Even though the precautions we need to take as we do whatever we can to flatten the curve of Covid-19, prevent us from meeting in person, I am grateful that Zoom allows me to record conversations with guests near and far. My guest today is Elizabeth Van Meter. Elizabeth is an actor, filmmaker and devoted humanitarian and one of the most authentic, inspiring humans I know! From her one-woman show, called The Purpose Project, to her deeply moving, award-winning documentary film, Thao’s Library, to her advocacy work with special needs orphans, to her production company called Filmmaking with Heart, to her courageous travels that led her to Mount Everest, Elizabeth lives life with passion and purpose.
Fighting a crippling depression after the tragic death of her younger sister, Vicki in 2008, a simple black and white photograph of Thao, a Vietnamese woman, in a wheelchair, sparked a choice in Elizabeth. She realized that she could choose to see the world, her trauma, and pain in a different way. Elizabeth chose not to let her pain destroy her, but instead to transform her. She admits that her sister’s death broke her heart AND broke her heart wide open! Her friendship with Thao ignited Elizabeth’s emotional, financial, professional, and spiritual investment in meaningful projects, that not only reflect her genuine care and commitment to humanity, Elizabeth’s work inspires people into action.
Check out the show notes to see links to contacting Elizabeth directly and her websites: thaoslibrary.com & filmmakingwithheart.com. I truly would love to get a DVD of Thao’s Library into the hands of everyone of my listeners and perhaps you have ideas of how we can share it on a larger scale!! Please email me at deb@enlighten.nyc so we can make arrangements to send you a DVD! Enjoy the podcast!!
Links:
Thao's Library
Filmmaking With Heart
St. George (Utah) News
EVM on Facebook
Thao's Library on Facebook
Helping Orphans Worldwide
