Healthy Mindset Miracles

Ep.002 - Breaking free from Addiction to Personal Growth with Shannan Mondor

• Healthy Mindset Miracles • Season 1 • Episode 2

Share episode

Send us a text

Episode 002
Have you ever stopped to think about the strength of the human spirit and its power to transform lives? Join us for a riveting conversation with our incredible guest, Shannan Mondor, who took life's adversities and used them as fuel to ignite personal growth. Shannan candidly recounts her early journey, marred by addiction and abuse, and how she broke the chains of this destructive cycle. In an inspiring testament to resilience, she shares insights into her personal development program, aimed at assisting others to turn their lives around. 

We dive into healing, vulnerability, and the liberation that comes from letting go. Shannan shares the painful decision of distancing herself from family for the sake of her children and her own healing. Her journey is a testament to breaking generational curses, setting boundaries, and acknowledging suppressed emotions. As we wrap up, we invite you to tune into Shannan's podcast series, 'Fulfillment in Faith,' brimming with stories of individuals who have experienced tranquility in their lives. We promise you a conversation that will inspire and challenge you to embrace adversity and personal growth. Join us on this transformative journey with Shannan Mondor.

Website: https://shannan-mondor.mykajabi.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fulfillment-in-faith/id1653165886

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannan.schadmondor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannanmondor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Xe944cXwD-HFPFQnwnRcQ

Book: https://www.amazon.ca/How-Hell-Did-Get-Here/dp/0228871220

Thank you for tuning in to this empowering episode of Healthy Mindset Miracles." We hope you found inspiration and insight into the journey of redefining your mindset.

If you have any questions or would like to share your own experiences, please visit our website:
www.healthymindsetmiracles.com

We welcome your stories and inquiries. If you are interested in being a guest send us a message under contact us in the website.

Stay tuned for more episodes where we continue to explore the path to healing and well-being. Until we meet again, may you discover a healthy mindset in your life. 🌟

Don't forget to like, share, comment and subscribe on our Facebook and YouTube channel.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to Healthy Mindset Miracles. Before we get started, it is important to be aware of potential triggers that might arise during this discussion. I am not a licensed mental health professional or a certified therapist. The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health support, we strongly encourage seeking qualified mental health professionals. Help me welcome our guest today, Shannon Mondor. She has overcome her past and used her experiences to empower herself to change. She now uses the knowledge that she gained to help others release their past and find greatness within life. Shannon's passion is to teach as many individuals as possible how to create a life they love. Shannon, I want to ask you a couple of questions. I know you have some books that you've written and you have many social media outlets, also a website. Can you talk about those things real quick?

Speaker 2:

I published a book and it is called how in the Hell Did I Get here? And the subtitle is Forever Changing the Genetic Blueprint. With that book. The reason that I titled it that is because we all wake up one day or another and we all become at a crossroads and with that title, how many of us had said to ourselves how in the hell did I get here? And that's exactly what I've done. So I really knew that book title would resonate with everybody and the subtitle Forever Changing the Genetic Blueprint.

Speaker 2:

There is a genetic blueprint within my family which is now into the fourth generation of substance addiction, whether it be alcohol, drugs and food. The addiction started with my father, then it went into my generation of all my brothers and sisters and it seeped into the generation of my nieces and nephews and now it has gone into the fourth generation, which is my great nephews at this point in time. So that is huge, very much a genetic curse within my family In that book. It's a two-part book, it's a very easy read. I talk about the whole process of what it was like growing up for me because the addiction, as I said, started before me, before my birth. So I go into that a little bit and I talk about my whole entire life of my addiction, where I was very much a people pleaser, I was a chameleon from my abuser, which was my brother. How he instilled in me that I was dumb, I was stupid, I was never going to amount to anything, and how that really played a role within my life, because what it did is I actually took on that identity. But it wasn't until I quit drinking on August 17th of 2019, when I woke up that day and I said I will never touch a drop of alcohol again was when I realized that identity that I had been carrying for so long it was a lie and it was his identity, it was not mine.

