December 25, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode of Glass Ceilings and Sticky Floors, we’re joined by Laura Bratton—speaker, coach, and author of Harnessing Courage. Laura shares her extraordinary journey of:
- Navigating life after losing her sight as a teenager.
- Building resilience through grit and gratitude.
- Embracing the balance between grief and moving forward.
- Letting go of comparison and trusting your inherent worth.
- Learning to lean on community and borrow strength when needed.
Laura’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and self-belief. Whether you’re overcoming personal challenges or navigating your own sticky floors, this conversation is packed with wisdom and actionable insights to inspire your journey.
Connect with Laura:
- Website: laurabratton.com
- Book: Harnessing Courage
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Have you ever wondered what itreally means to face life's
(00:03):
biggest challenges and come outstronger on the other side.
Today, we're diving into a storyof grit, gratitude, and courage
with someone who redefined whatit means to live boldly.
Laura Breton is a speaker, coachand author of.
Harnessing courage and herjourney will inspire you to see
(00:23):
your own challenges in aentirely new light.
Diagnosed with a degenerativeeye disease at just nine years
old, Laura faced theunimaginable reality of losing
her sight, but instead of givingup, she leaned into her inner
strength, built brick by brickand became an unstoppable force
for good.
(00:44):
Her story is one of resilience,adaptability and self-belief.
And trust me, you're going towalk away from this episode,
ready to tackle whatever isholding you back.
You are listening to the glassceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
The show that's here to empoweryou to break free from limiting
beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors,and unlock the infinite
(01:06):
possibilities waiting for you.
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
where they belong.
If you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt and
build a career and lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance.
You're in the right place.
Here's the deal.
We talk about the real stuffhere.
(01:27):
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, burnout,
you name it.
It's raw.
It's honest.
And it's exactly what you needto level up.
So grab a seat, pop in those earbuds and let's dive in.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (01:40):
Today I have the honor of introducing
someone whose story will leaveyou inspired and ready to tackle
life's biggest challenges.
But y'all, my friend, LauraBratton is joining us today.
She is a speaker, author of thebook Harnessing Courage, and she
has a journey that is nothingshort of extraordinary.
She was born and raised in SouthCarolina.
(02:02):
So she's just a little bit belowme, but her world shifted at
just nine years old when she wasdiagnosed with an eye disease
and faced the heartbreakingreality that she would lose her
sight.
Now, over the next decade, Lauraunderwent one of the most
difficult transitions that I canimagine.
And she learned to navigate lifewithout vision, but that is not
(02:23):
where her story ends.
It is where it just begins andyou get to hear it directly from
this powerhouse woman today.
Laura, welcome to the GlassCeiling and Sticky Floor
Podcast.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (02:36):
Thank you for the opportunity.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (02:38):
Oh, I'm so pumped that we're finally
doing this, but you know what?
We're going to dive right on in.
Can you just drop me into yourstory?
You are nine years old and youlearned that one day you're
going to lose your vision.
I cannot imagine that, let aloneat nine years old.
Tell me.
How did you feel?
What was running through yourmind?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (02:58):
news was I was still a typical nine
year old and I hadn't lost muchvision at that point.
They had said, you will in thefuture.
So, the good news was I wasstill playing basketball and
gymnastics and dance andbrownies and church choir and
still doing all the nine yearold things, not being able to
(03:21):
grasp my reality at all.
When that did hit was when I wasin middle school, a teenager.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (03:28):
Mm.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (03:28):
that's when the reality hit.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (03:30):
Is that because you started losing
more of your vision by that age?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (03:34):
So I went from one day being able
to read print, open my locker tothe next day, not being able to
see print, not being able toopen my locker.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (03:43):
Oh, wow.
It was that drastic?
squadcaster-036g_1_12- (03:45):
drastic.
Yeah.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (03:47):
my gosh.
Well, what was the hardest partabout coming to terms with
losing your sight?
And can you talk to me maybeabout How that shaped your sense
of identity.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (03:58):
The hardest part was accepting, the
loss and accepting myself inthis new normal.
So being a teenager in middleschool, in high school, going
through this huge physicalchange where it affects every
single part of my life,accepting Am I still enough?
(04:21):
And my belief, my mantra wasthis is too much.
I'm not strong enough.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (04:26):
What do you do when you feel that
way?
Feeling like you're not strongenough?
Because I can feel that too.
I can put myself in your shoesand I imagine I would probably
feel the same way.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (04:38):
Yes.
Okay.
That was absolutely the hardestpart because there wasn't, like
I said, there wasn't one partwhere I could say, okay, this is
still the same.
So that's where the grit and thegratitude came in because the
grit of, I said, okay, this istoo hard looking at the whole
picture, looking at the future,how am I going to do college,
(05:01):
how in the world will I survive,but when I took it, literally,
hour by hour, day by day, that'swhat started to build the
process of the strength.
So, no, I don't feel like I'mstrong enough.
to plan my whole future and haveit all planned out, but I can
get through calculus in 10thgrade.
(05:24):
I can, just this one hour, okay?
I just need to get to lunchtoday and then I'll figure out
from 1 to 4.
Later.
So literally having the strengthin that moment built on itself.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (05:39):
Well first of all, I ask myself all
the time, how was I ever goingto get through calculus?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (05:46):
which is a great point.
So, and that's where I lost thatperspective of every teenager is
asking themselves this questiontoo.
I lost that perspective.
Oh my gosh, I'm the only girl inthe world trying to figure out
the future.
And that's, that's where I hadto be reminded, no, this is also
just a teenage human thing.
(06:07):
I just have the added.
Difficulty of figuring out howto do it in a sighted wearer
without sight.
So what you just said was a hugechange in my perspective.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (06:16):
broke it down almost to these just
very micro moments of let mejust get through this and let me
get through this and all ofthat.
Yeah.
