Stories From Women Who Walk

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Recently, my dear friend and fellow Camino pilgrim Dennis Pitocco posted an essay entitled Why Is Presence the Most Radical Act of Love? Click HERE to read that essay and HERE for more of his thought-provoking pieces on Exploring Our Shared Humanity, his Substack banner.    The gist of the essay is that our mindful attention to another is a radical gift—so rare as to be almost extinct. What does it cost us to be mindfully attentive to another? Nothing apart from putting aside our self-centeredness and shifting into whole-heartedness. This change in behavior cannot be legislated into practice, like requiring the wearing of seatbelts in a moving vehicle. It does require a shift in us, in a culture that has all too easily been swayed by the siren call of the swipe on a handy device.     Here’s a favorite paired exercise I’ve used for decades while teaching my story skills courses. Each partner is asked to spend one minute talking about something neutral, like their name following a prompt. The listener’s job is to listen—with appreciation. When asked, “How did it feel to be listened to uninterrupted, for 60 seconds?” the responses are universally the same: I felt seen, heard, understood, listened to, calm, present, significant, smiled upon, and valuable. All that from 60 seconds of presence. And the intention to Be. Here. Now. Imagine if we could make the time to offer another the gift of our whole-hearted presence. We might turn fear into love, conflict into solutions, isolation into relationship, and more as we can imagine it all taking shape in ourselves, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities. My teacher, the Venerable Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh taught four mantras to help change us and change others: 1. Dear one, I am here for you. 2. Darling, I know you are there, and I am so happy 3. Dear one, I know you are suffering; that is why I am here for you 4. Dear one, I am suffering. Please help. Imagine if someone said these words to you with the intention to Be. Here. Now. Imagine if you could ask for help from another—and receive it to ease your suffering. As I write this podcast episode I’m reminded of the song, Imagine by John Lennon. Click HERE to listen to him in 1975 Click HERE to read the lyrics of the song, Imagine CTA: Having been fortified to give it a go to Be. Here. Now. do so. First for yourself and then another. And another. And another. Imagine what might happen next.     YOU'RE INVITED: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! STOP BY my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction.  EMAIL ME ---> [email protected] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call STAY CURRENT with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on SUBSTACK. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. What Women Still Fight For. We women have to fight for so much: being seen, heard, understood, listened to, recognized, and acknowledged. Despite progress, we are still taking a stand to transform women’s rights, to overcome barriers to the freedom of voice, opinions, and expression. Little Human to Big Human. Maybe like me you wonder if there was a thru-line of advocacy between who you were as a Little Human Girl and who you are today as a Big Human Woman. What if the courage to speak up, to speak out, to say what you mean and mean what you say was always there? What It Takes. Maybe it’s a matter of time, confronting your story, upending your upbringing, and challenging yourself to be a testament to truth. Or a situation that demands a response. Women whose pioneering work laid a foundation for future feminist thought, greater autonomy and independence shared a commitment: I may be one among many but I can draw many to me like fillings to a magnet and together we will do the work that’s calling to be done. Click HERE for 36 examples of women who took a stand  Devil Within. I was a strong-willed handful as a child.  Today we might say I was spirited; but back then I was told “A dimple in the chin means a devil within.” I still have a dimple in my chin. That never left me. What I had to unlearn was a voice that society, religion, patriarchy, and education quieted down. Who am I? The courage to be one’s self begins with digging down into the soil of that self. Who am I? What treasure trove of skills, experiences, wisdom, and more can I uncover? And when I uncover the story of myself how do I bestow permission on me to be that self? For a long overdue lesson in courage I turned to Virginia Woolf who knows well the “supreme difficulty of being oneself.”   "Let us simmer over our incalculable cauldron, our enthralling confusion, our hotch-potch of impulses, our perpetual miracle — for the soul throws up wonders every second. Movement and change are the essence of our being; rigidity is death; conformity is death: let us say what comes into our heads, repeat ourselves, contradict ourselves, fling out the wildest nonsense, and follow the most fantastic fancies without caring what the world does or thinks or says. For nothing matters except life.” ~ Virginia Woolf  Story Prompt: Turn back the pages of time, find that chapter when you were bright and shining, alive and curious, energetic, perceptive, or outspoken. Who is the Little Human Girl that used to be you? Where is she now? Write that story and share it out loud! Thank you for listening. I’m glad to have you here.   You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, Subscribe & Spread this episode with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack while I renovate that site, too. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source. 

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. El Toro Sailing. My US Navy pediatric nurse off-duty days were spent sailing a tiny boat in the shipping channel off the Port of Norfolk. Believe it or not I sailed an 8x4 foot single-masted, centerboard El Toro that flew across the water. An old skipper powered a battered motor boat across the waves, curling around my boat with a great rooster tail spraying, and hurled a white styrofoam block wrapped with an old rope. It landed right in my lap. The block had been hollowed out to fit 2 cold cans of beer. That was a good day! Bad days. But when the days weren’t so good, when I had more downs than ups, kids got worse, some died, moms needed comforting and support when dads were away at sea, self-doubts about working pediatrics crowded my thoughts, or a well-deserved leave was cancelled, I had to learn to “hold fast.” Hold Fast at Sea. For centuries sailing was a dangerous profession, and ships were often caught in storms or rough seas. “Hold fast!” commanded sailors to secure equipment, and ropes or lines to prevent accidents or maintain safety and stability on ships especially during turbulent weather conditions. Sailors would shout “hold fast!” to each other when they needed to grab onto something firmly so that they wouldn’t get thrown off balance by the towering waves. Sailors learned quickly that “hold fast” means to maintain a firm grip on something despite external forces trying to pull it away. It could come down to saving a life or “man overboard” at a time when few boys and men knew how to swim. Hold Fast Today. Over time, “hold fast” came to mean strength, perseverance and determination in facing adversity when challenges threatened to unmoor your own stability. While the old nautical term and the present day variation have distinct meanings, they share a common thread: steadfastness. Whether you’re holding onto a rope during rough seas or standing up for what you believe in, “hold fast” requires unwavering commitment and resilience. The Future Will Prevail. The unprecedented conditions we find ourselves in today demand a grounded personal presence of internal strength and determination, maintaining one’s grip on values, kindness, empathy, and holding on to hope. The worn out, deteriorated, broken-down, and decaying patriarchy is railing against the future. The future will prevail. We must hold fast so that it arrives. Hold fast with all the resilience you can muster even when you feel you cannot hold fast a moment longer. That is the place the tide will turn.   CTA: What if we hold fast and we get things right? Check out World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Vision for 2030 to give yourself a bit more hope: Thank you for listening. I’m glad you’re here.   You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, Subscribe & Spread this episode with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack while I renovate that site, too. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source. 