Speaker 2:

And then the second part of my book is my journey, my healing, how I had to forgive myself. Number one, I had to take ownership and responsibility of my life and from there was when I could start to open up my heart to all those people around me that I felt had hurt me for so many years. And then I just go into the whole process of that and it's a really educational book because through my experiences, so many people are going to learn, because it's not all about addiction. There's so many things in that book that people will resonate with on a daily basis. Now, when it comes to my website, my website has absolutely everything on it. I've created affirmations. You can go on to it. Shannon Mondorcom.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Very simple.

Speaker 1:

And we'll put the links in the bottom of the podcast, as well as the YouTube channel, so that you guys, if you're interested in seeing her books or her website or any of her social media, I highly recommend to see the links at the bottom.

Speaker 2:

On my website. There's everything about me on there. You will. There will be access to my podcast, my book, basically my whole journey on there as well is my fulfillment in faith is my personal development program, and I highly recommend looking into that. If you want to transform your life totally and completely, let me tell you that program will definitely make a difference. I will be working alongside of you through the whole journey. I will take you from your past up until you're present, and then we are going to create a future that you have longed for your whole entire life. That is beautiful.

Speaker 1:

Let me ask you a couple of questions before you go any further. When you were younger, at what point did the addiction start with you? How old were you Jeepers?

Speaker 2:

There were so many facets that took me to my addiction. If people want to follow me on social media Shannon Mondor on Facebook, instagram there is a process that I actually went through to get to my addictions, because growing up in an environment with addictions and abuse, that was my normal. That's what people got to understand. That was my normal. You, individuals that have an addiction right now, are going through that process.

Speaker 2:

That was your normal growing up, and it wasn't until I got a little bit older, when I started to have friends and I started to be exposed to different environments, was when I realized that my environment was totally different. So, growing up with that as well, too, I didn't feel the love. I grew up in chaos. My first memories of my feelings and my emotions were fear, not feeling safe. I hid at such a young age, so that is actually what brought on my addictions, and I carried those feelings and emotions from my childhood, which went into my adolescent years, which went into my twenties, thirties, forties, and my addictions actually started when I was about 14 years old.

Speaker 1:

I was wondering if you were a teen when you actually started when you were 14. What was it that you started to use Alcohol?

Speaker 2:

I was always alcohol. I was never into the drugs. I was always too scared of drugs. But alcohol is a drug.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, alcohol actually is one of the most addictive addictions you could ever have and one of the hardest things to break, mainly because it's so available everywhere you go.

Speaker 2:

It is beyond socially accepted. It actually makes me sick to my stomach now to think how that society has pushed alcohol on people. And when people will ask me, would you like a drink? And I'll be like no, thank you, I don't drink. And automatically they think, oh, she's got a problem. And they'll look at me and I will openly say I was addicted to alcohol because I'm not shameful of it, because I look around my environment now, I look at my family members, everybody. It is unbelievable how any high functioning alcoholics are out there. Yes, that is what we as a society has normalized and that is absolutely disgusting. It's disgusting.

Speaker 2:

That was the thing I was taught, because I was never heard or acknowledged when I was a child. And there's so many different scenarios that I talk about on my Facebook on a morning basis. Now is what I do is I go on and I talk about my timelines of when I was two years old and I was three years old, about how I didn't feel safe and how I hid and how I didn't express my feelings, and all of this because those times in my life are huge. That has actually made me the individual that I am today. Right, it taught me to hide. It taught me to run. It taught me to hide my feelings and emotions. It taught me to devalue who I am as an individual, that my opinion doesn't matter, that I have to create this facade in my life, which became a people pleaser.

Speaker 1:

When you say you hid, were you saying like you were physically hiding from people? I did? Yeah so were you refining hiding spots, playing hide and seek, but by yourself? Yep, yep, absolutely. And who were you?

Speaker 2:

hiding from Family members at the time.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

Because I didn't feel safe. Okay yeah, and then, of course, that turns into hiding your feelings, hiding your emotions, not acknowledging what's actually happening around you. So you hide within. Then you want a numb. So that's where the alcohol started to come in, at 14 years old.

Speaker 1:

How were you when you went to school as a young child? You were hiding at home and then you would go to school. How was your demeanor then?