And all of that just adds upevidence, you know, evidence
that you can do these things.
And then you finally, you passcalculus, you know, you graduate
and then you went to, what wasit?
(06:37):
Arizona state.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (06:38):
Yeah, Arizona State.
And the reason that I went fromSouth Carolina all the way out
there to ASU was specificallybecause of my situation.
So they have one of the bestdisability programs in the
country.
So they fully integrate peoplewith all types of disabilities,
mental, physical, it doesn't,whatever it is, into their
(07:00):
campus.
As a teacher.
equal accepted student.
So you're not separated, you'renot different, you're not other,
you are fully integrated intothe college experience just with
the combinations made.
So I had to go out there becauseblindness at that point, it had
only been a few years, it was sonew, I had to go to somewhere
(07:23):
that told me the resources thatI needed.
Because I didn't, I didn't
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (07:29):
Yeah, that's amazing, though, because,
yeah, if you are not blind andyou've never been with anybody
who is, how would you even knowwhere to start?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (07:37):
Right.
I didn't know, hey, it's anoption that you have double time
on your test, because it takesyou double the time to read
braille.
Like, I didn't know that was anoption, you know?
I just assumed somehow it wasgoing to fail on my test,
because I only got it half done.
But they could tell me, hey,this is what you need, this is
what we're going to give you.
So, that was the reason for ASU.
(07:59):
Yes.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (08:01):
that's amazing, and two snaps for ASU
for being ahead of the curve.
I have a, a nephew who hasautism, and so he actually goes
to a school, and he's only,Four, keep in mind.
But he goes to a school wherethey're fully integrated with
neuro normal or neuro typicalchildren.
And it's amazing for him, right?
(08:22):
And like, that's, that's thekind of world we need to be
creating and living in anyway,because guess what?
That's the whole world we existin.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (08:29):
That makes me so happy for your
nephew.
Because, what I found in mysituation is that when, I was
continually integrated into thenormal college world.
What you just said that taughtme, Hey, in the real world, this
can happen.
I can be integrated in withaccommodations.
It's not okay.
For the rest of my life, I'mgoing to be separate.
(08:50):
So that's a gift your nephew'sreceiving.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (08:54):
It is a gift.
So I'm glad you, phrased it thatway because I know how hard it
can be too for parents who arein the struggle.
And I did want to ask you thatbecause, you know, your parents
played a huge role, I'm sure inraising you and just moving
through this whole thing.
And so I did want to ask yourperspective when we're talking
about this from the parentallens, right?
(09:16):
For any parent who has a childthat is.
outside of the norm for anyreason, right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (09:23):
Yeah.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (09:23):
what really helped you, in that time
that came from your parents andlike what would you encourage
other parents who may havechildren who are going through
something to do?
squadcaster-036g_1_12 (09:33):
Brilliant question.
Brilliant.
Okay.
So the greatest gift they gaveme was treating me as their
equal child.
So I have one older brother, soas I'm 14, losing my sight.
They have another child applyingto college.
You know, star quarterback ofthe football team.
(09:55):
So there's two, two completelydifferent situations going on in
our house.
what they did that was anincredible gift was my tours
were still my tours.
We just made accommodations.
if I needed.
Like, they didn't coddle me.
They didn't say, okay, you can'tgo to college.
They didn't say, hey, you can'tgo to this event with us because
(10:17):
you can't see.
They said, okay, you're goingwith us and we'll figure out
what we need you to makeaccommodations.
So, a very, very practicalexample, and, my mom and I still
laugh about this.
I thought I was gonna use myblindness to get out of,
unloading the dishwasher.
But, so one day I said to mymom, I can't unload the
(10:39):
dishwasher, like, I can't seethe, you know, exactly where to
put the forks and the spoons andthe knives.
So, I just can't unload thedishwasher anymore.
And I still vividly remember,she was standing, like, walking
out of the kitchen, and sheturned around the doorway, and
she was like, Unload thedishwasher, figure it out.
And the point was, she believedin me, that I could figure it
(11:04):
out.
she was teaching me, the giftshe was giving me was, Yes, you
are still a worthy daughter, aworthy human, you figure out how
you need to unload thedishwasher and put the knobs and
forks in.
So it wasn't out of demanding,it was out of total love and I
(11:27):
accept you for who you are andyou're gonna figure out how to
do this.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (11:31):
also not going to take no crap from a
kid who don't want to do theirchores.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (11:38):
But I needed that.
Because if she had said, okay,okay, honey, that's fine, I
would have been like, oh, good,then I can just use my blindness
as an excuse.
So that's the greatest gift myparents gave me just keep the
normal standards.
Don't lower your standards orexpectations.
Just make accommodations withinwhatever their situation is.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (12:02):
Normalcy with a round of accommodations.
I like it.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (12:05):
Right?
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (12:05):
Alright, Lori, you talk a lot about grit
and gratitude, and you mentionedit earlier, and you said that
you really kind of leaned in andcreated that out of survival.
Talk to me about that.
Grit and gratitude because youspeak on it.
How do people really lean intothe grit and gratitude because I
think we hear a lot aboutGratitude and just be thankful
(12:26):
for all these things.
But what does it mean in yourworld?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (12:29):
Yes, okay, again, I'm so glad you
asked because it's the graduatethat I've learned to develop is
not Be thankful for thedifficulty, be thankful for
what, you know, the positive,just be positive all the time
and happy and tearful andthankful.
That doesn't work when you havea, when you're going through any
(12:50):
type of change.
When we're trying to adapt andadjust.
The gratitude that I found, thatis so healing and I, I use every
single day is recognizing whatgot me through and gets me
through the trauma.
So again, a tangible practicalexample is no, I'm not grateful
(13:12):
that I can't walk around bymyself but I'm grateful for the
guide dog that gives me thatability to walk around by
myself.
