[00:00:05.400] – Laura Cicholski

I am Laura Charles. Welcome to the finding balance in your business, career, finances, Health and Life podcast. Today, we are super excited to have Lisa Zarcone as our special guest. Lisa is a child and mental health advocate as the Massachusetts national ambassador and regional director for the New England Area for NNASCA. She uses her title and personal story as a platform to speak about mental health, which is very timely, especially right now with covid over the past year.

[00:00:36.930] – Laura Cicholski

Lisa has conducted many workshops geared toward these strong subjects and shares positive ways to work towards healing, forgiveness and overall wellbeing. Being mentally healthy is so important in all aspects of our life, especially professional and personal. Lisa, it’s great to have you here with us today. I can’t wait to hear about your story and your tips. How are you today?

[00:00:57.960] – Lisa Zarcone

I’m doing good. Laura, how are you doing? Thanks for having me.

[00:01:00.180] – Laura Cicholski

Well, you’re welcome. It’s great to have you. So tell us a little bit. I know and we talked a few weeks ago. I was so enthralled with your story and your journey. And I have to tell you, for our audience, health care providers and other people looking for balance and looking for stress relief, this is so timely because there have been a lot of mental issues. People everyone has had over the past year. And then I love your story about talking about how even if you have past stressors, that doesn’t have to tell your future story.

[00:01:28.230] – Laura Cicholski

You know, it’s part of our life. We don’t want to ignore it. Correct. And you’ll tell us more about how to deal with it. But it’s you know, we’ve all had different stressors to deal with. But I love how it can be part of your journey. You accept it, you kind of move on and then it can be you can have a different future story. So tell us more about your story a little bit.

[00:01:43.890] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah. So I will keep it brief. But yes, I am a child and mental health advocate, and the reason that I decided to go down this road was because I am an adult survivor of child abuse and my mother was severely mentally ill.

[00:01:59.160] – Lisa Zarcone

And back in back in the day, I’m going back into the 70s to help us and talked about it was the big subject and my mother did not get the proper help and support that she needed. So because of that, we both fell through the cracks and walked a very hard life. Very it was I rode the roller coaster with my mother, with her mental illness and her struggles. And it was dark and it was hard. So as an adult, I decided I wanted to give back.

[00:02:26.820] – Lisa Zarcone

You know, you talk about you, you’ve been through past pains, but you want to put a purpose to it and you want to bring positivity to that negative, you know, and that’s how I’ve always felt. So I wanted to, you know, bring awareness, help people, help people in their healing journey and and very importantly, getting people to become mentally healthy. When we say the word mental health, everyone like covers the eyes and we’re like, oh, my gosh, we can’t talk about that.

[00:02:54.450] – Lisa Zarcone

But it’s very important to talk about. It’s very important to talk about it. Personal life as well as professional life, because we have a lot of stresses and struggles right now.

[00:03:05.770] – Lisa Zarcone

If we don’t stay balanced and grounded, things can get chaotic and you could feel like everything is haywire. And I think the more we talk about it and engage in those conversations, we can help one another find that balance, which is amazing. And you speak about so many amazing things and it’s powerful to hear your story and how you have gone through it and how you have such a future wonderful outlook in the great work that you’re doing right now to help others.

[00:03:32.160] – Laura Cicholski

You’re very inspiring. So now you talk about I want to hear a little bit more about how you became mentally healthy again and how you kind of went through all of that, because our audience, health care providers, they could have had past stressors that they’ve dealt with in childhood or even young adulthood. And then they also probably have stressors from previous patients. So their covid patient yesterday that could be weighing on them today. Or a patient that was terminally ill, all of those things could be weighing on them as well.

[00:03:59.370] – Laura Cicholski

And so tell us a little bit more about how your journey, how you became mentally healthy, trying to take time out for your self care can maybe help some of these providers are doing such great work and that we really want to help them out.

[00:04:11.550] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah, they are in all the health care providers. I think each every one of you. My son is a paramedic. He’s a first responder. So I know I’m grateful for what he does for community. And it is hard. I you know, because you do bring those things home with you, things you but taking it back a step. So as a young adult, I did struggle with my past and what happened to me and, you know, there’s a lot of emotional a lot of emotional pain that sat silent for many years.