Speaker 2:

That's the funny thing. It's not funny is I'm gonna get teary.

Speaker 1:

Oh goodness, we're both gonna cry if that happens.

Speaker 3:

Because I look at my life then and that was definitely the beginning of me being somebody that I wasn't and I look at now at certain areas in my life and I would do anything so I wouldn't have to go back home. So I became very athletic.

Speaker 2:

That was one thing that saved me for sure was I was very athletic, but I would also deflect my feelings and emotions on other people. So I could actually remember a specific time in my life where there was one girl in our classroom that was going through a lot in her home life and, instead of me being a nice person or whatever, I deflected my feelings and emotions towards her, so I actually started to bully her. Wow.

Speaker 3:

And to think of now, about that time in my life, about what I did. It's horrible because it wasn't only me. I was the ringleader in my classroom and it made me feel better to bully somebody else. All this rage and anger that I had within inside me was no longer deflected towards me. I was doing it to somebody else. And I think now God, what a horrible thing to do. And I look now at bullies, and bullies are the ones that hurt the most. That's what hurt people, hurt people, hurt people, and I hurt her.

Speaker 1:

Have you ever reached out to her to apologize or to make amends?

Speaker 3:

No, not yet, Because I'm actually at that point where I just came to the realization of that particular time of my life, right, because I'm going through a process right now where I'm a coach.

Speaker 2:

So, in order to transform people, people will transform through me through how I transform right, and I'm a coach that totally believes that if you wanna make huge changes in your life, you have to look at every aspect of your life. You always hear people say, oh, the past is the past. Well, I'm sorry. Yes, the past is the past, but you know what? That's where everything lies within. If you wanna become a success within your life and become that individual that you wanna be and you can manifest and you can go into your 40 and you can do all that. But where does that doubt lie? There's always gonna be doubt and in order for you to get rid of that doubt, you have to look back where that doubt originated from. You have to have that acknowledgement. Once you do that, then you can go forward with confidence and you can look at these different areas and you can understand like, oh my God, now I can understand why I became a people pleaser, or I can understand how I put myself in that situation.

Speaker 2:

People need to acknowledge that first and that does not mean that you're dwelling on it at all. It means that you're acknowledging that and you're accepting that aspect of your life, you're embracing it, you're taking ownership and responsibility. Absolutely. That little piece about me bullying. That just came into awareness of me within the last little bit here and it's like, oh my God, because that's what's inside me that I have to forgive myself for and then take ownership and responsibility and I have to and it's like, wow, like that's a big light bulb moment. Yes, right, and we never stop learning, we never stop growing. You know what I mean. Me as a coach, helping others. I am changing people's lives on a daily basis, but at the same time, there are things that they are saying that they are bringing up to me that's like, wow, I forgot about that aspect of my life.

Speaker 1:

I was the same way. I used to be the one that would say the past is in the past, you can't do anything about it, so let's just look at the future. And a lot of ways that helped me. However, I had to come to a point where I had to look at the things happened to me in my past and I had to go okay, I'm going to either accept the fact that this happened to me and move forward to do something positive with my life, or I'm going to become a victim of it again because I continue to allow myself to sit in that victim status. And I chose not to do that anymore. I don't want to sit in that victim status, so I had to deal with it.

Speaker 1:

I had to make a decision as how I'm going to handle what had happened to me. Do I forgive those that hurt me? Do I continue to have hate for those that hurt me? What do I do? And so I chose to forgive. You'll never forget, but I chose to forgive because I learned that if you hold on to those negative feelings and it just continues to hurt you. So I've learned to forgive. I never forgot, but I did forgive. But I also have taken those negatives and turned them into positives. I have used those stories to be able to help others, and I feel like that's what healed me, so that I could positively look at my life as, yes, these things happen to me. No, they were not right. However, I'm going to use those experiences to be able to help others in a positive way and be a chain breaker, and I think that's what you've done as well.