So, no, I'm not thankful at all.
that I can't pick up my iPhoneand use it like everyone else,
but I am so thankful that Applehas created a product.
That makes the iPhone totallyand every Apple product totally
(13:34):
accessible.
It's not being, oh, I'm justhappy.
I'm positive.
I'm thankful.
It's recognizing the strengthand the gift that gets me
through
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (13:48):
I love that because all of that
toxic positivity mess where it'sall rainbows and sunshine and
everything happens for a reasonIt's like that's kind of hard to
really like buy that crap whenyou're
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:02):
When I drop a blueberry on my kitchen
floor and I step on it
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (14:06):
Right! We're not grateful for that!
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:08):
Just the day to day practical things
that talk to your positivitydoes not work.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (14:13):
Let's dive in a little bit.
Because I want to hear like, arethere any specific habits or
practices or shifts in yourmindset?
That have helped you throughthose moments where it did feel
like it was too much or whereyou felt extreme frustration or
anger or depression.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:37):
Yes, all right, so let me back up one
step so that the anxiety and thedepression was absolutely the
worst when it was like Again,this plays in that positivity.
Just be positive.
Just move forward.
Just be the amazing superstarand just be that amazing person
with a disability.
And that just made me sodepressed, so overwhelmed, so
(15:00):
anxious.
Constant panic attacks.
But yet the other end of thespectrum was true as well.
Playing into that victim.
Oh, the world owes me.
This is just awful.
Let everybody just serve me.
That was equally as depressing.
So, that's where the balance ofthe great gratitude comes in.
(15:22):
Of those, when I do feel thosemoments of anger, of depression,
of anxiety, acknowledging, whatdo I need to think or do in this
moment to get through thismoment?
And that's 100 percent whereyour book comes in about those
sticky floors my sticky floorwas, I'm not enough.
(15:43):
Again, going back to that kindof teenage college years.
Okay, because of the blindness,I'm not enough.
So, just as you perfectly talkedabout in the book, it's constant
strategies.
It's not one time I woke up oneday and said, okay, I believe in
myself.
I trust myself.
I'm enough.
Let's go.
It's every single day saying,okay, no, I have the trust in
(16:07):
myself that I am worthy, that Iam enough, and that's what I
choose for today.
And that's an ongoing continualprocess.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (16:18):
I tell people all the time, right?
New level, new devil.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (16:21):
Yes.
Love it.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (16:23):
you're a growth minded person.
You're constantly trying tofigure out what is the next
thing, which means you'reconstantly living in the state
of being uncomfortable, whichalso means you're always living
in the sticky floor world.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (16:36):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (16:37):
It does.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (16:38):
that comes up every time you are 100
percent right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (16:41):
It does.
And it's, it's so important thatpeople realize like this is
always a continual process.
There's no magic, you know, fix.
There's no easy button, right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (16:51):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (16:52):
yeah, that's not how the world works.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (16:54):
And that's okay.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (16:56):
Yeah.
And that's what I want people toactually understand is not just
that it's continual, but thatit's okay that it's a constant
thing to be dealing with,
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (17:06):
Yes.
Again, going back to
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (17:08):
lot of people struggle.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (17:10):
yeah.
Going back to your questionabout the mindset, When I could
accept it's an ongoing processand that's okay.
You're never going to get tothat, I'm going to red button
moment, right?
Where, okay, now it's perfect.
It's just that it's okay thatit's continual.
That that sticky floor is goingto be there and as I continue to
(17:32):
work on it and work through it,that's okay.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (17:39):
I love this and I kind of want to
talk about the fact that likewhen you lose your sight, that's
out of your control.
Right.
And I think a lot of peoplethink about like, okay, this is
what I can control, this is whatI can't control and losing your
sight.
It's a very specific thing, butI know that there are other
people who are out there rightnow who are listening and they
(17:59):
have their own circumstance thatis totally out of their control.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (18:03):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (18:03):
What advice would you give them?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (18:08):
What you can control is your mindset.
And what you can control isbelieving in yourself.
Knowing that you are worthy.
That there's so many situationswe can't control that are out of
our control.
What we can control is believingin ourself.
(18:29):
And for me, that huge part wasnot believing in myself when
things are going well, butbelieving in myself in the midst
of so much happening that Icould not and cannot still
control.
So that, that would be mybiggest advice is choose even in
this moment, even if it's forthe next 30 minutes, 30 seconds,
(18:54):
next, just one breath, justsaying, okay, for this moment, I
believe in myself, and I believeI'm enough.
And then just let the eachmoment build on itself.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (19:05):
Yeah, and we talk a lot about the
sticky floor of believing youare enough and knowing your
worth because I would say out ofall of the women who've been on
this podcast, when I ask peoplewhat piece of advice would you
give your younger self, a lot ofit is that the women say, I wish
I knew my worth.
(19:27):
how do you start to know andrecognize and truly believe in
your worth?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2024 (19:34):
I think it goes back to just
trusting the worth in ourhumanity.
And the worth just in who we areand the gifts that we have to
give, those gifts are worthy,those gifts are enough.
Again, in my situation, I wasconstantly comparing, well, I'm
not enough because I can'tdrive.
(19:57):
I'm not enough because, youknow, and I would name all the
visual aspects.
So that's where I had to stepback and say, that's true that,
no, I can't drive, but thatdoesn't make me less worthy.
So again, just shifting mymindset to I am worthy just as I
(20:19):
am in this new normal.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (20:22):
In the new normal.
I would say too, and I thinkjust in my work with this
podcast and in talking withother women that number one, we
all have those moments where wedoubt our
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2024 (20:32):
A hundred percent,
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (20:34):
Yeah.
And, and
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (20:35):
our circumstances.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (20:36):
Yeah, regardless of our circumstance.
And we wonder, you know, are weenough?
Are we worthy?
