July 19, 2025 • 52 mins
Episode: 2025.11.22
The Living Full Out show with Nancy Solari encourages you to be persistent. Perhaps you are lacking motivation after repeated setbacks. Maybe you need to have a more balanced diet. Join Nancy as she discusses how to stay committed to your goals.
Our first caller Trang wonders how to find her purpose once she becomes an empty nester. Nancy advises her to find new organizations where she can volunteer. She also recommended Trang to find a cause that is most heartfelt to her. Tune in to hear how to rediscover your passions.
Our inspirational guest Linda Smith had to be persistent multiple times throughout her life. Despite being molested by her father as a child, she moved on and became a successful dancer at a young age. When her son Christopher was born with Down syndrome, she kept him despite the doctor's advice to give him away. Linda fought for almost 18 years, and Christopher eventually became a US citizen. Tune in to the Living Full Out show to hear how Linda’s resilience has shaped every chapter of her journey.
Perhaps you are striving to achieve your dreams. Try sharing them with people who have similar desires in mind. Aligning with others who have the same vision allows you to be persistent and live full out.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/living-full-out-show--1474350/support.
The Living Full Out show with Nancy Solari encourages you to be persistent. Perhaps you are lacking motivation after repeated setbacks. Maybe you need to have a more balanced diet. Join Nancy as she discusses how to stay committed to your goals.
Our first caller Trang wonders how to find her purpose once she becomes an empty nester. Nancy advises her to find new organizations where she can volunteer. She also recommended Trang to find a cause that is most heartfelt to her. Tune in to hear how to rediscover your passions.
Our inspirational guest Linda Smith had to be persistent multiple times throughout her life. Despite being molested by her father as a child, she moved on and became a successful dancer at a young age. When her son Christopher was born with Down syndrome, she kept him despite the doctor's advice to give him away. Linda fought for almost 18 years, and Christopher eventually became a US citizen. Tune in to the Living Full Out show to hear how Linda’s resilience has shaped every chapter of her journey.
Perhaps you are striving to achieve your dreams. Try sharing them with people who have similar desires in mind. Aligning with others who have the same vision allows you to be persistent and live full out.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/living-full-out-show--1474350/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening the Living Full Out with Nancy Solari. As
a professional motivational speaker, Nancy can assist you to blow
through your setbacks and start living full out. If you
have an inspirational story you want to share, email us
at connect at livingfollout dot com. Once again, here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to the Living Full Out Show. My name is
Nancy Silari, and today we're going to be talking about
being persistent in life and just what it takes to
have that hunger, that drive, that tenacity fill in the word.
But what is it that keeps you in action, keeps
your your sights on what it is that you're striving for.
And we're going to be talking about that. Also, I
(00:41):
want to make sure that you stay with us. Our
inspirational guest coming up, Linda Smith. What a inspirational story
but truly touching and really educational when it comes to
having a sum with down syndrome and what is that like.
So she's going to share with us about that and
how she was really able to eventually say goodbye to
her sweet Christopher and what that moment was like. Like
(01:04):
I said, it's one you don't want to miss. Also,
we want to make sure that in every moment of
your day, if you need us, just go to the
app store download the Living Full Out Show app. Because
I realize that when we need a boost of inspiration,
when we're not feeling our best, it comes by random.
And if you have us in the app store and
(01:25):
you find us there and you're able to listen on
the go, then you will know that all of the
inspirational guests, you know, different conversations I have with listeners,
that you'll be able to listen to us at any
time and then be able to hopefully get yourself out
of a place of yuck, of stuck, of frustration, of sadness,
(01:47):
and get to a place where you are being persistent
and able to really thrive. Now, on that note, I
am getting word from our producer that we do a
listener on the line. Let's go say hello to them. Hello,
and welcome to The Living Full Out Show.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Fine, Nancy, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Hi, thank you for calling in. How can I help
you today?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Well?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I am seen to be an empty nester and my
whole life of my purpose was being a mom and
helping my kids, being part of the as a homeroom
mom or pta, helping with dad and volunteering at the school.
So my whole focus was on the kids in school.
(02:30):
But now that they're leaving, I feel like, Okay, what
is my purpose now? Because I always felt like, yes,
I am always going to be a mom, But now
they're on their own with their own journey.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That is scary and exciting, I'm sure at the same time.
Lots of emotions, sweet, lots of emotions. But one of
the things that's always important to remember is there was
a you before kids. There will be you as they
grow older and you experience them in different ways. There's
(03:07):
the future you, but the past you the one that
we want to look back on. First, What were some
of those interests that you had? What were what was
there any hobbies that you used to enjoy that when
life got busy and growing up kids got busy, maybe
you kind of put it aside.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, actually, I felt like when I became a mom,
they brought in my horizons, made me more confident and
made me like I would never have thought of myself
in a leadership position because I as I got older
and I'm more involved with the boys and the u
(03:51):
with their functions and organizations. I've always been the shy,
not talking and so like playdates or forced me to
be part of a People had asked for me to
be part of a board member and I always told
them no, no, I like being in the background. But
(04:14):
the years gone by and going through they actually I
finally got the nerve to be part of a board
for the organization that they volunteer at, and also part
of the PTSA board, and so that I never thought
I would do because okay, in leadership roles. So I
felt like being a mom gave me more confidence. But
(04:38):
now that I don't know, well does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I mean, that's that's only gone in that way. But
what when you were a part of the board and
you were in that role, what did you like about that?
You know, what did it show up for yourself? How
did that make you feel confident? And how does that
make you feel good?
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Because I guess my organization the decisions, but I could
not go in front and talk to people. Still I
would have to, like even talking with you, I'm a
little nervous, but that's just growing up. I have always
(05:23):
felt not very confident or my self worth, but because
of raising the kids, I felt like, Oh, I have
self worth, I have purpose.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You know, It's interesting because as I listened to you,
and I'm with you, as I listened to you, there's
many different layers to what you're saying. Yeah, on one hand,
it sounds like you really have a gift for organization,
and it sounds like you enjoyed, whether it be was
in an introverted role, you know, not being the biggest talker,
(05:57):
but you enjoy being a part of that. And the
one thing I want you to explore there, you know,
beyond our time together today, is think about other ways,
other organizations that you could give of your time. Think
about different nonprofits, think about different UH organizations where your
(06:18):
organ your talents, your ability to lead, the way that
you showed up you know when you were in that
role before. Imagine the talents that you could bring to
another another group. And so I would personally consider you know,
channeling what you're strong at and now that you've got
you know, more time, I would take what you did
(06:40):
well there and then find another cause that is meaningful
to you and now take those gifts that you have
and be able to share it with that organization. The
other thing I'm kind of hearing from you is that
you know, your kids kind of broke you out of
your shell a bit. You know, they they got you
doing and in some ways they gave you that that boost,
(07:04):
that confidence, and that's a great thing. But when you
want when you think about your kids, they're going to
grow up, maybe they will have even their own kids.
Right so you're never done being a mother, as they say,
right so, I have a feeling that you're going to
be called upon for many many years to give your
(07:24):
guidance for your support. But you also want to think
about what age group did you enjoy the most when
your kids were growing up and just maybe again, when
we think about you considering a cause or a nonprofit
that you might want to support or give your time,
to think about kids of that ideal age group that
(07:46):
you really enjoyed and maybe right there that would be
a good place for you to start in where you
could give your time. So it's kind of hard because
on one hand, you're we're going to not be a mom,
You're never not going to have those beautiful moments where
you're a leader in life for them. But it's about
(08:07):
taking what you learned. You know, how you were able
to be a good organizer. How you were able to
give to that board. You know, that purpose that you
felt that can be replicated just into a different cause.
Do you see that?
Speaker 6 (08:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, So the big question is yeah, So big question
is what cause is near and dear to your heart.
Maybe it's homelessness, maybe and helping them, Maybe it's again,
maybe it's helping the youth in some way, maybe it's
helping animals. Because truly, I've only had a few minutes
(08:47):
here with you, but man, I would love to duplicate
you like ten times because no, I mean that, because
you clearly have a heart of gold, You're clearly giving,
you're organized, Your most favorite time was being a part
of that board and having purpose. And if you lead
(09:10):
with that and then you find an organization that is
meaningful to you, I think you're going to find your
next chapter.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Oh you make it sound so easy.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Wow, No, but it's just that easy. So let's get
you going. So today I want you to just sit
down and think about what are some causes that are
special or important to you. Again, could be the youth,
could be animals. Then I want you to go online
(09:43):
and look in your local area to find you know,
what nonprofits exist that support that group that you want
to serve. Then I want you to consider calling them
up and saying, hi, you know, I'd very much like
to volunteer. I love what you're all abo, I have
great organizational skills, you know, offer those and then before
(10:06):
you know it, I promise you that nonprofit will welcome
you with open arms and you're still going to be
that loving mom. That's not going to change. Okay, Oh,
thank you, You're welcome. Thank you so much for calling
in and for everybody listening. Today is all about being persistent.
(10:26):
But persistence sometimes comes with a little bit of planning,
just like she's going to figure out which nonprofit she
wants to give her time to you. But when you
do figure that out and you're able to step in
a direction that inspires you, now you're in action, and
now you're doing what you are living full out, and
you're doing it in a very meaningful, impactful way.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
So stay with us.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
We're going to be coming up with Linda Smith again,
an interview you don't want to miss. We'll be back.
Speaker 7 (11:01):
Life looks a little different during these times. We're doing
our best to keep our minds and bodies strong and
getting a flu shot helps us stay healthy, so we
don't miss out on what matters, like having game night
at home. Yeah, can't do that, we'll sick with the flu.