Speaker 2:

Oh, absolutely. I speak openly and honestly about absolutely every aspect of my life now and it's about me. It's about my feelings, my emotions, what I went through. Because when I speak openly now and that's why I urge people and I invite people to go on my social media and see my lives that I do every single day Because this is a way of me transforming even more to be a better fricking coach. Right, you're going to be able to relate to me and you guys are thinking like, oh my God, she gets it.

Speaker 2:

We all have a story to tell.

Speaker 2:

It's just to make sure whether or not you are ready to share your story or you even want to share your story. But if you want to get better in life and you want to become and find that greatness within, all I can say is you got to start digging deep. And that's what my coaching is all about. Because when you coach with me one on one, let me tell you we're going back, we're going back, we're drawing out those timelines we're going to have you show that, have those feelings and emotions come up, because at what point in time in your life do you really just say enough is fricking enough? And that's what it was with me. If you want to make changes in your life and with every breakthrough there's a breakdown there always is, no matter what and in order for you to make changes in your life, you got to move forward. You've got to get in that environment of being uncomfortable, because when you're comfortable, that's where the learning lessons are. Yes, you're going to stay in your comfort zone for the rest of your life.

Speaker 1:

You are not growing at all Well, sometimes that comfort zone may not be very comfortable either. It's almost like a fact of they're hiding as well, like you were hiding as a child. They're hiding too.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. And then, of course, when I woke up on August 17th of 2019, let me tell you, that day was the day I was so fricking tired. It took me 50 years to say enough is enough.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so let's talk about that day. Do you remember the exact day?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely I do. It was a Sunday, on August 17th, and I was like, holy shit, I am to the point where I am fricking done with everything. There you go. I was at an all time high of 188 pounds I'm 551. And I normally weigh 120 pounds and I felt unhealthy. I was starting to have all those suicidal thoughts again and I'm like this is bullshit. Like this is bullshit, because I was at the end of my fricking rope. I was tired of hiding, I was tired, I was tired of everything, tired of being tired, I was. That's exactly what it was. I was tired of being tired.

Speaker 2:

And when I woke up that morning, and that was when I'm like what is it within me that I'm going to do to change myself? And the first thing I really had to look at was myself and I had to look at my past and I had to look at my family and I could no longer be in denial anymore because I was sick of protecting, I guess, everybody in my family and having this fake facade, because it was so far from anything. And it was just like I had to come to the realization. Yes, I came from a fricking shitty family. My family was shitty.

Speaker 2:

You know what I mean. They've done shitty things, I've done shitty things and this addiction, oh my God, looking at it for the fourth generation, now it's time to change things. And I'm looking at my kids and I'm like, oh my God, all of my nieces and nephews have an addiction of some sort. Not all of them, I'm not going to say all of them, but the majority of them do. And I'm looking at my kids and I'm like, no way, because I've got four children. And I'm like, who's going to stop? It's going to stop with me, and I was about to ask you that.

Speaker 1:

So you were becoming the curse breaker. You were breaking the curse that day because you didn't want your children to follow in your footsteps. You wanted your marriage to heal.

Speaker 2:

You were still married then, correct, I was still married, yeah, and I was in the point where I was in denial of so many areas of my marriage.

Speaker 2:

I was in denial of how I felt about my husband's family, and these are things that had to finally be surfaced because I was conforming to what everybody had wanted me to be. I was my husband's wife and he came from a family of status, a family of wealth, a family of everything, and how I was brought up, I felt that I didn't deserve any of that. I felt that I didn't belong in his family, and how I felt also was projected from them towards me, and things had to change and I had to start to take control of my life, and the first thing I had to do was start speaking my truth. Starting to love myself was the biggest thing. And how did I have to do that? I had to accept and look at everything around me. I totally had to shatter my life completely. I had to break it down to what it really was, and then from there, I could build the life that I wanted, which I've got now.

Speaker 1:

Let me ask you a couple of questions. Did you seek out professional help or did you start reading books? What did you do that helped you get to the point to where you're at today?

Speaker 2:

I actually started going to counseling when I was in my 30s and then into my early 40s. I'm 54 years old now.

Speaker 1:

You don't look it, thank you.

