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What happens when grief stops you in your tracks? For Diandra Ford Wing, the answer was to completely step away from her career and create space for healing through writing. After losing both her aunt and mother within 14 months, Diandra found herself unable to continue with business as usual. Instead of forcing herself to push through, she made the brave decision to quit her job and focus on processing her overwhelming grief.

The result of this courageous pause was her memoir "Red Bird," which chronicles not only her journey through loss but also explores her experiences with body image issues, mental health struggles, and her time in a mental health facility after a suicide attempt. Through raw, honest storytelling, Diandra transforms her pain into purpose, offering readers a glimpse into how facing our darkest moments can ultimately lead to healing.

Perhaps most powerful is Diandra's central message: give yourself grace. Throughout her life, she battled feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness, only finding peace when she learned to be gentler with herself. "If I hadn't given myself grace at some stage of my life, I would not be where I am today," she reflects. This reminder feels especially poignant in a world that often expects us to process grief quickly and return to productivity.

Whether you're currently navigating grief, supporting someone who is, or simply want to be better prepared for life's inevitable challenges, this episode offers valuable perspective on honoring your needs during difficult seasons. Listen now and discover why sometimes the most healing choice is to pause, breathe, and give yourself permission to process loss in your own way.

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Red Bird, By Diandra F Wing

https://www.booksbydiandra.com/

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The constant juggle of being a working mom sometimes feels like a pressure cooker ready to explode. That morning rush of getting kids to camp while managing work calls, racing to doctor's appointments, and trying not to melt down over forgotten insurance cards—sound familiar? These seemingly small moments stack up until we're ready to burst into tears over what others might view as minor inconveniences.

Why do we struggle so much with letting others care for us? I caught myself telling my children, "I wish someone took care of me as well as I take care of everyone else," revealing a deeper truth about control issues and possibly past trauma that many women share but rarely discuss. This isn't just about being busy—it's about the emotional toll of constantly managing everything and everyone while neglecting our own needs.

Beyond the daily shuffle, I've discovered something truly transformative for my health journey: intermittent fasting. After losing 150 pounds and then regaining 20, I needed a sustainable approach that worked with my busy life. What started as a weight management tool revealed itself as something far more powerful. Harvard and Johns Hopkins research confirms that intermittent fasting reduces insulin levels, increases human growth hormone, activates cellular repair through autophagy, and may even play a role in cancer prevention. Perhaps most fascinating is how fasting complements sleep—when we don't eat late at night, our brains can properly "wash" themselves during deep sleep, removing plaques associated with dementia.

My approach wasn't perfect at first—I bribed myself through the initial fasting periods with promises of treats during my eating windows. Yet even with imperfect implementation, I saw results that eventually led to healthier food choices and a more vegetarian lifestyle. The journey has been transformative, with my doctor recently confirming impressive health metrics that go far beyond the scale.

Have you tried intermittent fasting or found yourself overwhelmed by the invisible load of managing everything? I'd love to hear your experience—message me and let's continue this conversation about finding sustainable approaches to health while navigating the beautiful chaos of life.

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Have you ever felt trapped on the hamster wheel of children's activities, racing from soccer to dance to tutoring with barely a moment to breathe? You're not alone. In this refreshingly honest episode, I share my radical decision to cancel ALL my children's fall extracurricular activities—and why it might be the best parenting move I've made in years.

The "busy badge of honor" that many parents wear has become a status symbol in modern parenting. But at what cost? I reveal how my family's packed schedule left little time for homework, family dinners, or simply being present with my children. The realization hit me: we don't need to fill every moment of our children's lives with structured activities for them to thrive.

Looking back at my own childhood as an '80s kid, I reflect on how different things were—one dance class here, a season of soccer there—yet I turned out perfectly fine. This leads to a deeper conversation about the immense pressure we put on today's children to excel in everything from preschool to college, often pushing them down paths they never chose for themselves. The truth is, many of us with expensive degrees aren't even using them, having made major life decisions at 17 or 18 that didn't align with who we truly became.

What would happen if we stepped back and asked: what truly matters? What if success isn't measured by how many activities we can squeeze into a week, but by finding what genuinely lights us up? This fall, I'm choosing a different path—one with more breathing room, more focus on education, and more time for my family to simply be together.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by your family's schedule or questioning the path you're on, this episode invites you to reconsider what "having it all" really means. Follow me on social media to join upcoming live streams where we'll continue these important conversations about parenting, purpose, and finding your own definition of success.

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