Episodios

  • S2E9: The Power and Delight of Audiobooks

    S2E9: The Power and Delight of Audiobooks
    Feb 27 2023
    In the season 2 finale of MyMacDLife, David Wolf joins as a guest host. David Wolf is the CEO and founder of Audivita Studios, the producers of this podcast series. David is joined by Matt Prigge, lead casting director at Audivita Studios, and Meghan Elizabeth Tauck, co-author with William Douglas Horton of Living in a Time of Dying: Cries of Grief, Rage, Love, and Hope.In this segment, you’ll get an inside look into the world of audiobooks as our guests explore the profound impact of audio storytelling, for you and others living with macular degeneration, including Meghan’s co-author, William, who was recently diagnosed with MacD.To begin this episode, Meghan speaks about her writing process, how she started her writing career and what she intended to accomplish. She recalls how her work stemmed from a series of conversations with William in 2020 that evolved into a book.  Presenting their ideas as a dialectic, Meghan organized their separately written chapters in relation to one another. The audiobook was intended to mirror this structure. To maintain the two authors’ distinct voice quality, Audivita Studios produced the Living in a Time of Dying audiobook as a hybrid model, combining author narration with the performance of a professional voice actor, cast by Matt Prigge.  Next, Matt walks us through the key considerations factored into casting any audiobook project: tone of voice, personality, and certain “intangible qualities.” Namely, the right person for the role comes down to the project and what the author finds important.Next, David, Meghan, and Matt discuss the impact of audiobooks on accessibility, especially for the low-vision community. Meghan presents a philosophical perspective, saying different ways of perceiving contribute to a better world. Accessibility means more people get to participate in this collective world-building experience. Branching from this, Matt contemplates the power of the spoken word, from primeval storytelling to the new, digital age.Next, David and Matt return to the topic of audiobook casting for non-fiction versus fiction books. It all comes down to an actor’s particular skill set. Whether casting a single voice or multiple actors, both approaches come with creative challenges and exciting opportunities. Meghan shares her experience with the audition cycle.As the conversation unfolds, Meghan shares a letter from William addressed to our audience. The 70-year-old philosopher was recently diagnosed with wet macular degeneration. In addition, his mother had MacD, and unfortunately, without treatment she became functionally blind. His open letter is a reflection on writing and the power of the spoken word to connect people. This leads to a conversation about its deep history and the intimacy inherent to audio.Meghan closes the podcast encouraging us to reexamine and challenge disability labels. For those who are struggling with MacD and grappling with vision loss, she underscores the gifts brought through the myriad ways of perceiving and participating together in this world.Recommended Resources:- https://a.co/d/bMSX1BO- http://www.supportsight.org/- http://www.mymacdlife.org/- https://www.vispero.com/- https://www.freedomscientific.com/- https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/omnireader/- https://www.enhancedvision.com/- https://us.optelec.com/- https://www.healthyvisionassociation.com/- https://www.novartis.com/- https://www.centricbank.com/- https://www.hinklestein.com/- https://www.maculardegeneration.net/- https://www.mymacularjournal.com/- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mymacularjournal/- https://www.health-union.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mymacdlife-macular-degeneration-podcast/donations
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    28 m
  • S2E8: Kira Baldonado – The Power of Your Voice Drives Change (pt.2)

