Neff Inspiration

10 points in 10 mintues: John David Graham - From homeless, to business owner, to published author. A second-chance journey

In John Graham's words:
I have always been a curious person. Try taking a new road, a different direction, another adventure—or maybe failure. As a result, I have gone from homelessness to a business owner to a published author. Along the way I was a door-to-door salesman, children’s home counselor, substitute school teacher, truck driver, fireman, building contractor, minister and journalist.
Eventually I hit my stride at 53 when I started GOOD SAMARITAN HOME, a non-profit agency helping people restart their lives after prison.
 But there was a lot of resistance to our program, requiring years of legal conflict, community networking, and just plain hard work. Initially our budget was $5,000 with just one program house. Now we have 19 houses, a staff of 10 people, and a $2 million budget by constantly asking the question: “What is the need in the community, and how can we help meet that need?”
Then at 61, I finished my doctorate to better help me live our motto in the street where it was needed most.
 At 75, I published my debut novel called RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN, a fictionalized story of one man’s journey to overcome an abusive background to find forgiveness and love. But even publishing was no easy journey. My novel was rejected nearly 200 times. But now it has garnered 23 awards, including the prestigious 2024 StoryTrade Book Award for debut novel of the year.
Finally, at 76, on a lark, I saw an advertisement for extras in the television series “1923” being filmed nearby, and submitted my name and was hired. Now I can add “actor” to my resume—although I don’t plan on moving to Hollywood anytime soon!
So I am very familiar with second, third and fourth chances that many of us need to reach our goals. It is in developing what I call "calloused hands and a tender heart" along the journey.

3 Top Tips:
If I were to offer advice to someone just starting his/her journey, I would say to remember that success NEVER comes overnight. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Above all, keep your eyes on your goal, AND ALWAYS PICTURE YOURSELF GETTING THERE.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Always keep running.
 Life is written in pencil. We get lots of second chances.
 It is our failures that develop the calloused hands and tender heart needed for success.

Social Media
https://johndavidgraham.com
 https://www.amazon.com/Running-As-Fast-Can-ebook/dp/B0CKK418FB/
 www.goodsamaritanhome.org
 https://johndavidgraham.substack.com/
 https://www.facebook.com/JGrahamAuthor
 https://www.instagram.com/JGrahamAuthor
 https://www.tiktok.com/@jgrahamauthor
If a reader is the leader of a book club, I would be willing to offer a free copy of my novel RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN to him / her to encourage discussion of the "second chance journey" that is the focus of the book and my life. And based on the reader reactions thus far, it is the focus of the lives of many people as well.
Life is written in pencil. We get lots of second, third and fourth chances.

509 Laura Moulton: Grieving The Living - When The Heart Says Yes But The Brain Says No

Laura Moulton is the author of Boundaries: Grieving the Living - and helps others to live their life to the fullest. Her credentials: MA, LPC, NCC, CCTP-II, CIMHP, ACS, CAGCS, business owner. She has been a trauma therapist since 2017 and currently enjoys clinical supervision. 

3 Top Tips 
1. A solid definition of boundaries
2. The misconceptions of what we have been told about grief and healthier ways to view it
3. The benefit of grieving well and grieving hard 

Social Media
https://mountainsideconsultingpllc.com/
 https://www.tiktok.com/@lavalaura_11?_t=8qsrjebYLmg&_r=1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-moulton-ma-lpc-ncc-acs-cctp-ii-cimhp-cagcs-772865325?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
https://www.instagram.com/lavalaura11/profilecard/?igsh=a2V2bmY5OHpnM2U2

