The Introverted Advocate: Recent Episodes
Dee Bolemon: Advocate, Podcaster, Blogger
Since becoming an advocate in 2014, I’ve learned a few things along the way. This is my on-going story as I take my advocacy to a new level.
I’d like to share with you: (1) My personal stories of inner growth and new wisdom (2) Key learnings from my recent experiences as a new advocate (3) Resources and information for those interested in advocating (4) Revelations that changed me — especially in the last few years.
I hope my stories inspire you to get curious about your own adventure in advocating. We need compassionate folks to bring their positive energy to our world.
"Kindness is the Theme. Advocacy is the Action." http://TheIntrovertedAdvocate.com
To remain a democracy, Americans must vote in the November midterms. It's never been so important to participate in elections. Please vote! Our country can be saved if each of us speaks up through our individual votes!
To remain a democracy, Americans must vote in the November midterms. It's never been so important to participate in elections. Please vote! Our country can be saved if each of us speaks up through our individual votes!
We must vote out every politician who refuses to keep our children and country safe from gun violence.
We're little dots within this vast universe. Humanity is fragile and also mighty! Should we not protect our planet Earth? Are we doing enough?
Nine years ago, a tragedy shook America. Yet, not much has changed to prevent it from happening again. Today, I say their names. It's my first step in learning how I may contribute to the solution of stopping violence. Each of us has the power to contribute to the solution. The question is: "Will we step up?"
Being self-aware helps us be respectful of those around us. It's important to look after one another. If we see someone who needs a little support, let's say something. After all, one day we may wish someone notices us and offers a kind word or helpful hand.
Each of us has a strength that may be applied to overcome all sorts of challenges. Can you name three of yours?
Our words matter. And I removed one specific word from my vocabulary after adopting an 8-week old kitten in 1993.
Does this resonate with you? Listen to this 8-minute story about three women and their different perspectives.
2020 offered me opportunities to grow as a person. Looking back, I've learned a lot about myself. This is a "voice journal" recording from October 2020 when I dove headfirst into self-reflection about evolving as an advocate and as a human.
Please don't give up. We need each other. Please reach out with your kind heart to others. Together we will make it through the chaos.
Emotional Intelligence is our Superpower! Here's how engaging our EQ will help us survive and thrive during all the chaos in the world.
Discovered two short audio recordings from my February 2020 camping trip. It's personal stuff: my reflections on advocacy and how owning our successes is important.
Black Lives Matter! Americans must keep their hearts and minds open to fully understand the experiences of the Black Community. Are you courageous enough to fight for social justice so that every American has peace, justice, and equality?
Traveling solo has always been one great adventure after another! It's provided me with opportunities to face my fears and find confidence in myself. Courage builds resilience -- and that's a worthy goal in life.
Here are my sources links for this episode:
Emotional Resilience is a Trait You Can Develop
What is Emotional Resilience & How to Build It
TED Talk by Amy Morin: The Secret to Becoming Mentally Strong
TED Talk by Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People
TED Talk by Charles Hunt: What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience
Emotions are getting complicated during this pandemic. I speak honestly about how I am coping with the threat of COVID-19.
We, humans, are hardwired for story. Our brains crave connection. I learned that if a story does not have an ending -- or if the ending is unclear -- our brains, looking for logic, create an ending to the story. Humans need stories and connections as much as we need oxygen. Let's use this time to reach out to family and friends -- let's all share our narratives with each other. It's powerful!
Please follow Kris Carr and Brene Brown on social media. Check out their web sites. These two are game-changers. My life expanded in wonderful ways after following their wisdom and compassionate teachings.
No matter where you are along life’s journey, I promise that you will find their wisdom, their knowledge, and their sense of humor to be exactly what we need right now.
Brene Brown suggests we adjust a common phrase. She suggests we ask: "What does support look like?"
Instead of asking someone if we may "help" them, we ask: "How may I support you? What does support look like." Let's show kindness and compassion during this pandemic. COVID19 will show us what we are made of. Let's find the best within. Be well, everyone!