    S2E8: Kira Baldonado – The Power of Your Voice Drives Change (pt.2)
    Jan 24 2023
    Kira Baldonado is back! In this part 2 episode, Jeff Ostroff and Kira pick up where they left off. Kira's discussion of federal legislation in part 1 leads to a conversation about what states do to address the concerns of those with low vision and their families and caregivers. Kira shares research on the impact of COVID-19 on vision health, the future of new treatments, and how your story can make an impact on others. Kira explains, at the state level, change is driven by a readiness to act. There needs to be a combined effort between the state health department’s and community organizations with data to drive the allocation of funding. She advises you to “bring together the visionaries in your state” and seek out or form a coalition of people to tell the story of what's happening in your state. She adds, “It works best if it’s a groundswell up.” Kira names Ohio and New York as examples where this “groundswell up” approach has worked. In conjunction with Prevent Blindness, Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership created a coalition. As a result, Ohio has changed policy, practices, and resources for the visually impaired community. In New York, advocates are integrating vision health into existing efforts by the state department to improve the wellness of New York’s aging populations.Jeff follows up with a question about what you should do if you want to replicate successful policy and advocacy efforts in your own state. Kira explains there are resources, toolkits, and templates available at the Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness. Using state-level data and the power of your stories, The Center for Vision and Population Health provides recommended actions policymakers can integrate. Next, Jeff asks Kira about the impact of COVID-19. Kira discusses a correlation between COVID-19 and increased cases of myopia in young children. Additionally, many adults, like patients with MacD, struggled to maintain their crucial eye care appointments and injections. However, Kira does note some positive influences as legislators have become more willing to engage with the story about vision and health. Luckily, Prevent Blindness seamlessly transitioned to remote work and were able to continue their mission when offices were closed. Jeff closes with a question about hope for things to come. Kira says she sees a bright future ahead in the realm of treatments. There are new ways to treat eye diseases that have been otherwise untreatable. She cites new life-changing genetic therapies including forthcoming clinical trials for retinal diseases like MacD.Lastly, Kira expresses optimism about the push for vision in the conversation about health care. She concludes with a message for our listeners: “The biggest change you can be a part of right now is the wave of the patient influence and care practice.” She emphasizes, there are many ways you can be a part of the conversation. Other people will benefit from your voice, your passion, and your story.  Recommended Resources- https://preventblindness.org/- http://www.supportsight.org/- http://www.mymacdlife.org/- https://www.vispero.com/- https://www.freedomscientific.com/- https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/omnireader/- https://www.enhancedvision.com/- https://us.optelec.com/- https://www.healthyvisionassociation.com/- https://www.novartis.com/- https://www.centricbank.com/- https://www.hinklestein.com/- https://www.maculardegeneration.net/- https://www.mymacularjournal.com/- https://www.facebook.com/groups/mymacularjournal/- https://www.health-union.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mymacdlife-macular-degeneration-podcast/donations
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    20 m
  • S2E7: Kira Baldonado – The Power of Your Voice Drives Change (pt.1)

    S2E7: Kira Baldonado – The Power of Your Voice Drives Change (pt.1)
    Jan 6 2023

    Jeff Ostroff speaks with Kira Baldonado, Vice President of Public Policy and Health at Prevent Blindness. Kira brings two decades of public health advocacy and leadership experience to the conversation. In this episode, Kira shares her current public policy and advocacy efforts and how it affects people with MacD, your families, and other caregivers. She explores how you can use your voice and your vote to support changes in healthcare. 

    Prevent Blindness is an organization that takes a public health approach to vision and eye health. They are focused on providing early detection of vision problems, getting people access to care, and helping those who may have experienced vision loss experience a high quality of life. Their key focus is Education, Advocacy, and Empowerment. 

    Kira shares how her inspiration evolved over the two decades she’s worked at Prevent Blindness. First, as a mother advocating for early childcare vision screening for her son and his preschool peers; then later in life, as family members experienced vision loss due to diabetes-related eye disease. Jeff opens up about his own experiences with diabetes and the importance of annual eye exams.  

    Next, Kira discusses the collaborative research initiatives between The SupportSight Foundation and Prevent Blindness. The two organizations worked together on a clinical research survey, called Mosaic, which aimed to understand how MacD impacts individuals and their caregiver, many of whom are spouses and family members. 

    Next, Jeff pivots to federal policy changes under Medicare, something many of you have a vested interest in. Kira critiques the 2022 Build Back Better Act for not including vision and hearing care coverage under Medicare. She highlights, “We all need to use the power of our voice through voting to make sure we have individuals in the legislature that understand the importance of more comprehensive access to healthcare.” She mentions that access for Assistive Technology devices is particularly restrictive due to laws currently in place. They are fighting to change that. 

    On the topic of health care, Prevent Blindness centers public health research and community-level interventions, with funding through organizations like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Eye Institute. Beyond the clinical research, Prevent Blindness looks to get early detection practices, education initiatives, and care for communities in need. She places a strong emphasis on using the data to understand what communities are benefiting from vision care access, and where more support is needed.  