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. The other day my longtime, dear friend and storytelling galpal, Michelle, asked me if I’d like to take over an expiring domain name. Why would I be interested in that? Because the name, Storywerx, was what we called ourselves, a troupe of storytellers who came together when I offered to teach a semester of story skills. We kept on learning, growing, and  eventually performing stories together. I’d not thought about Storywerx in years although a few of us are still in touch. A little older, a little wiser but still storytellers at heart and in practice. I was trying to remember a story that a gentleman in our troupe had told during a Storywerx performance. I vaguely remembered it having something to do with the teller’s past. It was a story about an orphan boy who brought a stone to life. Here’s a secret: the more you get to know a storyteller and listen to the stories she is telling, the more you will get to understand her life and why that story is being told at that time. Meanwhile, leave it to Michelle to know what I was searching for. I’d like to share the story with you as we walk each other home.   Once upon a time there lived a little orphan boy who was so lonely and so hungry that no one wanted to be near him. His mouth was always open, his teeth were always showing and his tears were always flowing down his cheeks. He was such a wild child—wild with hunger and loneliness—that the people in that village had to tie him down at the entrance to one of the skin houses so that he would not try to eat the hunters on their way to the seal hunt. That’s how hungry he was. Sometimes the people of that village would leave him bits of reindeer or seal meat but nothing would satisfy his hunger. As we know it was something more than hunger that was gnawing at him: those deep needs that not even the person themselves understands. Every day the boy stretched his chain a little bit more and a little bit more until he could get near a smooth round stone that was about his size. You see, his mother and father had died one night and their bodies dragged off by bears. All that had been left behind in the skin house where they all had lived was this one large stone. In time the boy got close enough to that stone, so close he was able to wrap his arms and his legs around it and would not let go. Of course his people thought the child had become quite mad. On their way from the hunt with animal carcasses slung over their shoulders they would jeer at him. They would say look and say: Annuk has taken a stone for a wife! It’s good for you to have a wife who is a stone so you cannot use your hunger to eat her. The boy was so hungry and so lonely that he finally reached the end of feeling for his life. He kept his body wrapped around that stone and the stone began to take the heat from his body. The boy began to die as the stone took the heat from his hands, from his legs, and even the heat from his face where he rested it on the stone. Just as the boy was living his last breath the hunters of that village came by on their way home from the hunt. Again they shouted to him, Boy! You are like a bird nesting with that stone like it’s an egg. We should call you Bird Boy! You are good for nothing. Near death the boy shed great icy tears that rolled down his cheeks and those cold cold tears hit the hot hot stone with a hiss and a crack and the stone broke open. Inside was the most perfect little girl the boy could ever want. She said, I am here for you now. You are an orphan no more. She gave him a bow and arrows and a harpoon. The boy and the girl made their house, raised a family and if they are not yet dead they are in that land where the snow is violet and the night sky is black. They are living still. Story Prompt: Recall a time when you felt at your lowest ebb and yet a deep intuition sensed that the darkest hour is just before dawn. And with the dawn would come what you needed to find your way back home. Write that story and share it as you will because we are all walking each other home.   The Stone Child - An Inuit Story from Warming the Stone Child by Clarissa Pinkola Estes You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Conversation, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on SUBSTACK. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Why are stories spoken aloud? Why do we lean into the music of the spoken word? And why do we need to hear a woman’s voice speaking her truth from her heart, her identity? Written text is processed intellectually by the brain but the spoken word resonates deeply. When we hear a woman’s voice take a breath, pause, and speak from the heart, we feel it emotionally. The pauses, the unhurried rhythm, and the warmth of delivery invite listeners to feel like they are right in the moment of the story sitting side-by-side. For just a moment let’s sit together. I’ve been reflecting on how we transform our lived personal experiences, the memories, the moments into story magic that captivates the listener with its universal meaning. Hint: It’s the archeological dig. The archeological dig uncovering the treasure trove of our lived experiences is where we challenge ourselves to discover and make sense of what our story is really all about. Not just the quick, cheap, easy, and superficial answers but what flows like a river under the frozen ice. You and I know we aren’t just talking about words on a page here. We’re talking about how we hold our own lives. Most of the time we’re taught to just report the facts. "Here’s what I did today. Here’s who I took care of. Here’s my role." It’s polite... it keeps the peace...it’s empty and boring. We women of “middle earth age” can no longer deny the quiet, restless ache that shows up in the middle season of our lives. It’s the emotional weight of a deeper question: Who am I... when no one is asking me to be anyone for them? When you finally stop and attend to that ache... that’s where your real story begins. That is the moment of self-discovery and, more importantly, identity. You realize you aren’t just a collection of jobs and titles; you are your own unique engagement with this world. And what about the thing you’ve actually come here to say? The wisdom you’ve earned? It doesn’t need to be shouted out loud. It just needs to be true. It’s the moment of self-definition... where you stop asking for permission to occupy your own life. It’s looking at yourself in the mirror and realizing... my perspective matters. My voice does not need to be softened to be acceptable. When you lean into that... you aren’t just letting life happen to you anymore. You are claiming your narrative. You are saying what you mean... and maybe for the very first time. That’s what depth of inquiry means. It’s having the courage to sit in the quiet... until the surface noise fades... and the truth of who you really are finally rises up. CTA: Today, don’t just live the plot of your life. Lean into the rich, unfolding, joyful, wisdom of it. Say what you mean, mean what you say and let yourself be known - to yourself. You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Conversation, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on SUBSTACK. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with the final Motivate Your Monday episode and your host, Diane Wyzga. As you know, the ending of every story holds the beginning of a new one. I’m retiring 60 Seconds and Motivate Your Monday episodes. Instead of ending these changes are evolving to Begin Anew. I launched my podcast, Stories From Women Who Walk in April 2020 as a platform for conversations with women who were walking their lives until their lives were flipped upside down by something unexpected, how they met the challenges, and changed to becoming stronger, even more confident women. I loved every single moment of listening stories out of my guests! COVID flipped our lives upside down, too. We were no longer commuting to work over long distances or in cars. Who would have the time to listen to a 30 or 40-minute conversation? What to do? Pivot to 60 Seconds. No one was offering this format. Turned out that I was really good at distilling topics, ideas and stories into soundbytes to inform, illuminate, delight, and comfort my listeners. At the same time I created a Listener Location Shout-out to kick off each episode to acknowledge and thank you for listening. How did I know where you were listening? The Simplecast platform provides a global map with yellow dots that light up the villages, towns and cities where your feet touch the ground all around the world. Each shout-out included a URL linked to the location so that other listeners could “armchair travel” to that place. Imagine how much I learned about my global audience. Some 1,330 episodes and close to 250,000 plays later it’s time to do something different. But what? Running like a river beneath the surface of the lived experience moments of our lives is a deeper, truer one waiting to be acknowledged. How do I acknowledge that deeper truth? What will I hear when I let my Life speak? Where will it lead me next so that I can make the transitions I seek while inviting you to come along with me on the journey? I promise you this: the voice you have come to know and trust for over 6 plus years on the airwaves, along with the stories, insights, questions and prompts that speak to each of us as if to say, “What! You, too? I thought I was the only one.” [C.S.Lewis] I’d like to focus my creative efforts on producing “Diane on Mic” short-form episodes—maybe 7 minutes or so of spoken word—for Wednesdays on Whidbey and Story Prompt Friday. CTA: Let’s continue making the very most of the time we have together, uncovering, discovering, shaping and sharing our stories. Let me know what you think. If there is something you’re curious about, something you’d like to hear as my podcast begins anew, please email me and let me know: [email protected] or subscribe on Substack. Comments Create Community. We are in this together for the long haul. And thank you for continuing to listen. You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Conversation, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on SUBSTACK. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Entering Erdenheim by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. I remember this advice from decade ago"If you want to become a storyteller, tell stories. If you want to become a better storyteller, tell more stories." But what’s a good story? A good story starts here: you have a treasure trove of lived experience memories. Are they all worthy of blossoming into well-crafted meaningful stories captivating to your listeners? How will you know unless you begin?       