Hello, Hello, everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of the bright side of life. I am, of course, your host, Melissa Bright. And this week's episode is completely different. Because this week is the one year anniversary of the bright side of life podcast. Yes, last year, this time I released my very, very first episode. So this week is going to be a little bit different. This is how this episode is going to go, I am going to actually be releasing a couple different episodes or Yeah, a couple different episodes this week. And I wanted to highlight all my past guests that I've had on here, which is 47. So that's why I'm breaking it down into several different episodes, is I'm going to kind of do their sound bite at the beginning that kind of encompasses their story. And then, at the end, you know, the question is, what does a bright side of life mean to them, and I'm going to highlight everybody's bright side of life. So instead of having an hour worth of this, which I know would probably be really, really monotonous. I'm going to break it down in different segments. So this is episode number one of that really quickly. Since it is the one year anniversary, I'm going to ask you if you have not yet wrote a review for the bright side of life and you love this podcast. So so much. I am begging you at this point, to please write a review. at the bright side of life podcast, comm go to reviews, you can either do that there, or you can submit it straight on Apple podcasts. If you listen on that platform, I would love to hear your feedback about what you think of this podcast. And it greatly helps getting this podcast out to other people. So without further ado, I want to thank you guys so so much. All of my guests that have ever came on to this podcast, everybody that has ever messaged me on Facebook for this helping them this podcast. Thank you guys so much. I'm not going to waste any more of your time. We are already at two minutes. So here we go. I hope you guys enjoy it. And then we'll have more episodes out later this week. Thank you guys. Welcome to the bright side of life, a podcast where people share their personal stories of struggles, pain and grief. But through all of that, they are still able to find the joys in life. Episode One surviving childhood trauma, Ashley story of surviving sexual mental and physical abuse and her journey to healing.

The things that I went through I went through because I was strong enough to go through them. If I didn't go through them, somebody else would have been it would have been either in my family or not in my family, but I was the one that was strong enough to go through this. So that I can come out of it and be able to like now be able to say, I survived this, the right side of life is seeing other people for their true beauty and seeing the world differently. We experienced life and we experienced trauma. But that doesn't mean we have to close our eyes to everything else, and accepting ourselves for who we are. And what we have gone through is the ability to see other people and see the truth and see the beauty in everything else. You know, when you go through something hard, you see the ugly and then you see the ugly and people you see the pain. And we can see the ugly or we can look just a little bit deeper and we can actually see that even the most cruelest things in life has some beauty in it.

Episode Two, road to recovery, Diana's story of what sobriety looks like after battling a drug and alcohol addiction. And when

my mom started calling me that that like feeling I had in my stomach of not wanting to disappoint her again. And then the look on my sister's face when I finally did meet up with them just really tore me down. I just couldn't stand to disappoint them once again and then seeing the look on her face and thinking about what my grandmother will think

so Deanna in your own words, what would your definition of the bright side of life be?

I would say honestly being an addict and recovery we truly considering you know how I said earlier like we we strive so much to get our drugs putting that into just regular daily life like I went to a recovery house was made manager and for months I I've worked two different jobs out here that I was made a manager within six months of working there like I have that strive and that and that goal in life and I know what I want, I'm not scared to go for it and I'm not scared to speak my mind for it to be able to Have a significant other that supports me in everything I do that, that I'm going to marry next year. And, and my my beautiful dog that I now have just everything that I've gained from being in recovery to me is is the right side of life. Episode Three, faith over fear. Stephanie's story of losing her son Lucas, and how her faith in God got her through. And he was on a TV show where you just pulled into this doctor's office, people are rushing by and the door closes and life just slowed down for me.

What would your definition of the bright side of life be?

100% it's going to go back to the Bible, these things, everything that I've learned. In the beginning, I thought this whole thing my whole testimony was about being a doula I thought it was to help women and the things I've learned through losing a baby and then having my daughter and the situation that went against what I wanted in the hospital. But it was a it has been that even if you look at job in the Bible, and having lost everything like is one thing was the Lord give it another take it away but always blessed to be the name of the Lord, even losing somebody close to you and losing a baby in some weird way. That's like a door being shut like God was in that moment, and also finding the joy of the Lord. Because life is about being joyful, even during the hard times. And then there's also the verse that says the content of the circumstance. And that goes along with just having faith and knowing that God cares about me and that things are gonna be okay. They're just finding the blessings that you have, because it could be so much worse, like so much worse. Like even just job lost not only kids, but like more than one kid. And people lose their whole families and people are in war situations. And like they're being prosecuted early and marched off right now. I don't know. Like it could just be worse though. Yeah, just finding the brighter side. Yeah, just on in the joy

of one episode for closing a chapter, Laura lens story of sexual assault and what she did to move on from that time in her life.

I was angry when all of it was happening. But once it was over, and I'm like, okay, I did everything I can do. It was done. It was like that chapter just closed and I can move on. So for me, the bright side of life is you know, using the terrible raw, you know, unimaginable things that you go through in your life and experience in your life and using those stories to help other people because you never know when your story can change someone else's life.

Episode Five, accepting change Nikki's story of embracing the different seasons of her life, and how they have helped her grow.

I would literally be sitting on my kitchen floor and just be sobbing and then tell God like this is awful. And my heart hurts so bad, but thank you that I'm healthy. And thank you that my kids are healthy. Thank you that I have a place to live. And I just would start making these lists of things to be thankful for.