Speaker 2:

I could tell you right now the reason I do not look my age at all People say that I look like I'm at any where is from the range of 38 to 42. And the reason being is because of the energetic toxins that I held within my body for years. That takes a toll on you. It does Hugely. And once I started to deal with my emotions and my feelings and I started to set my boundaries, believe me, when I started doing that, I didn't worry about dieting. I didn't worry about any of that anymore. And the next thing, I'm starting to look younger, I'm starting to feel better. I'm starting to lose all my weight and now I weigh 120 pounds. That's awesome. I didn't do anything special. I can tell you that right now, because I just changed your mindset. Yeah, I did.

Speaker 1:

That's exactly what it was At that moment that you woke up in August and said enough is enough, I am done. I'm not going to deal with this shit anymore. My life's going to change today. What was the very first thing you did that day?

Speaker 2:

Like I, said with the counselors. I have been seeking counseling from my in my 30s and into my 40s, into my early 40s, and professionals are there for a reason. I believe in the professionals of therapists and psychologists, all of that but what was happening with me was it was just a cycle with them, over and over and over, talk about my past, my past, my past. And there's only a certain amount of time that you can talk about your past, like I wasn't getting anything from it. It was just drawing out more emotions. They were not giving me a tool that I needed to help me better myself. So, of course, it was like I was on a hamster wheel over and over and over. So eventually I just ended up getting frustrated with the therapist because I was not gaining any help.

Speaker 1:

So you got the past out, but you had no solution.

Speaker 2:

I had no solution, and they weren't going to be dealing with my emotions and my feelings at all either.

Speaker 2:

The only thing that was coming out was more rage. There was more rage that was coming out, and they weren't giving me a tool to help me deal with my rage. Right, I just have been going screaming in a closet. So eventually I got tired of that. So when I woke up that morning, I had always loved personal development and in my past I have read so many books Esther and Jerry, abraham Hicks, dr Wayne Dyer, louise Hay I had been studying these individuals for years. Deepak Chopra self-development was huge with me, all about the whole manifesting world and everything. So what I decided to do and I could remember when I always felt good within my life it was because I was practicing self-development, and the only time that I also realized at that time too, with the awareness, was when I was feeling good in my life.

Speaker 2:

But when, I was horrible in my life was when I dropped it completely. But the most important thing is when you need it the most is when you're in your most tumultuous times in your life. That's when you really got a dig deep and that's where you really need to start studying those things. So that's what I did. I started going on to YouTube. I started watching their videos. I started listening to their podcasts. I started reading their books. Again is what I started to do. I actually hired a spiritual advisor, so I was being approached by her and I was taken through the process of energy work. I started to look even more within me and then I started to get my certification in yoga. So I'm a instructor as well. Plus, I also got my certification within Reiki level one, and Reiki level two is fantastic. Yeah, is what I started to do.

Speaker 2:

And then I decided you know what I've? I have gone through all of these experiences. So that was where I started to write my book, and when I wrote my book, I wrote my book only because I wanted to help others, because I started to realize, holy gosh, all these experiences that I've gone through, is this normal? And then I don't think this isn't. I don't think this is normal what I've gone through. So that's where my book came in. I wanted to educate people and I wanted to help people and I wanted to give people a guide and guidance and everything else. The book was really no intentions about me at all. I actually really never even thought about it and it wasn't until I actually wrote my book and I read my book before I sent it to the publishers. I looked at my book and I was like holy smokes.

Speaker 1:

there's a lot of information in here and you think that book was a sense of healing for you as well as you were writing it.

Speaker 2:

It wasn't until I was done my book and I read it that I realized that was a tool that also helped me to heal.

Speaker 1:

I tell people that all the time If you are having a challenge or you're out of just getting out of a really bad relationship, or you've got feelings inside of you need to get it out, write it down.

Speaker 3:

Write it down.

Speaker 2:

Put it in a book.

Speaker 1:

Put it in a journal, burn it. If you don't want anybody to read it, burn it Go. I did that. I wrote a letter it was a seven page letter to my ex and he never read it. I didn't care, but I cried. I think the paper was more wet than I was able to write on it. I cried all the way through it. But when I was done and I went and burned it, it was like a release, like every bit of those anger thoughts and those feelings and there was a lot of cuss words in there. Every bit of that I let it all go and it was the most relieving feeling.

