Thyroid Warrior Podcast

Ebony: Hello and welcome to the Thyroid Warrior Podcast. I'm Ebony, and I'm here as your wellness facilitator. I'm going to be sharing my experiences in managing Hashimoto's disease, and I really hope that it'll help you on your personal journey. Keep in mind, however, this does not substitute as medical advice. It is only for your information and motivational purposes only. Now, let's get started.

Ebony: Hello, friends. We're gonna finish up this series talking about what happens when you're in that transition period of finding your community and figuring out what's the next best thing for you. And I went through this

Ebony: A couple years ago when I was trying to understand a lot about my Hashimoto's disease, a lot about getting healthy and, and what that really and truly meant for me, because healthy is subjective. It is, it is sure, a state of being, but at the same time, the objective part of that can change all the time. So one of the biggest things that I'm, I'm realizing is that sometimes when we go through these major shifts in terms of our health, we tend to lose people, and we also have to give up things, people and places that no longer serve us.

Ebony: I took that deep sigh and that deep pause because I don't know about you, but I'm currently in that season now, and it's hard. It's very, very challenging because on the one hand, there are places where I feel like I just don't fit in anymore. On the other hand, I know that I've grown, I know that I've expanded, but at the same time, I've continuously tried to quote unquote, bring people along and stay connected. But sometimes it's okay to recognize that you're just outta sync with the people around you, and it's time for you to continue to level up. And it's not saying that you're better than anyone else. It's not saying that

Ebony: You are too good or not good enough, and you feel like you have to separate yourself. No, it, it's just that when you have moments where you're like, I really need to get around people that understand what I'm going through, I really need to find that support system. And I talked about this early, early on, uh, with the podcast in terms of talking about how to find a support system. And that same thing still applies now because there are going to be times where you feel great, you feel rambunctious and full of life and full of zest. And there are other times where you just don't feel that way. And it's nice to have people that understand that that's the season that you're in, where sometimes you'll be able to go out, sometimes you won't. Or you're at that point where you can eat a lot more in terms of diversity of foods because you may not be having stomach issues as much, but there are still things that may be difficult for you.

Ebony: And you need people around you that understand, Hey, I, I can't go to that restaurant, or I can't eat that certain thing, or I can't drink, and that's difficult for a lot of people, but, but I'm proud of you for continuing to advocate for yourself because that is really and truly the most important thing. So outside of that, however, I also know how scary that can be. It can be very scary to want to move on to know that there are things that no longer serve you, but to be afraid of the unknown. And when you come into awareness of that is 10 times scarier because just like you're trying to find your tribe of people that will really and truly hold you, it's this weird space where you don't necessarily have that. So what do you do? And I wanted to share with you three things that I've learned along the way.

Ebony: And the first thing is understand that a certain level of vulnerability has to be present in order for you to recognize what you need and get in touch with yourself. And that's why I started this series with finding out what is safe for you and what isn't. The second thing is going to require that you actually start talking about the things that are important to you. And I started doing this with my really good friend Tim, and to hear him tell me in the last year, for example, you have really and truly opened up and started talking about the things that really and truly matter to you. And it's wild because I'm going to be talking at our diversity, equity and inclusion conference at Johns Hopkins. And my title of my talk is, You could Take a Girl Out the Hood, but you can't take the hood out the Girl.

Ebony: And we're going to be talking about the intersectionality of race and class and healthcare. And that's really scary for me because I grew up on the east side of Detroit. I did not have access to a lot, but I went to a private school in Gross Point, and I very much so noticed the difference related to care when I would go to Gross Point to go to the doctor versus being in Detroit and seeing the differences. And I continue to see that throughout my adult life and even navigating the healthcare space with my thyroid condition, with finding the lump in my breast and a whole host of other health conditions that I've had over the years. And it's a difference. But the way that I am framing my talk is through the lens of cultural humility and recognizing that there are so many dynamics or levels in which all of us are constantly trying to battle.

Ebony: Where do I fit and, and how do I get other people to understand who I am? And recognizing that diversity equals difference. Each of us brings differences, but how do we look at that as a good thing? And how do we learn to honor and respect each other and constantly learn and not always induce shame around talking about a concept because it's, it's good to talk to other people about what's going on and what their experiences are, which is why I absolutely loved and continue to love hearing about your experiences when you message me and we can talk about it. And I, I think that goes into the third thing of figuring out what is your safe space? Are there people that you can have these seemingly difficult conversations with? Or even just feel safe enough to explore the questions that you have? And I think that once we start to introduce those things and find our people that way, the world is our oyster and we can really and truly begin to thrive.

Ebony: And we also, again, become more self aware of the things that we may not have seen, because you are surrounding yourself with people that may be in a slightly healthier state so they can see those things that aren't necessarily as positive for you, whatever positive looks like for you. And that's another thing about establishing those expectations and those norms for those relationships. And just like I tell people all the time, you know, tell me when those moments are, when you're struggling and when you're busy. And let me be there for you. I went to RISE gatherings and one of the workshops we explored the circle of consent. And it was a very, very powerful workshop because I realized that I spent a lot of time giving and I have difficulty receiving. And now it's up to me to explore that. And which I have been, to be very honest with my therapist.

Ebony: We have been doing a lot of trauma work lately, but it allows me to state that to the people around me to say, Hey, this is what I'm struggling with in this season. Would it be okay if when I felt like this or when you notice that about me, can you point that out for me? And sometimes that's hard. Sometimes we don't want to have that mirror reflect back at us in terms of, Wow, do I really do that? But when we learn and become more self-aware of the things that we may do unconsciously that doesn't really serve us, it can be an amazing tool for the journey of healing that we may be on. So I, I really just wanted to encourage you with those three things today. So let me know if you have any questions about what this can look like for you.

Ebony: But I'm also very excited because I'm going to start doing monthly classes on how do we use essential oils to help us when it comes to boosting our mood and all of these fun and exciting things. You can head over to Soula, soulabeautyco.com, And I have a banner to sign up for monthly free classes. And this Saturday, October 15th, we're going to be talking about, because I'm happy three essential oils that you can use to boost your mood. So I totally look forward to hearing you just learn and just explore what all of this is for you and, and what this could feel like and how this can support you. Because again, I'm all about how do I help you on that path to radiant health. So with that, be happy, be whole and be well. Take care.

Ebony: Okay, Thyroid warriors, get out there and take things one step at a time. Remember, reflect on your triumphs. Know that you are doing your best and do what you need to do in order to be well. I would absolutely love it if you subscribe to this podcast and share this episode with a friend. And don't forget, leave me a review. I read those and try very hard to improve the show based upon your feedback. So I'd love to hear from you. And with that, be happy, be whole and be well. Take care.