508 Mary Beth Schrudder: Take back power and break free of toxic relationship patterns & addictions

Mary Beth Schrudder is a Spiritual and Transformational Life Coach. She is founder of Day One Life Coaching, author of Addiction Recovery with the Law of Attraction, and the host of the “Spiritual Transformation Podcast with Mary Beth”.
Mary Beth will help you heal addictions and transform relationships, including the relationship with yourself! Her approach is holistic, and her areas of expertise include relationships, marriage, divorce, mindset, happiness, freedom from addictions, optimal fitness, life purpose, and career.
As a professional Life Coach with years of experience, Mary Beth’s life-changing coaching will help you step outside of your comfort zone, and together you will create extraordinary results using innovative techniques.
You may e-mail Mary Beth to schedule a complimentary discovery call at marybeth@dayonelifecoaching.com
Mary Beth’s website and social media links may be found here:
https://linktr.ee/DayOneLifeCoaching

3 Top Tips
1) It’s never too late to change your life!
2) Traditional methods of healing trauma and addiction don’t work for everyone. We do have alternatives.
3) We have SO MUCH MORE power and control over our day than we are allowing. It’s time to take your power back.

Social Media
https://linktr.ee/DayOneLifeCoaching

I offer a free discovery call for anyone who would like to discuss the possibility of 1-1 coaching with me.

507 Alon C Ferency - Get through Your Creative Crossroads by Unburdening Your Soul of Bad Beliefs

Creativity Consultant, Counselor and Coach, Rabbi Alon Ferency is a cross-country bicyclist, Peace Corps volunteer, author, concert producer, chaplain, and Dungeon Master. He served Heska Amuna Synagogue, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Burt Reynolds' "The Last Movie Star," and was the first treasurer of the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking. In his spare time, Alon learns drums, reads science fiction novels, and plays on a soccer team.

3 Top Tips
- Play and attention are great ways to unlock creativity
 - We all have messages we must unlearn to be our most creative
 - The best art comes from deepest in the soul

Social Media
www.eclecticcleric.com
 https://www.instagram.com/eclecticcleric/
 https://insighttimer.com/eclecticcleric
 https://www.facebook.com/EclecticCleric

10 points in 10 minutes: Christopher Mack - Drug Addiction - Don't be a bad actor

Christopher Mack has been in recovery for the past 24 years. I found that their is a dynamic to recovery and healing, and speak to groups and individuals about the evidence and process. I have worked on Skid Row in LosAngeles for the past 21 years which is the largest recovery community in the world. People are recovering from all types of trauma and challenges. I have co-written a program to assist others in finding their own recovery and ultimately their authentic selves and freedom.
Top Tips
Indicators and Evidence of your Recovery....How are you doing?
 Simple tools that are available for everyone to assist in recovery.
 How we must Feel it to Heal it!
www.dynamicsofrecovery.com
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9tkReSLmQN5ryef5Q-D-Tw
 https://www.facebook.com/dynamicsofrecovery/
 https://www.instagram.com/websterwanda/?hl=en

506 Zulma Williams: I Had Breast Cancer, Cancer Didn't Have Me

In Zulma’s words: We all have our share of challenges, and sometimes doubt our ability to overcome them. I am a warrior, and I made it my mission to inspire people to discover and honor the warrior inside them.
I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and immigrated to the United States at age 31. At age 42, I started my Bachelor of Social Work program. I graduated at 46, in December of 2011, and two months later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I had a lumpectomy, moved back to Argentina for three years, and in 2015 I came back to the United States. I enrolled for the Master of Social Work program at age 50.
I did my internship, and became fully licensed as a clinical social worker in 2018.
I am the founder of Dragonfly Therapy Services. I am a mental health therapist specializing in trauma, anxiety, and depression.
I survived cancer, domestic violence, depression, and suicidal ideation, but I never consider myself a victim. No matter what people are going through in life, I hope my message will help the audience discover and honor their own internal hero!