And I have found, for me, when Iam in those moments where I do
not feel worthy or enough, I canlean on The other people in my
life and in my circle who do,and I, it's almost like I borrow
(20:58):
it from them
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (20:58):
100 percent yes,
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (21:01):
And I think leaning into that
community, you know, or whoeveris around you, will get you
through some of the hardesttimes.
And then you can start to putthose building blocks from,
like, take it all the way backto when you and I just started
talking in the beginning.
You know, the building blocks ofstrength and the little pieces
of evidence.
And I tell people all the time,hindsight is a gift that we will
(21:23):
all have one day.
Today is not that day.
But I bet now you can look backand see like, okay, this all
unfolded for me.
And here I am because of howeverything turned out in my
life.
Right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (21:37):
right, 100 percent and again, a
practical example of that iswhen I can circle back and think
back on that time in the kitchenwhen I was trying to get out of
dishes by using, you know, usingmy vision and my mom said, no,
figure it out.
That was an incredible gift.
she believed in me.
She knew I was enough.
She knew I was worthy.
(21:58):
She knew I could figure it out.
And so in those moments when Ididn't know how to figure it
out, when I couldn't figure itout, in those most depressed,
anxious moments, I could thinkback on that experience and say,
okay, she believed in me tofigure it out in that moment.
So exactly what you said, I'mgoing to borrow her belief in
me.
(22:19):
Maybe I don't believe in myselfright now.
But I'm going to borrow herbelief in me to get through the
next 30 seconds.
And like you said, then thatbuilds on itself.
So yes, I love how you said it.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (22:33):
Yep.
squadcaster-036g_1_12 (22:33):
Borrowing others.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:34):
We just don't borrow it.
I'll give it back to you laterwhen you need it,
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (22:37):
And that is so true, right?
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:39):
Oh my goodness.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (22:40):
So true.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:41):
Oh my goodness.
And Laura, your story, it'srooted in courage, right?
Which is one of my core values.
And so, I'm all about that.
And, you know, we talked a bitabout what courage looked like
for you when you were in middleschool, and you were going
through it and trying to adapt.
But you are in a completelydifferent place now.
What does courage look like Toyou now.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (23:04):
What it looks like now is the balance
of acknowledging this is stillhard and I will figure it out.
So what I mean by that is it'sgrieving and moving forward,
grieving and moving forward.
So you're, I'm constantly inthat balance of, gosh, I'm so
frustrated.
(23:25):
I remember how easy this waswhen I had full sight.
So acknowledging that while alsofiguring out, okay, so how, how
can I use this iPhone?
So courage looks like thatconstant acknowledging the
difficulty and moving forward.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (23:44):
I love that.
It's very, that was verypowerful.
It gave me almost chills becauseit just kind of.
took me in a time machine, likeall the way to the future.
And yes, things are going to bedifferent for you and, and you
are allowed to also grieve andbe sad or how it is different
for
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (24:02):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (24:03):
and then move forward.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (24:04):
And then
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (24:05):
so beautiful.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (24:06):
Yeah.
And so again, as you weresaying, is so many people
listening to this, whatever yourchange, whatever the
circumstances is that yes, youcan't control.
You have no control over thesituation that is happening.
But give yourself permission togrieve.
Give yourself permission to say,Gosh, this is just really hard
(24:26):
today.
This week is just a really hardweek, and I'll still keep going.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (24:32):
mutually exclusive.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
All right, Laura, if you couldgo back in time.
to, you know, maybe let's saythe middle school Laura, cause
that seems to be when it startedgetting real hairy.
If you could go back to themiddle school Laura and give her
one piece of advice.
You know, knowing everything,you know, now all the life
lessons you've collected, whatpiece of advice would that be?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (24:58):
Stop comparing.
Because I constantly compared.
I'm not good enough because I'mcomparing myself people that are
fully sighted and that's notequal playing field.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:15):
Yeah, it's not fair.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (25:18):
Yeah, so I would the biggest just stop
just take the pressure off ofcomparing yourself constantly
and just be you
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:27):
Well, I'm going to take that advice.
I know I need to do that
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (25:31):
Yeah, you said give that advice then,
but, can I give that to myself
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:35):
still need that advice.
It's a continual process and Youknow, we get stronger, we get
better, but we still have gooddays and we still have bad days.
But what I What I love aboutjust life in general, right?
Is that, you know, if you wantto know true joy, if you want to
know true happiness, you alsohave to go through the hard
stuff.
You have to have the bad daysand you, have to suffer, right?
(25:58):
Like that is just the experiencethat we have as humans.
but there are things that we cando to make it better for us,
like not comparing, trustingourselves, knowing our worth,
and all of those things add upand are just, So beautiful when
in comparison to all of theother, you know, the mind trash
that we have sometimes that goes
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (26:19):
Yes.
A hundred percent.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (26:21):
Oh my goodness.
Well, Laura, if people want toconnect with you further, if
they want to work with you causeyou are a coach as well and you
do speaking and they have yourbook, where can they find you?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (26:31):
So the best place is my website.
Just laurabratton.
com.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (26:36):
I love it.
I will link it in the show notesso people can get you on their
stages and check your book outand all the things.
But Laura, thank you so much forthis conversation.
It was, long overdue andamazing, and I just think you're
an incredible human being.
So thank you!
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (26:51):
Well, thank you for the work you're
doing
Wow, you guys, Laura storyreally reminds us that even when
life feels impossible, even whenyou're handed like an entire big
old bag of dog pill, there isalways a way forward.
Her message of balancing gritwith gratitude and leaning into
community.
(27:11):
You know, and, and reallybelieving in yourself, even in
the toughest moments, it's onethat we can all carry away with
us.
So whether you're facing yourown sticky floor or you're
aiming to break through thatglass ceiling, remember this,
you are enough, you've got this.
And y'all, if you love thisepisode, be sure to check out
Laura's book, harnessingcourage, and connect with her on
(27:34):
her website@laurabratton.com.