    Kira then expands on another community initiative called Aspect--a patient engagement program that offers training that empowers you to share your story of vision loss, or caretaking, with key stakeholders to improve clinical trials and care. Kira says, “It's the story of the individual that the speaks loudest in the room to drive change.” 

    Kira and Jeff end part 1 of the episode by exploring the need for a balanced approach to public health research and greater funding. One that not only focuses on the new developments in scientific discovery, but also examines which populations are benefiting and which populations are underserved. 

    Stay tuned for next week’s part 2!


    Recommended Resources

    • https://preventblindness.org/
    • http://www.supportsight.org/
    • http://www.mymacdlife.org/
    • https://www.vispero.com/
    • https://www.freedomscientific.com/
    • https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lowvision/omnireader/
    • https://www.enhancedvision.com/
    • https://us.optelec.com/
    • https://www.healthyvisionassociation.com/
    • https://www.novartis.com/
    • https://www.centricbank.com/
    • https://www.hinklestein.com/
    • https://www.maculardegeneration.net/
    • https://www.mymacularjournal.com/
    • https://www.facebook.com/groups/mymacularjournal/
    • https://www.health-union.com/


    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mymacdlife-macular-degeneration-podcast/donations
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    33 m
  • S2E6: Dawn Prall – The Good Fight for Sight

    S2E6: Dawn Prall – The Good Fight for Sight
    Dec 13 2022
    Host: Hilary StundaIn this episode, Hilary Stunda speaks with Dawn Prall, the creator of MyMacDLife Podcast and the founder of The SupportSight Foundation. The majority of Dawn’s work has been in the health care and social services industries. In the last decade, she has become a champion of low vision patient education, raising awareness to fund MacD research. In this episode, she shares her story.Dawn Prall began working in the field of macular degeneration twelve years ago when she received an unexpected job offer from the founder of the Macular Vision Research Foundation, now known as The SupportSight Foundation. Initially, she knew little about macular degeneration; however, in the first year, she immersed fully in the role. Dawn says she had the benefit and privilege to learn from, and “geek out with” scientists and researchers at the foundation.Hilary asks Dawn about the inspiration for the structure of The SupportSight Foundation.Dawn traces her inspiration back to her first year, “geeking out” with the scientists and learning what an impact finding new treatments would have for millions of people. The SupportSight Foundation’s national footprint allowed Dawn to travel around the country and meet with patients, and the families of patients who had lost their vision because of macular degeneration.As a disease specific charity, The SupportSight Foundation is solely focused on MacD. The work they do advances potential breakthroughs in medicine. Dawn explains the importance of the work she does for bettering people’s everyday lives. While doctors do well to take care of a patient’s eye health, TSSF and MMDL fill the gap of information that addresses things like going to work, family life, reading, and the normalcy of everyday hobbies. She acknowledges, when people lose their sight because of macular degeneration doing the things they love can be a challenge.MacD is not as widely discussed as something like diabetes, for example, despite it being a major disease impacting so many people. Dawn explains that it’s about public health and the public’s awareness. The public is beginning to know more now than they did before because research on MacD has progressed in the past 40 years. It was important for scientist to first understand the cellular makeup of macular degeneration before they could diagnose people.Next, Dawn explains MacD is a retina disease with two types, known as “Wet” and “Dry”. There are treatments currently available for “wet” MacD, called anti-VEGF injections. “Dry” macular degeneration is an area where more funding for research is needed because there are currently no treatment other than vitamins. She emphasizes, the foundation’s aim is to help people learn about how to cope with MacD, and help people understand the research. All donations to The SupportSight Foundation goes towards the search for a cure.Following up on the topic of research and funding, Dawn shares how TSSF funds research projects by top scientists all over the world. She says, “Research is iterative, research makes medicine” and is not separated.Next, Dawn dives deeper into the science behind MacD. Because MacD is a retina disease, scientists and researchers explore how the retina functions within the macula of the eye to understand what causes the macular degeneration. Dawn goes on to explain, the disease gets its name from the process with which the cells in the macula of retina die, hence the name macular degeneration. Current research being done involves cellular regeneration.The macula is in the retina. The retina connects to the optic nerve and the optic nerve to the brain. And the retina’s job is basically a camera. “So, you don't really see with your eyes you see with your brain.” Dawn acknowledges, for people listening, whether or not they understand that part, what matters to them is there is no cure; what matters to them is what to do in the meantime, which is what TSSF and MyMacDLife do.When asked if research for MacD has evolved over the years, Dawn responds saying, “Of course, the research is not static. A scientist’s job is discovery. Their job is understanding how that retina works and why those cells are dying. The researchers and scientists need financial support to do that”. At The SupportSight Foundation, her staff and team of researchers, lead the way. Overall, TSSF has been successful in raising close to $30 million to fuel research and public education so everybody knows the disease.Hilary asks Dawn about her hope for a cure. Dawn expresses emphatically, she is not only hopeful, but optimistic. It's just a matter of time, or else I wouldn’t be doing the work she does. She admits, she would love to work herself out of a job, because that means they have accomplished their goal. And at this moment, she adds, they are a lot closer than they’ve ever been. “Every time somebody discovers something, that moves that needle.”Dawn ...
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    40 m
  • S2E5: Cassidy Collins - My Dad has MacD

