Hello beautiful people
On today’s podcast we have the beautiful Ginny Burton. Ginny was introduced to drugs by her mother at just 7 years old which began a path of destructive addiction into adulthood, 17 felony convictions and multiple prison stints. Upon her final arrest she decided that it was time to take control of her life; that this arrest is indeed the opportunity to be rescued. Now, she is a Truman Scholar, Martin Honor Scholar, UW Graduate, a social service and behavioural health service provider, and national spokesperson on homelessness, addiction and incarceration.
I think it is important to straight up put this disclaimer in now; there is a strong trigger warning for this conversation. We cover drug addiction, sexual and physical abuse, suicide; I just really want you to understand that this conversation is raw; not just in the context of authenticity and vulnerability, but in life experience. I, myself, even felt slightly activated in parts, so please be intuitive as to whether this is an appropriate conversation for you. If you require support, please call the Lifeline 24/7 number: 13 11 14.
What I personally love about this conversation is honestly, I’ve got goosebumps. To be candid, this conversation required more from me than any other. And for context, I am not just speaking about this podcast, but in both my own personal and professional life. As a professional I am a mind-body practitioner/coach so in that capacity I am very well versed in having deep, explorative and at times, more challenging conversations. However, Ginny’s life story is, you know it is difficult to find the appropriate descriptive words. Intense would be close. Certainly the initial part of her story has a darker energy to it. She, as one individual, has certainly been through a lot. As shared she was introduced to drugs by her mother at just 7 years old; which not too soon after, turned into an addiction to meth, crack cocaine and heroin. She’s been kidnapped, sexually, physically and emotionally abused and she attempted suicide at just 17 years old.
I came across Ginny on a video that had gone viral on YouTube and her, and her story, just impacted me so deeply. And I would recommend, if you get the chance, to have a look at her comparative images on Google; a powerful mirror of where she has come from and where she is today. Now, Ginny is a strong, empowered, phenomenal woman. She is leading change not only in a 1:1 capacity, but on a policy level. What I really love about Ginny is that she has turned her story and her experience into her superpower. We have great dialogue in this conversation on the importance of having people with relevant life experience being part of making policies that are trying to create success in these problem areas that we have in our communities. She humanises people so well, and as someone who believes I do this quite well, she has truly influenced me to be so much more mindful of how I perceive and relate to people on the streets, facing homelessness, and some of which face addiction. She is an incredible woman. And I truly have no doubt that this conversation will be life changing for you, however that may land with you. Please enjoy this conversation with Ginny Burton.
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CONNECT WITH GINNY
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vginnyburton
Website | https://www.vginnyburton.com
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