The point is you have a brain, an imagination, and more than reasonable ability to begin transforming those lived experience memories into storytelling magic. Take a course. Get a coach. Invest in your desire to see what you are capable of creating. You can do all three with me. Email me for an no-obligation Discovery Chat!   Here’s what I believe: When someone comes to me with a story they need to tell, they are bringing me something they’ve been processing, shaping, and trying to make sense of—possibly for decades. The story is already there. It has been there the whole time. My job—as witness, as story doula—is not to give you a story. It is to help you find the one you are already living.  Let’s have a no-obligation Discovery Chat. Meanwhile, the very best use of your time might be spent as a spy to your life, as Don Murray wrote: "I am a spy to my life, maintaining an alertness to the commonplace, the ordinary, the routine where the really important stories appear. I am never bored. I overhear what is said and not said, delight in irony and contradiction, relish answers without questions and questions without answers, take note of what is and what should be, what was & may be. I imagine, speculate, make believe, remember, reflect. I am always traitor to the predictable, always welcoming to the unexpected....." [Don Murray, Pulitzer-prize winning American journalist & English professor]     Story Prompt: We read the work of others so that we can say, "Look here! We're not the only ones.” What memories and sensations came alive in you when you heard Don Murray’s words? Write that story and share it out loud!    You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey & your host, Diane Wyzga. I’m often asked: “What brought you to Whidbey Island?” It’s a standard ice breaker question here. My cheeky response is: A ferry brought me; ferries being a mode of transportation among the Washington islands. Many folks come here, vacation, fall in love, and return to claim their spot. Not me. It wasn’t love at first sight. In truth, I washed up on the shores of Whidbey Island. My relationship with this place is more like an arranged marriage than falling-head-over-heels in love. An arranged marriage flips the traditional hook-up, dating, live together, get married sequence. Matchmakers introduce the partners, a wedding occurs, and love and intimacy are expected to develop afterward during marriage. While Hollywood movies often frame relationships around immediate romance, arranged marriages rely on a partnership built on shared foundations where emotional bonds grow over time. It’s a pragmatic mindset requiring work and compromise that helps offset early disillusionment when one person’s habits rub up against the other’s expectations.     Unlike the traditional scenario where attraction might peak during a “honeymoon phase” the gradual growth of friendship, love, and meeting milestones together sets up a long-term companionship supported by those strong ties.   Just like our marriages, traditional or arranged, the place we live shapes our identities, behaviors, and well-being. Places we live—like the tides— direct our attention, movement, social interactions, personal growth and development. The community molds our sense of culture, belonging, what is normal, expected, possible and accepted. In ways large and small place fundamentally influences our daily routines, opportunities, and personality. After almost a decade in this semi-rural place, with all the highs and lows that come with starting anew in unfamiliar surroundings how have I come to love thee, Whidbey? Let me count the ways.   There’s the cool Pacific Northwest climate, the landscape of old growth forests, farms and farmer’s markets, abundant wildlife (sometimes too abundant in the garden), a slower pace because of narrow, winding 2-lane roads and reduced speed limits, the November to May Rain Festival that turns our attention and activities quietly inward. Ours is a deliberate lifestyle. We don’t have malls or the hustle and bustle of city streets, or easy access to stuff one can get over in AmeriKa. Of course, that means we rely on ourselves and each other, especially when the power goes out and the hum of generators fills the night sky. Ours is a deceivingly robust community of varied social fabrics, politics, spirituality, intellects and economics. We support writers, artists, hikers, fisherfolk, entrepreneurs, farmers, poets, seniors, educators, and volunteers. Every meeting and gathering comes with a potluck. Yes, it can take time to find your people in a tight-knit rural place, but it’s also a matter of stepping out the door, inviting people to share your front porch, building connections, building trust, learning tolerance for others. By and large people on Whidbey are friendly, welcoming, smart, clever, willing to shed big city ways to make room for patience. Maybe even understanding because we do not see all things the same way.   Ours hosts a plethora of outdoor spaces, free public transport, and the most wonderful library system that is the hub of our social connectedness. Sure the prices are higher than most, we do struggle to make ends meet, healthcare service could be better, and ferry schedule might be sketchy at times; but I knew I belonged when people greeted me by name in the grocery store or ACE Hardware or I was invited to begin teaching story courses for adults. Don’t get me wrong. Whidbey Island is not unlike your community. It’s not all rainbows and rhubarb pie here. We have our share of folks who behave like dumbshits. But for every person who behaves like a dumbshit there’s a dozen who are truly kind and decent. That’s the bit to remember because despite the ups and downs a time must come when you agree with yourself to set aside feelings of uncertainty, venture out, expand your horizons, engage with your new found community. As an introvert’s introvert the idea of making a coffee date was not in my toolkit; but once I did step out it became easier and I learned that others were just waiting to be invited. This place called Whidbey Island is the place I live; even more important are the people I’m still coming to know who are shaping who I am. “But now that I am in love with a place that doesn’t care how I look and if I am happy, happy is how I look and that’s all.” *** Question: What is it about the place you live that has charmed and shaped you? *** Weathering ~  by Fleur Adcock "My face catches the wind from the snow line and flushes with a flush that will never wholly settle. Well, that was a metropolitan vanity, wanting to look young forever, to pass. I was never a pre-Raphaelite beauty and only pretty enough to be seen with a man who wanted to be seen with a passable woman. But now that I am in love with a place that doesn’t care how I look and if I am happy, happy is how I look and that’s all. My hair will grow grey in any case, my nails chip and flake, my waist thicken, and the years work all their usual changes. If my face is to be weather beaten as well, it’s little enough lost for a year among the lakes and vales where simply to look out my window at the high pass makes me indifferent to mirrors and to what my soul may wear over its new complexion." You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Recently, I brought together two of my favorite people. Frank Zaccari is—among many award-winning professional roles and ventures—a gifted listener with an ability to facilitate interviews that bring out the best in the guest and offer value to the listener. My friend and colleague, Eliza Young (the genius behind my Quarter Moon Story Arts logo and soon-to-be-revealed new and improved website) is the author of her upcoming memoir, Life in Captivity: Moving from a Life in Captivity to a Captivating Life. Their powerful and poignant conversation highlights this truth: “Your past may shape your story...but it never has to write your ending.”   From the June 23rd 2026 Bounce Back Podcast Episode Notes: ”What happens when your life begins with overwhelming adversity? Imagine enduring more than 20 surgeries before adulthood, surviving childhood trauma, navigating a bitter custody battle, living through emotional abuse, witnessing the events of 9/11 from just blocks away, and later facing breast cancer. Many people would allow those experiences to define them. Eliza Young chose a different path. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Eliza shares how she transformed pain into purpose, creativity into healing, and adversity into a life built on hope, resilience, and possibility. Eliza also discusses her upcoming memoir, Life in Captivity: Moving from a Life in Captivity to a Captivating Life, and explains how writing the book helped her finally close one chapter of her life so she could begin another, including an exciting move to Spain with her daughter.” Access their conversation  Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-your-greatest-wounds-become-your-greatest-strength/id1845142370?i=1000778019885 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FMfGCsSpsxr4ZQLmUIZ94 buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2566600/episodes/19530001-when-your-greatest-wounds-become-your-greatest-strength-eliza-young Connect with Eliza Young:  Substack: https://substack.com/@captivatingeliza (for updates on her move to Spain, upcoming book, and continuing journey toward a captivating life)  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodDmXVVWdOCGrePbSevQDw    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativeliza   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captivatingeliza/ Connect with Frank Zaccari: Frank Zaccari CEO Life Altering Events, LLC 5x #1 Bestselling New Release & 4x TAZ Award Winning Author, NAMCA Speaker Trust the Process CoFounder 916.718.5517 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4jSFziDx5ZQXP2ZY5-M0-w LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankzaccari/ Website: https://www.frankzaccari.net/ Substack: https://fzaccari.substack.com/ Email: [email protected] Books & marketing: http://www.authorstrusttheprocess.com/ Speaker Home: https://frankzaccari.com/ And thank you for listening.  You’re invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. What happens when we women focus on self-definition? Maybe like me you come closer to your wisdom and insight. The insight—the thing you have actually come to this earth to say—doesn’t look like a loud announcement. It looks like self-definition.  It’s the moment you stop asking for permission to occupy your own life. It’s the wisdom that says: My perspective matters, my creativity is not a luxury, and my voice does not need to be softened to be acceptable. When you look at your life through that lens, you aren't just narrating a sequence of events anymore. You are claiming your own narrative. You are meaning what you say, perhaps for the very first time. Focusing on the internal feeling of self-definition is the courage to sit with yourself until the surface noise fades, and the truth of who you are finally whispers to you So today, don't just live the plot of your life. Lean into the wisdom of it. Story Prompt: Recall a time when you said what you actually meant and let yourself be known. What happened next? Write that story and share it out loud!  