a domino affect of healing since the show has been online. Every week we get emails, Facebook messages, and tweets from people, who for the first time in a decade have realized that they can talk to someone and have done so. I share these notes with my guests with whom I keep in touch. I’ve become friends with most of them, actually. I love letting them know the ripple effect of healing they’ve done in the world.  Follow your vision, trust your instincts! What your vision for 2015? Post your vision below. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Follow Your Vision – Trust Your Instincts appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Born without arms, Alvin Law has learned to do everything hands do with his feet. The inspiring lessons he’s learned motivate people to be their authentic self and to fully accept themselves. He sat down with me at the National Speakers Association to share some of his life’s lessons and gifts with us.  In our informal interview, he shared these inspiring messages.    The first question that I always get is, “What happened to you?” The real answer that I know at 53 years old is, “Nothing.” Nothing happened to me but a lot has happened because I was born without arms.  My story is about my parents. I was adopted 3 weeks old after my birth family gave me up at 4 days old because they couldn’t see a future. True story—no drama, reality. My mom was 55 years old and my dad was 53. They took me in as foster parents. They taught me not only to use my feet, but they taught me that life is not easy.   The irony is that I learned that failure is the foundation for success. I do everything with my feet. Eat, shave, wash my face… I’m married, have a wonderful wife who can take care of me, but at the end of the day I think these [toes] became my fingers and I think these [feet] became my hands. The lesson that took me the longest to learn is, I am not my physical body. I mean, I’m a guy; I always thought I needed the biceps. You don’t have to have the biceps, you just have to have the spirit. We’ve all got it, we just have to find it. The bottom line is that we need to be our authentic selves. My parents taught me how to accept myself.  At the end of the day we get one life. What we do with it is everything. Visit Alvin’s website at www.alvinlaw.com Connect with him on Facebook or on Twitter at @ToesLaw. The post Born Without Arms, The Inspiring Lesson’s He’s Learned appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Life success advice from successful celebrities on the red carpet doesn’t happen everyday! Memorable advice from Les Brown, Stedman Graham, Renee Lawless and Sue Wong. I’ve interviewed some amazing people who have lived out their life dreams. As you all know, I’m a huge believer in living your dreams and I’ve interviewed some amazing people who have lived out their biggest and boldest dreams. I love Renee Lawless’ take on rejection. “Rejection is not a no, it’s a not now. I auditioned for Wicked, but I didn’t get it until exactly one year later. They were saying not now—today, but maybe tomorrow. And one year later was my tomorrow.” Oprah’s partner, Stedman Graham had some amazing life success insights to share on the red carpet. “It’s not so much what happens to you, but how you respond to it. It really is about controlling the way you think. You’re not a failure when you fall down. You’re a failure when you don’t get up.” Also watch the hilarious blooper from behind the scenes - Click here to view the embedded video. Les Brown, the motivational speaker also had some amazing life success insights into living your boldest dreams. “You have to engage in self development because you don’t get in life what you want, you get in life what you are. You have to continuously expand your skill set so you can stay ahead of technology and cheap labor abroad. Invest in yourself.” International fashion designer, Sue Wong had some amazing life success words of wisdom to share. She really is a rags to riches story. “You have to have commitment. You have to really be able to sacrifice yourself to your art if you are an artist.” Renee Lawless added, “You have to accept all of the failures as well as all of the rewards. And that’s what makes you who you are and I guess that’s what preps us for success.”  During an episode of Kouchtime, Allan Anderson said it well, “You have to have determination and a fighting spirit.” I hope that you have that fighting spirit and that you go after your entrepreneurial dreams. Anyone can do it if you put in the time to climb your mountain and have that resilience to back yourself and follow your dream.  Watch the full episodes of inspiring interviews with Stedman Graham, Les Brown, Sue Wong and Renee Lawless here:  Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Life Success Advice From Successful People appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. I met Amitha at a reading of a beautiful compilation book called, Dear Sister, which is a book of letters from survivors of sexual abuse. There we met a woman who must have been in her late 30’s, who had also been sexually abused by her father and had never met another woman whom she knew had gone through father-to-daughter sexual abuse. It’s unfortunate that it took so long before she met someone who could relate to her and talk to her about their common trauma. That’s why I felt it was so important to have Amitha on KirstyTV, to share her story of sexual abuse and incest, so that other know they are not alone. To help erase the stigma around a common and tragic offense.  The Centers for Disease Control have known for a long time that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys report that they are sexually abused by the age of 18 in a national study that came out in the late 1990’s. That’s 20% of people! It’s shocking to know that they aren’t shouting this data from the rooftops with urgency, to help stop this abuse.  While performing on a theatre project that tells the true stories of sexual abuse survivors, Amitha found Dear Sister, the book.  