The Journey-From special needs to extraordinary outcomes‪!‬ Michelle Hays

Its time to rediscover who you are!

Parenting special needs can take a toll. Rediscover who you are!

Parenting tends to put our lives on hold. More so if you care for an individual with special needs. Caring for a special needs child can take a  hard toll in our life. Today, I want to encourage you to rediscover who you are!  You're a person, too!

Parenting can put our lives on hold. More so if you are parenting a special needs child. However, you are a person with passions, pursuits and interests.  It's time to rediscover who you are!

 If you have enveloped yourself so deeply as a caregiver that you have lost sight of who you are as an individual, I am here to remind you about who you are.  You are important, smart and a unique individual. If you've lost sight of your individuality.

I want to help you rediscover who you are as you find ways to care and nurture yourself.  You can find (or make time) to- 



* Rest

* Re-energize

* Grow



Let go of the guilt and allow yourself to discover your own identity so that you can be your very best not only for those you love, but for yourself as well.

To find out more about me, visit see my story here.

To listen to the entire season one  "Driving conclusions " of the podcast see the podcast archives.

Join our Facebook Community to get connected.



This is the last episode of Season One, "Driving Conclusions."  To submit a question or to request a particular topic for our upcoming seasons, please Contact me on my website.

Until next time, Enjoy the Journey

Episode 7 of Season 1



So many of my best childhood memories come from my grandma. She really had a handle on enjoying life and staying in the moment.



Now that I am grown, I wish my grandma was still around.  I would love to ask her how she managed to do it all and still take the time to truly slow down and enjoy life.  All I have left are my observations and, thankfully, some of her genes.



Happiness research shows that people who live in the present moment are happier.



In this podcast episode, I will explore the many ways you can stay connected and in the moment in order to truly enjoy your life.  I will discuss-



Acceptance



Gratitude



Commitment



Self expression



Taking a step back



As well as some actionable strategies to make the most of the time you have by Simplifying,  Delegating, Automating and Slowing down.



Your life is your story.  Write it well, and edit it often.



Join me next week for the final episode of the season, where we will explore ways that you can take care of YOURSELF.



To know more about us, visit the podcast archive or for more information on how to subscribe, visit www.heymrshays.com 



You can find this podcast episode in my Podcast page here

Learn & Grow

Parenting a special needs child can be overwhelming at times.  There is so much to learn and so much to do!  It's hard to wrap your mind around what is most important where to begin (or continue) learning.  In this episode I want to share some useful tips on how to organize and prioritize what you need to learn when it comes to special needs parenting. We will take a deep dive and explore the following categories:



* Your child’s diagnosis

* The IEP process

* The Medical process

* Taking advantage of your social networks

* Understanding your learning style

* Finding a purpose in helping others



What you do today becomes a part of who you are.  I'm here to encourage you to strive for progress, but beware of perfectionism!  



To learn more about us www.heymrshays.com



To listen to previous podcast episodes The Journey Archives

You can do hard things

You can!

One of the biggest influencers in your potential is your mindset.    You have to make up your mind and deicide that you can do hard things.  You can!

I want to encourage you by sharing some of my personal victories and triumphs.  You can decide that you can do hard things today! 

 

Now is not the time to shy away from a problem. It is time for you to rise up and become more.  And you can.

You can learn

Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try

 

You can connect

Making meaningful connections with people walking your same journey or people who can help move you further can make a permanent impact in your outcome.



You can be resilient

The ones who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones that do

 

You can change

Behavior manifests in actions. Actions become habits. Habits form people. People change outcomes



See yourself as who you want to be, not who you think you are not.



You can do hard things

 

To learn more about us, visit www.heymrshays.com

and subscribe to the podcastYou 

Believe your child can.

Parenting a child with special needs can be discouraging t times. Today, I want to inspire you to keep believing. Decide to be resilient.  Don’t let setbacks knock you down. You have to activate your hope and faith for your child!



I'm here to talk to you about ways that you can materialize your hopes and expectations with actionable strategies. In this podcast we will discuss some of the following topics



* Setting up age appropriate expectations

* Stretching language

* Minding what you say

* Establishing  nurturing relationships

* Getting social (it takes a village!)



 As a parent, it is your job to hope and believe for your child. Nobody has the vision that you do. Keep pushing forward!



Read all about Hellen Keller's life in her autobiography!



Follow The Journey on Facebook!



For more information about me, check out my website.



Get automatic updates to the podcast by following the subscribe page.

In this episode we will discuss how to face fear and overcome Fear manifests in three ways Fight, flight or freeze We can fear many things, including -The unknown-Loss of control-Threat of harm-Pending danger As a special needs parent, you may find yourself facing many of the situations that can trigger fear. Fear can be helpful. You can make it work for you! -establish balance-recognize that having courage does not mean having an absence of fear.-learn to trust yourself-take small, but steady steps forward-remind yourself that this moment will not last forever To find more about The Journey, visit the website https://heymrshays.com/journey/