    S2E5: Cassidy Collins - My Dad has MacD
    Oct 5 2022
    In this episode, Marcela Salmon speaks with Cassidy about growing up with a father, uncle and aunt with macular degeneration. Cassidy has lived around MacD for her entire life. She became aware of her father’s condition during a trip to Colorado when she realized her father couldn’t read things easily and she would help. Her father first worked for Vispero, then for LVI, a company based in Sweden that sells products to help legally blind people. When LVI expanded to the United States, her father became the chief marketing sales director for the United States division. Her father never viewed himself as having a handicap. In fact, his disability made him even more successful in life and opened the door to helping others find success as well. One of the inspiring things Cassidy’s father did was write a book called Tripping Into The Light about his journey growing up with Stargardt's juvenile macular degeneration and how he has been successful in life. As the story goes, Cassidy’s grandmother took her father and his three siblings to a hospital in Massachusetts to get tested for their eyesight. The doctor proclaimed their eyesight would get progressively worse and proceeded to write a list of all the things they could and could not do in life, including skiing and snowboarding. Leaving the office, his grandmother threw the notes in the trash and the rest is history - Cassidy’s uncle became a ski instructor in Colorado and her father became an entrepreneurial success. Her grandmother made sure the disease would not hold her children back from pursuing whatever they wanted in life. Cassidy explains that her father uses a CCTV that reads to him or magnifies things for him as he only has peripheral vision. Cassidy tells Marcela that her father has learned how to train his eyes to look straight at you when he’s talking rather than peering from the side of his eye. Cassidy explains that this adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit is one of the driving factors to his father’s success, and an inspiration to her. Marcela As a caregiver Cassidy says learned when to step in and help and when to back off, and that she thinks patience is the key to aiding people with MacD. She stresses how important this is for independent people like her father, who get easily frustrated when they want to do things on their own, but can’t. They also don’t like to be approached by strangers and assisted without first knowing what is going on. Cassidy references an example of the time two people lifted up Cassidy’s father to help him cross a street. This episode focuses on what it’s like to be a caregiver and how you tend to notice everyday things differently, like restaurant lighting, going to the movies; even the monotone colors of carpeted stairs, which can be tricky to navigate for a person with macular degeneration. Luckily Cassidy’s father is very open and even lighthearted about having MacD. He has accepted his eye disease and often speaks out, making suggestions that would improve his surroundings. He can laugh about his shortcomings and puts his energy into reading “how to” informational and nutritional books for self-actualization. Cassidy’s father now runs a nonprofit called “The Thriving Blind Academy,” where he teaches the principles of success. Bill Kilroy of Vispero shares information on the Freedom Scientific Topaz line of desktop video magnifiers. These devices sit on a desk with a video magnification system that includes a camera monitor and an X Y table. The monitor sizes range from 20, 22 or 24 inches. It’s versatile, with the ability to swing left or right, raise or lower depending on your height. It allows for someone with notes to be able to move those notes around and be able to magnify what they need. Because these devices have a bigger monitor, they can magnify more information on a page at a time. There's less mental processing to put the characters into words, the words into sentences, the sentences into paragraphs, and you can use these devices for longer periods of time than a handheld magnifier. It also allows the user who might want to pause on reading a chapter to start scanning pages so that they can sit back and listen to what's being read. The Topaz OCR is a great choice to have and goes above and beyond the OCR capability. To learn more about The Topaz or The Merlin or The Optelec, there are two ways to get in touch. Go online and type in www.vispero.com or call our toll free number at 1-800-444-4443 and speak to one of our customer service representatives. You can tell them what you're interested in, they can guide you through some of the products and can connect you with a local resource that can help you in your home or schedule an appointment to potentially come to their showroom and learn more about these products and test drive one for yourself. Full Disclosure: Cassidy Collins is the eldest daughter and a caregiver to her father Charlie Collins. Charlie ...
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    40 m
  • S2E4: Jamika Porter - Navigating Life with Low Vision