[00:04:37.380] – Lisa Zarcone

So I had a point in my life where I had to look at it. And I think that’s one thing I always tell people. You hit a point where you have to look at it. You have to go back to the beginning and look at where is the original trigger coming from, where are those original stressors coming from, because as you grow into adulthood, those things follow you. They might be silent. I might be in the back of your head.

[00:05:00.030] – Speaker 3

You might not think that they’re contributing to anything in your life, but if you really break it down, it definitely is. And you know, you have to go back to the beginning and I say all the time, take it piece by piece, break it down into small segments and figure it out. And as you work through it and face it, which some things are extremely hard to face, you know, be kind to yourself along the way because these feelings are real and they do come out in different ways.

[00:05:26.520] – Speaker 3

So you always be mindful, I guess, the best word to say, mindful about how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling. And I think that’s the big question to ask yourself. Why am I feeling this way? You could be at work in something you can go on. That’s really not a huge deal. But in your mind, it’s feeling very heavy and you’re very stressed about it. And you have to kind of question yourself and say, well, why is this really bothering me to the level that it is?

[00:05:54.270] – Speaker 3

OK, when you take a step back and look at it, you can figure out what is connected, what your personal story, what your personal life is connected to that moment that’s triggering you. And those are the things that you should be working on for yourself, because keeping balance, it’s hard. We all live stressful lives. We we’re running or doing this past year with the covid, you know, isolation. And then, you know, how do you stay as we talk mentally healthy?

[00:06:22.800] – Lisa Zarcone

How do we do that? And, you know, is it simple? You can make it simple, you know, take that time for you. So if you’re in a work environment and you’re feeling like, oh, my goodness, I’m so dragged down, I’m feeling just so anxious right now, take your break and not just take your break at your desk or your cubicle. Whatever it is that you’re working, get up and move out. Yeah, it’s not even just the exercise.

[00:06:50.640] – Lisa Zarcone

It’s about changing of scenery. You know, people are working from home. You’re in your office, you’re in your workspace and you’re like, well, I’m and I’m at home, so I’m fine. But no, if you think about it, change of scenery, even if it’s for 10, 15 minutes, go outside, get some fresh air. And the other thing I always tell people is really take a look at your surroundings, like shut the world out for a few moments, focus on things that are out and about.

[00:07:16.800] – Lisa Zarcone

You could be in your work parking lot, but there could be this beautiful tree and flowers, you know, that the birds are over over eating and frolicking or doing whatever. And as silly as that may sound, focus on it. Focus on the noise. Focus on what’s happening in that moment. And it kind of gives your brain a call. The brain break, you know, the little relief to kind of bring you back down a little bit, you know, back to the grounding.

[00:07:43.290] – Lisa Zarcone

And, you know, those things, little things like that can really help, you know, step outside, read a book for ten minutes, read an article, or if you don’t want to do that, listen to music for a few moments and just change it up. That I think that’s big. I think that’s a big one for for, you know, live in the daily grind. The heaviness the business is changing it up is for a few moments.

[00:08:07.350] – Lisa Zarcone

And take that a few moments for yourself.

[00:08:09.420] – Laura Cicholski

I love that because what you’re speaking to, you give some amazing tips on. I also want to say thank you to that wonderful health care providers are doing such a great job taking care of their patients and everyone else I think you’re speaking to and I love it the the census. Right. You’re trying to see if you can hear the birds outside, right. See the beautiful sunshine and mean smell the flowers or if you’re at lunch, maybe try to smell your.

[00:08:31.890] – Laura Cicholski

I know a lot of times they’re running from patient to patient, just trying to grab lunch when they can, especially with your physician or nurse. But yeah, trying to use the different senses because I think you’re right and talk a little bit more as well about being we’ve I’ve talked about the other speakers, mindfulness being in the present moment. And because a lot of times worry. Right. And stressors come from the future. Right. Worrying about the future.

[00:08:52.890] – Laura Cicholski

So how do you I love those tips. How do you find these are good tips again? But being in the present moment, like let’s say you don’t have time maybe to go outside for a walk, but how could they be in the present moment in between that one patient to another if they’re going back and forth?