(11:24):
Now imagine family movie night that your daughter can't live without. Well,
that's ruined. And don't forget your uncle's socially distanced cookouts.
See that's why it's important to be at our strongest.
(11:45):
Every year, millions of people in the US get the flu,
especially now. No one has time to miss out on
moments that matter. So get your flu shot. Find out
more and get my flu shot dot org. Brought to
you by the AMA CDC and the AD Council.
Speaker 8 (12:00):
Don't you wish your life came with a warning app?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
Stop that dog does not want to be pettitive.
Speaker 8 (12:07):
Just a little heads up before something bad happens.
Speaker 6 (12:10):
Move your coffee cup away from your computer.
Speaker 9 (12:13):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 8 (12:14):
No, so you can have more control.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Stop you're texting your boss by mistake.
Speaker 10 (12:21):
Oh well, life doesn't always give you time to change
the outcome, but pre diabetes does. With early diagnosis and
a few healthy changes like managing your weight, getting active,
stopping smoking, and eating healthier, you can stop pre diabetes
before it leads to type two diabetes.
Speaker 8 (12:37):
It's easy to learn your risk.
Speaker 10 (12:39):
Take the one minute test today at do I have
prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Warning? The cap is loose on that cat young.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
Oh don't wait. You have the power to change the outcome.
Visit do I have prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Today?
Speaker 8 (12:53):
That's do I have prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 10 (12:55):
Brought to you by the AD Council and its pre
diabetes awareness partners.
Speaker 11 (13:00):
Hehu, oh brah, that's buzzed.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
Oh yeah, yeah, he's starting with the woots.
Speaker 12 (13:05):
And now a speech.
Speaker 13 (13:07):
I just want to say that friendship is about heart,
heart and brain.
Speaker 9 (13:12):
Who's with me?
Speaker 10 (13:13):
Good thing is he knows when he's buzzed, and my
brain is saying when it's time to go home, Somebody
call me a ride. Love that guy, me too, know
your buzzed warning signs, call for a ride when it's
time to go home.
Speaker 8 (13:25):
Buzz driving is drunk driving. A message for NITZA and
the AD Council. True, you're out.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
You got me.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Galaxy safe once again.
Speaker 14 (13:38):
In the pretend universe, kids play with pretend guns. In
the real world, it's up to us to make sure
they don't get their hands on a real gun. If
you have a gun in the house, keep it locked, unloaded,
and storage separately from ammunition. Safegun storage saves lives. Learn
how to make your home Safeer it Nfamilyfire dot Org.
That's Nfamilyfire dot org, brought to you by N Familyfire,
Brady and the ad Council.
Speaker 15 (13:59):
Adopt Us Kids presents what to expect when you're expecting
a teenager learning the lingo.
Speaker 13 (14:06):
Today, I'm going to help parents translate teen slang. Now,
when a teen says something is on fleek, it's exactly
like saying that's rad. It simply means that something is
awesome or cool. Another one is toats. It's exactly like
saying totally, just shorter, as in I totes love going
(14:27):
to the mall with Becca. Another word you might hear
is jelly. Jelly is a shorter, better way to say jealous,
as in Chloe, I am like so jelly of your
unicorn phone case.
Speaker 15 (14:39):
You don't have to speak teen to be a perfect parent.
Thousands of teens in foster care will.
Speaker 11 (14:44):
Think you're rad just the same.
Speaker 15 (14:47):
To learn more, visit adopt us Kids dot org. A
public service announcement brought to you by the US Department
of Health and Human Services, adopt Us Kids, and the
ad Council.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You're listening to Living full Out with Nancy Soilary. As
a life coach. Nancy can teach you how to stay
strong under pressure and work through challenges you face being
legally blind. Nancy inspires others to be resilient and overcoming
obstacles and live full out. You can ask Nancy for
advice in your life on relationships, finance, business, health, and more.
(15:22):
Just call in at eight hundred three three three zero
zero zero one. Once again, that's eight hundred three three
three zero zero zero one. Now here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Welcome back. I'm Nancy Silarian. This is the Living Full
Out Show, and today we're talking about being persistent and
just the amount of focus and determination that you have
to have to get to where you want to go,
but also sometimes figure out really tricky times in our life.
And our inspirational guest today, Linda Smith, is such a
(15:54):
great example of living full out. I can't wait to
share her story with you. Welcome Linda to the show.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Well, thank you, so happy to be.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Here, Happy to have you and and you know, I
hear the sweet voice of yours and I think about
the early early years of your growing up. And I
know your your father was a molester and it came
out over time that you know he and molested not
(16:23):
just you, but your sister Jean, and he was abusive.
Speaker 12 (16:26):
To your mom.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And I mean, I know you've written books about it,
you know, just the the wild part of it all.
And ultimately, you know, he got deported and you know
it kind of ended that chapter. But it was a
traumatic early part of your life. And what I actually
give you a lot of credit for because when something
(16:48):
like that happens, so many people get locked in the past,
they get kind of anchored in that moment in time.
But you were able to kind of put that in
check and not give it a lot of power. How
have you been able to do that?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
You know, I think I really don't know, you know,
I think we're all individual human beings and we all
deal and cope with things in different ways. And you know,
when I looked at the statistics, you know, as an
adult woman, to see, you know, vers this is a
big secret, right, this is embarrassing, this is terrible. This
is your own family, this is your father, for heaven's sakes.
(17:27):
And then when I look to see. Statistically, one in
every four girls will be molested as a youngster, typically
by someone they love and trust. And so you know,
you know that it's not just you, You're not alone
in this world, and that you know, we do have
to not be ashamed this. You're a kiddo and that
happened to you and then move on from it. And
(17:50):
that was my attitude. I know for my sister, she
took a different journey, which is it ruined her life.
I mean, she could never ever put that behind her.
I don't know. You know, we're born from the same family,
but we're all individual and unique human beings. There was
not anything that they put into practice. I just decided
I was not going to be that sad, pathetic child.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
And onward, well, you know, I give you a lot
of credit. Onward is going to be my my word
of the day. Onward Okay, I love it now.
Speaker 9 (18:24):
You you you.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Know school was not your favorite thing right growing up,
but you did find at fourteen that you enjoyed dancing.
And you know, your sister was talented, your mom was talented,
so it was in the genes right that you had this.
But yeah, and then you know, fifteen, you kind of
went with the platinum blonde hair and gosh, before we
(18:48):
knew it, I mean, Linda was starting to find her
swagger and you got great success. I mean early in
your life doing like which type of commercials, which type
of shows?
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Well, you know, I you know, I was always in
sort of the shadow of my more glamorous sister, my mother,
And it was just an epiphany one day as I
was standing in front of our brand new television set
that you know, we finally got one, and I was watching,
you know, people entertain and started moving around as kids do,
(19:22):
and and found that, you know what, my moves were
pretty good, just sort of developed that. I can't even
remember how it all developed, but I do recall trying out.
There was this huge open audition for a new television
show called It's Happening in Canada, and going to that
audition thinking I wouldn't stand a chance because everybody there
(19:47):
was in ballet slippers and tutus, and I was just
this ragamuffin type kid, almost like that movie The Footlooth
if you remember that, that that was me. I was
in the back. I was I was that kid that
did poorly in school. I wasn't really good at anything.
I thought that I was quiet, but boy, they turned
that music on and I got out there and I
(20:09):
knocked the us off everyone in the room. And I
was actually the first person in that audition, and there
were three hundred people approximately, I was the first one
to get chosen, and eventually I became the lead dancer.
And I just felt fabulous and felt fearless and that
I could do anything, and you know, it just became
(20:30):
my style. Shoot for the moon, put your you know,
believe that you can get somewhere, and you can get there,
and you know. And an earlier little trauma had happened
to me in a store one day, and I wrote
about it in a book. And I was this kid that,
you know, sort of disheveled hair and you know, just poor.
(20:51):
We were poor. We were actually homeless for a while
in Canada. And I always remember saving up money to
buy a lipstick and I went into a department store
to buy it, and the woman took one look at
me and wouldn't serve me and walked around serving other people.
And this anger willed up in me that from nowhere,
from somewhere, I don't know, and I saw myself as
(21:14):
she saw me, and it just made me so angry
that how could people be so judgmental? And I shouted,
at the top of the top of my lungs, I'm here.
Why don't you wait on me? Why don't you serve me?
It embarrassed her. She came running over, and everyone in
the store turned around. But it empowered me. I remember
walking out feeling like, you have to stick up for yourself, girl,
(21:38):
you know. And when I did it, just the world
shifted somehow and I got the attention that I needed.
And I think that was shortly after that that I
changed the color of my hair. Okay for auditioning.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Well, nobody picks on my Linda, I gotta tell you,
I would have been right there beside you. But you know,
ultimately you did. You have success in your career, but
you also ended up dating a and marrying a well
known entertainer who was that.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
His name was Glenn Smith, and in Canada he was
he had been the entertainer of the year and a
very handsome guy that traveled was appearing all over the world,
had a home in Las Vegas, it turned out, and
with appearing was everybody was all excited about it. He
was appearing in Toronto and they hired the dance crew
(22:35):
from my television show, and so I was sort of
this background dancer and our eyes locked and that's how
we met.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
So you kind of danced right into his heart, as
one would say. But the truth is, you know that
world is so busy, and at some point one of
you had to give up your career. It was just
becoming too much, and you ultimately decided to let go
(23:05):
of yours and really support him, which had you all
traveling all over the world as he entertained. And when
we come back, Linda, what I think is so important.