    S2E4: Jamika Porter - Navigating Life with Low Vision
    Sep 9 2022
    In this episode, Hilary Stunda speaks with Jamika Porter. Jamika shares her personal story, realizing as a child of 6 that she couldn’t see as well as her peers, to adjusting to life as a school-aged young girl, to a college student and then graduate student, who received her Masters degree in communications. What she discovered along the way, after numerous doctors, was that the conditions she had ran in her family, which is interesting as RP is a rare genetic disorder, affecting only between 82,000 and 110,000 people in the United States. Her mother was one of nine children and four of her uncles also had some form of an eye condition as well as her grandfather and many of her cousins. Jamika was diagnosed when she was about 15 when she saw a retina specialist. Before, she just kept getting new eyeglasses with a new prescription every year, or every six months or so. When she was 30, she started to seek treatment on her own just outside of regular eyeglasses. Jamika says that growing up with relatives who also had eye conditions helped to prepare Jamika. Since her mother was almost totally blind, she learned how to do certain things that made life easier, like placing furniture in certain configurations. Jamika tells Hilary how difficult it was growing up with Stargardt’s and RP and that she mainly kept it to herself as staying silent about the condition was easier than telling people what was wrong. An eye specialist told her when she was 15 that she would probably be blind by the time she was 40. The turning point was when, in her late 20s, she worked for a law firm that offered very good insurance. That’s when she started going back to the eye doctor. After seeing a number of physicians, Jamika eventually found a doctor that treated her well and did not consider her a case study. Jamika explains that she is learning to accept the Assistive Technology around her. She says that she uses her Kindle to read ebooks, and a Ruby device for everyday use. She continues, saying that to get around she uses Lyft and Uber and relies on a few friends and a sister who will come and take her places. But mostly, she takes care of herself. What has served her the most is reaching out to friends for support when she comes up against people who don’t understand what she has and what she is going through. Learning that “everybody has some story.” Jamika learned is that maternal grandfather probably had Macular Degeneration but considering he was born in 1890, no one knew. Recently Jamika had an aunt pass away who was 101. She recalls how she lived independently with her husband for years and that she managed because of the way she set up her house, the lighting and furniture and kitchen. She cooked and was able to take care of herself. Jamika hopes to live that way. In the final part of this episode founder and executive director of The Support Sight Foundation, Dawn Prall speaks with Mike Wood from Vispero for the Product Spotlight. For the past 15 years, Mike has been working with schools as well as with the senior market. Mike talks to Dawn about the Assistive Technology devices that Vispero makes for people who have low vision. Visperohas been around since 1975. The name is the combination of two Latin words, one being Visio and the other being Spiro. Visio means the vision, and Spiro means hope. Mike tells Dawn how this is appropriate as their mission is to provide hope, determination and independence through all of their different products, whether it be hardware or software that support those with low vision. Mike and Dawn talk about what some of the warning signs for those who think they might have low vision. Mike says it’s often something that can't be corrected with lenses, glasses, or eye drops. If you have trouble reading even after you've had corrective lenses or have trouble recognizing faces or doing basic things around the house like cooking, sewing, fixing and repairing things. Or, if you start to notice that you might need more light, or are having a hard time matching colors of your clothing, feeling like the lights are dimmer in the room. Sometimes, if you're still driving, you start noticing the problem with traffic signs or reading the signs of stores, as you driving by. These are all signs that you may have low vision and might want to go and see a low vision specialist. Mike explains to Dawn that Vispero offers many different pieces of technology to help those with low vision get through the day. There’s the handheld video magnifier, The Ruby, that is great for reading tags at the grocery store or menus at a restaurant. But, if you're at home, and you’re reading the newspaper, you might want a desktop magnifier like the Optelec ClearView See. Dawn and Mike discuss some of the tools that people might benefit from when they have MacD: a handheld video magnifier, a handheld optical magnifier, a desktop video magnifier, or something that provides OCR capability which is optimal ...
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    47 m
  • S2E3: Andy Burstein - Medication You Can See

