Hard-Earned Wisdom: Recent Episodes
Cindy Holtom
Welcome to Hard-Earned Wisdom, a podcast about the life lessons learned while stumbling through trauma, grief, loss, and unmet expectations. My guests share personal stories from the trenches, and most importantly, the hard-earned wisdom that I hope will inspire new ways of surviving and thriving in difficult life circumstances.
In this episode, Nicole shares her expertise on diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive leadership. We talk about her work on helping difference get along, the meaning of race in America today, and what needs to happen in the next 400 years.
Oki shares his experiences navigating the most difficult and transformative year of his life. He shares what he learned about himself while losing a friend to cancer, overcoming PTSD after an assault, and co-parenting two kids through a divorce and shared custody.
In this episode, Sean shares his story of growing up in the shadow of alcoholism. We talk about the power of telling your story, the hallmarks of addictive family systems, and the pain of waiting for someone you love to admit they need help.
Welcome to season 2 of Hard-Earned Wisdom (formerly known as Grounded). I share what I’m dealing with, reflect on what we’re dealing with together, and talk about how we can be better humans by checking the story we’re telling ourselves.
In this final episode of season one I'm going to tell you my story and open up about losing my brother to cancer, supporting my husband through severe depression, leaving my religion, and dealing with infertility. Learning to claim my narrative and define its' meaning has been an important step for me in moving beyond depression. In preparation for season two I have a big request. Please email me at cindyholtom@gmail.com with all your best advice on how you've climbed out of depression and how you stay out of it. Maybe you have a book recommendation or life mantra to share, or maybe there is a new hobby keeping you sane. I want to hear about it and share it next season. I want to thank each and every one of you for supporting this podcast and sharing your personal stories so that we can all grow together. You are amazing!
This episode is about the long path to parenthood. My guest Diana shares her story about building the family she's always wanted and the rollercoaster ride it took to do it. Diana shares advice on how to stay positive and find new ways to pursue your objectives in the midst of pain and disappointment.
In this episode Keli teaches the coping skills she learned in college after a difficult experience. It's a lesson in how to get your fight back and make sense of the "gang of voices" in your head, and how to let go of perfectionism to make peace with your life exactly as it is.
In this episode I talk with Kate about the cost of infertility. It’s no surprise that infertility treatments are expensive, but there are many hidden costs, such as the impact on your social life when all your friends have kids and you don’t. Kate shares how infertility has affected her relationships, finances, and major life decisions.
Theme music is My Bloody Beating Heart by Kitchen Romance provided under creative commons attribution license.
Tim and I talk about a range of topics, including his unexplained childhood anger, why he tried to moderate his parent’s divorce, and how he learned to fill an empty emotional tank after a painful wake-up call in college that began his quest toward emotional health. The common theme is how humans cope with emotional pain. It’s a long one, so pace yourself, if necessary. And full disclosure, we do cover some adult topics of sexuality and suicidal ideation, and there is some mild profanity. Theme music is My Bloody Beating Heart by Kitchen Romance provided under creative commons attribution license.
This episode is deeply personal. It is a labor of love about finding meaning and connection in the midst of incredible grief. It’s about keeping memories alive, living one day at a time, and realizing that our ability to love is infinite.
Gayla and I dive right in to her story about being widowed at 28, the battle her husband fought with brain cancer, and raising their 2 children.
We talk about the isolation that comes from carrying something so heavy that you can’t even find the words to express it, and it how it can change your relationships with everyone you know. She shares the great life advice that her father gave to her, the hidden meaning behind her response to “how are you?” and how she has turned grief into meaning and purpose.
We also bring in 2 special guests, Justin and Luke, to talk about their dad and the stories that have shaped their understanding of him.
Theme music is My Bloody Beating Heart by Kitchen Romance provided under creative commons attribution license.
My friend Maria has been learning to cope with fibromyalgia.
If getting to a diagnosis wasn’t difficult enough, she is also navigating how to better share household and family responsibilities with her husband, better communicate expectations in social situations, and determine her treatment plan.
Then there is her husband, Eric. He’s the one with brain cancer. A recent surgery to remove the astrocytoma, along with chemotherapy, have left him depleted but hopeful.
Theme music is My Bloody Beating Heart by Kitchen Romance provided under creative commons attribution license.