I really want everyone to lean in as we do
this next segment, because sometimes we do have to turn
(23:25):
a new page. Sometimes we do let go of parts
of ourselves and we have to reinvent who we are
and who we can be. And that actually came through
a little bundle of joy named Christopher. So I want
everybody to stay with us because purpose can be found
in a lot of different ways. And so when we
(23:49):
come back, Linda, stay with us, we'll be talking more
about your story. Stay with us.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
Today in school, I learned a lot in chemistry. I
learned that no one likes me. In English, I learned
that I'm disgusting, and in Physics, I learned that I'm
a loser.
Speaker 16 (24:16):
Today, in school, I learned that I'm ugly and useless.
In jim I learned that I'm pathetic in a joke.
In History today, I learned that I'm trying.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Today.
Speaker 17 (24:26):
In school, I learned that I have no friends. In English,
I learned that I make people sick, and at lunch
I learned that I sit on my own because I smell.
In Chemistry, I learned.
Speaker 11 (24:38):
That no one In Biology, I learned that I'm fat
and stupid. And in Math I learned that I'm trash.
The only thing I didn't learn in school today, the
only thing I didn't learn today. The only thing I
didn't learn is why no one.
Speaker 18 (24:52):
Ever helps kids witness bullying every day. They want to help,
but they don't know how teach them how to stop
bullying and be more than a bystander. At Stop Bullying
dot Gov. A message from the AD Council.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'm Nancy Silary, certified Life and Business Coach. I want
to invite you to the Personal Development boot Camp. During
the boot camp, we're going to be looking at taking
those insecurities that you have and getting rid of them.
We're also going to look at ways in which you
can thrive and live a life full of purpose. Go
to Livingfullout dot com forward slash boot camp Livingfullout dot
(25:25):
com Forward Slash boot Camp to sign up. I believe
in you, and here's to you living your life full out.
Speaker 19 (25:40):
They'll challenge your authority.
Speaker 20 (25:42):
I know, they'll try to break your will.
Speaker 19 (25:47):
They'll push you to the edge of your sanity because
that's what kids do. But this car is your territory,
not theirs. Defend it. Who makes the payment, who cleans it,
who drives it? You do, That's who. And in here
(26:08):
your word is law. So when you say you won't
move until everyone's buckled up, you won't budge an inch.
Speaker 20 (26:18):
Until you hear that clear never give up until they
buckle up. A message from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the AD Council. For more information, visit safercar
dot gov slash kids Buckle Up.
Speaker 21 (26:34):
Seven million children suffer from asthma more than any other
chronic disease. Most asthma attacks are caused by allergic reactions
to allergens, including those left behind by cockroaches and mice.
In fact, eighty two percent of US households contain mouse allergens,
and cockroaches are found in up to ninety eight percent
of urban homes. How can you protect your family? Find
(26:56):
out at Pestworld dot org. A message from the National
Pest Management Association and the American College of Allergy, Asthma,
and Immunology.
Speaker 13 (27:04):
It's slipping coffit CHECKI cop to doctor.
Speaker 19 (27:07):
Knowlne share.
Speaker 9 (27:08):
I get it, slip it, cuff it, check it. Twice
a day, I get it, slip it, cuff it, check
it in the morning and before dinner. I get it,
flip it, cuff it, check it, and share it with
my doctor. Nearly one in two US adults have high
blood pressure. That's why it's important to self monitor your
blood pressure and for easy to remember steps. It starts
(27:30):
with a monitor.
Speaker 16 (27:31):
Now that I know my blood pressure numbers, I talked
with my doctor.
Speaker 8 (27:35):
We're getting those numbers down.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Yeah, it's slipping coffit check, cop to doctor, knowlne share.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
Be next to talk to your doctor about your blood
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Brought to you by the ad Council, the American Heart Association,
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Speaker 1 (28:04):
You're listening to Living Full Out with Nancy Clary. With
Nancy's expertise, you'll learn how to embrace your potential and
strive for success. If you have a question or need
further support, send us an email at connect at Livingfoullout
dot com. Now here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Nancy Silari
and this is the Living Full Out Show, and today
we're talking about being persistent in life. And we're joined
by Linda Smith, who is sharing with us just her
story and how she navigated different moments in her life.
So welcome back, Linda to the show.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Well, thank you, happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'm so happy to have you, and I want to
jump right into it because you and your husband you
all got pregnant, which is joyful and oh my gosh,
the baby's coming. But you were traveling so much because
of entertaining, and I know you didn't even have the
same doctor all the time, and you ended up making
(29:02):
arrangements that since he was going to be performing in Canada,
that you would, you know, arrive a little bit early
and get situated because the baby was coming and it
was close to your due date. And when you were
on that plane heading to Canada, you actually started to
go into labor. And ironically, though you were on a
(29:23):
plane with over seventy doctors, I mean that worked out
for you. But when you got to the hospital and
it was time to deliver your baby and all these
hopes and dreams of what this was going to look
like and feel like, what did you find out?
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Well, you know, we just knew that we were going
to have a perfectly healthy, beautiful baby boy. We were
both healthy, never did drugs, interested drink, drink. It was
perfect pregnancy. And you know, on the plane there a
junk up flight. It was a medical junk up light
that I hitched.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
To ride on.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Plane landed three hours later. Christopher was born in an
emergency situation, but he was born with Down syndrome. And
we lived in Las Vegas. That was our home. We
had become the I was British, but I'd become a
legal resident of the United States. I had my Green card.
My husband was Canadian. He had his green card, we
had applied for citizenship, and here we are in Canada.
(30:25):
Chris is born with Down syndrome. The doctors told us,
told me right away that this child is probably not
going to live very long. He has a heart condition,
he has respiratory problems. There are places for kids like this,
and that I should Basically, I was told to throw
my child away. And nothing wrong with you, nothing wrong
(30:45):
with your husband. We're sure these things just happened. It's
a fluke, go have another one and forget about this one.
And I was told to stick my son in an institution,
and of course that didn't happen. And I know this
show isn't long enough to tell this whole story, but
we found pretty quickly that we couldn't get him back
(31:10):
into the United States because of his disability, and that
took me on an eighteen year journey to trying to
get him legal. And basically, the laws at the time
said people exempt from entering the United States as permanent
residents are number one criminals and number two retarded people.
That was the language, and it went on to exclude
(31:33):
a whole bunch of other human beings. So he was
sort of listed as the number two most undesirable alien
in the United States, and that was what we were
faced with, not because he was born in Canada, but
because he was born in Canada with Down syndrome. And
I just my life changed at that moment. I became
(31:55):
I dropped the entertaining part of my life, saw how
the discrimination that existed at that time and still does today,
and started to fight for my little guy and using
all the resources we had as entertainers and reaching out
to celebrity friends. It still took me seventeen years to
(32:19):
get my little guy legal in the United States.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And you did eventually get him legal, and what.
Speaker 8 (32:24):
A party that was.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Who was on stage with you?
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Yes, we were appearing at the Hilton Hotel. Elvis Presley
actually was a friend back then, and you know, I
mean every big celebrity you could think, I've tried to
help us. But eventually Chris became a legal resident of
the United States. On stage at the Hilton Hotel with
Wayne Newton, who is godfather of my other son Jason,
(32:51):
the cast of the Fowlees Brigire, the Evely Brothers, and
the cast of Nevada characters to including two United States Senators.
So that little Unwanted guy became quite the celebrity here
in Las Vegas and continues to be.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know, you it's truly a love story, you and
Christopher and the journey you were on because your purpose
had kind of you'd got lost. You didn't know what
to do, you know, you know, in terms of giving
up your career, and then you went on this intense
journey to get them legal and doing all your fundraising
(33:30):
and just being wildly successful at that and having that
new purpose. And ultimately, though Christopher did pass and I
know the last year was was really hard and really painful,
you know, for him. But I wonder, Linda, what is
what do you do? When have you been fighting for
(33:52):
somebody for so long? And when he passed away? Where
did you channel your new purpose? How did you find
your new purpose?
Speaker 4 (34:03):
I think in that that you know, he was born
to me for a reason and he had to live on.
And you know, if you if you read my book Unwanted,
it's the subtitle is How a Mother learned to turn shame,
grief and fear into purpose, passion, and empowerment. Somewhere we all,
(34:25):
I think we pull from somewhere unknown to us, just this,
this ability to continue to have purpose and to be
empowered to do such a thing. And I think that
was what Chris was born to me, because I was
meant to help change the way people perceived people with differences.
(34:48):
And so we created a foundation named for Christopher, called
the Christopher Smith Foundation. He lives on today. He is.
There are buildings here in Laws Vegas named for him,
the Christopher Smith Learning Center at the Down Syndrome Organization.
There's a campus named for him that serves over two
thousand people with disabilities here in Las Vegas at Opportunity Village.
(35:13):
And you know, the book sales, when they sell, all
the proceeds go to to this cause that Christopher created
for me. So I feel like we all things happened
to us for a reason. And there's two choices, right
we something bad happens, you can lay down and die,
(35:37):
or you can kick in the gear and say, you know, okay,
there's a reason perhaps for this, and maybe it's going
to strengthen me and help me to make the world
a better place. And so that's I'm no better than
anyone else, you know. I meet other parents who fight
for their children. But I think being in show business
(35:59):
and being in Anaer originally helped me perhaps be a
little bit more creative in my approaches. And it's hard
to say no to a mom. You know, people have
called me a warrior mom. Get out of my way.
This is not right that people are discriminated against and
all kinds of people. So that well my purpose in life.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
You know, I think it's so I think it's so
amazing because here there was this little girl that sat
in the back of the room who didn't feel like
you were super smart, you know, and you say that
several times, but you have. You have earned so much
money through fundraising for different causes, like.