[00:09:06.030] – Lisa Zarcone

Yes, I mean, I think if you can’t get yourself out of that workspace or that area where you are, if you can just kind of and this is hard to do. I know in your mind is racing. Just try to fight your mind for a few moments, even if you pick up a piece of paper and just doodle randomly, you know, just like again, switching switching gears, you are just sitting silently and just taking a couple deep breaths.

[00:09:30.870] – Lisa Zarcone

You know, again, a lot of this stuff sounds basic, but I think when we get back to the basics, that’s when we can do the best work for ourselves. I definitely have to be a grand scheme. Every time you’re saying I need space and just take a moment and just be, you know, and even like with patients like you might be dealing with an elderly patient or a child, but for some reason you might find a little joy with maybe the reactions, the responses.

[00:09:56.970] – Lisa Zarcone

You can say the most outlandish things. Or elderly people really can be like, whoa, blunt or bold or just out there and they’re cute. So, you know, as stressful as it is, try to find little bits of joy in all that you’re doing. And some days it’s harder to find that joy and harder to find positivity and. Yes, know and that’s another thing. And I find this is really helpful and it takes work. But take your negatives, turn them into positives.

[00:10:25.480] – Lisa Zarcone

So if you wake up in the morning and you’re oh, I just feel so lousy. I’m just everything is just awful right now. That’s a good feeling. You know, get you’re focusing on that feeling kind of do self talk, be your own cheerleader, know you say OK, for myself, I’d be like, OK, at least, you know, I know you’re feeling lousy today, but let’s look at something positive. I’m up and moving.

[00:10:50.950] – Lisa Zarcone

Maybe that cup of coffee was extra special today. It’s like something that you can just twist to a positive twist. I’m having a bad day, but I do really have a lot of good things going on in my world over all the bigger picture. But right now I’m just not feeling it. And that’s OK. And give yourself that permission to be like, OK, it’s not the best right at the moment, but it’s going to get better.

[00:11:13.960] – Lisa Zarcone

It will get better. Things do always change. So changing your negatives to positives a little bit at a time every day. And when you practice it, it does help and it does work. And then you find after a while you’re doing it without even knowing it, you know, and you find that you you might be smiling just a little bit more. You might just be dealing with those pressures a little bit better.

[00:11:35.140] – Lisa Zarcone

And it really always goes back to self. It comes back to all that inner strength, all that inner drive and all that inner wisdom. You know, we’re all we all have some type of wisdom through life experience. So we do draw into it many times, not even realizing it or even randomly smiling at people. Sometimes people get so stressed and caught up, you could see the frowns on their faces and you could feel that tension. Give a smile to somebody because it’s amazing what a smile can do, not only for yourself, but for other people.

[00:12:09.280] – Laura Cicholski

Exactly. Yes. It’s almost like you’re seeing them when you smile at them.

[00:12:13.020] – Speaker 3

Yes, you are.

[00:12:14.400] – Laura Cicholski

You can tell. Hello.

[00:12:16.390] – Speaker 3

Yeah, you can change it around like you could be in a store and someone just looks so distraught and you just flash a smile and all of a sudden they’re like, oh, they’re smiling. And it’s like, OK, it might be short lived, but they did it, right? Yeah. Yeah. You realize that you have many different purposes in life. It’s not just that tunnel vision of I got to get the work done. I got to do that.

[00:12:38.410] – Speaker 3

There’s many different things that we could bring into our world that bring us joy.

[00:12:42.520] – Laura Cicholski

And I love what you bring it up to you. It also reminds me that the smile could be, in a way, a mindful moment, right. As if someone’s upset and all of a sudden you smile at them. They may be like, wow, it’s almost like stopping a minute and just pausing and just trying to breathe in, like someone just smiled at me. It’s not as bad as I thought. And you’re bringing up some great points about the it’s kind of the glass half full.

[00:13:02.140] – Laura Cicholski

I was talking to my husband about that. I’m like, it’s a glass half full versus half empty. And the gratitude comes into that, too. And they always say, experts have told me from my stress with serious, they said, if you can be grateful for things, you can go down tremendously. So you’re bringing up some amazing, amazing points. So going back to like these are great tips for them to use during the workday, going back to if they had been previous stressors they’ve dealt with, obviously don’t want to forget them.

