How Martial Arts Develop Your Inner Strength

— Melanie Gibson came back to taekwondo when her mind and heart were finally tired of fighting. Oddly enough, kicking and screaming in taekwondo class finally quieted the kicking and screaming inside her soul and mind. It forced her to grow up. Melanie became more optimistic and laughed a lot more. She stepped up to challenges and no longer felt threatened or intimidated by the people around her. Now that she knew how to fight, she no longer went looking for a fight. She took charge of her life and refused to allow herself to continue playing the helpless (and blameless) victim. Melanie found a strength in herself that had been silent for too long. This very life-changing wondrous experience has also sidelined Melanie with a very painful (and very expensive) injury. She did not plan to spend hours  on the floor while a loaned-out machine bends her recovering leg back and forth. The fact is, Melanie got back into taekwondo for her mental health, not her physical health.  Valeria Teles interviews Melanie Gibson — the author of "Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts." Melanie Gibson was raised in Snyder, Texas, and moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in 1997. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Texas Woman's University, a Master of Library Science from the University of North Texas, and an MBA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Melanie has worked in the healthcare industry since 2004, with roles as a hospital librarian, corporate trainer, and learning designer. Melanie continues to pursue advanced taekwondo black belt degrees and writes about martial arts and life in general on her blog Little Black Belt.  She lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts is her first book. To learn more about Melanie Gibson and her work, please visit: littleblackbelt.com     — This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.