But until next time let's smashthrough those dang ceilings.
Y'all.
Have you ever wondered what itreally means to face life's
(00:03):
biggest challenges and come outstronger on the other side.
Today, we're diving into a storyof grit, gratitude, and courage
with someone who redefined whatit means to live boldly.
Laura Breton is a speaker, coachand author of.
Harnessing courage and herjourney will inspire you to see
(00:23):
your own challenges in aentirely new light.
Diagnosed with a degenerativeeye disease at just nine years
old, Laura faced theunimaginable reality of losing
her sight, but instead of givingup, she leaned into her inner
strength, built brick by brickand became an unstoppable force
for good.
(00:44):
Her story is one of resilience,adaptability and self-belief.
And trust me, you're going towalk away from this episode,
ready to tackle whatever isholding you back.
You are listening to the glassceiling and sticky floor
podcast.
The show that's here to empoweryou to break free from limiting
beliefs, ditch toxic behaviors,and unlock the infinite
(01:06):
possibilities waiting for you.
I'm Erica Rooney, your host andbiggest cheerleader on a mission
to get more women into positionsof power and keep them there
where they belong.
If you're ready to shatterceilings, crush self-doubt and
build a career and lifeoverflowing with growth and
abundance.
You're in the right place.
Here's the deal.
We talk about the real stuffhere.
(01:27):
Imposter syndrome,perfectionism, fear, burnout,
you name it.
It's raw.
It's honest.
And it's exactly what you needto level up.
So grab a seat, pop in those earbuds and let's dive in.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (01:40):
Today I have the honor of introducing
someone whose story will leaveyou inspired and ready to tackle
life's biggest challenges.
But y'all, my friend, LauraBratton is joining us today.
She is a speaker, author of thebook Harnessing Courage, and she
has a journey that is nothingshort of extraordinary.
She was born and raised in SouthCarolina.
(02:02):
So she's just a little bit belowme, but her world shifted at
just nine years old when she wasdiagnosed with an eye disease
and faced the heartbreakingreality that she would lose her
sight.
Now, over the next decade, Lauraunderwent one of the most
difficult transitions that I canimagine.
And she learned to navigate lifewithout vision, but that is not
(02:23):
where her story ends.
It is where it just begins andyou get to hear it directly from
this powerhouse woman today.
Laura, welcome to the GlassCeiling and Sticky Floor
Podcast.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (02:36):
Thank you for the opportunity.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (02:38):
Oh, I'm so pumped that we're finally
doing this, but you know what?
We're going to dive right on in.
Can you just drop me into yourstory?
You are nine years old and youlearned that one day you're
going to lose your vision.
I cannot imagine that, let aloneat nine years old.
Tell me.
How did you feel?
What was running through yourmind?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (02:58):
news was I was still a typical nine
year old and I hadn't lost muchvision at that point.
They had said, you will in thefuture.
So, the good news was I wasstill playing basketball and
gymnastics and dance andbrownies and church choir and
still doing all the nine yearold things, not being able to
(03:21):
grasp my reality at all.
When that did hit was when I wasin middle school, a teenager.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (03:28):
Mm.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (03:28):
that's when the reality hit.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (03:30):
Is that because you started losing
more of your vision by that age?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (03:34):
So I went from one day being able
to read print, open my locker tothe next day, not being able to
see print, not being able toopen my locker.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (03:43):
Oh, wow.
It was that drastic?
squadcaster-036g_1_12- (03:45):
drastic.
Yeah.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (03:47):
my gosh.
Well, what was the hardest partabout coming to terms with
losing your sight?
And can you talk to me maybeabout How that shaped your sense
of identity.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (03:58):
The hardest part was accepting, the
loss and accepting myself inthis new normal.
So being a teenager in middleschool, in high school, going
through this huge physicalchange where it affects every
single part of my life,accepting Am I still enough?
(04:21):
And my belief, my mantra wasthis is too much.
I'm not strong enough.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (04:26):
What do you do when you feel that
way?
Feeling like you're not strongenough?
Because I can feel that too.
I can put myself in your shoesand I imagine I would probably
feel the same way.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (04:38):
Yes.
Okay.
That was absolutely the hardestpart because there wasn't, like
I said, there wasn't one partwhere I could say, okay, this is
still the same.
So that's where the grit and thegratitude came in because the
grit of, I said, okay, this istoo hard looking at the whole
picture, looking at the future,how am I going to do college,
(05:01):
how in the world will I survive,but when I took it, literally,
hour by hour, day by day, that'swhat started to build the
process of the strength.
So, no, I don't feel like I'mstrong enough.
to plan my whole future and haveit all planned out, but I can
get through calculus in 10thgrade.
(05:24):
I can, just this one hour, okay?
I just need to get to lunchtoday and then I'll figure out
from 1 to 4.
Later.
So literally having the strengthin that moment built on itself.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (05:39):
Well first of all, I ask myself all
the time, how was I ever goingto get through calculus?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (05:46):
which is a great point.
So, and that's where I lost thatperspective of every teenager is
asking themselves this questiontoo.
I lost that perspective.
Oh my gosh, I'm the only girl inthe world trying to figure out
the future.
And that's, that's where I hadto be reminded, no, this is also
just a teenage human thing.
(06:07):
I just have the added.
Difficulty of figuring out howto do it in a sighted wearer
without sight.
So what you just said was a hugechange in my perspective.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (06:16):
broke it down almost to these just
very micro moments of let mejust get through this and let me
get through this and all ofthat.
Yeah.
And all of that just adds upevidence, you know, evidence
that you can do these things.
And then you finally, you passcalculus, you know, you graduate
and then you went to, what wasit?
(06:37):
Arizona state.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (06:38):
Yeah, Arizona State.
And the reason that I went fromSouth Carolina all the way out
there to ASU was specificallybecause of my situation.