[00:13:26.560] – Laura Cicholski

You have to deal with them. You’ve talked a little bit about help. Sometimes forgiveness can be helpful and we’ll go through that. But are there other steps besides forgiveness that allow you to not forget your past? Because it really it’s made you the wonderful person you are today, the wonderful advocate for mental health and kids and adults, you know what I mean? So our journey, as tough as it can be and I’m sorry you went through all of that, it’s made you the amazing person you are today.

[00:13:51.250] – Laura Cicholski

And so it’s part of your story. And so how can they make something that was a past stressor no matter what it is part of their story, but then try to forget and move on, you know, I mean, and make it maybe a future story is a little different.

[00:14:03.940] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah, because I mean, well, first of all, we all have a story.

[00:14:06.160] – Lisa Zarcone

You know, you and I have talked about this in regards to my story is is heavy. It is a heavy story. But and other people have stories that are much heavier than mine. And then there’s other people have different types of stories, but they’re all important. And I think that’s the thing to remember when you’re you’re looking at your past, your stressors and how they come into your world as in your present life. You know, you have to acknowledge the fact I do have a story.

[00:14:31.780] – Lisa Zarcone

This has happened. That has happened. I have to move forward from them. I’m not going to forget them. I’m going to learn from them. I’m going to take away pieces from each and every moment because I do. The life lessons are the most important lessons we will ever learn because we share them with others. And when we do that, we’re helping everyone else. We’re helping others along to get on their journey to whatever that may be.

[00:14:56.800] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah, taking it once again, take it piece by piece. And laid to rest, you know, it’s always going to be there. You remind yourself, yes, it’s there, but that’s not who I am and it’s not going to own me. I’m going to own my life. I’m taking back control and I’m going to move forward. My past will not define me. And that’s a huge thing that people need to work on along their journey. Whatever the healing journey or just like journey, whatever journey that may be, is that don’t let the past define you.

[00:15:25.560] – Lisa Zarcone

And everyone finds forgiveness in their own way. Different levels of forgiveness. Some people are not willing to forgive. And if they’re not willing to forgive. That’s OK. You have to remember, it’s about you and your your path and what you want to do with it. So if you feel like I don’t want to forgive, OK, you’re not forgiving, but you can put a little understanding to why things happened and then you put it to rest and move forward.

[00:15:50.670] – Lisa Zarcone

So intense, so individual for everyone. You know, I can tell you many different reasons and rhymes of all these things. And you might connect to, say, ABC. And then the person to the other side is going, oh, no, I don’t connect to that at all. But D.C., enough is where I am now. Here’s like you just all over the place, you know, people connecting all these different ways. So, you know, like they said, I believe in life experiences and sharing is a huge way to help other people, which is so good.

[00:16:22.830] – Laura Cicholski

And your story about forgiving is so powerful. So and I’ve heard about from other I think you might have been Randy McNeilly might have talked about forgiveness, maybe Dr. Grigoris talking about how forgiveness can be so powerful. And then when you move forward, it could actually be a D stressor, which is what we’re all striving to have less stress in our life. It helps a little bit more about like when you forgave with your past experience. It could be anything could just be a fight with a friend or a spouse or a child or anything.

[00:16:51.480] – Lisa Zarcone

But yeah. How did it help you as far as being freeing? And at least that might be helpful. Even if people aren’t ready to forgive. That’s fine wherever they’re at. But it might just your journey might just help them a little bit with kind of learning more about your story.

[00:17:03.240] – Lisa Zarcone

Right. And, you know, for me, what I did is I put myself in the shoes of the people who hurt me. So right off the bat, like my parents, we went through a lot. Our story, like I said, it’s complex and all that happened, you know, but I put myself in my parents’ shoes. I looked at the perspective through their eyes to understand why things happen the way they did and why they happened to me by putting a purpose to it.

