Episode 18: Embracing Your Story: The Power of Plus One

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The Plus One Theory podcast explores how taking one additional step, one more act of kindness, patience, or strength, creates powerful change over time despite life's challenges and unfairness.

• Everyone carries stories of heartbreak, healing, and survival that are worth sharing
• Writing and sharing authentic stories can inspire others and create meaningful connections
• Shame keeps us stuck, healing comes from naming our pain and taking action
• Implement the Plus One Theory through journaling, therapy, speaking up, and self-forgiveness
• Burnout often comes from putting energy into the wrong things rather than doing too much
• Focus energy on building what matters, healing what hurts, and loving who shows up
• Stories don't need perfect endings, they need authenticity and vulnerability
• The Plus One challenge: take one step toward reclaiming energy and offer grace to yourself

Join our monthly book giveaway and Chapter Chatter Book Club at PamDwyerSpeaker.com, where we feature discussions with the authors themselves.

Be a Guest on The Plus One Theory Podcast!

Are you someone who believes in the power of kindness, resilience, and intentional growth? Do you have a story about how small, meaningful steps have made a difference in your life or career?

I’d love to invite you to share your journey on The Plus One Theory Podcast!

This podcast is all about exploring how we can apply the Plus One Theory to create ripples of positivity and purpose in our personal and professional lives. I’m especially excited to feature guests who work in heart-centered careers—nurses, teachers, counselors, nonprofit leaders, caregivers, or anyone who dedicates their energy to helping others.

Your story could inspire listeners who are navigating their own challenges and looking for ways to take that next small step forward. Whether you’ve used kindness to overcome adversity, found strength in vulnerability, or applied intentional action to make an impact in your community, I want to hear from you!

Interested? Here’s How to Reach Out:

• Email me with a brief introduction about yourself and your story.
• Let me know how the Plus One Theory has played a role in your life or career.

Let’s work together to inspire others and create a ripple effect of kindness and resilience. I can’t wait to hear your story!

Share this with someone who inspires you...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:13):
Well, hello friends, welcome back to the Plus One
Theory podcast.
I'm your host, pam Dwyer, andI'm so glad you're here today.
If this is your first timelistening, let me quickly
explain the plus one theory.
It's this idea that when you'vedone your best, you take just
one more small step, one moreact of kindness, one more moment

(00:37):
of patience and one more ounceof strength when you feel like
giving up.
That plus one might seem smallin the moment, but over time it
creates big, powerful change.
And before we begin, let mejust give you a quick disclaimer
.
I'm not a therapist,psychologist or medical

(00:58):
professional.
Everything I share on thispodcast comes from personal
experience my own healingjourney and the incredible
stories of others who are justtrying to be better every day.
Think of this as a safe placefor growth, encouragement and
honest conversation.
So let's dive into today'sepisode, because this one is

(01:22):
really close to my heart.
Because this one is reallyclose to my heart.
So everyone you meet iscarrying something A story of
heartbreak, a story of healing,a story of survival and a story
that they're still in the middleof.
Everyone has a story.
That's my point and that's whyI'm also writing my next book,

(01:49):
the Plus One Theory, not just toshare more of my stories, but
to invite others to share theirs.
I want to feature people who'velived through something painful
or hard or just made a choice,whether they realized it or not,
to use the Plus One Theory Totake one more step, one more act
of healing or kindness and keepmoving forward.
And how they did that.

(02:09):
You may think, pam, I don'thave that kind of story, but you
do.
You really do.
If you've lived, if you'veloved, if you've been broken and
got back up again, then youhave a story worth sharing, and
someone out there needs to hearit.
I promise you that's what I'verealized in writing my book From

(02:31):
the Piney Woods.
At first it started out as justmy journal notes and then it
turned into well, maybe I'llwrite a book and share the story
with some people that you knowmight find it interesting.
But you know what happened?
People are actually gettinginspired and touched and

(02:52):
motivated to do better things intheir lives.
You know, take a few seconds tosee the unseen.
So there was a bigger plan forthis story and you have a story,
too, that can make the sameimpact.
So, as I've been searching forstories for this new book of
mine, I've met some of the mostincredible people, people who've

(03:13):
been through unimaginable painyet still show up with kindness,
courage and resilience.
I can't wait for you to readtheir stories, because they will
inspire you the way so manypeople have inspired me
throughout my journey.
You see, every time somethinghorrible happened in my life and
I've had many things happensomeone would come along and

(03:37):
offer me just enough light tokeep me going.
It was never a grand gesture,it was encouragement, it was
someone believing in me, someonethat saw me.
It was kindness, grace orsupport, showing up exactly
where I needed it most of thedarkest chapters in my life.