Speaker 8 (36:45):
That is your gift.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
And it must be so amazing and touching to see
all these things now named in Chris's honor, but yet
troubling to think about. Now he's valued and appreciated, but
he was so hard to get into the country. Like
where do you put that frustration?
Speaker 4 (37:07):
You can't. You just can't dwell on the negative. You
just have to stay focused on you know, I teach
fundraising and I travel around the country helping people get
you know, you've got to stay focused on the finish
line or beyond actually the finish line, this is where
I want to be. I always remember I wanted Selene
(37:30):
Beyond was coming for a residency in Las Vegas, and
everyone was excited. This is years ago, fifteen years ago
or so, and I sent my sights on, I'm going
to get Selene Beyond to support my cause and you know,
if you focus on it, And there were many, many ways,
but Selene eventually did a big concert and we raised
(37:51):
a lot of money, and in my lifetime of fundraising
for disability causes, I've raised now almost a billion dollars.
That's from an uneducated high school dropout, self taught dancer
who sat in the back of a room, who happened
to have a child born that everyone told me that
I should throw away. So I just believe we all
(38:14):
have that in us. If we stay positive and focus
on the possibilities and where we want to be, we
can get there.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And you have a kind heart, Linda, But don't don't
don't you know, don't let that kind heart. Uh, you know,
don't let that trick you, because you are a fighter.
And you know what I'd love most. I love that
you fight for people with disabilities, even people like me,
and you really put those donors kind of in a
(38:44):
place of you kind of put it on the line
because you know that no is not an option, right.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
That's exactly right. And those donors, they are human beings too,
and you know we all get afraid. You know, they
say the things that we fear the most in life
is public speaking, which we're doing right now, dying, or
asking people for money. And I, you know, I never
feel like I'm asking for anything. I always feel like
(39:13):
I'm giving people an opportunity to do something good in
the world. And so when you look at a donor as, oh,
someone with money and I've got to ask them for something,
I don't look at them that way. They're just like me.
They're people who've been successful in life and they have
a need to feel good every day. So let's give
them something good to do. Let's give them a cause
(39:35):
that they can get behind. Let's give them something that
they can purchase that makes the world better and give
them that gift.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Well, I got to tell you from talented talented dancer
to worryor mom to you know, fundraising extraordinaire, to the
list kind of goes on and on. Oh, you've been
called mother Teresa, you have a key to many cities, right,
(40:05):
I mean, the list goes on, but oh, there you go.
But I got to tell you are a treasure. Thank
you so much for finding your voice. And thank you
I mean that when I say that, thank you for
finding your voice because along the way, if you hadn't
the Christopher's, the Nancy's, where would we be. So Linda,
(40:28):
thank you so much for being on today's show. And uh,
everyone go, you know, check her out more online. There's
so much more we couldn't get to on our story today.
But again, today we're talking all about being persistent in
your life so that you can do what that's right,
live full out. We'll be back.
Speaker 12 (41:06):
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Speaker 8 (42:17):
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Speaker 23 (43:01):
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Speaker 8 (44:02):
All right, grew, let's get her dug.
Speaker 6 (44:07):
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(44:52):
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Speaker 2 (45:02):
When it comes to being persistent, make it a game
that's right. I want you to think about what is
it that you're striving for or what is it that
keeps blocking you or throwing you off. Rather than getting
upset about it or feeling hopeless about it or wondering
if it'll ever work, I want you to play that game.
I want you to get strategic with what is it
(45:22):
that you need to do. You know what time, people, money,
what might need to happen so that you can take
those action steps and live full out.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
You're listening to Living Full Out with Nancy Solary. As
a professional motivational speaker, Nancy can assist you to blow
through your setbacks and start living full out. If you
have an inspirational story you want to share, email us
at connect at livingfullout dot com. Once again, here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Nancy,
and this is the Living Full Out Show. And we've
been talking about being persistent, and I talk about it
quite a bit, but I want to kind of touch
on this topic today just because it is near and
dear to my heart, the need to be tenacious, to
be persistent. But I don't mean that in a way
(46:18):
that is, you know, over the top or insincere. But
when you have a passion, when you have a purpose
in your heart, when you identify what it is that
is your gift in this world, you have to do
everything you can the persistence within you to share that
gift to to make other people's lives better. And it's
(46:43):
interesting because for me, I remember being diagnosed when I
was sixteen with Rich and iis pigmentosa, and there were
a lot of things being told to us that you know,
our life is going to look this way or look
that way. But I was persistent. I said, you know what, okay, fine,
if I potentially am going to go blind, I want
(47:03):
to get my degrees. I went to the University of
Oregon got a degree in broadcasting and psychology, and I
was pretty persistent in getting that because I didn't know
how I was going to eventually, you know, get into broadcasting.
But I always grew up watching Oprah and a lot
of those daytime shows, and I remember thinking, what an
(47:24):
amazing career, you know, listening to people sharing their inspirational stories,
that community that has built amongst an audience in studio,
but also watching from their couches at home. I just
thought that was so dynamic, and I thought, that is
what I have to do. I mean, there's other joys
(47:45):
in the world, but that is what I need to
do now. Of course, along the way, I'm going blind,
you know, year after year, decade after decade, and that
becomes hard. It becomes hard to figure out, well, how
am I going to be in broadcasting If I can
can't read a teleprompter? How am I going to logistically
do certain things like you know, take you know, edit
(48:08):
videos or you know, film, YouTube videos or all these
things that that might be required of somebody in the
broadcasting space. Well, what I ended up doing is along
the way, going legally blind helped me to be a
better delegator, a better leader, and a more efficient dreamer.
(48:28):
And what I mean by that is I quickly knew
what I couldn't do myself. Okay, it would be really
hard for me to do certain aspects of even putting
this show together. But I've got my beautiful team, got
Derek and Brent, Julie and others. And then I think
to myself, Okay, gosh, you know it's really hard to
(48:48):
I could sit in front of a camera, but like,
how do I know, as the blind woman if I'm
half in the camera half out of the camera. And
I've kind of built a team to help you do
the videos and edit the video. And I share that
with you because dreams are meant to be shared, and
somebody's dream might be, Hey, I just want to put
(49:09):
out really great content. Somebody's dream might be I want
to write for a show that I believe in. Somebody's
dream like mine might be I want to interview people
and share their stories. And as we started going along,
at living full out and this dream was starting to
manifest for me, and it brought in others into my world,
(49:31):
became my beautiful team.
Speaker 4 (49:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
It's one of those things where we now dream together
and everybody does their part. And so as you kind
of listen and we round out today's show and you
think about in your life where you can be persistent.
It's persistence is not a negative word. It's a positive word.
It means where is there a gap, where is their lack?
(49:54):
Where is there a spot that I can fill, Where
I can take that gift, where I can take that
talent and make again someone's life better, add to a team,
or move a purpose forward, And when you lead with that,
you're really able to in a united front, make great
(50:14):
content like we do, or you know, move a mission
or a cause forward like so many great nonprofits do.
And so my kind of game and my challenge to
you today is I want you to think about where
in your life could you up the ante just a
little bit, you know, where could you be more persistent?
(50:36):
And that could be being persistent a little bit for yourself,
maybe being more persistent in your workouts and eating better,
you know, in educating yourself, so you're always growing and learning.
But also where could you be persistent and being a
better father, a more plugged and mother, you know, a
more loving sibling, a better friend. And you know, even
(50:59):
on that note, you know, I'm very busy throughout the
week and I run hard. I do a lot, and
that's just the way my life is. But I always
reserve Sunday. Sunday is Funday. That is the day that
I talk on the phone to friends. I catch up
with them, and personally, it's not like I even need
(51:20):
to see them, right because well can't see them, but
I can just talk to them with ease on the
phone every Sunday and keep those bonds alive. But again,
that takes persistence and even consistency to do that. So
I want you to think about, you know, again, taking
action today, being more persistent and if you need more support,
(51:42):
remember go to the app store find the Living Full
Out Show app. It's free, and we'll be there every
step of the way, whether you're at the gym or
in the car. You know, we'll always be giving you
that motivation. Also, we encourage you to reach out to
us if you need more resources, just reach out to us.
Connect at livingfollout dot com and if you or you
(52:04):
know someone who has an inspirational story, we'd love to
hear from you. Just let us know what you went through,
how you got through it, most of all, what you learned,
and of course your contact information, and perhaps we can
have you on the show as an inspirational guest. As always,
I believe in you, standing beside you every step of
the way as you live full out.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Thank you for listening to The Living Full Out Show
with Nancy Silari. To learn more about this program, visit
livingfullout dot com for the latest episodes. Connect with the
Living full Out community by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Here's to you, Living
full Out.
You're listening the Living Full Out with Nancy Solari. As
a professional motivational speaker, Nancy can assist you to blow
through your setbacks and start living full out. If you
have an inspirational story you want to share, email us
at connect at livingfollout dot com. Once again, here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Welcome to the Living Full Out Show. My name is
Nancy Silari, and today we're going to be talking about
being persistent in life and just what it takes to
have that hunger, that drive, that tenacity fill in the word.
But what is it that keeps you in action, keeps
your your sights on what it is that you're striving for.
And we're going to be talking about that. Also, I
(00:41):
want to make sure that you stay with us. Our
inspirational guest coming up, Linda Smith. What a inspirational story
but truly touching and really educational when it comes to
having a sum with down syndrome and what is that like.