You’re always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you’ve experienced that profound shift where you stop adjusting your presence to fit the room and start defining who you are on your own terms.   Five years ago I pivoted from guest interviews to daily 60 Seconds podcast episodes. COVID kept us home. I needed a new way to talk with listeners who were no longer commuting to work in cars. 60 Seconds fit the bill for me. I could offer you, my listeners, sound-bytes designed to delight, inspire, motivate, comfort, and prompt you to recognizing and working on your own stories. I developed hundreds of clear, concise and cogent episodes just for you—and me, too.   Now as I find myself at the crossroads of Identity and Invisibility I want to use our time together to speak directly to that internal ache for self-discovery, self-expression, and self-confidence—mine right alongside yours. An emotional weight occupies so many of us in this middle season of life. I call it "Middle-Earth-Aged"© for the magic, the wisdom, the insight we possess. Ours is a restless ache that asks: But who am I when no one is asking me to be anything for them? When you start to investigate that ache, you move past the surface. You enter the space of self-discovery. You realize that you aren't just a collection of roles you perform for other people. You are claiming your own narrative and voice; maybe for the first time. CTA: Join me in an experiment here as we embark on the emotional journey of "Middle-Earth-Aged-Women"© seeking ourselves while mirroring each other’s quest for a newer and truer Identity.  You’re always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread this episode  with a generous 5-star review & comment—it helps us all—& join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you know all about taking your turn, pulling the laboring oar, playing nice with others, holding up the roof, offering a hand up instead of a hand out, and wildly  applauding the achievements of friends and colleagues. But what about you? We women do not even begin to give ourselves credit for all the ways in which we add to the good of the world. You totally deserve your own parade today! Not just any small-town parade but a great big turn-out the city in your honor tickertape parade with high school marching bands, street dancers, fireworks, flag twirlers, bling-tossers, cheering crowds, and you standing tall and proud and magnificent on your very own Mardi Gras-style float. Get quiet for a moment and imagine yourself being celebrated as the most wonderful, brilliant, creative, resilient, imaginative, productive, wise, kind-hearted, and generous, playful, curious, funny, supportive, magical, and bountiful, insightful, cherished, charming, delightful, and energetic spirit that you are. I am so very proud to celebrate you.         You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, subscribe & spread the word with a generous 5-star review & comment - it helps us all - and join us next time! AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. Enjoy my work? Share & attribute it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga Pull up a chair and let’s talk about something I’ve been exploring lately. It’s the “depth of inquiry” that steers a nice essay into a memorable story. That sounds a bit academic, right? But here on Front Porch Friday© what it really means is the difference between just surviving your life, and actually understanding the truth of what you’ve lived through. Too often, as women, we get into the habit of just reporting the facts. We tell our stories like a laundry list of events. "I raised the kids, I worked the job, I did what was expected, and now I’m here." There’s no story magic because you are missing. We do the same thing when we speak out loud to the world—we say what’s polite, or what keeps the peace, instead of saying what we actually mean. Think about a moment where you had to say a hard "no" to someone, or maybe you finally picked up a hobby you abandoned years ago. The surface story is simple: "I was too busy for another commitment," or "I just wanted a new creative project." But looking deeper we feel the memorable story.  The truth is more than protecting your calendar or buying art supplies; you realized that your time and your passions don't belong to everyone else anymore. You decided that you are finally ready to be seen and heard exactly as you are, without adapting yourself so others feel comfortable. That shift right there? That is “depth of inquiry.” It’s stopping the report and starting the investigation, the exciting archeological dig on your life. Story Prompt: As you go about your day, take a deep look past the surface of your own daily routine as if gazing into a wishing well. Don't just report the facts of your life to yourself. Find the glimmering coins of a deeper truth under the surface; write that story and share it out loud! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, please subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you love hearing stories by women who know who they are. They don’t waste words on small talk. They don't give "nice" little speeches. When they speak, the whole room stops. Many of us spend our lives doing the exact opposite. We say what we think people want to hear. We shy away from speaking our truth, offering our ideas. For example, recall a time when you spoke up in a meeting. The surface story is: “I pitched an idea, it got rejected, and I sat down.” That’s a report, not a story. The real story happens when you ask yourself why rejection stung so bad. It wasn’t about the project; it was the moment you sat down and realized you’ve been shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable—and you’re finally done with that. The memorable story—the one that sits in your chest—arises from your “depth of inquiry.” You’re not looking for glory; you’re fighting for your right to be seen and heard. TIP: Expressing yourself creatively isn't about being showy. It’s about standing in your own shoes, saying exactly what you mean, and meaning what you say. Speak your truth like you know what you’re talking about... because you do.  And, I can help. Email me: [email protected] You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, please subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. I am delighted to spotlight my friend, writer and devoted flyfisher, Jeff Ikler, host of Getting Unstuck - Cultivating Curiosity podcast as he talks with his guest Tom Reed, explorer, writer, landscape photographer, and wellness coach. Episode Notes excerpt: “The conversation explores how skill and serendipity intersect in creative work, the role of mindfulness in perceiving opportunities, and the thread of vitality that connects Reed's diverse pursuits. The discussion also turns to climate change and environmental degradation, with Reed emphasizing acceptance without apathy—a stance rooted in spiritual maturity and non-judgment. Ultimately, Reed's work invites us to reconsider why certain landscapes move us so profoundly—and what that says about our relationship to the natural world.” NOTE: Direct Episode Links to What Can Standing in Awe of the Natural World Teach Us? featuring Tom Reed are available below across multiple platforms, plus hundreds more Getting Unstuck episodes, and links to contact Tom Reed & Jeff Ikler. Thank you for listening! Spotify: Stream the audio immediately via the Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7v0ZdparDH0ldX8ZE0aeQi While you’re there check out the Reference Links to Tom Reed’s TEDx talk and books/prints for purchase. Substack: You can listen and read the episode details directly on the Jeff Ikler Substack Episode Page. https://jeffikler.substack.com/p/405-what-can-standing-in-awe-of-the Quetico Coaching: Read the host's companion article and listen on the Quetico Coaching Blog Post. https://www.queticocoaching.com/blog/405-what-can-standing-in-awe-of-the-natural-world-teach-us Direct Link to all Getting Unstuck episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/53ib1Qm2LK7AgC7iMSOS1G Apple Podcasts: Access the full catalog on the  Getting Unstuck Apple Podcasts Show Page. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-unstuck-cultivating-curiosity/id1439952788 You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, please subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.   I teach my personal narrative clients and students that their rigorous “depth of inquiry” steers them way from writing surface-level, first-available answer drafts to crafting a memorable story. What do I mean? Nice personal essays often recount the superficial events of what happened and to whom. Maturing storytellers grow their essays into unforgettable narratives by deeply exploring why what happened to them matters, probing motivations, and reflecting on how those experiences shaped their world view. For example, a nice personal essay focuses on content. Facts tell the reader what you did, the places you went, or the most obvious outcomes of an event. A memorable story focuses on context—the situation or circumstances the facts took place in. Together content plus context create meaning. Meaning reveals your underlying emotions, struggles, doubts, and the personal truths you uncovered along the way. Story listeners are drawn to meaning like filings to a magnet. Tip: To transform a nice essay into memorable story, dig deep by asking yourself 5 probing "depth of inquiry" questions: 1. What did you desire? 2. What choices did you make to get it? 3. What were the consequences of those choices? 4. Did you achieve what you desired, or fail? 5. How did the experience change you? Story Prompt: Think of a time when you were offered an unlikely opportunity. You said “Yes! Come what may!” What happened next? Write that story and share it out loud! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. We humans have shortcomings in common. Certain personal and professional imperfections—such as procrastination, impatience, and difficulty with public speaking, among others—that we naturally work to improve or manage. Maybe like me you’ve struggled to perfect your shortcomings only to discover that a better use of your energy might be to put them in service to self-awareness. Developing a habit of proactive personal growth identifies shortcomings without excessive self-shame and focuses on practical strategies for improvement, rather than dwelling on the weakness itself. No more “Should on you!” What if instead of focusing on what I’m not because of a standard set by someone else, I assess all I’ve done, accomplished, overcome, created, and become over the course of my life thus far because I learned how to fall down 7 and get up 8? What if I make up my mind to attend to projects and ideas that are achievable and meaningful to me despite my shortcomings—because I say so! Question: How are you incorporating your shortcomings to live the life you want, where you want, how you want, with whom you want, and for the reasons you want? We determine who we are, shortcomings and all! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. “Each One Lift One” is the way we roll here! Recently I introduced my friend, Eliza Young (the genius behind my Quarter Moon Story Arts logo and soon-to-be-revealed overhauled website) and the author of Life in Captivity to my other friend and podcast colleague Steve Ramona of Doing Business With a Servant’s Heart. It was a match! Their powerful and poignant conversation highlights this truth: “You can’t change what happened to you; but you can choose where you go in the future.”   From the June 11th 2026 Episode Notes: “In this deeply moving episode of Doing Business with a Servant’s Heart, Steve Ramona sits down with Eliza Young, author of Life in Captivity, a memoir born from a childhood marked by medical trauma, family conflict, repeated separation, and the long road back to self-trust. Their conversation is a splendid reminder that this season of your life is not the whole story.” Click this LINK to access the episode on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKbEuVR4HGs] Connect with Eliza Young:  Web: https://substack.com/@captivatingeliza  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCodDmXVVWdOCGrePbSevQDw    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativeliza   Connect with Steve Ramona:  Web: https://steveramona.com/  LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveramona  IG: https://www.instagram.com/bizopportunitynow/  Podcast: https://www.servinginbusinesspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkgN4ZO83lPjCJtuv0LeOJw Eliza: https://youtu.be/MKbEuVR4HGs And thank you for listening.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello and Happy Birthday! to you listening all over these United States where we are holding it together with block parties, neighboring potluck celebrations, fireworks in the night sky, concerts in the park, dancing in the streets, and inclusion for all. Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. They say that you can move to France and live a really good life but you will never be French. Or you can move to Germany and live a really good life but you will never be German. However, if you are here and raise your right hand to take the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States, you are an American.     So, the Witch of Whidbey is here to stir up some story magic as we celebrate our country’s 250th birthday. 250 years old is a lot of years. Together we’ve done some things wrong and some things better. How do we collectively correct the wrongs and improve the better? We fall in love with the narratives that reflect our best selves and we share them with each other in two ways. Connect250, StoryCorps and NPR’s Morning Edition are bringing strangers together for recorded conversations about their lives to mark the 250th anniversary of our nation. Connect250 Conversations will go to the Library of Congress, to become part of American history. You are invited to register for a 40-minute video conversation with an American you’ve never met, and help create a time capsule of American voices in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday. Click the LINK to watch a 30-second animated video on YouTube Introducing Connect250  Click the LINK for all the details you need to Learn More, See the process, and Register for Connect250 Conversations that will kick off July 7th, 2026.  You will have guidance every step of the way to have a successful conversation. I signed up!  Maybe I’ll get to talk story with you. America’s Invitation. For those of you who are not quite ready to chat with a stranger, here’s another opportunity. For nearly 250 years, Americans from all walks of life and every corner of the country have had a hand in shaping our nation’s history. America’s Invitation is your opportunity to get involved in our nation’s birthday celebration with a story, a wish for the future, a poem, or even a song. No matter what contribution you make, you are part of America’s story. Click the LINK to share your reflections on our country’s past, present, or future. Together our voices will tell the American story to create the largest commemoration in our history. No story is too small. Share yours with us today. Story Prompt: Recall a moment in your life when you felt deeply proud to be an American. Write that story and share it out loud!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening all over these United States where we are holding it together with goodness, kindness, compassion, humor, and shared stories of community. Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. The Witch of Whidbey is here to stir up some magic as we celebrate our country’s 250th birthday. 250 years old is a lot of years. Together we’ve done some things wrong and some things better. How do we collectively correct the wrongs and improve the better? We fall in love with the narratives that reflect our best selves and we share them with each other in two ways.   Connect250, StoryCorps and NPR’s Morning Edition are bringing strangers together for recorded conversations about their lives to mark the 250th anniversary of our nation. These conversations will go to the Library of Congress, to become part of American history. You are invited to register for a 40-minute video conversation with an American you’ve never met, and help create a time capsule of American voices in honor of our nation’s 250th birthday. Click the LINK to watch a 30-second animated video on YouTube Introducing Connect250  Click the LINK for all the details you need to Learn More, See the Process, and Register for Connect250 Conversations that will kick off July 7th, 2026.      You will have guidance every step of the way to have a successful conversation. I signed up!  Maybe I’ll get to talk story with you. America’s Invitation. For those of you who are not quite ready to chat with a stranger, here’s another opportunity. For nearly 250 years, Americans from all walks of life and every corner of the country have had a hand in shaping our nation’s history. America’s Invitation is your opportunity to get involved in our nation’s birthday celebration with a story, a wish for the future, a poem, or even a song. No matter what contribution you make, you are part of America’s story.  Click the LINK to share your reflections on our country’s past, present, and future. Together our voices will tell the American story to create the largest commemoration in our history. No story is too small. Share yours with us today. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening all over the world! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. I am delighted to spotlight my friend and podcast colleague, Christi Cassidy of Moving Along podcast as she talks with her guest Tom Reed, explorer, writer and landscape photographer. In this episode entitled From Peaks to Patinas: The Landscape of Awe, Cassidy and Reed travel from Hawai’i to Alaska, skip over to the Caribbean, dip into South America, head north to California and east to Vermont. Along the way they talk about travel, creativity, Japanese aesthetics, photography, and much more. Join them in a conversation rich with personal discovery and rustic beauty. Click the LINKS in the Episode Notes to listen on the Simplecast or Apple Podcast platforms.  LINK: From Peaks to Patinas: The Landscape of Awe with Tom Reed on Simplecast  LINK: From Peaks to Patinas: The Landscape of Awe with Tom Reed on Apple  Podcasts While you’re there check out the links to Tom Reed’s TEDx talk and books for purchase as well as all the past episodes from Moving Along podcast. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Wellingborough, North Hamptonshire, England! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. They say that life is like a roll of TP: the closer you get to the end the faster it goes. Maybe you feel this way, too. Zoom Zoom! How do we slow it down? Pay attention to what’s still there? Savor the days even when they taste like cardboard, or worse? Imagine this: Life is like a big red bus and some of us get on fighting for the best seats to see the best view from the best vantage points when all of a sudden the bus ride is over and we saw nothing. Others are content to stand in the aisle and experience the ride as best they can, being grateful for having gotten on the bus in the first place. Story Prompt: We are given a life we have no right to expect. Now that you’ve boarded the big red bus what’s your ride going to be like? Write that story and share it out loud! Practical Tip: The magic of stories is also in the sharing. If you wish share your story with someone or something.   All that matters is you have a story. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Lake Chelan, Washington! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Some 30 years ago I was taught that story is a gift to the listener. This never-forgotten advice has shepherded me through decades of professional speaking, litigation consulting, communication coaching, and story strategizing. Perhaps you’ve experienced someone telling a story and it feels forced, it does not ring true. What’s going on? A story is organic. It will manifest in a certain place or time when it is ready to be told and the teller is ready to serve as the conduit for the story. If a story feels forced the teller isn’t ready to release it.  If this was my client we would continue to collaborate on the key questions: who is it for, how did it come to be, why does it want to be heard, where does it begin, what does it mean. This is how we get to the heart of your message and the message of your heart. By recognizing that a story is as alive as the person telling it. Practical Tip: If you’re curious come as you are and change inside Quarter Moon Story Arts!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Ambler, Pennsylvania! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. This much I know. I have come to expect too much - of myself, of my plans, of my aspirations. My expectations were giving me heartache. It was time to step away, create some distance between me and my expectations. We are taught to exceed our expectations! And yet when we let go a bit, make room for the possibility that an event, an objective, an outcome might unfold in ways we could not have expected we are inviting a variety of possibilities! If outcomes do not conform to what we expected does that mean we failed? No. Practical Tip: The unforeseen gives us a chance to be flexible, to see something positive in the unexpected outcome. Now we get to adapt. The more we strengthen our adaptability muscle the more resilient we become. The more resilient we become the more capable we are of recognizing that Life is one grand experiment asking us to stay open, alert and optimistic as we set intentions and release expectations. Guaranteed! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Dundalk, Ireland! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. I can’t get away from it. The Camino de Santiago keeps tugging at me. I remember two truths from the Camino: you will get blisters and you will get unexpected kindness from strangers. I became intimately familiar with both. As to the blisters: wear proper boots, air out your feet every two hours, keep your socks dry, watch for hot spots. But, as careful as you are you’ll likely get blisters - the badge of honor on long treks - so you can trade stories and  treatment solutions with other pilgrims, like liberal applications of Vick’s Vapo-Rub. Who knew? As to the gifts of kindness, they show up when most needed and least expected: a cold bottle of water, a wooden bench with free fruit and juice, directions from a villager, or encouraging words offered in a time of uncertainty or doubt. Just like magic.   Story Prompt: As you walk your life, what are a few of the ups and downs (the kindnesses and boot blisters) that have shaped your life? Write that story and share it out loud!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Flushing, Queens, New York! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you stop and wonder: who am I right now, how do I describe myself, what nourishes me?  It’s scary, isn’t it, not to have the answers. Perhaps there is great wisdom in resting there, not resisting, not pushing back, but trusting that the answer will come in due time. The poet Derek Walcott knows that while we may have forgotten who we are, who we are has not forgotten us. His poem, Love After Love, suggests a great joy in coming face-to-face with the one who knows us by heart:   Love After Love “The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome, and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf, the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.” [- by Derek Walcott] And thank you, for listening. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Charlottesville, Virginia! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Here’s the thing: I’ve hit The Dip. That place in most creative endeavors where you look around and wonder: Does anybody care? Does my work matter? What am I doing and for whom? Believe it or not, The Dip is a precious time. Now you get to dig deep and consider what’s it for, who’s it for, where is it needed? Not everyone wants or needs what you have to offer; but someone does! Lots of someones. Some years ago I was working as a shepherd at a fiber farm on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia. Our neighbor raised organic goats for meat. Joe sold the meat to customers from the D.C Beltway area who knew a good thing and were happy to pay for it. But Joe wanted more. He was ready to venture out and teach people about the value of eating what he raised: organic food, sustainable, humanely harvested, no junk, and lots of pasture to graze. But where to go? He fixes up an old school bus as a traveling kitchen and visits each and every state and local fair in Virginia. Why? People go to fairs to eat food! But not his food. Fairs offer a lot of cheap fried food: onion blossoms, corn dogs, curly cut fries. Joe is offering 3 items: organic goat kabobs, organic goat curry and an organic goat skillet burger with all the fixins. While his prices are in keeping with what he’s trying to sell, they are several times more than the competition at the fair. The food is foreign. No one will eat it except on a dare. Now what? Instead of lowering his prices or changing venues Joe decides to dig in and work on changing attitudes and appetites. At each fairgrounds he stands outside the mobile kitchen and shares his story: why goats, where they are pastured, who takes care of them, how they live, what makes this meat special, and why it’s worth it. He prints up a flyer with his story and hands that out, too. Person by person the story draws them in, the goat meat dinners keep them there. It took time but he believed in what he was doing and for whom he was doing it. If this is you here’s a tip from Joe:  “Some will. Some won’t. Who’s next?” As I repeat Joe’s words I’m working my way out of The Dip. “Come for the stories; stay for the magic!”   CTA: If you want the story that will change minds, attitudes, behaviors, let's work together.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Schaumburg, Illinois! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. One summer afternoon Nasruddin was relaxing under a massive walnut tree. He looks up at the tiny walnuts hanging above him and then to a nearby garden patch of ripe watermelons growing on small vines. Nasruddin looks up to the sky and says, “Lord, your creation is wonderful, but sometimes illogical. Why would you hang tiny nuts on a giant tree, and huge melons on a thin, frail vine?" Just then, a walnut falls from the branches and hits him squarely on the head. Nasruddin says, “Forgive my desire to be right. If you had hung watermelons on this tree, I would be dead!" Maybe like me you’ve had practice with being a know-it-all, all the time. Let’s face it: the need to be right is exhausting! So, why do we cling to being right? Culture, schooling, religion, family, and community all play a part in teaching us that being right is all about being perfect and perfect is desirable. But what has perfect ever done for you? Over time I’ve come face-to-face with this: I don’t really know as much as I think I do. I concede to watermelons on the ground and walnuts in a tree. Story Prompt: Think of a time when you were okay to let go of the need to be right, to know it all, have it all, and be it all. What happened next? Write that story and share it out loud! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Bridgeport, Connecticut! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories from Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. On my Camino pilgrimage I received a small paper star  from someone I did not know to carry with me as a blessing, to remember that someone was watching over me as I walked. In turn, I’m sharing some blessings with you as you walk in your day: BLESSING FOR YOU May you eat an unfamiliar dessert in a foreign land at least once in your life. May you wake up to salsa music one summer morning, and start your day dancing. May you mix stripes with plaids, floral patterns with checks,  mismatch your socks, and add a floppy hat. May you be greeted by 20 flowers, 15 trees, 10 clouds and at least 1 extra-solar planet. If you bury your face in your tear-stained pillow and beg the Universe to please send you your soul mate, make sure you haven’t slurred your teary words so they sound like "cell mate." May you dream of taking a trip to the moon in a gondola powered by firecrackers and wild swans. May you actually kneel and kiss the earth now and again. Attribution: Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.  Available at Amazon: https://bit.ly/Pronoia.  A free preview of the book is available here: https://tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Kyle, Canada!  Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday & your host, Diane Wyzga. A few years ago Paul King, writing from somewhere in America, wished for a Solidarity Saturday, and I created a podcast episode. Reading it anew my pulse went all fizzy with a plan to re-establish this simple collective action. I'd like to see every Saturday be "Solidarity Saturday." Each Saturday, at 10am in every time zone on earth, we all do a very simple act: Step outside our homes into the open and stand in silence for 10 minutes. Just show ourselves. Stand with neighbors. Come out and be seen together, our presence a protest. All over earth on every Saturday as each time zone hits 10am. Billions of us just stepping outside, showing ourselves, showing evil that we oppose it! Just walk out the door into the open. Not hard. CTA: Right Here. Right Now. Spread the good word like grape jelly on a toddler! Invite your friends and rellies all over the world to step outside and stand together at 10am in your time zone 10 minutes on each Solidarity Saturday. Let me know, from where will you be joining us?  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Pristina, Kosovo! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. The things we take for granted, like a song we’ve heard over and over. I wondered: what’s the story behind “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers?  "I Won't Back Down" was born from sheer defiance after a targeted act of arson in May 1987 burned Tom Petty's Los Angeles home to the ground. Petty refused to move away. Instead, he rebuilt on the same plot of land and channeled his trauma into a song of defiance. The message of resilience in the face of adversity became a universal mantra for overcoming any struggle.     Maybe like me you’ve acted against your own better wisdom, saying 'yes' instead of 'no', going along to get along, or something else. You know what I’m talking about. Maybe like me you finally figured out a better way to live. We’ve got just one life. In a world that keeps pushing us around we stand our ground, we won’t back down! Story Prompt: When have you backed down because someone or something was pushing you around? No more.  You know how to stand your ground! Write that story and share it out loud!   You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Singapore! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. One night Nasrudin was on his hands and knees under a street lamp. Friends finding him there asked: What are you doing? Nasrudin tells them he’s looking for the keys to his house. His friends help him look for the dropped keys. This goes on for some time until one friend asks: Nasrudin, are you sure this is where you dropped them?  Oh no, Nasrudin replied, I dropped them across the road, but it was too dark to see; so I came over here where the light is better... Maybe like me this is how it goes for you, too: looking for Life in all the wrong places. But my Life knows me and where I should be headed; in time it nudges me in the right direction back to my true self.   