During this global crisis, how will you manage stress and anxiety during this Coronavirus Pandemic?
Please plan your food, medicines, pet food, etc. for a two-week lockdown or self-quarantine. We need to double-down on compassion. Compassion will see us through this.
Take care. Be well.
If you are listening to my podcast, I bet you have An Advocate’s Heart. I truly believe that each of us is an advocate. Here's why this is so important right now...
2020 for me signifies the year I get clear about my advocacy. 2020 is the year many of us decide to stand up for what is right and just. 2020 is where many folks who have never stood up on behalf of folks outside their families will stand up and make their big hearts known to the world.
The world needs us. The world needs You!
Such a delight to chat with Heather Stadler. Having introverted tendencies, Heather found ways to begin advocating three years ago. Writing comes naturally to her, so that was the beginning.
Official Fat Vegan is Heather's channel on Instagram. She represents those of us who strive to be genuine, kind, and effective in our advocacy. Heather succeeds by all accounts. I continue to be inspired by her example as an introvert working hard to make our world a more compassionate place.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Upstate New York offers a vegan program called Compassionate Cuisine.
Chef Linda Soper-Kolton is the director of this educational platform that presents cooking classes, tasting events, and seasonal offerings.
Linda is a delight as she shares the many steps of self-growth that led to this exciting adventure at the sanctuary. A self-professed introvert, Linda reveals how she offers nutritious plant-based food as a heartfelt way to connect with others.
The sanctuary’s new vegan cookbook is now available for purchase at CASanctuary.org.
Sometimes we are lucky to find a place that offers a beautiful, peaceful retreat from our busy lives. The Homestead Inn at Catskill Animal Sanctuary is where I go to reset, restore, and rejuvenate my energy.
Located in Upstate New York, the Homestead Inn is comfortable, charming, and convenient to the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River.
Website: CASanctuary.org
Kathy Stevens founded Catskill Animal Sanctuary in 2001. Kathy is a global social change leader and Catskill Animal Sanctuary is a Compassion Catalyst. This is my 10-minute conversation with Kathy.
I am forever changed by this kind and generous woman.
Please check out her podcast: “All Beings Considered.”
Also, follow events and news at CASanctuary.org
Book Review: QUIET, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.
In 2012, Susan Cain published this 333-page masterpiece -- the “go-to” resource for the inside scoop on why some of us tend to be introspective, quiet, reserved, wise thinkers.
Susan encourages Introverts to nurture and celebrate their inner strengths and gifts. She gives us permission to value our personality traits – even if society often doesn’t.
I encourage you to get a copy if you or someone you love is Introverted. This book is life-changing!
Mary Oliver wrote: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" What a marvelous call to action!
Mary’s question is incredible in that it makes us pause and think. It makes us stop and give credence to our future so that we don’t live without giving serious thought to what more we want out of our lives.
Poem: The Summer Day
Advocating will open your heart, your mind, and your spirit to greater depths never felt before. It’s transformational.
Wow! This is my one-year anniversary for my podcast. It seems like a lifetime ago, but then again, it really flew by. So why did I decide to create a global podcast for everyone to hear? Well, it's simple. I believe in the power of the individual to make a difference in our world. And I believe we are all advocates.
https://www.wildflowercafeny.com/
Vegan cafe in Red Hook, NY. Delightful atmosphere and an awesome menu with something for everyone! Great fun to visit with Bonnie.
Catskill Animal Sanctuary recently launched the New Leaf Vegan Mentor Program. It's free! Sign up as either a mentor or a mentee. With both an online platform and a smartphone app, it's easy to stay in touch. This is a groundbreaking initiative!
Website: https://www.newleafvegans.org/
Chef Sara Boan co-created a new vegan cookbook with Chef Linda Soper-Kolton and sanctuary founder Kathy Stevens at Catskill Animal Sanctuary. We had a fun chat about recipe creation and using plant-based ingredients to make delicious meals.