So she's going to share with us about that and
how she was really able to eventually say goodbye to
her sweet Christopher and what that moment was like. Like
(01:04):
I said, it's one you don't want to miss. Also,
we want to make sure that in every moment of
your day, if you need us, just go to the
app store download the Living Full Out Show app. Because
I realize that when we need a boost of inspiration,
when we're not feeling our best, it comes by random.
And if you have us in the app store and
(01:25):
you find us there and you're able to listen on
the go, then you will know that all of the
inspirational guests, you know, different conversations I have with listeners,
that you'll be able to listen to us at any
time and then be able to hopefully get yourself out
of a place of yuck, of stuck, of frustration, of sadness,
(01:47):
and get to a place where you are being persistent
and able to really thrive. Now, on that note, I
am getting word from our producer that we do a
listener on the line. Let's go say hello to them. Hello,
and welcome to The Living Full Out Show.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Fine, Nancy, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Hi, thank you for calling in. How can I help
you today?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Well?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I am seen to be an empty nester and my
whole life of my purpose was being a mom and
helping my kids, being part of the as a homeroom
mom or pta, helping with dad and volunteering at the school.
So my whole focus was on the kids in school.
(02:30):
But now that they're leaving, I feel like, Okay, what
is my purpose now? Because I always felt like, yes,
I am always going to be a mom, But now
they're on their own with their own journey.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
That is scary and exciting, I'm sure at the same time.
Lots of emotions, sweet, lots of emotions. But one of
the things that's always important to remember is there was
a you before kids. There will be you as they
grow older and you experience them in different ways. There's
(03:07):
the future you, but the past you the one that
we want to look back on. First, What were some
of those interests that you had? What were what was
there any hobbies that you used to enjoy that when
life got busy and growing up kids got busy, maybe
you kind of put it aside.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, actually, I felt like when I became a mom,
they brought in my horizons, made me more confident and
made me like I would never have thought of myself
in a leadership position because I as I got older
and I'm more involved with the boys and the u
(03:51):
with their functions and organizations. I've always been the shy,
not talking and so like playdates or forced me to
be part of a People had asked for me to
be part of a board member and I always told
them no, no, I like being in the background. But
(04:14):
the years gone by and going through they actually I
finally got the nerve to be part of a board
for the organization that they volunteer at, and also part
of the PTSA board, and so that I never thought
I would do because okay, in leadership roles. So I
felt like being a mom gave me more confidence. But
(04:38):
now that I don't know, well does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I mean, that's that's only gone in that way. But
what when you were a part of the board and
you were in that role, what did you like about that?
You know, what did it show up for yourself? How
did that make you feel confident? And how does that
make you feel good?
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Because I guess my organization the decisions, but I could
not go in front and talk to people. Still I
would have to, like even talking with you, I'm a
little nervous, but that's just growing up. I have always
(05:23):
felt not very confident or my self worth, but because
of raising the kids, I felt like, Oh, I have
self worth, I have purpose.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
You know, It's interesting because as I listened to you,
and I'm with you, as I listened to you, there's
many different layers to what you're saying. Yeah, on one hand,
it sounds like you really have a gift for organization,
and it sounds like you enjoyed, whether it be was
in an introverted role, you know, not being the biggest talker,
(05:57):
but you enjoy being a part of that. And the
one thing I want you to explore there, you know,
beyond our time together today, is think about other ways,
other organizations that you could give of your time. Think
about different nonprofits, think about different UH organizations where your
(06:18):
organ your talents, your ability to lead, the way that
you showed up you know when you were in that
role before. Imagine the talents that you could bring to
another another group. And so I would personally consider you know,
channeling what you're strong at and now that you've got
you know, more time, I would take what you did
(06:40):
well there and then find another cause that is meaningful
to you and now take those gifts that you have
and be able to share it with that organization. The
other thing I'm kind of hearing from you is that
you know, your kids kind of broke you out of
your shell a bit. You know, they they got you
doing and in some ways they gave you that that boost,
(07:04):
that confidence, and that's a great thing. But when you
want when you think about your kids, they're going to
grow up, maybe they will have even their own kids.
Right so you're never done being a mother, as they say,
right so, I have a feeling that you're going to
be called upon for many many years to give your
(07:24):
guidance for your support. But you also want to think
about what age group did you enjoy the most when
your kids were growing up and just maybe again, when
we think about you considering a cause or a nonprofit
that you might want to support or give your time,
to think about kids of that ideal age group that
(07:46):
you really enjoyed and maybe right there that would be
a good place for you to start in where you
could give your time. So it's kind of hard because
on one hand, you're we're going to not be a mom,
You're never not going to have those beautiful moments where
you're a leader in life for them. But it's about
(08:07):
taking what you learned. You know, how you were able
to be a good organizer. How you were able to
give to that board. You know, that purpose that you
felt that can be replicated just into a different cause.
Do you see that?
Speaker 6 (08:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, So the big question is yeah, So big question
is what cause is near and dear to your heart.
Maybe it's homelessness, maybe and helping them, Maybe it's again,
maybe it's helping the youth in some way, maybe it's
helping animals. Because truly, I've only had a few minutes
(08:47):
here with you, but man, I would love to duplicate
you like ten times because no, I mean that, because
you clearly have a heart of gold, You're clearly giving,
you're organized, Your most favorite time was being a part
of that board and having purpose. And if you lead
(09:10):
with that and then you find an organization that is
meaningful to you, I think you're going to find your
next chapter.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Oh you make it sound so easy.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Wow, No, but it's just that easy. So let's get
you going. So today I want you to just sit
down and think about what are some causes that are
special or important to you. Again, could be the youth,
could be animals. Then I want you to go online
(09:43):
and look in your local area to find you know,
what nonprofits exist that support that group that you want
to serve. Then I want you to consider calling them
up and saying, hi, you know, I'd very much like
to volunteer. I love what you're all abo, I have
great organizational skills, you know, offer those and then before
(10:06):
you know it, I promise you that nonprofit will welcome
you with open arms and you're still going to be
that loving mom. That's not going to change. Okay, Oh,
thank you, You're welcome. Thank you so much for calling
in and for everybody listening. Today is all about being persistent.
(10:26):
But persistence sometimes comes with a little bit of planning,
just like she's going to figure out which nonprofit she
wants to give her time to you. But when you
do figure that out and you're able to step in
a direction that inspires you, now you're in action, and
now you're doing what you are living full out, and
you're doing it in a very meaningful, impactful way.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
So stay with us.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
We're going to be coming up with Linda Smith again,
an interview you don't want to miss. We'll be back.
Speaker 7 (11:01):
Life looks a little different during these times. We're doing
our best to keep our minds and bodies strong and
getting a flu shot helps us stay healthy, so we
don't miss out on what matters, like having game night
at home. Yeah, can't do that, we'll sick with the flu.
(11:24):
Now imagine family movie night that your daughter can't live without. Well,
that's ruined. And don't forget your uncle's socially distanced cookouts.
See that's why it's important to be at our strongest.
(11:45):
Every year, millions of people in the US get the flu,
especially now. No one has time to miss out on
moments that matter. So get your flu shot. Find out
more and get my flu shot dot org. Brought to
you by the AMA CDC and the AD Council.
Speaker 8 (12:00):
Don't you wish your life came with a warning app?
Speaker 6 (12:03):
Stop that dog does not want to be pettitive.
Speaker 8 (12:07):
Just a little heads up before something bad happens.
Speaker 6 (12:10):
Move your coffee cup away from your computer.
Speaker 9 (12:13):
Oh no, no, no.
Speaker 8 (12:14):
No, so you can have more control.
Speaker 6 (12:16):
Stop you're texting your boss by mistake.
Speaker 10 (12:21):
Oh well, life doesn't always give you time to change
the outcome, but pre diabetes does. With early diagnosis and
a few healthy changes like managing your weight, getting active,
stopping smoking, and eating healthier, you can stop pre diabetes
before it leads to type two diabetes.
Speaker 8 (12:37):
It's easy to learn your risk.
Speaker 10 (12:39):
Take the one minute test today at do I have
prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Warning? The cap is loose on that cat young.
Speaker 8 (12:47):
Oh don't wait. You have the power to change the outcome.
Visit do I have prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Today?
Speaker 8 (12:53):
That's do I have prediabetes dot org?
Speaker 10 (12:55):
Brought to you by the AD Council and its pre
diabetes awareness partners.
Speaker 11 (13:00):
Hehu, oh brah, that's buzzed.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
Oh yeah, yeah, he's starting with the woots.
Speaker 12 (13:05):
And now a speech.
Speaker 13 (13:07):
I just want to say that friendship is about heart,
heart and brain.
Speaker 9 (13:12):
Who's with me?
Speaker 10 (13:13):
Good thing is he knows when he's buzzed, and my
brain is saying when it's time to go home, Somebody
call me a ride. Love that guy, me too, know
your buzzed warning signs, call for a ride when it's
time to go home.
Speaker 8 (13:25):
Buzz driving is drunk driving. A message for NITZA and
the AD Council. True, you're out.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
You got me.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Galaxy safe once again.
Speaker 14 (13:38):
In the pretend universe, kids play with pretend guns. In
the real world, it's up to us to make sure
they don't get their hands on a real gun. If
you have a gun in the house, keep it locked, unloaded,
and storage separately from ammunition. Safegun storage saves lives. Learn
how to make your home Safeer it Nfamilyfire dot Org.
That's Nfamilyfire dot org, brought to you by N Familyfire,
Brady and the ad Council.
Speaker 15 (13:59):
Adopt Us Kids presents what to expect when you're expecting
a teenager learning the lingo.