So they have one of the bestdisability programs in the
country.
So they fully integrate peoplewith all types of disabilities,
mental, physical, it doesn't,whatever it is, into their
(07:00):
campus.
As a teacher.
equal accepted student.
So you're not separated, you'renot different, you're not other,
you are fully integrated intothe college experience just with
the combinations made.
So I had to go out there becauseblindness at that point, it had
only been a few years, it was sonew, I had to go to somewhere
(07:23):
that told me the resources thatI needed.
Because I didn't, I didn't
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (07:29):
Yeah, that's amazing, though, because,
yeah, if you are not blind andyou've never been with anybody
who is, how would you even knowwhere to start?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (07:37):
Right.
I didn't know, hey, it's anoption that you have double time
on your test, because it takesyou double the time to read
braille.
Like, I didn't know that was anoption, you know?
I just assumed somehow it wasgoing to fail on my test,
because I only got it half done.
But they could tell me, hey,this is what you need, this is
what we're going to give you.
So, that was the reason for ASU.
(07:59):
Yes.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (08:01):
that's amazing, and two snaps for ASU
for being ahead of the curve.
I have a, a nephew who hasautism, and so he actually goes
to a school, and he's only,Four, keep in mind.
But he goes to a school wherethey're fully integrated with
neuro normal or neuro typicalchildren.
And it's amazing for him, right?
(08:22):
And like, that's, that's thekind of world we need to be
creating and living in anyway,because guess what?
That's the whole world we existin.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (08:29):
That makes me so happy for your
nephew.
Because, what I found in mysituation is that when, I was
continually integrated into thenormal college world.
What you just said that taughtme, Hey, in the real world, this
can happen.
I can be integrated in withaccommodations.
It's not okay.
For the rest of my life, I'mgoing to be separate.
(08:50):
So that's a gift your nephew'sreceiving.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (08:54):
It is a gift.
So I'm glad you, phrased it thatway because I know how hard it
can be too for parents who arein the struggle.
And I did want to ask you thatbecause, you know, your parents
played a huge role, I'm sure inraising you and just moving
through this whole thing.
And so I did want to ask yourperspective when we're talking
about this from the parentallens, right?
(09:16):
For any parent who has a childthat is.
outside of the norm for anyreason, right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (09:23):
Yeah.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (09:23):
what really helped you, in that time
that came from your parents andlike what would you encourage
other parents who may havechildren who are going through
something to do?
squadcaster-036g_1_12 (09:33):
Brilliant question.
Brilliant.
Okay.
So the greatest gift they gaveme was treating me as their
equal child.
So I have one older brother, soas I'm 14, losing my sight.
They have another child applyingto college.
You know, star quarterback ofthe football team.
(09:55):
So there's two, two completelydifferent situations going on in
our house.
what they did that was anincredible gift was my tours
were still my tours.
We just made accommodations.
if I needed.
Like, they didn't coddle me.
They didn't say, okay, you can'tgo to college.
They didn't say, hey, you can'tgo to this event with us because
(10:17):
you can't see.
They said, okay, you're goingwith us and we'll figure out
what we need you to makeaccommodations.
So, a very, very practicalexample, and, my mom and I still
laugh about this.
I thought I was gonna use myblindness to get out of,
unloading the dishwasher.
But, so one day I said to mymom, I can't unload the
(10:39):
dishwasher, like, I can't seethe, you know, exactly where to
put the forks and the spoons andthe knives.
So, I just can't unload thedishwasher anymore.
And I still vividly remember,she was standing, like, walking
out of the kitchen, and sheturned around the doorway, and
she was like, Unload thedishwasher, figure it out.
And the point was, she believedin me, that I could figure it
(11:04):
out.
she was teaching me, the giftshe was giving me was, Yes, you
are still a worthy daughter, aworthy human, you figure out how
you need to unload thedishwasher and put the knobs and
forks in.
So it wasn't out of demanding,it was out of total love and I
(11:27):
accept you for who you are andyou're gonna figure out how to
do this.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (11:31):
also not going to take no crap from a
kid who don't want to do theirchores.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (11:38):
But I needed that.
Because if she had said, okay,okay, honey, that's fine, I
would have been like, oh, good,then I can just use my blindness
as an excuse.
So that's the greatest gift myparents gave me just keep the
normal standards.
Don't lower your standards orexpectations.
Just make accommodations withinwhatever their situation is.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (12:02):
Normalcy with a round of accommodations.
I like it.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (12:05):
Right?
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (12:05):
Alright, Lori, you talk a lot about grit
and gratitude, and you mentionedit earlier, and you said that
you really kind of leaned in andcreated that out of survival.
Talk to me about that.
Grit and gratitude because youspeak on it.
How do people really lean intothe grit and gratitude because I
think we hear a lot aboutGratitude and just be thankful
(12:26):
for all these things.
But what does it mean in yourworld?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (12:29):
Yes, okay, again, I'm so glad you
asked because it's the graduatethat I've learned to develop is
not Be thankful for thedifficulty, be thankful for
what, you know, the positive,just be positive all the time
and happy and tearful andthankful.
That doesn't work when you havea, when you're going through any
(12:50):
type of change.
When we're trying to adapt andadjust.
The gratitude that I found, thatis so healing and I, I use every
single day is recognizing whatgot me through and gets me
through the trauma.
So again, a tangible practicalexample is no, I'm not grateful
(13:12):
that I can't walk around bymyself but I'm grateful for the
guide dog that gives me thatability to walk around by
myself.
So, no, I'm not thankful at all.
that I can't pick up my iPhoneand use it like everyone else,
but I am so thankful that Applehas created a product.
That makes the iPhone totallyand every Apple product totally
(13:34):
accessible.
It's not being, oh, I'm justhappy.
I'm positive.
I'm thankful.