[00:17:31.590] – Lisa Zarcone

And it doesn’t it doesn’t mean that that’s a good purpose, but it’s reasoning and understanding that I was able to. Find forgiveness there because I can understand how much they were hurting and unfortunately their pain and their own dysfunctions fell on to me as an innocent child. And it’s unfortunate, but it is the reality of the world that we live in. Everything is not roses. And, you know, but we do have to move forward and live and find ways to if you can get to forgiveness, it does lighten the load.

[00:18:05.240] – Lisa Zarcone

You know, just looking at other people’s eyes does give you a whole new perspective on things. So there is where I did find forgiveness and I had another abuser in my life and I was not able to find forgiveness to him for way for what he did to me. But I found understanding, OK, so with that understanding, I was able to move forward from it. So for someone who can’t get to the level of I forgive, you can say I understand, even if it’s even if it’s not a good scenario to what happens, you try to look at that person’s life and what what happened to them to bring them to that point.

[00:18:45.020] – Lisa Zarcone

And usually the victim is it’s it’s not obvious. It’s not their fault. And I think that’s another thing people need to tell themselves. This happened to me. It’s not my fault that person had whatever issue they had. That was their problem. But unfortunately, it fell on me and that was their right. But I do understand why that person did what they did. And it could be that can go for any aspect in life. It doesn’t have to be just an argument.

[00:19:09.830] – Lisa Zarcone

It could be an argument, could be definitely, you know, it falls into everything. But when you could put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand their perspective and why they are the way they are, right? It does help. It does help lighten the load and it does help move forward.

[00:19:23.420] – Laura Cicholski

When I think you’re giving such great advice. And I think even like for co workers, health care workers, health care providers, managers, they’re running in between patient rooms. They’re the managers are always doing a great job of helping all the workers, making sure everything’s going well at the hospital, patient care, everything’s flowing. Well, it’s interesting because you could get someone that maybe you have an argument with at work. And it could be the fact, if you can look at it, of, gosh, I wonder what what could have happened to this person this morning?

[00:19:48.320] – Laura Cicholski

What do they have an argument at home or are they dealing with stressful? Is someone sick at home through something they lose someone they loved? Anything like that? Because we bring you mentioned our personal life comes into our professional life, and so we bring a lot there. So I think, like you said, if we can sometimes if someone lashes out at you, I think even kind of that’s obviously not the way that we want to act towards others.

[00:20:10.010] – Laura Cicholski

But I think if we can kind of ask and say, hey, is everything going OK, you seem a little upset today. Is everything all right? And then sometimes it’s almost like a step of pause to step back for them and to say if they’re willing to talk about it, obviously. But yeah, you know what? I had to fight with my wife or husband this morning, and I’m kind of upset or we’re financially we’re stressed. And it could be anything.

[00:20:29.840] – Laura Cicholski

Could a parent right now, our son passed away. But I feel like it gives a little bit. You can try to dive into that a little bit. And I think that’s where health care managers have the challenge right now is to deal with the mental health of all of their employees and figure out. But I think if we can stop and step back a little bit and looking at a little bit, you talk. So you talked about well-being and also relationships, how during stressful times, that’s when people could be having arguments at work.

[00:20:55.130] – Laura Cicholski

How do you recommend, like keeping those relationships sound, even during times where people are stressed out and treating others the right way, they want to be treated. We’re not robots, you know, we are humans. We we feel we are not going to get up every day and be these bright, cheery souls. You know, life can get hard in life, could be tired. It could you know, it really could come down to the fact that you’re exhausted, mentally exhausted, physically exhausted.

[00:21:23.690] – Lisa Zarcone

Now you’re edgy. So when you look at those things, you’re stepping into a work environment, you’re bringing stuff from home. Now you have to separate. But at the same time, if you are having a rough day, so would you be able to say, you know, I’m doing my best today, but I’m really just struggling. I got some things happening and I’m just trying to pull it together. And when you put it out there, other people will back off a little bit and be like, oh, yeah, someone’s always having a rough day.

[00:21:49.850] – Lisa Zarcone

So let’s just kind of move forward and do what we got to do and, you know, support people. It doesn’t even you don’t have to get into detail. You don’t have to tell everyone your whole life history. But you can use certain key words like, yeah, I’m sorry if I have attitude today, but I’m just I’m struggling right now. I’ve got some things happening. And just because other people and if someone does cue you into that, at least offer a little empathy and compassion because we’re all busy and we’re all stressed and all, you know, especially in those high, high end jobs, you’re caring for other people.