Speaker 13 (14:06):
Today, I'm going to help parents translate teen slang. Now,
when a teen says something is on fleek, it's exactly
like saying that's rad. It simply means that something is
awesome or cool. Another one is toats. It's exactly like
saying totally, just shorter, as in I totes love going
(14:27):
to the mall with Becca. Another word you might hear
is jelly. Jelly is a shorter, better way to say jealous,
as in Chloe, I am like so jelly of your
unicorn phone case.
Speaker 15 (14:39):
You don't have to speak teen to be a perfect parent.
Thousands of teens in foster care will.
Speaker 11 (14:44):
Think you're rad just the same.
Speaker 15 (14:47):
To learn more, visit adopt us Kids dot org. A
public service announcement brought to you by the US Department
of Health and Human Services, adopt Us Kids, and the
ad Council.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
You're listening to Living full Out with Nancy Soilary. As
a life coach. Nancy can teach you how to stay
strong under pressure and work through challenges you face being
legally blind. Nancy inspires others to be resilient and overcoming
obstacles and live full out. You can ask Nancy for
advice in your life on relationships, finance, business, health, and more.
(15:22):
Just call in at eight hundred three three three zero
zero zero one. Once again, that's eight hundred three three
three zero zero zero one. Now here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Welcome back. I'm Nancy Silarian. This is the Living Full
Out Show, and today we're talking about being persistent and
just the amount of focus and determination that you have
to have to get to where you want to go,
but also sometimes figure out really tricky times in our life.
And our inspirational guest today, Linda Smith, is such a
(15:54):
great example of living full out. I can't wait to
share her story with you. Welcome Linda to the show.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Well, thank you, so happy to be.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
Here, Happy to have you and and you know, I
hear the sweet voice of yours and I think about
the early early years of your growing up. And I
know your your father was a molester and it came
out over time that you know he and molested not
(16:23):
just you, but your sister Jean, and he was abusive.
Speaker 12 (16:26):
To your mom.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
And I mean, I know you've written books about it,
you know, just the the wild part of it all.
And ultimately, you know, he got deported and you know
it kind of ended that chapter. But it was a
traumatic early part of your life. And what I actually
give you a lot of credit for because when something
(16:48):
like that happens, so many people get locked in the past,
they get kind of anchored in that moment in time.
But you were able to kind of put that in
check and not give it a lot of power. How
have you been able to do that?
Speaker 4 (17:05):
You know, I think I really don't know, you know,
I think we're all individual human beings and we all
deal and cope with things in different ways. And you know,
when I looked at the statistics, you know, as an
adult woman, to see, you know, vers this is a
big secret, right, this is embarrassing, this is terrible. This
is your own family, this is your father, for heaven's sakes.
(17:27):
And then when I look to see. Statistically, one in
every four girls will be molested as a youngster, typically
by someone they love and trust. And so you know,
you know that it's not just you, You're not alone
in this world, and that you know, we do have
to not be ashamed this. You're a kiddo and that
happened to you and then move on from it. And
(17:50):
that was my attitude. I know for my sister, she
took a different journey, which is it ruined her life.
I mean, she could never ever put that behind her.
I don't know. You know, we're born from the same family,
but we're all individual and unique human beings. There was
not anything that they put into practice. I just decided
I was not going to be that sad, pathetic child.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
And onward, well, you know, I give you a lot
of credit. Onward is going to be my my word
of the day. Onward Okay, I love it now.
Speaker 9 (18:24):
You you you.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Know school was not your favorite thing right growing up,
but you did find at fourteen that you enjoyed dancing.
And you know, your sister was talented, your mom was talented,
so it was in the genes right that you had this.
But yeah, and then you know, fifteen, you kind of
went with the platinum blonde hair and gosh, before we
(18:48):
knew it, I mean, Linda was starting to find her
swagger and you got great success. I mean early in
your life doing like which type of commercials, which type
of shows?
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Well, you know, I you know, I was always in
sort of the shadow of my more glamorous sister, my mother,
And it was just an epiphany one day as I
was standing in front of our brand new television set
that you know, we finally got one, and I was watching,
you know, people entertain and started moving around as kids do,
(19:22):
and and found that, you know what, my moves were
pretty good, just sort of developed that. I can't even
remember how it all developed, but I do recall trying out.
There was this huge open audition for a new television
show called It's Happening in Canada, and going to that
audition thinking I wouldn't stand a chance because everybody there
(19:47):
was in ballet slippers and tutus, and I was just
this ragamuffin type kid, almost like that movie The Footlooth
if you remember that, that that was me. I was
in the back. I was I was that kid that
did poorly in school. I wasn't really good at anything.
I thought that I was quiet, but boy, they turned
that music on and I got out there and I
(20:09):
knocked the us off everyone in the room. And I
was actually the first person in that audition, and there
were three hundred people approximately, I was the first one
to get chosen, and eventually I became the lead dancer.
And I just felt fabulous and felt fearless and that
I could do anything, and you know, it just became
(20:30):
my style. Shoot for the moon, put your you know,
believe that you can get somewhere, and you can get there,
and you know. And an earlier little trauma had happened
to me in a store one day, and I wrote
about it in a book. And I was this kid that,
you know, sort of disheveled hair and you know, just poor.
(20:51):
We were poor. We were actually homeless for a while
in Canada. And I always remember saving up money to
buy a lipstick and I went into a department store
to buy it, and the woman took one look at
me and wouldn't serve me and walked around serving other people.
And this anger willed up in me that from nowhere,
from somewhere, I don't know, and I saw myself as
(21:14):
she saw me, and it just made me so angry
that how could people be so judgmental? And I shouted,
at the top of the top of my lungs, I'm here.
Why don't you wait on me? Why don't you serve me?
It embarrassed her. She came running over, and everyone in
the store turned around. But it empowered me. I remember
walking out feeling like, you have to stick up for yourself, girl,
(21:38):
you know. And when I did it, just the world
shifted somehow and I got the attention that I needed.
And I think that was shortly after that that I
changed the color of my hair. Okay for auditioning.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Well, nobody picks on my Linda, I gotta tell you,
I would have been right there beside you. But you know,
ultimately you did. You have success in your career, but
you also ended up dating a and marrying a well
known entertainer who was that.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
His name was Glenn Smith, and in Canada he was
he had been the entertainer of the year and a
very handsome guy that traveled was appearing all over the world,
had a home in Las Vegas, it turned out, and
with appearing was everybody was all excited about it. He
was appearing in Toronto and they hired the dance crew
(22:35):
from my television show, and so I was sort of
this background dancer and our eyes locked and that's how
we met.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
So you kind of danced right into his heart, as
one would say. But the truth is, you know that
world is so busy, and at some point one of
you had to give up your career. It was just
becoming too much, and you ultimately decided to let go
(23:05):
of yours and really support him, which had you all
traveling all over the world as he entertained. And when
we come back, Linda, what I think is so important.
I really want everyone to lean in as we do
this next segment, because sometimes we do have to turn
(23:25):
a new page. Sometimes we do let go of parts
of ourselves and we have to reinvent who we are
and who we can be. And that actually came through
a little bundle of joy named Christopher. So I want
everybody to stay with us because purpose can be found
in a lot of different ways. And so when we
(23:49):
come back, Linda, stay with us, we'll be talking more
about your story. Stay with us.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
Today in school, I learned a lot in chemistry. I
learned that no one likes me. In English, I learned
that I'm disgusting, and in Physics, I learned that I'm
a loser.
Speaker 16 (24:16):
Today, in school, I learned that I'm ugly and useless.
In jim I learned that I'm pathetic in a joke.
In History today, I learned that I'm trying.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Today.
Speaker 17 (24:26):
In school, I learned that I have no friends. In English,
I learned that I make people sick, and at lunch
I learned that I sit on my own because I smell.
In Chemistry, I learned.
Speaker 11 (24:38):
That no one In Biology, I learned that I'm fat
and stupid. And in Math I learned that I'm trash.
The only thing I didn't learn in school today, the
only thing I didn't learn today. The only thing I
didn't learn is why no one.
Speaker 18 (24:52):
Ever helps kids witness bullying every day. They want to help,
but they don't know how teach them how to stop
bullying and be more than a bystander. At Stop Bullying
dot Gov. A message from the AD Council.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I'm Nancy Silary, certified Life and Business Coach. I want
to invite you to the Personal Development boot Camp. During
the boot camp, we're going to be looking at taking
those insecurities that you have and getting rid of them.
We're also going to look at ways in which you
can thrive and live a life full of purpose. Go
to Livingfullout dot com forward slash boot camp Livingfullout dot
(25:25):
com Forward Slash boot Camp to sign up. I believe
in you, and here's to you living your life full out.
Speaker 19 (25:40):
They'll challenge your authority.
Speaker 20 (25:42):
I know, they'll try to break your will.
Speaker 19 (25:47):
They'll push you to the edge of your sanity because
that's what kids do. But this car is your territory,
not theirs. Defend it. Who makes the payment, who cleans it,
who drives it? You do, That's who. And in here
(26:08):
your word is law. So when you say you won't
move until everyone's buckled up, you won't budge an inch.
Speaker 20 (26:18):
Until you hear that clear never give up until they
buckle up. A message from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration and the AD Council. For more information, visit safercar
dot gov slash kids Buckle Up.
Speaker 21 (26:34):
Seven million children suffer from asthma more than any other
chronic disease. Most asthma attacks are caused by allergic reactions
to allergens, including those left behind by cockroaches and mice.