(04:07):
And no, it doesn't mean I'llnever struggle again.
Life is life and life is notfair right.
It will always throw somethingat us, but I know now from
experience that we can overcomeadversity, especially when we
surround ourselves with peoplewho remind us of our strength.
When we forget we have it.
That's the power of story,that's the power of connection,

(04:29):
and that's exactly what thispodcast and my next book is all
about.
So I want to talk a little bitabout shame.
Okay, let's talk about shamefor a second, because shame and
guilt will keep us stuck if welet them.
Some of us are carrying shamefor what we've done, or some for
what we didn't do, and some forthings that were done to us.

(04:52):
But here's the truth Healingdoesn't come from stuffing it
down.
It comes from naming it.
You got to name it and takeaction.
The plus one theory.
There are some steps that youcan take to implement the plus
one theory, and this is what Irecommend.
Number one you've got to writethe first line of your story in

(05:15):
a journal.
I know y'all hear me say it allthe time, but journaling will
change your life.
I promise, just try it.
I mean, why not just try it out?
Do like commit to two weeks ofjournaling every single day,
even if it's just a couple ofsentences, you know.
And then, at the end of thattwo weeks, read over your notes.

(05:35):
You'll see patterns and you'llyou probably forgot how you were
feeling two weeks ago.
We all do, and that's why wegot a journal.
Make a therapy appointment.
Go to counseling If you have anissue that is causing havoc in
your life and you just aren'tcoping well.

(05:59):
Well, that's what therapists do.
They give us coping skills.
They can't make everything goaway, but they can teach us how
to cope with what's happening.
Speak up when your voice shakes.
You know what I mean by that.
I mean, I don't know if you'veever had this happen, but if I
have some sort of confrontationwith someone, my voice just gets

(06:20):
so shaky.
It's like when I think theother person thinks I'm scared.
I'm not scared, I'm just veryfull of emotion and I'm
confronting something that hurtme or is causing an issue.
But when my voice shakes, thatjust reminds me that I am human
and I do have emotions.
And it's okay if your voiceshakes.

(06:42):
But you still need to speak upand forgive yourself.
That's the final one and themost important, I think.
Forgive yourself for somethingyou've carried way too long.
You know it can get reallyheavy inside of you and start
turning you into a person you'renot.
Forgiveness matters to you, notjust the other people that

(07:04):
you're forgiving.
They aren't getting off easy.
They still have their own livesto contend with.
But when you release it, it's awhole new game.
It's a whole new energy.
So, speaking of energy, let'stalk about some energy of
intention, because burnout isn'talways about doing too much.

(07:25):
Sometimes it's about puttingour energy into the wrong things
.
I've learned the hard way thatif I spend all my time worrying
about what others think about myjourney, what they should be
feeling, what they're not saying, how they're not supporting me,
I will wear myself outemotionally and spiritually and

(07:46):
then I am not a good writer, Iam not a good storyteller.
So I have to really be carefulwhere I put my energy and I
really try to pour it into goodthings good, kind, compassionate
, vulnerable things and I thinkthat's really what makes me a
great storyteller.
So it's important that youassess your energy and where

(08:10):
it's going.
Let me give you an example.
When I I mean, I don't knowabout you, but when I get behind
the wheel and I go out intotraffic and someone cuts me off
or cuts in line, I get so angryand they don't even know it,
they don't even feel it, theydon't know it, they don't care.
So I'm pouring all my energyinto this anger.

(08:30):
That is accomplishing nothing.
So now just remember that, tryto remember it and save that
energy for something good, likebeing kind at my next
appointment or, I don't know,opening the door for someone or
just remembering to be kind,because that takes positive

(08:52):
energy light.
So the reality most people arejust trying to survive their own
chaos, their own worlds, andthat's why we have to shift from
external validation to internalgrounding and you should be
using your energy to build whatmatters to you and heal what

(09:13):
hurts and love who shows up, andthen you let the rest go.
Because those three thingsbuilding what matters, healing
what hurts and loving who showsup well, that makes the world go
round.
So why am I writing this book,the Plus One Theory?
Well, my next book isn't justmine, it's everyone's.