[00:22:21.320] – Laura Cicholski

You’re like you said, you’re running from room to room. You’re doing all these things right. And your own stuff is still sitting there. So sometimes when you cue people in, it just makes them think a little bit like, oh, OK, they’re just having a hard time. I get it. And it takes some of the edge off for you to say to yourself, why is that person mad at. Right, not mad at you, they’re having your own issue and unfortunately, some of it dropping on to your direction by just stopping to talk to them a minute and listening, you could be the person that kind of makes their day go better.

[00:22:50.860] – Laura Cicholski

Remember we talked about earlier before we started here, we talked about my dad being a student of schools. And he always told me that with dealing with parent, he said he loved his job. But obviously it’s challenging with parents and different coworkers and kids and different things and behavioral issues. And so what he said was he always told me, he said attitude is 90 percent of how you react to things like, wow. And he’s like, well, it’s the other 10.

[00:23:14.050] – Laura Cicholski

And he said the other 10 is how people act towards you. And so it’s so interesting and I would say can be a challenge, you know, if someone’s been taught us. But but it’s it kind of shows you if we kind of look at it, well, gosh, why are they acting that way? Or maybe they don’t want to talk right now. And that’s fine. I’ll just kind of step away and leave the situation. Sometimes you have to do that, but sometimes you have interesting way to look at it.

[00:23:35.620] – Lisa Zarcone

Yes, sometimes you do have to leave the situation because if someone is really that negative in that, you know, hard core in the moment, sometimes just stepping back and not engaging does a few things. And you can even go back to that person another time and say, boy, I know you’re having a really hard time. That day I felt a little uptight about it. So I wanted to give you space. You know, can we always have these conversations?

[00:24:00.340] – Lisa Zarcone

Reasonably, I’m going to say no, because when people are in the heat of the moment, right. It’s hard to be rational and grounded so that they take the pause, take a step back and then do the things that help you. You know, if you can get out of the scene, get out of that space and find new scenery just for a few moments. You know, even if you’re stuck in a building, you can’t get out of that building.

[00:24:23.500] – Lisa Zarcone

Go take a walk around the perimeter of the inside of the building. So this is what I used to do. I was a secretary. I work for a medical research company and the medical research secretary at the time and things would get stressful. And there’s the high end things happening. And I was like, OK, Lisa needs a moment. And now we get up from my desk and the building was big and I would walk all the way to the farthest point of that building inside.

[00:24:47.710] – Lisa Zarcone

Not even outside, just inside. And make my way back, just changing scenery. You’d walk by certain people would say hello or would have all those things. You just kind of be like, OK, I’m detaching for a moment. I will be back. I’m going to get this accomplished. I just need a moment. And that’s important to acknowledge when you hit that point that you need a moment and take correctly take it.

[00:25:08.920] – Laura Cicholski

Yeah, it’s like it’s like kind of finding the mindful moment again. Right. Taking a break to find the mind for a moment now. I think the more the more we do that, I feel like the more we can take those mindful moments, the more will realize, gosh, we really need a mindful moment, you know what I mean? Like, in the future, we’ll be able to almost like, recognize our signals through.

[00:25:25.420] – Lisa Zarcone

And that’s what you’re into now, understanding your body and why you’re responding, why certain things trigger you. The more you will say to yourself, OK, I need that moment. I need to do this. This is for me. And and the other thing is not feel guilty about it. And that’s a whole nother conversation, a topic because know many people, myself included, I feel guilty when I sit down to take a break. And now I work in again, being the self cheerleader so I can talk is very important.

[00:25:55.060] – Lisa Zarcone

You know, tell yourself it’s OK. You were taking your ten minutes for you. It’s OK. You allow yourself that moment and not feel guilty about it, because in ten minutes when you go back to what you were doing, it’s still going to be there. You’re still going to take care of what you have to take care of. But honestly, the best advice I can give to anybody to be mentally healthy is to take care of you.