In fact, eighty two percent of US households contain mouse allergens,
and cockroaches are found in up to ninety eight percent
of urban homes. How can you protect your family? Find
(26:56):
out at Pestworld dot org. A message from the National
Pest Management Association and the American College of Allergy, Asthma,
and Immunology.
Speaker 13 (27:04):
It's slipping coffit CHECKI cop to doctor.
Speaker 19 (27:07):
Knowlne share.
Speaker 9 (27:08):
I get it, slip it, cuff it, check it. Twice
a day, I get it, slip it, cuff it, check
it in the morning and before dinner. I get it,
flip it, cuff it, check it, and share it with
my doctor. Nearly one in two US adults have high
blood pressure. That's why it's important to self monitor your
blood pressure and for easy to remember steps. It starts
(27:30):
with a monitor.
Speaker 16 (27:31):
Now that I know my blood pressure numbers, I talked
with my doctor.
Speaker 8 (27:35):
We're getting those numbers down.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Yeah, it's slipping coffit check, cop to doctor, knowlne share.
Speaker 9 (27:41):
Be next to talk to your doctor about your blood
pressure numbers. Get down with your blood pressure. Self monitoring
is power. Learn more at Manage your BP dot org.
Brought to you by the ad Council, the American Heart Association,
and the American Medical Association in partnership with the Office
of Minority Health and Health Resources and Services Administration.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
You're listening to Living Full Out with Nancy Clary. With
Nancy's expertise, you'll learn how to embrace your potential and
strive for success. If you have a question or need
further support, send us an email at connect at Livingfoullout
dot com. Now here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Nancy Silari
and this is the Living Full Out Show, and today
we're talking about being persistent in life. And we're joined
by Linda Smith, who is sharing with us just her
story and how she navigated different moments in her life.
So welcome back, Linda to the show.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Well, thank you, happy to be here.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'm so happy to have you, and I want to
jump right into it because you and your husband you
all got pregnant, which is joyful and oh my gosh,
the baby's coming. But you were traveling so much because
of entertaining, and I know you didn't even have the
same doctor all the time, and you ended up making
(29:02):
arrangements that since he was going to be performing in Canada,
that you would, you know, arrive a little bit early
and get situated because the baby was coming and it
was close to your due date. And when you were
on that plane heading to Canada, you actually started to
go into labor. And ironically, though you were on a
(29:23):
plane with over seventy doctors, I mean that worked out
for you. But when you got to the hospital and
it was time to deliver your baby and all these
hopes and dreams of what this was going to look
like and feel like, what did you find out?
Speaker 4 (29:43):
Well, you know, we just knew that we were going
to have a perfectly healthy, beautiful baby boy. We were
both healthy, never did drugs, interested drink, drink. It was
perfect pregnancy. And you know, on the plane there a
junk up flight. It was a medical junk up light
that I hitched.
Speaker 6 (30:00):
To ride on.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Plane landed three hours later. Christopher was born in an
emergency situation, but he was born with Down syndrome. And
we lived in Las Vegas. That was our home. We
had become the I was British, but I'd become a
legal resident of the United States. I had my Green card.
My husband was Canadian. He had his green card, we
had applied for citizenship, and here we are in Canada.
(30:25):
Chris is born with Down syndrome. The doctors told us,
told me right away that this child is probably not
going to live very long. He has a heart condition,
he has respiratory problems. There are places for kids like this,
and that I should Basically, I was told to throw
my child away. And nothing wrong with you, nothing wrong
(30:45):
with your husband. We're sure these things just happened. It's
a fluke, go have another one and forget about this one.
And I was told to stick my son in an institution,
and of course that didn't happen. And I know this
show isn't long enough to tell this whole story, but
we found pretty quickly that we couldn't get him back
(31:10):
into the United States because of his disability, and that
took me on an eighteen year journey to trying to
get him legal. And basically, the laws at the time
said people exempt from entering the United States as permanent
residents are number one criminals and number two retarded people.
That was the language, and it went on to exclude
(31:33):
a whole bunch of other human beings. So he was
sort of listed as the number two most undesirable alien
in the United States, and that was what we were
faced with, not because he was born in Canada, but
because he was born in Canada with Down syndrome. And
I just my life changed at that moment. I became
(31:55):
I dropped the entertaining part of my life, saw how
the discrimination that existed at that time and still does today,
and started to fight for my little guy and using
all the resources we had as entertainers and reaching out
to celebrity friends. It still took me seventeen years to
(32:19):
get my little guy legal in the United States.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
And you did eventually get him legal, and what.
Speaker 8 (32:24):
A party that was.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Who was on stage with you?
Speaker 4 (32:28):
Yes, we were appearing at the Hilton Hotel. Elvis Presley
actually was a friend back then, and you know, I
mean every big celebrity you could think, I've tried to
help us. But eventually Chris became a legal resident of
the United States. On stage at the Hilton Hotel with
Wayne Newton, who is godfather of my other son Jason,
(32:51):
the cast of the Fowlees Brigire, the Evely Brothers, and
the cast of Nevada characters to including two United States Senators.
So that little Unwanted guy became quite the celebrity here
in Las Vegas and continues to be.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know, you it's truly a love story, you and
Christopher and the journey you were on because your purpose
had kind of you'd got lost. You didn't know what
to do, you know, you know, in terms of giving
up your career, and then you went on this intense
journey to get them legal and doing all your fundraising
(33:30):
and just being wildly successful at that and having that
new purpose. And ultimately, though Christopher did pass and I
know the last year was was really hard and really painful,
you know, for him. But I wonder, Linda, what is
what do you do? When have you been fighting for
(33:52):
somebody for so long? And when he passed away? Where
did you channel your new purpose? How did you find
your new purpose?
Speaker 4 (34:03):
I think in that that you know, he was born
to me for a reason and he had to live on.
And you know, if you if you read my book Unwanted,
it's the subtitle is How a Mother learned to turn shame,
grief and fear into purpose, passion, and empowerment. Somewhere we all,
(34:25):
I think we pull from somewhere unknown to us, just this,
this ability to continue to have purpose and to be
empowered to do such a thing. And I think that
was what Chris was born to me, because I was
meant to help change the way people perceived people with differences.
(34:48):
And so we created a foundation named for Christopher, called
the Christopher Smith Foundation. He lives on today. He is.
There are buildings here in Laws Vegas named for him,
the Christopher Smith Learning Center at the Down Syndrome Organization.
There's a campus named for him that serves over two
thousand people with disabilities here in Las Vegas at Opportunity Village.
(35:13):
And you know, the book sales, when they sell, all
the proceeds go to to this cause that Christopher created
for me. So I feel like we all things happened
to us for a reason. And there's two choices, right
we something bad happens, you can lay down and die,
(35:37):
or you can kick in the gear and say, you know, okay,
there's a reason perhaps for this, and maybe it's going
to strengthen me and help me to make the world
a better place. And so that's I'm no better than
anyone else, you know. I meet other parents who fight
for their children. But I think being in show business
(35:59):
and being in Anaer originally helped me perhaps be a
little bit more creative in my approaches. And it's hard
to say no to a mom. You know, people have
called me a warrior mom. Get out of my way.
This is not right that people are discriminated against and
all kinds of people. So that well my purpose in life.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
You know, I think it's so I think it's so
amazing because here there was this little girl that sat
in the back of the room who didn't feel like
you were super smart, you know, and you say that
several times, but you have. You have earned so much
money through fundraising for different causes, like.
Speaker 8 (36:45):
That is your gift.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
And it must be so amazing and touching to see
all these things now named in Chris's honor, but yet
troubling to think about. Now he's valued and appreciated, but
he was so hard to get into the country. Like
where do you put that frustration?
Speaker 4 (37:07):
You can't. You just can't dwell on the negative. You
just have to stay focused on you know, I teach
fundraising and I travel around the country helping people get
you know, you've got to stay focused on the finish
line or beyond actually the finish line, this is where
I want to be. I always remember I wanted Selene
(37:30):
Beyond was coming for a residency in Las Vegas, and
everyone was excited. This is years ago, fifteen years ago
or so, and I sent my sights on, I'm going
to get Selene Beyond to support my cause and you know,
if you focus on it, And there were many, many ways,
but Selene eventually did a big concert and we raised
(37:51):
a lot of money, and in my lifetime of fundraising
for disability causes, I've raised now almost a billion dollars.
That's from an uneducated high school dropout, self taught dancer
who sat in the back of a room, who happened
to have a child born that everyone told me that
I should throw away. So I just believe we all
(38:14):
have that in us. If we stay positive and focus
on the possibilities and where we want to be, we
can get there.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
And you have a kind heart, Linda, But don't don't
don't you know, don't let that kind heart. Uh, you know,
don't let that trick you, because you are a fighter.
And you know what I'd love most. I love that
you fight for people with disabilities, even people like me,
and you really put those donors kind of in a
(38:44):
place of you kind of put it on the line
because you know that no is not an option, right.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
That's exactly right. And those donors, they are human beings too,
and you know we all get afraid. You know, they
say the things that we fear the most in life
is public speaking, which we're doing right now, dying, or
asking people for money. And I, you know, I never
feel like I'm asking for anything. I always feel like
(39:13):
I'm giving people an opportunity to do something good in
the world. And so when you look at a donor as, oh,
someone with money and I've got to ask them for something,
I don't look at them that way. They're just like me.
They're people who've been successful in life and they have
a need to feel good every day. So let's give
them something good to do. Let's give them a cause
(39:35):
that they can get behind. Let's give them something that
they can purchase that makes the world better and give
them that gift.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Well, I got to tell you from talented talented dancer
to worryor mom to you know, fundraising extraordinaire, to the
list kind of goes on and on. Oh, you've been
called mother Teresa, you have a key to many cities, right,
(40:05):
I mean, the list goes on, but oh, there you go.
