Finding Your Way Back to Happiness with Robin Williams Evans [IEP 163]

Among many other roles and accomplishments, our guest today, Robin Williams Evans, is a wife, a mother to a child with severe disabilities, an ordained minister, a coach to families with special-needs children, and author of the Washington Post best-seller, Living a Happy Life with a Special-Needs Child: A Parent’s Perspective.  As Robin explains, for the first two years after the birth of her son, Wyatt, she was in an emotionally dark place because she wasn’t prepared for the journey of being a parent to a special-needs child. Listen in to this inspiring conversation around the importance of self-care, and finding and keeping happiness and your peace of mind. Show Highlights: Robin shares the circumstances surrounding the birth of her son, Wyatt. Both Robin and her husband went through the process of grief differently and on different time-tables. There is no shame in seeking professional help when mourning the loss of your child’s abilities. As Robin attests, there is happiness to be found in the struggle, and she feels that she and her husband evolved into better people for it. Posttraumatic Growth by Richard G. Tedeschi, Jane Shakespeare-Finch, Kanako Taku, and Lawrence G. Calhoun, is a book in which this relatively new field of science (by the same name) details how positive change can come after traumatic experiences. We are all faced with the decision of trying to make things better or to allow life to crush us at every turn. It’s a choice, every single time. Robin encourages us to choose to be happy. For special needs families, and especially for those with medically-complex children, it’s key to having a flexible mindset. Women are often socialized to believe that we can do it all by ourselves and we tend to be uncomfortable asking for help. It is not a weakness to ask for help! Robin’s passion is to help other families find and maintain happiness by teaching them how to choose the way they organize their lives.   Connect with Robin! Visit Robin’s website, follow her on Instagram, like her on Facebook, or email her at [email protected]. Links/Resources: Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday. If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show in Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show. Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns: Facebook Instagram Twitter IEP website This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not to be construed as legal advice specific to your circumstances. If you need help with any legal matters, be sure to consult with an attorney regarding your specific needs.