[00:26:20.920] – Laura Cicholski

That’s great advice. I was going to ask what your last tips were for mental health. So take care of you. Well, it goes back to I’ve talked about this with other experts on my stress series. They talked about it might have been Joe Tye,  he talked about, you know, you can’t if you have an empty pitcher, you can’t fill someone else’s pitcher up. So whether it’s patients, coworkers, friends, family. Right. Anyone else?

[00:26:42.550] – Laura Cicholski

Yeah. Grandparents or parents, you can’t fill their picture if yours is not full. And so and I love everything you’re saying because I feel like even if like like let’s say a health care provider says, well, gosh, I don’t feel stress a lot. The globe is getting better and I don’t feel stress, that’s totally fine. But the nice thing is there could be stressful moments coming down the road. So it’s really good if you can do some of these mindful moments, I think now make sure mentally healthy, because then you can weather the storms that come down the road.

[00:27:08.950] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah, the harder times and sometimes you might get caught off guard. Something could trigger you that you weren’t even thinking. You’re feeling good. The day is going strong today. It’s like the blind side. You in those moments, that’s when you really have to tap into all these different things, because that’s what you said is going to get you over the hump, get you through the storm actually happening. And, you know, just again, my motto, embrace the journey.

[00:27:34.870] – Lisa Zarcone

I always say embrace this because you never know what’s going to come. In your direction, you never know what’s going to drop on your path. So every life lesson. So the best thing you could do is to stay grounded, keep yourself going, keep moving forward. And that’s another one. Always move forward. Always move forward. You can reflect on your past. You can make peace with it. You can put it in as little places, but always move forward because that’s where that’s where your journey is headed.

[00:28:04.320] – Lisa Zarcone

It’s not going backwards going forward. You look at your past, you make your forward, and that’s the best way you can find happiness and joy is by pushing towards the future.

[00:28:18.330] – Laura Cicholski

And I love that will pretty much end on that note. But one last point is, I think, too, we talked about forgiving others and being kind to yourself. I think another thing is forgiving ourselves. I know I’m one that’s very critical of myself. And if I’m not doing something right or not being perfect about something, I always tell my kids, you don’t have to be perfect, but that with our selves we tend to be. So I think being forgiving with ourselves, knowing that we’re doing the best that we can, trying our best in this world and trying to help others, I think is a good thing.

[00:28:46.530] – Lisa Zarcone

Yeah, absolutely. You know, the simple things that could be big things to other people and, you know, as perfection, there’s a lot of us are that way. I’m the same way. I always want to make sure everything is done and take care of it. Right. But you’ve got to forgive yourself for those for those moments where you’re just like, I just can’t at this moment and say you have to remind yourself it’s OK, because, like you said, forgiveness and just be kind to you.

[00:29:09.540] – Lisa Zarcone

And I, I say that quite often in many of my workshops and presentations. Remember, at your worst, that’s when you need to be the kindest to yourself. It’s true. Very important.

[00:29:21.580] – Laura Cicholski

Yes. And some of those stressful moments, we actually it’s a point for us to be able to grow and move to the next level, whether it’s business or work or even like personal development. But it can be tricky kind of getting through that. I think the points that you mentioned today are going to help people to get through that because we all experience those moments. Well, it’s been great to have you here with us today. Where can our audience find you do have a website, Lisa.

[00:29:41.730] – Lisa Zarcone

I do. They could find me at Lisa Zarcone.Net. You can read about this story. I do a lot of blogging. I’m always putting information up about where I am, what I’m doing. I love my photo gallery because I always take pictures with people and I’m always posting it up there. And I work with Nasca. I have my Nasca pages on there as well. So if anyone wants to learn more about what Nasca is and what they’re all about, I have that on my page as well.

[00:30:03.870] – Lisa Zarcone

But yeah, definitely. And if people write to me, I always respond. I tell people that I might not get to them that same day, but I always respond to everybody who reaches out to me. So, you know, by email over social media, Google Lisa Zarcone and you will find me, which is great. Well, it sounds like you’re doing amazing work. Thanks for helping people with their mental health and you’re making truly a difference in this industry.

[00:30:25.590] – Laura Cicholski

And it’s been great to have you here with us today. Thank you.

[00:30:28.260] – Speaker 3

Thank you all. This is awesome. I’m so glad to be here.