It's recognizing the strengthand the gift that gets me
through
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (13:48):
I love that because all of that
toxic positivity mess where it'sall rainbows and sunshine and
everything happens for a reasonIt's like that's kind of hard to
really like buy that crap whenyou're
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:02):
When I drop a blueberry on my kitchen
floor and I step on it
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (14:06):
Right! We're not grateful for that!
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:08):
Just the day to day practical things
that talk to your positivitydoes not work.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (14:13):
Let's dive in a little bit.
Because I want to hear like, arethere any specific habits or
practices or shifts in yourmindset?
That have helped you throughthose moments where it did feel
like it was too much or whereyou felt extreme frustration or
anger or depression.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (14:37):
Yes, all right, so let me back up one
step so that the anxiety and thedepression was absolutely the
worst when it was like Again,this plays in that positivity.
Just be positive.
Just move forward.
Just be the amazing superstarand just be that amazing person
with a disability.
And that just made me sodepressed, so overwhelmed, so
(15:00):
anxious.
Constant panic attacks.
But yet the other end of thespectrum was true as well.
Playing into that victim.
Oh, the world owes me.
This is just awful.
Let everybody just serve me.
That was equally as depressing.
So, that's where the balance ofthe great gratitude comes in.
(15:22):
Of those, when I do feel thosemoments of anger, of depression,
of anxiety, acknowledging, whatdo I need to think or do in this
moment to get through thismoment?
And that's 100 percent whereyour book comes in about those
sticky floors my sticky floorwas, I'm not enough.
(15:43):
Again, going back to that kindof teenage college years.
Okay, because of the blindness,I'm not enough.
So, just as you perfectly talkedabout in the book, it's constant
strategies.
It's not one time I woke up oneday and said, okay, I believe in
myself.
I trust myself.
I'm enough.
Let's go.
It's every single day saying,okay, no, I have the trust in
(16:07):
myself that I am worthy, that Iam enough, and that's what I
choose for today.
And that's an ongoing continualprocess.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (16:18):
I tell people all the time, right?
New level, new devil.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (16:21):
Yes.
Love it.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09 (16:23):
you're a growth minded person.
You're constantly trying tofigure out what is the next
thing, which means you'reconstantly living in the state
of being uncomfortable, whichalso means you're always living
in the sticky floor world.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (16:36):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (16:37):
It does.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (16:38):
that comes up every time you are 100
percent right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (16:41):
It does.
And it's, it's so important thatpeople realize like this is
always a continual process.
There's no magic, you know, fix.
There's no easy button, right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (16:51):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (16:52):
yeah, that's not how the world works.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (16:54):
And that's okay.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (16:56):
Yeah.
And that's what I want people toactually understand is not just
that it's continual, but thatit's okay that it's a constant
thing to be dealing with,
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (17:06):
Yes.
Again, going back to
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (17:08):
lot of people struggle.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (17:10):
yeah.
Going back to your questionabout the mindset, When I could
accept it's an ongoing processand that's okay.
You're never going to get tothat, I'm going to red button
moment, right?
Where, okay, now it's perfect.
It's just that it's okay thatit's continual.
That that sticky floor is goingto be there and as I continue to
(17:32):
work on it and work through it,that's okay.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (17:39):
I love this and I kind of want to
talk about the fact that likewhen you lose your sight, that's
out of your control.
Right.
And I think a lot of peoplethink about like, okay, this is
what I can control, this is whatI can't control and losing your
sight.
It's a very specific thing, butI know that there are other
people who are out there rightnow who are listening and they
(17:59):
have their own circumstance thatis totally out of their control.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (18:03):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (18:03):
What advice would you give them?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (18:08):
What you can control is your mindset.
And what you can control isbelieving in yourself.
Knowing that you are worthy.
That there's so many situationswe can't control that are out of
our control.
What we can control is believingin ourself.
(18:29):
And for me, that huge part wasnot believing in myself when
things are going well, butbelieving in myself in the midst
of so much happening that Icould not and cannot still
control.
So that, that would be mybiggest advice is choose even in
this moment, even if it's forthe next 30 minutes, 30 seconds,
(18:54):
next, just one breath, justsaying, okay, for this moment, I
believe in myself, and I believeI'm enough.
And then just let the eachmoment build on itself.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (19:05):
Yeah, and we talk a lot about the
sticky floor of believing youare enough and knowing your
worth because I would say out ofall of the women who've been on
this podcast, when I ask peoplewhat piece of advice would you
give your younger self, a lot ofit is that the women say, I wish
I knew my worth.
(19:27):
how do you start to know andrecognize and truly believe in
your worth?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2024 (19:34):
I think it goes back to just
trusting the worth in ourhumanity.
And the worth just in who we areand the gifts that we have to
give, those gifts are worthy,those gifts are enough.
Again, in my situation, I wasconstantly comparing, well, I'm
not enough because I can'tdrive.
(19:57):
I'm not enough because, youknow, and I would name all the
visual aspects.
So that's where I had to stepback and say, that's true that,
no, I can't drive, but thatdoesn't make me less worthy.
So again, just shifting mymindset to I am worthy just as I
(20:19):
am in this new normal.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (20:22):
In the new normal.
I would say too, and I thinkjust in my work with this
podcast and in talking withother women that number one, we
all have those moments where wedoubt our
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2024 (20:32):
A hundred percent,
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (20:34):
Yeah.
And, and
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (20:35):
our circumstances.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (20:36):
Yeah, regardless of our circumstance.
And we wonder, you know, are weenough?
Are we worthy?
And I have found, for me, when Iam in those moments where I do
not feel worthy or enough, I canlean on The other people in my
life and in my circle who do,and I, it's almost like I borrow
(20:58):
it from them
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (20:58):
100 percent yes,
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (21:01):
And I think leaning into that
community, you know, or whoeveris around you, will get you
through some of the hardesttimes.