Amitha shows me how to do a breathing exercise called 4-7-8 that helps her through the tough times. It’s a way to remind you that you are a person in a body, in the present, and helps you come back to the moment.  For someone who wants to have a sexual relationship after having endured sexual abuse, Amitha suggests being honest with your partner. “If you have someone who you’re ready to be in a relationship with, be honest with them because I think a lot of times, it can feel like our bodies are betraying us even when we love someone and feel safe with them and want to share that kind of intimacy. You never know how your body—especially early in your healing process—might react. As much as we don’t talk about rape and sexual assault, we also don’t talk about consent as much as a society. And we don’t talk about our birthright around pleasure and our own relationship to our bodies.”  A lot of people might want to go the other way—shut down, never want to have sex again, be too terrified to even want to be with another partner. I think it’s fantastic that Amitha took the partner out of the equation and just focused on herself for a time.  If you’ve been sexually abused, I hope that Amitha’s story spoke to you today. We have to be able to talk about these kinds of topics to erase the shame and stigma.  Watch Amitha’s story, part 1 here. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Wake Up: 20% of People Have Been Sexually Abused appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. “Dear Sister, when I was 13 years old, I was just starting to confront the reality of surviving 8 years of rape and other forms of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by my father. I felt utterly alone. I read everything I could find about child sexual abuse and father-daughter incest, searching for a guidebook that would tell me what to do. I lingered for hours in the self help aisle of every bookstore and library I entered. I wanted so badly to be normal, to move on quickly with my life. But I learned the hard way; interpersonal violence, particularly sexual violence committed against you by someone you and love changes you forever. And if you truly want to get well, there is no going around your feelings and memories… you have to go through them.” Amitha tells me the worst part of her estimated 300 child abuse assaults, “The composite worst affect is just the terror and anxiety that I had. I took me a long time to feel comfortable walking down the city street, or alone in my own home. Or able to just sit with my own thoughts in a meditative kind of practice and have peace of mind.” She goes on to talk about how she sees her father now as an adult. “I’ve gotten to a place of at least being able to humanize him. And understand, for my own healing, that that’s my father; I come from that bloodline, that family. I want to love myself, so that means that I have to not think of him as subhuman or as a monster. I think he’s a very broken person and I don’t forgive him—I write about this in the book actually. I think we put a lot of pressure on survivors to be forgiving and that word is really loaded. I think for me, forgiveness means someone has to want to hold themselves accountable. So I don’t think I’ve forgiven him, but in order for me to move on, I’ve had to let go of a lot of the anger because that sort of thing—I mean we know medically, right—just eats away at you, living in a constant state of stress and anger. I don’t want him to be able to take more away from me than he already has.” After she participated in sharing her story in the Secret Survivors book by E. Sue Blume, she was able to focus on her healing and center herself in the process; “I’ve learned how to let go and how to be honest with what is and not what I wish could be.” I ask Amitha what would’ve helped her to hear as a teenager as she was trying to cope with the child abuse she endured. She says, “I think feeling like I could talk about what was happening to me… I think if I had understood how common this is.” “I wish we all felt a little more empowered as a society to talk about the fact that this violence is so common and that we owe it to each other to be looking out for children in our community.  I like to think of healing as a jigsaw puzzle, so I asked Amitha which piece in her journey was integral to her healing. She talks about the importance of therapy in her path to healing, “I think of therapy kind of like a journal that talks to you. No one else is going to read it necessarily. It’s this person who is holding your experience and is able to give you some reflection on that journey as well.” Time and time again, I am surprised that people that go through this type of trauma are able to see a gift in their journey. I ask her what was the gift for her. She explains, “There have honestly been so many. I don’t know who I would be if I hadn’t gone through this experience and I really—finally am at a point where I love everything about myself. Sometimes I meet people who haven’t been traumatized in the same way and haven’t been forced to confront and accept and love themselves. And I just think, that seems hard.” If you have been through sexual abuse, I want you to know that you can get to a place where you can work through your feelings. It can be uncomfortable and it can be painful, but if you’re willing to go through it, I know you can get to a place of healing where you can love your life. Start sharing your story and your truth with people that you feel safe with around you. Maybe one day you’ll share your story with thousands like we have. For now, engage in the conversation about this because we need to make sure we that we remove the shame and stigma and start sharing our stories.  Watch Amitha’s story, part 2 here. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post I Survived Sexual Abused By My Own Father appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Getting through tough times is much easier with a healthy perspective. Watch 4 guests share the epiphanies and turning points that helped get them through the hard times.  