3 Top Tips 
It's never too late to fulfill your dreams.
You can do it!
Setbacks are part of success.

Social Media
www.dragonflytherapyservices.net
IG: @theswearingtherapist
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulma-williams-ab7609214/

505 Ken Kunken: 50 Years of Challenging How The US Sees & Treats Disabled People

In 1970, while a junior in Cornell University’s College of Engineering, Ken Kunken broke his neck making a tackle on a kick-off in a lightweight football game against Columbia University. Ken sustained a spinal cord injury at the C 4-5 level, rendering him a quadriplegic, almost totally paralyzed from the shoulders down. Ken spent more than 9 months in various hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. While still a patient, Ken testified before a United States Senate Sub-Committee on Health Care, chaired by Senator Edward Kennedy.
 In 1971, almost 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ken returned to the Cornell campus, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering. Ken estimates that he had to be pulled up or bounced down close to 100 steps just to attend his first day of classes.
 Ken is the first quadriplegic to graduate from Cornell University.
 Upon graduation, Ken decided to change his career goal. He wanted to work with and help people, particularly those with disabilities. Ken went on to earn a Master of Arts degree at Cornell in education and a Master of Education degree at Columbia University in psychology. Ken is the first quadriplegic to earn a graduate degree from Cornell University.
 In 1977, Ken was hired by Abilities Inc. in Albertson, NY to be its College Work Orientation Program Coordinator. Ken coordinated a program which provided educationally related work experiences for severely disabled college students. He also maintained a vocational counseling caseload of more than 20 severely disabled individuals.
 While working at the Center, Ken became a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor and made numerous public presentations on non-discrimination, affirmative action and employment of the disabled. In 1977, Ken was named the Long Island Rehabilitation Associations “Rehabilitant of the Year” and in 1979 Ken was the subject of one of the Reverend Norman Vincent Peale’s nationally syndicated radio broadcasts “The American Character”.
 Wanting to accomplish still more, Ken enrolled in Hofstra University’s School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1982. Ken then went to work as an assistant district attorney in Nassau County, Long Island.
 Ken was promoted a number of times during his more than 40 years with the District Attorney’s Office, eventually becoming one of the Deputy Bureau Chiefs of the County Court Trial Bureau, where he helped supervise more than 20 other assistant district attorneys. In addition, over his years working in the Office, Ken supervised more than 50 student interns.
 In 1996 Ken received the Honorable Thomas E. Ryan, Jr. Award presented by the Court Officers Benevolent Association of Nassau County for outstanding and dedicated service as an Assistant District Attorney. In 1999, Ken was awarded the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award presented by the Hofstra Alumni Association, Inc.
 Beginning in 2005, for nine consecutive years, “The Ken Kunken Most Valuable Player Award” was presented annually by The Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, NY, in recognition of Ken’s personal accomplishments, contributions to society and extraordinary courage.
 In 2009, Ken became a member of the Board of Directors of Abilities Inc., and in 2017 he became a member of the Board of Directors for the parent company of Abilities Inc., the Viscardi Center.
 In 2020, Ken was inducted into “The Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame,” as a member of the class of 2019.
 In March 2024, Ken was named one of the Long Island Business News Influencers in Law.
 Ken retired from full-time employment in 2016, but continued to work with the District Attorney’s Office for the next eight years in a part time capacity, providing continuing legal education lectures and litigation guidance.
 For years, Ken has tried to inspire people to do more with their lives. In October 2023, Ken’s memoir “I Dream of Things That Never Were: The Ken Kunken Story” was published.
 In 2003 Ken married Anna and in 2005 they became the proud parents of triplet boys: Joey, Jimmy and Timmy. On June 23, 2023 the triplets graduated from Oceanside High School, fifty-five years after Ken had graduated from the same school.

3 Top Tips
1 . Try to improve your knowledge, your skills and your performance. Get the best education possible, and never stop learning. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo.
 2 . Strive to make the impossible, possible. Just because something has not been done before, does not mean that you cannot do it now.
 3 . Find time to help others. Years from now be able to say that you did everything you possibly could to make not only your life, but the lives of those around you better as well.

Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/ken.kunken
 https://www.instagram.com/ken.kunken/
 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

504 Steve Ward: Everyone's Addicted to Something and That's an Opportunity to Live life Better

We all have issues, and everyone is addicted to something. One half of families have someone struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, but only about 10% of those hurting people are getting any help. There are practical principles and steps that have been proven to work that integrate principles from recovery, wellness, psychology, neuroscience, and personal development that can not only help people live life better but to also prevent or lessen the impact of behavioral health issues. STEPS is a nonprofit organization that provides easy-to-use resources to help people understand and deal with issues including addiction, recovery, mental health, living effectively, and personal well-being. We also have a strong focus on helping families by reaching parents and other caregivers as well as each individual in the family
In Steve Ward’s words: I struggled with alcoholism and other members of my family dealt with substance abuse, mental health issues, and other problems as well. But I saw there are proven ways to not only prevent behavioral health issues but to live life better. Those dark times led me to leave the business world after 38 years and found a new nonprofit ministry to help people improve their lives and prevent compulsive issues from robbing them and their family of the peace and joy they deserve. I have spoken to, taught, coached, and shared content with many thousands of people to help them take steps toward a positive future. I'm the author of two books and the Next Right STEPS blog.

3 Top Tips 
Learn to become aware of "what you don't know" 
have the courage to reach out and look for help
then focus on taking the next right steps one at a time.

Social Media 
Website - LifeImprovementSteps.com
 Social media - @lifeimprovementsteps
Free access to useful online resources, prevention, steps, life improvement, addiction prevention, emotional well-being

503 Satya Sardonicus: help your body get over trauma so your mind can follow

While there are plenty of doctors who find incredible solutions for their patients without living through the experience themselves, there’s something special that happens when the solution was developed by someone who has experienced the same struggle too.
My guest today is Dr. Satya Sardonicus, a chiropractor and expert in the neurobiology of stress. She developed the NeuroFascial Flow Method as a way to save her own life after more than a decade of suffering from a crazy list of symptoms. Symptoms like chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression, POTS, fibromyalgia, drop attacks, sensory overload and more.
The root cause of her symptoms ended up being Cerebellar Tonsillar Ectopia (CTE) or chiari - a brain herniation that put her nervous system into a constant state of fight or flight and drained her body’s resources.
So here’s the interesting part - today she lives 95% symptom free but her brain might actually still be herniated. So one of the things we’re going to discuss that will be interesting to everyone listening is “how important is it to find the root cause of your illness”?
Dr. Satya (as she’s known by her more than 50K TikTok followers) has been sharing tips for free on social media and joins us today to talk about how to help your brain become more receptive to change and healing.

3 Top Tips 
1 easy somatic practice to interrupt a stress loop in its tracks
The 5 steps to facilitate change that actually lasts (and doesn't boomerang your symptoms worse)
An alternative framework to understand anxiety + depression as your brain doing something ADAPTIVE and intelligent - not broken

Social Media
https://go.drsatyawellness.com/waitlist
 https://www.tiktok.com/@drsatyawellness
 https://www.instagram.com/drsatyawellness/
https://go.drsatyawellness.com/waitlist

NeuroFascial Flow Method, healing chronic illness, anxiety relief, trauma healing, chronic pain, self healing

502 Blair Dunkley: How to Go Beyond Mindset: Overcoming Life’s Toughest Challenges with Mind Models

Blair Dunkley, a Life Skills Coach and NLP practitioner, discovered the limits of mindset training during a personal tragedy when his father fell into a 14-year coma after surgery. Despite following all the recommended steps, including hiring a mindset coach, the advice to "believe more" failed him. Realizing the potential harm of such advice, Blair created Mind Models—a system designed to work consistently, even in the most challenging times, regardless of belief.

3 Top Tips 
Get to Now
Stop with Why
Identify, Repeat, and Duplicate What is Working

Social Media
Blairdunkley.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2089132807985614
https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdunkley1/