Practical Tip: We can do ourselves a world of good to remember that our true selves began as open and curious, whole and wonderful. Instead of searching in the dark for how to become someone else, we could turn our face to the light of day and cherish the never before, never after, one-of-a-kind being we already are. Imagine that! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Karachi, Pakistan! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you’ve failed more times than you can count. Is it possible to use our failures to encourage a new opportunity, a do-over even? Yes. How do I know? I’ve learned from the best! Wile E. Coyote is the quintessentially resilient cartoon character who pursues Road Runner with disastrous gadgets purchased from a fictional mail-order company called ACME. Giant magnets, rocket-powered roller skates, earthquake pills, invisible paint, and movable tunnel entrances always backfire. Coyote never ever catches the Road Runner, but does that stop him? No! Do we want Coyote to catch Road Runner? No! We want to see what Coyote will do next. Failure stops creativity when we or someone else says "Give up!" But! When we refuse to give up failure encourages creativity because that’s the job of failure. Never underestimate the power of your persistent efforts to begin anew. Life expects do-overs! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Mohali, Punjab, India! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. My friend Gene was mulling whether stuff he knows should be passed on in stories to his grandchildren. Nah. The best way for children to learn is to experience the ups and downs of Life themselves. So, no shared stories. I see it differently: You are not now nor will you ever be the only person who wonders if their experiences, trials, tribulations, mistakes, misgivings, victories, and so on are of use to someone else. Here me when I say, stories are the best teachers. I craft these episodes in the hope that someone needs and wants them, will be helped by them, maybe even have a better life because something I said answered the question: “What! You, too? I thought I was the only one!” [C.S. Lewis] People are people; they will still touch fire to see if it’s hot. Our stories might just keep them from being burned alive. Story Prompt: When have you shared a Life experience of yours in a story that helped another person? How do you know? Write that story and share it out loud! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Once upon a time the wise fool and teacher Nasruddin Hodja was asked: Master, what’s the secret to happiness? Nasruddin replied, The secret to happiness is good judgment. Yes, Master, but how do we get good judgment? Nasruddin replied, Good judgment comes from experience. Yes, Master, but how do we get experience? Ah well, replied Nasruddin, that would come from bad judgment. Growing up I had to do it my way! No matter who told me, No! I was determined to find out for myself. I touched fire to see if it was hot. Rode my two-wheeler bike down the steepest hill in town, no hands. No matter how much my intuition said, “When in doubt, don’t!” I did. Over time I learned that fire is hot, they do cut off your favorite shirt in the emergency room, and my intuition demands respect.   But, what if my bad judgment was the experience I needed to acquire the secret? What secret? Maybe not happiness but surely adventure! Question: What good secrets have your bad judgments taught you? You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Da Nang, Vietnam!   Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. As a storyteller I know that conflict is the driving force of any story. No conflict - no story. A character can struggle externally with outside forces like a person or situation as well as internally against fears, doubts and flaws in her own mind. While conflict feels miserable resolving the conflict often dictates how the character grows when she figures a way out of the hole she’s in.   Once, when I was feeling hopeless and couldn’t see a way out my neighbor Fred showed me an illustration, a sketch of a man dressed in a business suit carrying a briefcase and trapped in a swirling blizzard of sheets of paper. You’re here, he said, pointing to the man, feeling caught in a tempest, seeing no way out. Think of each sheet of paper as an option. Choose one. It doesn’t matter which you choose. What matters is that you choose. Choosing will calm the chaos you feel and begin to reveal choices. And then what? I asked. Focus on that one choice. Make a decision. Feel the shift in your situation. You’ve done something. Gained a bit of control. Now, choose another. Focus. Gain control. Do it again and again until you see your way clear. It works. I promise.   I’m here to say that all these years later Fred is still right. Give it a go! Then you’ll know. You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Guadalupe, Mexico! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. The Camino de Santiago de Compostella is fairly well marked with yellow arrows painted by volunteers and images of scallop shells pointing the way west. But every once in a while - like life - the way is unclear, unmarked, hidden even. You can get lost. I learned this the hard way. Now what? You must stop and listen to your own knowing. Silence the noise, the fearful chatter, the doubtful distractions about which way to go, what to do next. Your own knowing will help you out when you ask. And time. And your experience. Stand still. Be quiet. Listen. Choose your way. Walk on. Story Prompt: When have you walked your way from lost into the clear? Write that story and share it out loud!   You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Canberra, Australia! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Here on Whidbey Island our Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship is home to prairie, savanna and forest with over 50 species of rare native grasses and flowers including camas. Native across the Pacific Northwest, the stunning violet-blue flowers of camas historically lit up prairies, marshes, and oak savannahs. Camas once dominated open clearings carefully tended by First Nations people to maintain optimal growing conditions. Camas bulbs were dug in the fall and pit roasted to release simple sweet caramelized sugars, providing a staple food for thousands of years. In the early spring there are no camas flowers to be seen. Do the camas exist? Indeed they do but they have not yet manifested. The bulbs are lying in wait for the right blend of sun and warmth and rain to bloom. Practical Tip: We tend to think in terms of something existing or not existing; but that is not reality. When we pay careful attention we discover that what we’re waiting for is there, hidden, for when the time is right to manifest. And it will because what we’re waiting for is waiting for us. Guaranteed!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Savannah, Georgia! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. What is apparition? In the Harry Potter universe of witches and wizards apparition is the ability to teleport, magically transport from one place to another. One minute you are here and the next you are there! Like mmmagic. Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling  No one in the real world has this talent; but we can learn from the wizarding world how apparition might motivate our Monday in 3 easy steps, in sequence:   1. Destination: See clearly where you want to go and fix your mind firmly on that place. 2. Determination: Focus your mind on where you are yearning to go. 3. Deliberation: Feeling your way into nothingness, turn and move with Deliberation. And there you are! Arrived! Have a most magical motivated Monday!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Lanús, Argentina! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. In my mind’s eye I see that child on the Jersey Shore  arms spread wide clasping the inflated beach ball to her chest, fingers stretched and gripping, eyes barely peeking over the top. Along comes mom with a triple-decker ice cream cone - 3 scoops - all chocolate. The child wants both: beach ball and ice cream; but can hold only one. Now what? After tears, frustration, stomping around something or someone wins out. Who do you recognize here? Because no matter how old we become some things never change: we want both but have to choose one. The choices we make can become our greatest adventures if we’re bold. When we let go of what we’re desperately clinging to we might very well end up with the biggest prize of all: the one true life that is meant for us. Story Prompt: Find a memory moment when you were presented with a choice, maybe like the beach ball and ice cream cone. You wanted both; but could have only one. Which did you choose and how come? Write that story and share it out loud!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Desert Hot Springs, California! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. Recently a friend told me how she felt like a failure because the job she had she didn’t want and the job she wanted she didn’t get. Now what?   What if we choose to look at the lost job opportunity as an experiment that didn’t produce the expected results.  Does that mean it failed? No. What if we look at the result as information pointing you in a better direction. Dr. Jonas Salk once said, “There is no such thing as a failed experiment, because learning what doesn't work is a necessary step to learning what does.” Or, as the famous American jazz musician Louis Armstrong said, “It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play.”   Practical Tip: Think of a time when you believed you had failed but with a little persistence turned the result into an unexpected opportunity. How did you do it? I believe it’s because you’ve got what it takes to experiment! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Chandigarh, India! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me every once in a while you are most fortunate to sit down with a wonderful person and share a conversation as if you’ve known each other a very long time. Dr. Summer Watson of KORE Women is such a person. Recently Summer invited me to join her on her KORE Women podcast show to talk about diverse life journeys, what we’ve learned along the way, and how we could not have imagined our lives turning out so well. Click the LINKS in the Episode Notes to go directly to our 20 minute chat on Apple  OR  YouTube  And, please take a few moments to check out all the links in Episode Notes to learn more about Dr. Summer Watson, KORE Women,  the KORE Women podcast available on your favorite platform , and become a part of the KORE Women experience on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.   You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.  

