Episode 144: When You're a Filmmaker, Your Life is the Most Meaningful Story
Her first career dream was to become a dolphin trainer, and a few years after accomplishing that goal, she switched gears. Her next dream was to be a filmmaker, but in the first semester, just as she was getting started, she had an unwelcome surprise - a cancer diagnosis.
Joy Soto's Film Inspiration Came in the Start of Her Cancer Journey
Her first career dream was to become a dolphin trainer, and a few years after accomplishing that goal, she switched gears. Joy Soto’s next dream was to be a filmmaker, but in the first semester, just as she was getting started, she had an unwelcome surprise - a cancer diagnosis.
During episode of this podcast, with Rocky Connell, master baker, we agreed that whatever energy we put into something is the energy that comes out of it. We were referring to kneading dough and making bread, which makes a great analogy for everything else in life.
In Joy's case, she put her energy into documenting her cancer journey in a film. Just One Year: A Story of Triumph Over Cancer is the result of filming and documenting every step of that journey, from diagnosis to the final treatment. And it wasn't just her story, she involved others who were having similar experiences.
During our conversation, she spoke about a younger cancer victim who became a dear friend as they went through treatment together. That young girl wasn't successful in her battle, but her memory is the inspiration for a program Joy started, bringing young cancer victims to swim with dolphins.
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From her TEDx: Joy Clausen Soto is a cancer survivor, documentary filmmaker and public speaker. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 25 years, she was forced to drop out of film school. Joy survived and decided to film a documentary on her ordeal. The film has been viewed at film festivals and has won several awards. Her story has likewise been featured in many media organizations, including ABC, NBC, and KPBS.
Visit her website to learn more about her.
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Sarah Elkins loves to guide individuals and teams to improve communication, using storytelling as the foundation of her work. She is a Gallup certified Strengths coach and uses that tool to coach her clients to improve their communication in all relationships, and to find more satisfaction at work and at home.
Her book, Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will is available on bookshop.org (supporting independent booksellers), and on Amazon. The audiobook will be available in fall 2020.
Episode 66: Resilience Isn't Just About Survival
Stories of Resilience - A Series, Part 1
When we share stories, whether in our personal or business lives, how we share them makes a difference in how we remember them, and in how we’re perceived by the people we’re sharing them with.
Think about a story a stranger recently told you; what did that story say about the person sharing it? Did it demonstrate a different aspect of their character than you were expecting? How we choose to share a story - the details about the characters, our body language, our facial expression and tone of voice - all contributes to the perception our audience will have of us afterward.
When listening to this podcast, I encourage you to listen to consider your related stories, to listen and consider which stories in your life might have impacted you in a similar way, and to consider how you share your own stories, and the messages they carry for yourself and for the people around you.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the word resilience.
According to dictionary.com, resilience is defined:
the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
Andrea Amundson
Our first episode in this series explores that definition from the perspective of a cancer survivor, Andi Amundsen.
Though I’d never use that phrase, “cancer survivor” to describe or define this woman, it does give you a picture of the specific illness and adversity she has experienced.
I like to think of Andi as a magnificent tree, growing roots from her feet to hold her steady so she can support her many branches; her children, her grandchildren, the many who rely on her for comfort and as a resource when faced with struggle and tragedy. She is the picture of the word resilience, as far as I’m concerned, not because she has survived, or because, as the definition describes, she has bounced back to her former form. She hasn’t bounced back to her former form because cancer will never allow someone to go backward. She is the picture of the word because she continues to thrive, despite her diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
Andi has the positivity of a tree in springtime, with the reality of a future of snow and bitter cold. Her version of resilience comes from a love for super heroes, magical creatures, and her belief that she is here for a reason. She believes that when she provides support and resources for others facing a similar diagnoses, love and comfort for her family and friends, and constant encouragement for her daughters, she is serving her purpose; she is alive simply because she lives her purpose. (And maybe because she’s so damn stubborn.)
Curious? Listen to the podcast!
Visit the Lost & Foundation website to learn more about the organization and the people they serve.