Speaker 1:

I haven't written a book yet. I've been told I should, but I don't know. Who knows what the future holds. I'm not saying it's a something I won't do. I'm just saying I haven't done it yet. But I admire those like you who have, because I feel like those books in itself is the most healing thing that you can do, when you put it down on paper. You said there was a lot of information in there. Did you go back through and edit some of that information?

Speaker 2:

You know what the funny thing was when I decided I was going to write a book it was literally and this is how I knew it was so meant to be Was because I wrote my book in three months and it was almost like it was being channeled through me. It was where I could really feel the support of my higher power within me. So I wrote my book. I started writing my book in March and I did it April, may and I was completed in June. Wow, with me, I know that my growth and my learning and for me to sit still and for me to cut it and for my big learning process is always in the months of July and August. So when I was back, my book, I just put it down and I said to myself I'm leaving this book, I'm just putting it down, I'm not gonna look at it, I'm just leaving it there and I'm gonna go through my process for the months of July and August to see what brings me. And that's what I did. I just kind of sat and I really. I became really quiet, I became within and I really looked around. I looked at the people that I was associating myself with. I was really listening to their words. I was listening to how they were paying attention to me. I was listening how they were talking to me. I was listening to see if they were listening to my words. I became so in tune with who I was, the clarity really kicked in, really kicked in. Then, in September, I picked my book up and I read my book and there was only a few edits that I did. Another way I knew that my book was meant to be published as well was because I was like, okay, how do I pick a publishing agent? How do I go through this whole process? And gosh, it was almost immediately was when I was divinely guided to tell in Canada for self publishing and it was the best publishing company that I could have overpicked. They were beyond amazing. Wow, yeah, it was amazing. But yes, so I've got so many tools within my toolbox with the self development like my mentors that I talk about, also me writing my book.

Speaker 2:

But another thing which I learned so much was treatment. When I came out of treatment it was almost like it was supposed to be kept. You know shanamah treatment. And even my family members that I was talking to at that time they're like, oh, people are talking that you went to treatment and I'm not saying anything because it's none of the business. And when that was said to me I was like who cares? And that individual, that family member that said to me I'm not saying anything. The reason she wasn't saying anything it wasn't to protect me, it was to protect her because she was embarrassed of me. Wow Treatment, and I could see that plane as day. So it wasn't about me, it was all about her. Are you kidding me? And I said to her if anybody asks you if I was in treatment, you tell them yes, because I am not ashamed about going to treatment. Are you kidding me? That was the best thing I could have ever done and I embrace it.

Speaker 2:

When I was there, let me tell you, I put the work in, so that was actually the first tool that was put in my toolbox. I knew when I was going into treatment because I wanted to go that it was gonna be freaking hard work, but there are so many things that brought me to the forefront that I could no longer be in denial. It opened up my eyes. I had no idea that this was a generational thing that was happening within my family. I had no idea that all my family members were feeling the exact same way. I was brought forth to my feelings. I could actually see my feelings for the first time and I actually see that my family members had the exact same feelings that I did. Oh, my freaking God, like the reason my mom was a shitty mom and I'll be honest with you she was a shitty mom, she didn't protect me Was because of the way that she was treated by my father, who abused her entire life. My mom didn't know anything was wrong. She didn't know any better. She didn't know any better.

Speaker 3:

And.

Speaker 2:

I could see those things for the first time. I was brought back to freaking reality right.

Speaker 1:

Have you had these conversations with your mom?

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, throughout the years for sure, but at that time it was anger and all that right, and I have talked to my mom quite a bit since I came out of treatment. But that's another thing too. In order for me to get me to where I am today, you have to praise and release. There are many people within my life, especially after I wrote my book, because I was so open and honest and I was very vulnerable within my book and I lead a very vulnerable life to this day and I will continue to be vulnerable, because that is how I grow is shedding my tears, expressing my feelings, my emotions, and people don't be around vulnerability people as well. Right, that's what I think we will find out. Then people will find out better on this journey, because the more vulnerable I become, the more uneasy and more to the truth that people become, and if they're uncomfortable, they don't wanna go there.