And then you can start to putthose building blocks from,
like, take it all the way backto when you and I just started
talking in the beginning.
You know, the building blocks ofstrength and the little pieces
of evidence.
And I tell people all the time,hindsight is a gift that we will
(21:23):
all have one day.
Today is not that day.
But I bet now you can look backand see like, okay, this all
unfolded for me.
And here I am because of howeverything turned out in my
life.
Right?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (21:37):
right, 100 percent and again, a
practical example of that iswhen I can circle back and think
back on that time in the kitchenwhen I was trying to get out of
dishes by using, you know, usingmy vision and my mom said, no,
figure it out.
That was an incredible gift.
she believed in me.
She knew I was enough.
She knew I was worthy.
(21:58):
She knew I could figure it out.
And so in those moments when Ididn't know how to figure it
out, when I couldn't figure itout, in those most depressed,
anxious moments, I could thinkback on that experience and say,
okay, she believed in me tofigure it out in that moment.
So exactly what you said, I'mgoing to borrow her belief in
me.
(22:19):
Maybe I don't believe in myselfright now.
But I'm going to borrow herbelief in me to get through the
next 30 seconds.
And like you said, then thatbuilds on itself.
So yes, I love how you said it.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2 (22:33):
Yep.
squadcaster-036g_1_12 (22:33):
Borrowing others.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:34):
We just don't borrow it.
I'll give it back to you laterwhen you need it,
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (22:37):
And that is so true, right?
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:39):
Oh my goodness.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (22:40):
So true.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (22:41):
Oh my goodness.
And Laura, your story, it'srooted in courage, right?
Which is one of my core values.
And so, I'm all about that.
And, you know, we talked a bitabout what courage looked like
for you when you were in middleschool, and you were going
through it and trying to adapt.
But you are in a completelydifferent place now.
What does courage look like Toyou now.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (23:04):
What it looks like now is the balance
of acknowledging this is stillhard and I will figure it out.
So what I mean by that is it'sgrieving and moving forward,
grieving and moving forward.
So you're, I'm constantly inthat balance of, gosh, I'm so
frustrated.
(23:25):
I remember how easy this waswhen I had full sight.
So acknowledging that while alsofiguring out, okay, so how, how
can I use this iPhone?
So courage looks like thatconstant acknowledging the
difficulty and moving forward.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (23:44):
I love that.
It's very, that was verypowerful.
It gave me almost chills becauseit just kind of.
took me in a time machine, likeall the way to the future.
And yes, things are going to bedifferent for you and, and you
are allowed to also grieve andbe sad or how it is different
for
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09 (24:02):
Right.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-20 (24:03):
and then move forward.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-20 (24:04):
And then
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (24:05):
so beautiful.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (24:06):
Yeah.
And so again, as you weresaying, is so many people
listening to this, whatever yourchange, whatever the
circumstances is that yes, youcan't control.
You have no control over thesituation that is happening.
But give yourself permission togrieve.
Give yourself permission to say,Gosh, this is just really hard
(24:26):
today.
This week is just a really hardweek, and I'll still keep going.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12- (24:32):
mutually exclusive.
Yeah.
Oh my goodness.
All right, Laura, if you couldgo back in time.
to, you know, maybe let's saythe middle school Laura, cause
that seems to be when it startedgetting real hairy.
If you could go back to themiddle school Laura and give her
one piece of advice.
You know, knowing everything,you know, now all the life
lessons you've collected, whatpiece of advice would that be?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (24:58):
Stop comparing.
Because I constantly compared.
I'm not good enough because I'mcomparing myself people that are
fully sighted and that's notequal playing field.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:15):
Yeah, it's not fair.
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (25:18):
Yeah, so I would the biggest just stop
just take the pressure off ofcomparing yourself constantly
and just be you
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:27):
Well, I'm going to take that advice.
I know I need to do that
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (25:31):
Yeah, you said give that advice then,
but, can I give that to myself
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09- (25:35):
still need that advice.
It's a continual process and Youknow, we get stronger, we get
better, but we still have gooddays and we still have bad days.
But what I What I love aboutjust life in general, right?
Is that, you know, if you wantto know true joy, if you want to
know true happiness, you alsohave to go through the hard
stuff.
You have to have the bad daysand you, have to suffer, right?
(25:58):
Like that is just the experiencethat we have as humans.
but there are things that we cando to make it better for us,
like not comparing, trustingourselves, knowing our worth,
and all of those things add upand are just, So beautiful when
in comparison to all of theother, you know, the mind trash
that we have sometimes that goes
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-2 (26:19):
Yes.
A hundred percent.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-202 (26:21):
Oh my goodness.
Well, Laura, if people want toconnect with you further, if
they want to work with you causeyou are a coach as well and you
do speaking and they have yourbook, where can they find you?
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09-202 (26:31):
So the best place is my website.
Just laurabratton.
com.
squadcaster-91ci_2_12-09-2024 (26:36):
I love it.
I will link it in the show notesso people can get you on their
stages and check your book outand all the things.
But Laura, thank you so much forthis conversation.
It was, long overdue andamazing, and I just think you're
an incredible human being.
So thank you!
squadcaster-036g_1_12-09- (26:51):
Well, thank you for the work you're
doing
Wow, you guys, Laura storyreally reminds us that even when
life feels impossible, even whenyou're handed like an entire big
old bag of dog pill, there isalways a way forward.
Her message of balancing gritwith gratitude and leaning into
community.
(27:11):
You know, and, and reallybelieving in yourself, even in
the toughest moments, it's onethat we can all carry away with
us.
So whether you're facing yourown sticky floor or you're
aiming to break through thatglass ceiling, remember this,
you are enough, you've got this.
And y'all, if you love thisepisode, be sure to check out
Laura's book, harnessingcourage, and connect with her on
(27:34):
her website@laurabratton.com.
But until next time let's smashthrough those dang ceilings.
Y'all.
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