(09:33):
I'm actually in the process oftrying to find a few more
real-life stories to put in thebook.
So if you think you have agrand story, it doesn't even
have to be grand, I just want itto be real.
And I would love for the storyto inspire, motivate, educate
you know, if you have a cause orsomething you want to bring

(09:55):
attention to, what a stage to dothat.
I want it to feature real peoplewho've used the plus one theory
in their own lives.
You don't have to have aperfect ending, you don't have
to be famous or a fancy pants,as we say in East Texas.
You just have to be willing toshare your journey of taking one
more step when it would havebeen easier to give up.

(10:16):
Sometimes you're living yourlife having a story and you're
using the plus one theory andyou have no clue that you are
doing that.
I didn't All right, I didn'thave any idea about a plus one
theory when I was going throughall the worst drama of my life,
but I did put a name to it, justlike I spoke of it earlier.

(10:39):
I put a name to it and that'swhen everything started falling
into place.
Listen, if you have a story andyou think that you know the plus
one theory was lived outthrough it, I'd love to hear it.
You can go to Pam Dwyer dot com, go to the contact page and
just fill out that little formand click submit.

(11:00):
It'll shoot an email right tomy box, my inbox, and then I'll
you know we'll figure out a wayto connect.
I would love to hear your story, and we don't have to use your
real name.
If you're nervous about that,we can create a fictional one
for you.
I'd be honored to walk with youin the telling of it.

(11:22):
So here's your plus onechallenge for this week.
You've got to take one smallstep toward reclaiming your
energy.
Tell one small part of yourstory and offer one ounce of
grace to yourself or someoneelse.
It really does feel good whenyou offer grace to someone else

(11:42):
and to yourself.
Also, I have a monthly bookgiveaway.
If you go to PamDwyerSpeakercom, you can click on the link
there and sign up.
All you do is put your email inthere and it enters you into
the giveaway, and every month.
This month it's my book Fromthe Piney Woods and I'm
including a really awesomejournal with it.
So whoever the winner is forthis month will get a From the

(12:08):
Piney Woods signed edition and abeautiful journal, so you can
start your journaling right away.
So be sure to enter.
And if you share it, guess whatit enters you more times.
Sharing it on Facebook.
So any sure to enter.
And if you share it, guess whatit enters you more times.
Sharing it on Facebook.
So any type of social media.
However you want to do it, butjust share it and it helps me
out.
I'm trying my best to grow anemail list so I can keep you

(12:30):
guys updated.
I am doing a lot, a lot ofthings to get this message out
there and your help is soappreciated in doing that, and
all you got to do is just typeyour email address and click
enter.

(12:50):
And also there's the chapterchatter book club I started,
where we feature incredibleguests and real, raw stories
that connect us all.
And guess who the guests are?
Whatever book we're reading,it's the author who better to
answer your questions anddiscuss a book than the person
that wrote it?
And so I need there's a.
If you go to pamdwirespeakercom, there's a link there to join
the Chapter Chatter Book Club.

(13:11):
It is remote, so no matterwhere you live or where you're
at, you can attend thediscussions.
It's on YouTube Live and westream it so you can come.
You can attend the discussions.
It's on YouTube live and westream it so you can come in
late, come in early, stay alongwith more questions.
I just think it's wonderful,and so you should.
You and your friends shouldtake advantage of it, and it's
also a good time to bond and tojust meet new people.

(13:35):
Also, I've got well this one, ifyou're, if you know of anyone
or any event that needs aspeaker, guess what?
I am a speaker and I can talkabout all sorts of things, and
you know what?
I'm really good at Working withthe event planner to make sure
that we cover the topics.
That is most needed for theiraudience, whoever that might be.

(13:59):
Could be a workshop on the plusone theory, it could be just a
15 minute inspirational note toinspire the staff in your office
, but I would love to spread themessage of kindness, the
message of the plus one, and howyour past doesn't define you,

(14:19):
it prepares you.
There's so many ways to sharethose messages and I'd love to
work with you.
So, again, just go toPamDwyercom and click on that
contact form and submit a noteto me saying hey, I have an
event that you might want toconsider speaking at.
Or, better yet, what if you aretalking to someone you know

(14:43):
that plans and does events?
You could say hey, if you everneed a speaker, I know of a
great one.
Her name's Pam Dwyer, and thatwould be your support for me.
I need all of us to worktogether to get this message out
there.
And again, don't forget to signup for my email list in any of
those ways we just talked about,so you don't miss any updates,

(15:06):
giveaways or moments ofinspiration.
Here's a final thought foreveryone today, everybody has a
story and your next chapter, it,starts with one step.
Thanks for being here today.
Stay kind, stay grounded and,as I always say, add a little
more where it matters most.