Hello to you listening in Rabat, Capital of Morocco! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. As the story goes I refused to transition from toddler diapers to toddler big girl pull ups the traditional way. No matter what they promised I was not going to sit on the Little Human pot. I wanted to sit on the Big Human’s porcelain throne.  Maybe my mother saw genius in my independence or maybe she was just harried with more babies coming along behind me every 18 months or so. She gave in. I did potty training my way. But doing it “my way” didn’t happen nearly as often as the story seems to foretell. That little girl’s voice got shut down and ignored in the din of other voices, voices of authority, duty, church, obligation, and responsibility. And yet, her voice wasn’t gone; it was just gone missing. In time she went looking for it. Named it and claimed it as her own voice. Now she helps professional women change their narrative so they are seen, heard, understood, and listened to. Story Prompt: Somewhere in the long ago you realized that there is no other voice like yours. When did you choose to use it? How did you decide to do it your way, with your voice. Write that story and share it out loud!     You’re always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to: ✓ Arrange a no-obligation Discovery Chat, ✓ Stay current with Diane on Substack Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music All content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in Muhos, Finland! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. We’ve had days of continuous rain; but I’ve discovered an antidote to cabin fever: walking the deep woods on my island. In the forest I’m reminded of the reciprocity of the universe - the give and take between us and the highest of powers. In her book Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God Kaitlin B. Curtice asks:  “What is it about a walk in the woods to remind us about the reciprocity of the universe? What do I mean? The bloodline of God is connected to everything . . . shells on the ocean shore, the mushrooms growing in the forest, the trees stretching to the clouds, the tiniest speck of snow in the winter, and our dust-to-dustness—we are all connected and tethered to this sacred gift of creation.” [Kaitlin B. Curtice, Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God] Question: How does it feel when you are deeply connected, when you know that where you are is where you belong? You’re always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you please subscribe, spread the word with a generous 5-star review and comment - it helps us all - and join us next time! Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to: ✓ Arrange your no-sales Discovery Call ✓ Stay current with Diane on Substack  Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music All content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved. 

Hello, to you listening in Darmstadt, Germany! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Recently, I had the pleasure of sharing the mic with my friend and colleague Alethea Felton whose coaching mission is “Courageous, Authentic, Purpose-Filled Living Despite Obstacles.”  Question: What happens when we uncover, discover, embrace, and share our unique personal story? We recognize the strength in our own voice and the greatness we're destined to achieve.  This episode is for anyone ready to rewrite their narrative, speak their truth, and discover just how influential their story can be. Get ready for an exploration of courage, resilience, and the undeniable ripple effect of embracing all the potential that is your origin story! Highlights: • How Diane’s love of storytelling led to becoming an origin  story co-creator for women; • Unpacking the essence of an origin story and its pivotal role in shaping identity and purpose; • Examining the intricate dance of listening and sharing, pushing back against injustice, and the importance of being seen and heard through the unique lens of personal experiences; and • Sharing strategies for overcoming the fear of vulnerability and the importance of women voicing their stories. Click HERE to catch the replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on BuzzSprout.    Click HERE to catch the  replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on Spotify.  Click HERE to catch the replay of our engaging, inspiring, transformative, and value-packed conversation on Apple Podcasts. Connect With Alethea  Alethea Felton Coaching, LLC: https://www.aletheafelton.com/ Connect with Alethea: https://linktr.ee/aletheafelton Listen to The Power Transformation Podcast: https://powertransformation.buzzsprout.com/ E-mail: [email protected] Instagram @aletheafelton LinkedIn @Alethea Felton Facebook @Alethea Felton You’re always invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, would you subscribe, share a 5-star rating + nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Meanwhile, stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website to: ✓ Arrange your no-sales, Complimentary Coaching Consult, and  ✓ Stay current with Diane as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music All content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.

Hello to you listening in San Luis Potosi City, Mexico! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds (and a bit more) for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga. “What ever happened to stories of courageous perseverance in the face of impossible odds?” [A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles] They’ve been shoved aside by likes and Insta-acclaim that’s all too easily found on so-called social media. Our lives are steered by uncertainties from the merely inconvenient to the life-altering disruptive. Stories abound in our life circumstances and yet we say, “Why bother with risking the courage to step out, to venture forth, to gather those stories despite the uncertainty?" I’ll tell you why! We have a duty to discover and share our stories. For whom? For us! Telling our stories to ourselves helps us understand who we are, make sense of the circumstances of our lives, find meaning in “courageous perseverance in the face of impossible odds.“ You know what I’m talking about. What are you afraid of? Storytelling is about being brave enough, vulnerable enough, authentic enough to face our story, to share our story and if done well will invite our listeners to care. When we share our misfortunes with humor, confidence and ease we can lift others. “Each One Lift One” is the way we’ve been carried along so that we can do the same for someone else. When someone hears our story they feel hopeful, better. “What! You, too. I though I was the only one!” [C.S. Lewis]  Wow! She went through that and she’s still standing. I’m not doing so bad after all. Believe it or not that’s all it takes: one heartfelt story can change the course of history for a single life. Story Prompt: Think of a time when you were standing on the edge of something and you decided to face impossible odds. What happened then? Write that story & share it out loud! CTA: Want to learn? I can teach you!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source. 

Hello to you listening in Port Townsend, Washington! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. There is no better way to explore Whidbey Island than catching a ride on Island Transit. Our zero fare rural transit system (with over half a million passenger trips annually) provides safe, accessible, convenient, and friendly public transportation services that enhance our Island quality of life. Check out the LINK to learn more:  Standing at a bus stop waiting for the next distinctively colored bus to arrive I was reminded of something my mom used to say: “Diane, life is like a big red bus and some folks get on fighting for the best seats to see the best views from the best vantage points when all of a sudden the bus ride is over and they saw nothing. Others are content to stand in the aisle and experience it the best they can being grateful for having gotten on the bus in the first place.” Question: What kind of bus passenger might you aspire to be?  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source. 

Hello to you listening in Thune, Switzerland! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Motivate Your Monday and your host, Diane Wyzga. Maybe like me you’ve asked a friend for help in your hour of need. What did you get? “Just tie a knot in the end of your rope and hold on to that.” Sure, with enough rope to tie a knot and enough strength to hold on you might be okay; but what if nothing is all you have? Imagine this: 6 women and 2 young guides high in the frigid and snowy Canadian Rocky Mountains on an Outward Bound mountaineering expedition. Our task was to scale the face of a mountain in pairs by climbing, using strength, handholds, and the safety ropes the guides had secured far above us and out of sight beyond a cliff edge. Climbing up my partner froze dangling between the top and the rocky ground below. She stammered out: “I can't find anything to hold on to.” Time passed. And then the voice of one of our guides called out, “Grab it with both hands!” It worked! She got all the way to the top! And, rappelled back down! I can still see that smile of accomplishment on her astonished face when her boots touched the ground. But how did she do it? My partner found the help she was looking for- inside herself. She discovered a secret: when you can’t find anything to hold on to, grab it with both hands! It works! You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source. 

Hello to you listening in Sussex Inlet, New South Wales! Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Story Prompt Friday and your host, Diane Wyzga.   Long long ago and far far away someone you love was born and began a life. Maybe it was you or a parent or a sibling, a friend, your partner. Do you know their story? Do they know yours? This is a very good time to collect those stories. Weekly on Story Prompt Friday I offer a bit of story and a prompt to get you started, either sitting with someone and collecting a story as part of the oral tradition or maybe for yourself as a way to spark your own writing. Story Prompt: What is the best sunrise you ever witnessed? Where were you? Who was with you? Or were you alone? What did the air feel like? What did you smell and hear? What brings the memory alive for you today? Write that story and share it out loud!  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Hello to you listening in Greeley, Colorado! Coming to you from Whidbey Island Washington, this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga. I believe that our November to May Rain Festival is nearly over. Here in the Pacific Northwest we welcome clear skies, sunshine, warm weather, less winter burden, and maybe even dropping our shoulders from the habitual “fight or flight” response to the world that continues spinning on an axis of uncertain madness.  Habit. It’s like that story about a team of pack animals struggling their way up a mountainside. The last pony in line was wearing a saddle but the horse just ahead of him was burdened with boxes and bags and baskets. The pony said: Good grief, what a heavy load you’re carrying! The horse turned it’s head and asked: What load? Like that horse we get used to carrying so much we don’t even realize it. Practical Tip: Right now, in this moment stop, take a few deeps breaths, gently ease your shoulders away from your ears and smile to them; thank them for what they’ve been carrying for you and tell them that in the future you will take care to burden them less. Then wait for a moment while they smile back at you.    You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. AND!  Stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website during reconstruction, check out the Communication Services, email me [[email protected]] to arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as Quarter Moon Story Arts on Substack. Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts Music: Mer’s Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music ALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.