Compassionate Cuisine Cookbook is available in May 2019.
You may order your copy from https://casanctuary.org/
This is a story about compassion for our feathered friends. As a child, I sat by my grandmom as she taught me about songbirds. She would say: "Listen, Dee... that's a cardinal." And she sang back to the birds as they visited her South Carolina yard. Bird lovers know how extraordinary and intelligent our winged friends are. This story comes from my heart - forged from the gratitude of many precious years with grandmom. It's my story of compassion for the bird community.
Recently while Googling Susan Cain, who is the well-known expert on Introverts, I found her interview by Tim Ferriss (his podcast episode 357). I was enthralled by the questions Tim and Susan ask each other about their own Introversion. This is a fascinating hour and a half long conversation. Very helpful for both men and women to hear how others handle living in an extroverted world. Also excellent discussion about their writing process and their individual strategies.
Animals. Let’s visit with the animals!
Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the big family of rescued-farmed animals of Catskill Animal Sanctuary.
Located in the Hudson Valley of New York, rolling hills and 148 acres are the backdrop for over 300 rescued animals who live here surrounded by love, safety, and friendship. I saw it for myself in 2018. This place is real. This is a healing place.
Let’s start with the Underfoot Family. This is unique to Catskill Animal Sanctuary: a small group of animals is given free-range privileges during the day.
Kathy Stevens, founder/executive director, realized early on that some personalities demand larger freedom. Many of the Underfoot family were rescued from small, filthy, and overcrowded spaces. Many became claustrophobic during their previous years of abuse and abandonment. They were not comfortable unless they could roam.
Delighted to have Michael Harren on my show. He is a multi-media artist, musician, podcaster, vegan and animal advocate. His book, The Animal Book, is a wonderful introduction to advocacy. His Mikeypod podcast is a delightful collection of diverse and compassionate folks who are helping to make our world a better place.
http://michaelharren.com/
As an animal lover, and now an advocate for animal rights, I've always been interested in the peaceful protest and street activism. However, as an introvert, that is not a place where I am comfortable. Yet I'd like to share a group called Anonymous for the Voiceless.
They have a peaceful, I don't even want to say a demonstration, it's more of an educational event. They call it the "Cube of Truth."
While researching the topic of advocacy last year, I found a 190-page toolkit produced by an organization called Disability Rights Wisconsin.
I’ve posted a direct link to this group’s download page. Yes, you may visit my website and click on the Resources page. The link to this awesome toolkit will download to your computer. Or you may go directly to the Disability Rights Wisconsin site and download from there. It is FREE to the public.
What a year!
It seems fitting that this was my fifth year as an advocate. I increased my efforts each year for five years. This year, I took the biggest leap of all: I started my podcast and blog.
This creative effort required several things of me:
- Be brave
- Use my talents and skills
- Speak my truths
And oh, what a glorious and magnificent feeling this is! I wish you could feel the gratitude in my heart. Oh, wait! But you could!
You ask how? Well, my answer is this: You have deep inside a creative soul wishing to soar!
My Christmas Wish is that we bring compassion, love, and kindness to our daily lives. Let gratitude be our guide to sharing positive and kind energy with those around us. Let's get off autopilot. Let's share the goodness from within our hearts. It will change the world.
During my visit to Catskill Animal Sanctuary, I had a chance encounter with the Underfoot Family of Sheep. This is one of my favorite field recordings from September. You should visit: CASanctuary.org
The Power of Kindness. Every human being is born with the capacity to be kindhearted.
At our core, we humans need the warmth of a friendly gesture from those around us.
Our lives are centered around feelings. We are not thinkers who feel. We are feeling beings who think.
This episode is important to me. It’s been on my mind for a couple of years. But first, I need to ask YOU a question. It is a bit personal. You ready? Are you sure? Once I ask, you won’t be able to “un-hear” it.
Happy Thanksgiving! My sister, once again, made "vegan versions" of our favorite family dishes. Wow! Deliciousness. Thank you, sweet sister!