My favorite part of all of my interviews is when my guests share the turning point that changed their lives and got them into a happy place again. I get to hear what it was that made them shift their view of the world, changed their thinking, and helped them go from darkness into light.  Listen to Ross Szabo talk about how he overcame his bipolar disease, his alcoholic, and self destructive behavior. He had to change in order to save his life.  Watch Stefanie tell us how she got through the tough time as a teen cutter. Her story is inspiring! Pamela talks to us about grieving her husband and the profound pivotal moment that got her through that terribly breaking and hard time.  And Peggy, a little person, who overcame the depression and suicidal thoughts. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post 4 Epiphanies That Change Lives For the Better appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Fear that you’re not good enough? Self pity is addictive. “It’s like this drug that makes us small and believe that we aren’t enough. And that at least we’ll get other peoples sympathy, pity and validation. They give us a distant cousin of love, but it’s not love, it’s sorrow. It’s feeling sorry for you. And we as human beings wither and die when we live with self pity.”         The lesson that took me to learn the longest was that when you love yourself, everything else falls into place.   Lowest moments. “I think one of my lowest moments was self-frustration when I was 30 years old. I wanted love and to travel with the love of my life. I didn’t have anyone in my life and I was ready to throw it away and then I met my wife.   Fear. “Fear is an interesting, little tricky devil. It can either destroy you or make you sharp. It can either drive you insane and cause self-medication or it can make you break out of your comfort zone and never look back.” My message to the world. “You are enough. Don’t buy the hype of your fears and insecurities that you’re not enough because you are. And if you can learn to love yourself, everything else works out.” Suicide. “If you want to kill yourself, listen to me right now. You have that choice, you do, but I don’t think you really want to die. I think what you want is to get out of pain. And I think what you want is to have a different life than you do now. I’m just going to lovingly going to tell you to hang in there. Find something that lights you up and go after it. Even if it takes you a while. Just jumping out of this existence because it hurts right now is not the answer. You have something for me and humanity. Please stay with us.” Sean Stephenson is a wonderful motivational speaker dedicated to riding the world of insecurity. For more from Sean, watch The best Motivational Speech Under 5 Minutes. Visit his inspiring website and follow him on twitter at @TheSeantourage.  Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Fear That You’re Not Good Enough? appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. The best motivational speech under 5 minutes. The secret to happiness explained as Sean Stephenson talks about living a magical life despite being born with a rare bone disorder that stunted his growth and caused his bones to be extremely fragile. He talks about finding the gift in his circumstance and using that to bless others. “You’ve got to love your life amidst the pain. Pain touches us all. The question is suffering; do we chose to suffer? Because that is a choice.”  Sean Stephenson is a wonderful motivational speaker dedicated to riding the world of insecurity. For his story and more inspiring messages, watch Fear That You’re Not Good Enough? Visit his inspiring website and follow him on twitter at @TheSeantourage.  Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Love Your Life Amidst the Pain – Heal Your Life appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. “I am depressed. What should I do?” is a common question I receive in emails from viewers. I also get thank you notes from viewers who’ve benefited from our depression and self-esteem. Depression is one of those topics that often people do not want to talk about, but it’s the very thing that will help people who struggle with depression. At any place in the mental health spectrum, wether it’s mild OCD or bipolar disease, the question is the same; How can I beat depression?   Some of my guests have shared some amazing insights that I found really helpful. Jules Bruff who shared her personal story—at first not wanting to admit that she was depressed and eventually getting the help that she needed.    “I was feeling alone and down and sometimes like there wasn’t any hope. I kept it quiet and secret. It was embarrassing. “ Jules felt that she didn’t have any reason to be depressed and was afraid to show that side of herself to the world. The first step to overcoming depression is acknowledging that you are depressed and need help. She says, “Life does not need to be this sad and hard and lonely.” Click here to view the embedded video. Another wonderful guest, Ross Szabo was dealing with being bipolar in destructive ways. He was smashing his knuckles, suicidal, not knowing what to do with his hallucinations. He shared a way forward that worked for him. “How do I recognize these hallucinations? How do I balance my anger so that I’m not continuing to break my knuckles and toes, and scream at people? The key for me was to have the disciple and the vulnerability to look at where those things were coming from and not shy away from them.” Click here to view the embedded video. There is hope and light at the end at what can seem like a really dark tunnel. I sat down with some of my favorite people on the couch, at Kouchtime and discussed depression. And then we sat down with an Expert, Happiness Expert, Lisa Cypers Kamen who shared her insight into strategies of moving forward from depression. She explains, “If you don’t capture some happiness in the present moment, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. So we’re talking about teaching skills that really help sustain well-being.”  