That's, that's what really got me through what does the bright side of life mean to you? It means that I may not be able to not cry. But to have happy tears, happy tears. Just like joyful tears. Yeah.

But this life won't be easy. But if you can use the journey that you've been on, to encourage to comfort others, but it's completely worth it, you just have to realize that there's always good even in the darkest situations. And that's what gets you out of those dark situations is focusing on the good even if it's, you know, the smallest thing. Not every child has an opportunity, or every child has been an opportunity for me to rely on God for strength, and it's made me who I am today. So that's the bright side of all this is that I'm a better Nikki a better mom, someday hopefully be a better wife. And a better follower of GOD. Because I've been through all of those

episodes six never give up Nicole's story of getting diagnosed with breast cancer and our journey through double mastectomy, and reconstruction surgery.

My family really, really helped keep me up. Like they were my biggest supporter and first time I took all my bandages off to look at it. And I remember just crying in the shower, and my husband was trying to help me wash my hair and I remember Kinley saying Mommy, you still look pretty even without your boobs. So Nicole, in your own words,

what does the bright side of life mean to you?

wanna cry? No matter what you're going through, um, find something positive about it. Find something bright. I've met some amazing people through my journey. I feel like I live life different now. Just do things to the fullest. Because really, you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring whether it's a diagnosis or like death, like you just never just live it through the fullest and find the bright side because there's a bright side to everything that you do.

Episode Seven, the real and raw life of motherhood and postpartum Gina's story on how to acknowledge and accept postpartum.

And so here I was a new mom, all I ever wanted to be was a mom, ever, I could care less about a career, I could care less about anything. And I hated every piece of it, it literally hit me like a ton of bricks. And sometimes you need those people in your life to just be real with you. And that's what I'm going to be on this podcast is straight real, you don't need a breastfed Baby, you need a happy Mom,

what is your bright side of life now? Honestly, laughing

about it. And just being like, this is my chaotic life people and being more transparent. And every move I make, even through my career, like I just had a phone call the other day for a possible retainer project. And I just have to be honest, like motherhood discrimination is, is real in the workplace, it's very real, because you get interrupted a lot, especially now with COVID, or with sickness or with snow days, or whatever it is, you just have to be honest. And it's like, Look, my time is equals what two kids cost to go to daycare, that's what my time is for you. So for me, it's really just accepting it and just being almost like boogy about it. And it's like, Hey, I'm a mom. Now, this is my identity. This is what comes with it. I'm going to be transparent about it. I'm going to talk about it. And I'm going to help other moms.

episode eight, daddy's girl, Megan's story of losing her father to suicide, and how that helped her find her purpose in life

that day, what I remember the most and why, just to this day, when we'll have a difficult time with I think is I had to call my siblings, all three of my siblings, and tell them to call them one by one. And I remember every word, every sound, everything, the bright side of life, through all of this is taking this loss in this pain band instead of it drives me but like I said, I've dealt with all my feelings and my stages of grief. And I don't know, like, I don't let it come out as anger. I acknowledge them as I like, this is how I'm feeling this is here. And I use that as like for good. And I try and be for kind of people and give people more patience. And maybe they deserve more understanding than they deserve. My I'm so much more like so open minded, and really trying to be non judgmental, more patient than I ever imagined that could be no, I'm driving down the road. And there's some really slow in front of me. Yes, this is frustrating, but like, Oh my gosh, I'm in an air conditioned car with my favorite music on just driving home from Target, right? I'm not going to be what a waste of energy to be upset that person from the news driving slow, when it's just a losing someone like this, losing my dad to suicide has been a lot. It's just like, it's just mentally changed me to where I've seen the world so differently now. And the little things that you supply me, like I so much more mentally aware of myself now. And try and just enjoy things and not take little things for granted and appreciate what I have, who I have. And I really love people so much more than I thought before one because having people in my life has helped with the grieving process. And again, the strings and numbers and knowing there's people out there that have been through what I've been through.

So episode nine was my story, part one, and I didn't really put what the bright side of life is. So I'm going to go ahead and skip over that for the time being and move on to Episode 10. married to an alcoholic Fred's story of being married to an alcoholic, what led to divorce and how raising a daughter has been on his own.

I found the first hidden bottle of vodka, right when we got back from our honeymoon, I opened a drawer and I was reaching in the back for something and I felt it and she immediately had an excuse so I just kind of pushed it off the bright side of life means that I think in my in my position that I was in the bright side was that it's gonna it's got to get better. You know, it's there. There's always a bright side to every situation. I had this. I have this story, but I got out of it an amazing daughter. And I'm now I'm in a great relationship with a woman who I've been with for a long time who's polar opposite of Other relationships that I've been in. I think there's always a bright side when you come through the store.

Okay, guys, we are going to stop there for this episode. I hope you guys enjoyed this. I really really enjoyed hearing everybody's take on what the bright side of life means to them so many different answers. So I hope you guys enjoyed it because we are doing more episodes like this. I did episode one through 10. So then I'll be doing Episode 11 through 20 the next day and then so on until we get to all 47 episodes. And yeah, just really quickly, I want to remind you if you guys wouldn't mind writing review for me and the bright side of life podcast, you can do that at the bright side of life. podcast.com or if you listen to Apple, if you listen to my podcast on Apple, you can do it directly from there. My podcast website will take you to both places. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoyed it again and come back for tomorrow's episodes. Bye