I admit it. This was my strangest purchase ever on Amazon. It was a bit of an impulse. But in my defense, I have one of these in my home, so I knew exactly what I was buying.
I purchased an assistive listening device for a blind and deaf baby goat. Leo the baby goat arrived at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary this past summer. His preliminary health check confirmed he was blind. He was only two months old, so he was born with no vision.
But thankfully for Leo, the animal care team at Catskill Animal Sanctuary is experienced with special needs. Over the years, the team has welcomed and worked with over a dozen blind animals.
I saw a social media post by Glennon Doyle that took my breath away.
Here goes, as I quote Glennon now:
“Two questions folks ask me the most. How do I find my purpose? How do I find my tribe?”
Here's my chat with Marc S. Wood who is a Certified Plant-Based Nutritionist. Marc studied at Cornell University (taking the T. Colin Campbell nutrition course). He earned his Family Health Coaching Certification from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute. This was a delightful chat. You may find Marc at http://marcswood.com/
Enjoyed a day at the Central Florida VegFest. It is my three-year anniversary of launching my vegan advocacy. I reflect on folks who helped me find my courage to advocate. After this 2018 VegFest, I am so stoked for the future of plant-based living. What a great community in this global social-change movement!
While vacationing at the Homestead B&B at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, I booked a tour to get a close-up experience with some of the animals. Kaden was my tour guide - his knowledge and compassion impressed me. The next day, I asked Kaden if he would join me for a 10-minute chat.
This is a true story. I say this because there are parts that feel like a dream. Recently I returned from Catskill Animal Sanctuary in New York state. My memories still fresh, I recall little details that make me smile. So, I open this podcast with “This is a true story.” Because it is.
I’d like to reflect on what it takes to be a trailblazer, a mentor or a social change leader. For 7 years, I’ve followed the work of individuals whose courage, wisdom and leadership have inspired me. And here are my reflections of these people.
They work at it. They persevere. They walk the talk -- Every Dang Day. These are individuals with their own backstories, their own struggles, and their own hard-earned wisdom.
Does advocacy seem like a good way to make your contribution to the world? Does the first step of advocating seem too big to tackle?
I get that. I really do.
I mean how to get started? Advocacy seems like what other brave folks do. Advocacy appears to require knowledge and networking and information.
And that’s an accurate component of advocacy. But here’s the wonderful thing. You can make Your advocacy what You want it to be.
My good friend, Jenn, has a new vegan cafe in Eatonville, Florida. We sat down to chat about many things. This 32-minute episode was delightful to record with Jenn. Enjoy!
It was a hot summer day in 2014. After months of brainstorming for ways to advocate for folks with hearing loss, I was ready to take a big leap.
But as an introvert, reaching out to strangers was unnerving. A bit daunting for sure.
Just to be clear, I’m usually fine with one-on-one interactions. Small talk can be tedious for introverts, but if the topic of conversation is something we adore, we could talk your ears off… All.Week.Long.
You may wonder why I advocate.
This is a huge question. And I have answers.
But first, let me say this:
- The mission of my podcast is to illustrate how and why I became an advocate.
- Through my personal stories, I will show how advocacy has changed me as a person.
- Another goal is to shine a spotlight on people who have inspired me along the way.
Simply put – Here are two questions I asked myself during the last few years:
- What lights up my heart so passionately that I feel compelled to offer a hand?
- What group or cause brightened my world to such a degree I want to give back a little in return?
And here is my personal conclusion:
I advocate because I must. I advocate because I trust my heart. I advocate because I see a need.
Everyone on earth will experience a "plot twist" in their lives. This is my story and how it changed everything. But with a bit of help from others and a lot of personal grit and determination, I'm rewriting my story. And it's a grand adventure with lots more to go.
Advocate, Firefighter, Legg-Perthes Disease, Kindergarten, Kindness, Compassion, Inclusion, Respect, Disability