    S2E3: Andy Burstein - Medication You Can See
    Aug 25 2022
    In this episode, Marcela Salmon speaks with Andy Burstein, founder of Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind, a home delivery pharmacy and health care company. Marcela expresses how excited she is to learn more about how Andy got started with the company, which is the largest, blind-owned healthcare company in the world, and the only provider of its kind. Andy explains how his business model merges accessibility and health care, and works with individuals on a personal basis providing personalized medication. By working with the individual, identifying specific challenges the company can then assemble a collection of solutions that empower individuals to lead more independent, and ultimately, healthier lives. Andy shares that he idea of the company started five years ago. At the time, Andy was running a healthcare marketing firm and he wanted to educate his clients on how to be more accessible and how to experience patient growth. Andy explains that he met another cofounder of Accessible Pharmacy, Alex, because their sons both played Little League baseball together. Alex, who is blind due to Retinites Pigmentosa, had earned a PhD; his dissertation focused on accessibility in the American retail space. Marcela asks how Andy became interested in accessibility to which Andy replies that he has been very aware of the “DEI space.” And that, as a consumer, parent, and member of society, he always tries to be inclusive, especially in the healthcare field. It was important for Andy to be able to answer questions to his clients and staff about ways to be more inclusive. Alex learned about the Americans with Disabilities Act, and about online accessibility and the inability of individuals to gain access to websites and information. He learned how blindness intersects with online accessibility. Andy explains that for individuals with low vision, screen readers are used to read the content of websites out loud, but not all websites are compatible with the screen readers. Andy continues, saying that if someone can’t access a website, no matter the tools available to them, what would happen if someone couldn’t read their medication? He then discusses how critical it is for people to be able to read the expiration dates and labeling on prescriptions. They also might not be able to understand the drug interactions or the time of the day, or how many refills are left and so on. While Andy discusses the layers upon layers of challenges, his company is learning every day how they can empower the individual to understand and manage their medication and do it in a way that reduces stress, time, and helps them live healthier lives. Andy says that then, he and Alex asked themselves the question, what would it be like if they created a pharmacy experience that was tailored towards individuals who are blind? After getting feedback on their business plan from many blind organizations, such as The National Federation for the Blind, the American Council for the Blind, the AFP, the ACB, The Foundation for Fighting Blindness, they realized there was indeed a real need for this in the marketplace. After a few months researching and learning the pharmacy industry they started to look for a partner who could help them realize the opportunity in the healthcare space, which led to their third business partner, Dr. Jason Becker. Jason had an existing business model, where he spent the first 25 years of his career focusing on patients with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, who more often than not lived in group homes. He helped his two partners, Andy and Alex, realize they need to focus on the individual. They realized the key was to have a conversation with a patient first. They need to learn as much as possible about them because they have a collection of high tech, low tech and different audio label solutions that can be provided. Once they get the information, the company will reach out to the prescribers to get feedback and then they contact the insurance company to confirm eligibility. Andy stresses how they also offer a concierge capacity, making the phone calls to the doctors or existing pharmacists on behalf of the patient. They will also be the main contact for the insurance company to confirm eligibility. For patients who are deaf blind, they have those conversations via text, and email. Their company mission is to eliminate barriers to communication and accessibility. So, they provide free home delivery, all the support and education for free as they make their money by being reimbursed by insurance companies to the patient. Marcela thanks Andy who then informs the listeners where to get more information. What We Discuss in this Episode 01:58 …Accessible Pharmacy Services for the blind. We're a home delivery pharmacy and health care company. And we focus on supporting patients who are blind, deaf blind, and have low vision. We're the only provider of its kind. We're the largest blind owned healthcare ...
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    31 m
  • S2E2: Terri Lynn Murphy - Thinking Responsibly