But I got to tell you are a treasure. Thank
you so much for finding your voice. And thank you
I mean that when I say that, thank you for
finding your voice because along the way, if you hadn't
the Christopher's, the Nancy's, where would we be. So Linda,
(40:28):
thank you so much for being on today's show. And uh,
everyone go, you know, check her out more online. There's
so much more we couldn't get to on our story today.
But again, today we're talking all about being persistent in
your life so that you can do what that's right,
live full out. We'll be back.
Speaker 12 (41:06):
To some people, the sound of a baby babbling doesn't
mean much, but that's not necessarily true. By six months,
they're combining vowels and consonants talk, By nine months, they're
trying out different kinds of sounds, and by twelve months
(41:28):
they're babbling. Is beginning to take on some meaning, man,
especially if there's no babbling at all. Little to no
babbling by twelve months or later is just one of
the possible signs of autism and children. Early screening and
intervention can make a lifetime of difference and unlock a
(41:49):
world of possibilities. Take the first step at Autism Speaks
dot org, a public service announcement brought to you by
Autism Speaks and the Aduncil.
Speaker 22 (42:01):
Most of us like to be out in the sun.
That's why sunscreen and other safety measures are key to
protecting your skin from aging and cancer. The FDA recommends
using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor or SPF
A fifteen or higher. Also look for broad spectrum.
Speaker 8 (42:17):
On the label.
Speaker 22 (42:18):
That means both harmful ultraviolet A and B rays are block.
UVA rays age the skin, UVB rays burn and both
cause cancer. But the perfect sunscreen doesn't count if you
use it wrong. Don't need sunscreen on a cloudy day wrong.
Eighty percent of UV rays still get through the haze.
Only use sunscreen at the beach, Nope, anytime you're outside
(42:41):
UB rays attack the skin, so you need protection and
you have to reapply sunscreen every two hours. Remember SPF
plus broad spectrum he for healthy fun in the sun.
Visit www dot FDA dot gov slash sunscreen for more information.
A message from the US Food and Drug Admans.
Speaker 23 (43:01):
Right now, our country feels divided, but there's a place
where people are coming together.
Speaker 10 (43:06):
I gotta tell you, I was nervous to talk to
someone so different than me.
Speaker 6 (43:10):
Me too, But I'm glad you are.
Speaker 23 (43:12):
Love has No Labels and One Small Step are helping
people with different political views, beliefs, and life experiences come
together through conversation. And it feels good.
Speaker 3 (43:21):
Wow, your story is so interesting.
Speaker 7 (43:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 23 (43:26):
When people actually sit down, talk and listen to one another,
they can break down boundaries and connect as human beings.
At Love Hasno Labels dot com slash one small Step,
you can listen to amazing, life changing conversations and find
simple tools to start a conversation of your own.
Speaker 6 (43:42):
I know one thing.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
This conversation gives me hope.
Speaker 23 (43:44):
It gives me a lot of hope to take a
step toward bringing our country and your community together by
having the courage to start a conversation. At Love has
No Labels dot com slash one Small Step. A message
from story Core, Love has No Labels and the ad Council.
Speaker 8 (44:02):
All right, grew, let's get her dug.
Speaker 6 (44:07):
Honey, you want to give me a hand, I'm planning
that tree.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
You remember, no matter how large or small your digging
project may be, no matter how urban or rural, you
must always call eight one one before any digging project.
Eight one to one is our national one call number,
alerting your local utility companies to come out and mark
any lines.
Speaker 1 (44:28):
They have near your dig site.
Speaker 5 (44:30):
You must call eight one to one at least two
to three business days before any digging project so you
can avoid hitting our essential buried utilities. This includes natural
gas and petroleum pipelines, electra communication cables, and water and
sewer lines. So before you do this or this, make
(44:52):
sure you do this. For digging projects big or small,
make the call to eight one to one, brought to
you by Common Ground the Alliance.
Speaker 2 (45:02):
When it comes to being persistent, make it a game
that's right. I want you to think about what is
it that you're striving for or what is it that
keeps blocking you or throwing you off. Rather than getting
upset about it or feeling hopeless about it or wondering
if it'll ever work, I want you to play that game.
I want you to get strategic with what is it
(45:22):
that you need to do. You know what time, people, money,
what might need to happen so that you can take
those action steps and live full out.
Speaker 1 (45:37):
You're listening to Living Full Out with Nancy Solary. As
a professional motivational speaker, Nancy can assist you to blow
through your setbacks and start living full out. If you
have an inspirational story you want to share, email us
at connect at livingfullout dot com. Once again, here's Nancy.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
Thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Nancy,
and this is the Living Full Out Show. And we've
been talking about being persistent, and I talk about it
quite a bit, but I want to kind of touch
on this topic today just because it is near and
dear to my heart, the need to be tenacious, to
be persistent. But I don't mean that in a way
(46:18):
that is, you know, over the top or insincere. But
when you have a passion, when you have a purpose
in your heart, when you identify what it is that
is your gift in this world, you have to do
everything you can the persistence within you to share that
gift to to make other people's lives better. And it's
(46:43):
interesting because for me, I remember being diagnosed when I
was sixteen with Rich and iis pigmentosa, and there were
a lot of things being told to us that you know,
our life is going to look this way or look
that way. But I was persistent. I said, you know what, okay, fine,
if I potentially am going to go blind, I want
(47:03):
to get my degrees. I went to the University of
Oregon got a degree in broadcasting and psychology, and I
was pretty persistent in getting that because I didn't know
how I was going to eventually, you know, get into broadcasting.
But I always grew up watching Oprah and a lot
of those daytime shows, and I remember thinking, what an
(47:24):
amazing career, you know, listening to people sharing their inspirational stories,
that community that has built amongst an audience in studio,
but also watching from their couches at home. I just
thought that was so dynamic, and I thought, that is
what I have to do. I mean, there's other joys
(47:45):
in the world, but that is what I need to
do now. Of course, along the way, I'm going blind,
you know, year after year, decade after decade, and that
becomes hard. It becomes hard to figure out, well, how
am I going to be in broadcasting If I can
can't read a teleprompter? How am I going to logistically
do certain things like you know, take you know, edit
(48:08):
videos or you know, film, YouTube videos or all these
things that that might be required of somebody in the
broadcasting space. Well, what I ended up doing is along
the way, going legally blind helped me to be a
better delegator, a better leader, and a more efficient dreamer.
(48:28):
And what I mean by that is I quickly knew
what I couldn't do myself. Okay, it would be really
hard for me to do certain aspects of even putting
this show together. But I've got my beautiful team, got
Derek and Brent, Julie and others. And then I think
to myself, Okay, gosh, you know it's really hard to
(48:48):
I could sit in front of a camera, but like,
how do I know, as the blind woman if I'm
half in the camera half out of the camera. And
I've kind of built a team to help you do
the videos and edit the video. And I share that
with you because dreams are meant to be shared, and
somebody's dream might be, Hey, I just want to put
(49:09):
out really great content. Somebody's dream might be I want
to write for a show that I believe in. Somebody's
dream like mine might be I want to interview people
and share their stories. And as we started going along,
at living full out and this dream was starting to
manifest for me, and it brought in others into my world,
(49:31):
became my beautiful team.
Speaker 4 (49:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
It's one of those things where we now dream together
and everybody does their part. And so as you kind
of listen and we round out today's show and you
think about in your life where you can be persistent.
It's persistence is not a negative word. It's a positive word.
It means where is there a gap, where is their lack?
(49:54):
Where is there a spot that I can fill, Where
I can take that gift, where I can take that
talent and make again someone's life better, add to a team,
or move a purpose forward, And when you lead with that,
you're really able to in a united front, make great
(50:14):
content like we do, or you know, move a mission
or a cause forward like so many great nonprofits do.
And so my kind of game and my challenge to
you today is I want you to think about where
in your life could you up the ante just a
little bit, you know, where could you be more persistent?
(50:36):
And that could be being persistent a little bit for yourself,
maybe being more persistent in your workouts and eating better,
you know, in educating yourself, so you're always growing and learning.
But also where could you be persistent and being a
better father, a more plugged and mother, you know, a
more loving sibling, a better friend. And you know, even
(50:59):
on that note, you know, I'm very busy throughout the
week and I run hard. I do a lot, and
that's just the way my life is. But I always
reserve Sunday. Sunday is Funday. That is the day that
I talk on the phone to friends. I catch up
with them, and personally, it's not like I even need
(51:20):
to see them, right because well can't see them, but
I can just talk to them with ease on the
phone every Sunday and keep those bonds alive. But again,
that takes persistence and even consistency to do that. So
I want you to think about, you know, again, taking
action today, being more persistent and if you need more support,
(51:42):
remember go to the app store find the Living Full
Out Show app. It's free, and we'll be there every
step of the way, whether you're at the gym or
in the car. You know, we'll always be giving you
that motivation. Also, we encourage you to reach out to
us if you need more resources, just reach out to us.
Connect at livingfollout dot com and if you or you
(52:04):
know someone who has an inspirational story, we'd love to
hear from you. Just let us know what you went through,
how you got through it, most of all, what you learned,
and of course your contact information, and perhaps we can
have you on the show as an inspirational guest. As always,
I believe in you, standing beside you every step of
the way as you live full out.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
Thank you for listening to The Living Full Out Show
with Nancy Silari. To learn more about this program, visit
livingfullout dot com for the latest episodes. Connect with the
Living full Out community by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Here's to you, Living
full Out.
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