Click here to view the embedded video. If you’re stuck and not knowing how to move forward on of the first steps is reaching out for help. Write to us, tweet us, share what’s going on and build a community around yourself.  Click here to view the embedded video. More on this topic: Wisdom From People Who Have Overcome Depression Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post I Am Depressed. What Should I Do? appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. Forgiving those who hurt you is a powerful healing act of grace. Author and Founder of The Teen Project, Lauri Burns shares her powerful story about forgiving her physically abusive father who put her through turmoil. By her teenage years, she found herself spiraling down a road of drugs and dangerous behavior. By 19 years old, she was working the streets as a prostitute and addicted to heroine. Now 27 years sober, she has completely turned her life around and shares her story with us. “Punished for a Purpose best represents my life because as a child I thought God was punishing me for something I did in a past life. He must hate me. But as an adult, where I stand now, it looks like a blessed life. I would do it all again.” When I asked her about the key piece to her healing, she replied, “A key piece to my healing was of course the healing of my relationship with my father. To realize that your parents are humans that may have been a child at one point that was never helped. And if they were a child that was never helped, they are going to grow into a broken adult.” She went on to say one of the most profound truths about love, “The most powerful kind of love is that which is undeserved.” Watch the complete series of Lauri’s interviews here: Full Circle Healing: One Woman’s Forgiveness Heals Generations in Her Family To learn more about Lauri Burns and The Teen Project go to theteenproject.com.  Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Trading Your Awful Past for a Beautiful Future appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.

Click here to view the embedded video. My guest today, Lauri Burns grew up in turmoil and in an extremely physically abusive home. By her teenage years, she found herself spiraling down a road of drugs and dangerous behavior. By 19 years old, she was working the streets as a prostitute and addicted to heroine. Now 27 years sober, she has completely turned her life around and shares her story with us.  There’s an excerpt in her book, Punished For Purpose that I think really explains why she walked down the path she did as a youth;  “Although I never really thought about it at the time. The sensation of others touching my body had ceased had to mean anything, long before that night as a call girl. The separation began with the requirement to hug my dad after being beaten. Continued with that summer night many years ago in that dirty sleeping bag of the man that stole my innocence and stored his baby in my body. And became permanent the night my body reacted without my permission in that small Catalina bed. I would never again connect to with my body in any way that would leave me vulnerable. Being fully disconnected from it and having no other use for it, I would sell it to others in return for money, to numb the ongoing torment of the memories from my childhood and the horror of my existence. I surrounded myself with the people who saw something in me to counter the worthlessness I felt from within. Although it wasn’t a conscious thought, it was clear on many occasions that I derived a sense of self worth from the lowest forms of life. Not caring how corrupt they were, wether they were drug addicts, men cheating on their wives, or pure perverts, as long as someone still valued me, I was okay.’ After reading the excerpt, Lauri says, “That’s sad.” and explains, “Through writing the book, I processed things that I’d never thought about. I felt them when I was writing it, but not when I lived it.” At just 3 years old, Lauri was physically abused by her father. It set her on a path of drug addiction and prostitution. Her first sexual experience was a rape. In fact, the majority of her sexual experiences as a prostitute were rapes. That made it very hard for her to be normal sexually. The heroine use was the catalyst that drew her into years of prostitution, starting at 18 years old. Lauri shares her lowest drug related moment, “When it became okay to let my daughter shoot up. When I started to bring her with me to the dealer’s house.” She continues to talk about why and how she suppressed her pain through the drug use, prostitution and rape.  We discussed how her childhood almost set her up for her sad fate as a young woman. “I’ve learned through years of talking, that the people who judge me the most are people who are judging themselves for something similar to what I had been through.” Lauri grew up in a nice neighborhood with plenty of resources available to her. You wouldn’t picture a child of that social class to become a prostitute, to which Lauri says, “Abuse does not discriminate.”  It wasn’t until she was in group therapy that she “broke down” and shared her story which started her journey to healing. Now she tells her story in front of thousands of people. “Letting go of those secrets is just like a freedom and a blessing.”      After everything Lauri says, “I’m a stand for being a change while I’m here.” For someone who is fresh out of rehab, Lauri says, “Go find someone in more pain than you are in. That’s where the freedom is.” For those of you are going through trauma or pain, I think that all of her messages are so helpful and so healing. Remember, until you can find a way to share your secrets, you won’t be free. Learn more about Lauri Burns and The Teen Project at TheTeenProject.com. Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes. The post Abuse Does Not Discriminate: Privileged Teen Prostitute Changed Her Life appeared first on KirstyTV Talkshow.