    S2E2: Terri Lynn Murphy - Thinking Responsibly
    Aug 15 2022
    In this episode host Hilary Stunda talks with international best selling author, speaker, and happiness coach Terri Lynn Murphy. Terri has written two books: Journey to My Soul Following Divine Navigation, 10 Minutes to a Happier You Start Your Day In a Positive Way and Co-Authored: The Wellness Universe Self-Care Guide 25 Tools for Happiness. The conversation starts with Hilary asking Terri how she stays positive amidst challenging times. Terri makes a point in saying that no matter what’s happening in your life, make it a point to go deep into silence, meditation to find inner peace. As she says, “happiness: it’s an inside job.” Terri stresses the importance of being aware of your thinking so you can manifest your best life, and how it’s been scientifically proven that positive thinking creates a positive life. Terri shares that during an emotional crisis, she saw an energy emanating from her. She decided at that moment to devote her time on earth to getting as close as she could to this entity and began writing her first book. Terri mentions how creating word tracks and statements and repeating them creates new patterns of thought which lead to manifesting a new reality. She stresses the importance of creating this new mindset and then focusing on how you want your life to be. She shares favorite quote, “Your thoughts are energy, so think responsibly.” Terri says she has trained many people in the work place to do this and has seen positive results over and over again. She says the brain is like a hiking trail, it takes energy to create new paths. Hilary then asks Terri about her latest book, 10 Minutes To A Happier You. Terri tells that she had been nicknamed “Fortune Cookie” by a coworker due to her positive attitude, and she began a practice of sharing positive messages on Facebook every day. After hearing from people that claimed to not have time to meditate or center themselves, Terri decided that everybody has 10 minutes in their day, and chose that to be the message of her book. Hilary then asks about the Wellness Universe site. Terri shares that she met the woman who founded the site as they both had their own inspiration pages. Terri says that Wellness Universe is a place to go if you are struggling or if you are in need. There will always be someone on the wellness universe that can help you, from energy workers to therapists. The conversation circles back to how Terri got herself through a crisis in her life. Terri said she was distraught, but then the song “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees played and she took it as a sign. In spite of being angry she knew this was her path and she asked God for help. She talks about how writing everything down in a journal helps. Terri says that her advice is to put all the negative in the journal and replace it with positive thoughts. She stresses how its scientifically proven that living in a happy state changes our brain functions. She says feeling like a victim doesn’t serve anything. It’s best to focus on where you want to see yourself in a better light, and to try to focus on feeling as good as you can.Then she and Hilary talk about how a happy perspective brings about synchronicity, and a state of flow where good things happen. In the next and final segment of this podcast, Dawn Prall speaks with Mike Wood from Vispero. Mike has been involved with Vispero for 15 years, and comes to it with a specialty in education. Dawn and Mike talk about the Assistive Technology devices that Vispero makes for people with low vision. They discuss what low vision means to the company and to the industry. Mike then tells Dawn about the origin of Vispero. The name is a combination of two Latin words, one being Visio, meaning vision, the other being Spero, meaning hope, which is the mission of the company. Vispero provides hope, determination and independence through their different products, whether it be hardware or software. They have been an industry leader since 1975. Mike talks about how to self-diagnose low vision. One of the signs of low vision is finding it difficult to do basic things like cooking or repairing things. Or, if you notice you need more light. He then talks about two Assistive Technology devices Vispero makes. One is a handheld video magnifier, which is one of the best-selling in the industry, called The Ruby. The Ruby, he says, is a great choice if you’re reading off a menu. However, if you’re at home and reading a newspaper, you might want a desktop magnifier like the Optelec Clear View. Mike talks about the various tools that people might benefit from with MacD such as a handheld video magnifier, a handheld optical magnifier, desktop video magnifier, or something that provides OCR capability, which is optimal character recognition, which is basically scanning and reading. This feature takes text, and then has it read back. Mike also mentions the key things to focus on when you have low vision are going to be ...
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