Speaker 2:

One thing with me is I really found out who people really are, and I had to praise and release a lot of individuals and I'm gonna be honest with you after I wrote my book, who was left in my life was my husband, my four children and I had one or two friends left, and that was a very, very lonely time for me, but at the same time, I knew that they had to go, because what they were doing is they were holding me back in so many different areas of my life. They weren't letting me be the person that I was meant to be. And you know what? I wasn't having it anymore because I know that I am the most important person in my life and, in order for me to be the mother and the mentor that I was meant to be for my children, they had to go.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel like that was a way of getting rid of the toxicity in your life, the people that were toxic around you, just so that you could continue to breathe and heal even more, even though you love them? They're your family, your mom, your dad, your siblings. They're your family. You love them, but in order to heal, sometimes we have to distance ourselves just so that we can get that healing. If they're not willing to change and they wanna stay in that toxicity mindset, sometimes we have to love them from a distance. And I'm not saying you know, listeners are listening if you're thinking that I'm telling you to disown your family, no, that's not what I'm saying at all. Sometimes we need to go on with our lives. We need to focus on those things that are important our own husband, our own children, our own work, things that we're doing.

Speaker 2:

That's the problem with my family. There isn't an awareness there. I wanted to make changes within my life. I did it. The biggest thing was I wanted to protect my children. So of course I can't have my children around my family because I've still got family members which are getting drunk every day or they're doing drugs on a daily basis and there's been criminal violence that has happened, that individuals have been charged for. There has been drug overdose to the point of death.

Speaker 1:

So you're gonna love them from a distance.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, all communication has been cut off totally and completely and now it's gone from one generation to the next generation, to the next generation. And the sad thing is like I look at the fourth generation like my great niece, like my nephews and nieces and my greats there. There it brought up an environment of violence and addiction and all of that, and that's what they're creating for their children, their grandchildren. It's just going to continue on and on. I'm totally breaking free from all of that and I'm excited now for my children's future. I am beyond excited. That's beautiful. I'm relieved. And they see, they see right away when people are drinking way too much. They know.

Speaker 2:

Can I teach them and express your feelings? And I'm bothering you? You don't hold that inside, because I suppressed my feelings from the time I was two years old. I'm going through all of my feelings and all of my emotions. So that's what I also do within my coaching. When you come coach with me, you are going through your whole timeline because we are going to be drawing all those feelings and emotions up, because you have to get rid of all that suppression within your life. That's going to heal you. That's what's going to make you change. You got to find your piece.

Speaker 1:

And you got to stay in it.

Speaker 2:

Find your piece and yes, absolutely yeah.

Speaker 1:

We are up on time now, but thank you so much, shannon. I have so enjoyed our conversation. You are definitely an inspiration to so many. I'm tearing up and goose bumping over here, but I just want to say thank you for being such a strong woman, for being able to see and the challenges you were having and to come out of that being willing to heal yourself, being willing to write a book to help others heal that's phenomenal. I look forward to seeing your book one day.

Speaker 2:

I do have a podcast as well. It's on all the podcast platforms. It's called fulfillment in faith, and the series that I'm doing right now is called. You Are Not the Only One, and I interview people literally all over the world and what the series is and it is my passion project it's a lot like yours right here, and it is people talking about their times that they've been brought to stillness.

Speaker 2:

There's been so many different topics that are on there and I just really encourage people to go on there and listen to it, because there is going to be a topic where somebody has been brought to their stillness which you are probably going through right now, whether it be you've lost a child or you've been, you've experienced suicide or sexual abuse or whatever it is and these people have had their courage to come forward and to share their stories because they know, and I know, that you are not the only one, and I really encourage everybody to please go and listen to the podcast and it's just another tool that I put in the toolbox for everybody. I've got all these tools. Look me up for coaching as well. Shannonmondorecom. Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Tell us the name of the podcast one more time. Sufficient in faith. Go listen to that. You won't regret it. I'm certain you want to hear the stories. So much more to come. Thank you so much. Have a great day everyone.