Shows
Looking Up From HereLeaning into Hope: How We Nurture ResilienceWhat if hope isn't just about wishing for the best? 🤔 In our latest episode, we talk about hope shifts our sense of what is possble--especially in uncertain times. It's not mere optimism, it's a resilient state of mind. We begin with a poignant reading from Václav Havel, a Czech poet and former president, who experienced a near-fatal accident only to rise to leadership shortly after. Havel says that hope it is not merely an expectation of positive outcome but rather an "orientation of the spirit." In this episode we explore what hope means to us and how we expe...
2026-01-151h 09Looking Up From HereSeen & Unseen: How We Navigate Identity, Needs & TimeWhat's obvious to us may not be so obvious to others. In this episode, we continue our conversation about the disparities between how we see ourselves and how others see us. The gaps in those perceptions often create misunderstandings and unmet needs and has an impact on our lives in ways that surprise even us. We get into some of the nuances of the disabilities that others can see and the ones they can't--like chronic pain. Along the way, we take some funny detours on time management and productivity.Chapters
2025-12-1748 minLooking Up From HereWhat Doesn't Kill You: Uncertainty & EnduranceThis episode takes a candid look at disability as an endurance sport—where identity, resilience, and community reshape what care and compassion mean.We explore the emotional and physical endurance of living with a disability, framing daily life as a constant act of adaptation. Our conversation delves into how identity evolves through loss and uncertainty—especially within medical systems that often lack answers. We reflect on how we cope with fundemental changes to our sense of self and how resilience is forged from adversity.
2025-12-0839 minLooking Up From HerePrioritize the Possible: When Our Needs Clash with Self-PerceptionNeeding to use a cane or wheelchair can throw a person into an identity crisis because of the stigma they carry. Accepting the use of an aid can be a difficult transition and one that many people resist or reject even when an aid is important for their safety and independence.This conversation delves into how our sense of self is impacted by our needs and how we can reframe our thinking on aids to get the most out of the technology available to us.
2025-11-2739 minLooking Up From HerePrioritize the Possible: When Our Needs Clash with Self-PerceptionNeeding to use a cane or wheelchair can throw a person into an identity crisis because of the stigma they carry. Accepting the use of an aid can be a difficult transition and one that many people resist or reject even when an aid is important for their safety and independence. This conversation delves into how our sense of self is impacted by our needs and how we can reframe our thinking on aids to get the most out of the technology available to us.
2025-11-261h 19Looking Up From HereLaura's Journey: Learning to Be Present in the BodyIn this conversation, Laura shares her journey of living with spina bifida. She discusses the challenges she faced growing up with disability and the innovative therapies her family sought out to help her thrive. She shares her experiences trying to fit in at school, the isolation she felt, and how she finally gave up her mission to make other people comfortable with her limitations. Laura also reflects on her discovery of the Mind Body Solutions (MBS) program and how yoga transformed her relationship with her body, leading to a deeper understanding of self-acceptance and peace.
2025-10-311h 02Looking Up From HerePity & Perception-Part 2- Friends & Family"It's that they make lemonade out of lemons. Instead of looking at what's hard about it, they look at how to transform your disability into something beautiful, something intimate, something fun, something other than what it is...(because it's not any of those things)... but it can be experienced differently if you have the right person with you." In part 2 of our "Pity & Perception" conversation we talk through the delicate dynamics of friendships and what it means to us to feel fully seen, considered, and included. - Even friends...
2025-10-1025 minLooking Up From HerePity & Perspective [Bonus Episode] ....the man in the hallway continued"Don't we always go through life with our story just ready to slap it on whoever's in front of us? And then just like that we're up and running with that story." Angelique and Samantha dive a deeper into a brief encounter with a stranger that left Anqelique stung by the disconnect between how she sees herself and how he reacted to her disability that we discussed in the episode "Pity & Perspective-Pt 1"
2025-10-0318 min
Looking Up From HereShort Take: Cussing & CopingWe decided we are pro-cussing because sometimes it's better out than in and it can put that rage to good use.
2025-09-3005 minLooking Up From HerePity & Perception-Pt 1 | Strangers Say the Strangest ThingsEver have someone look at you in a way that just deflates you and breaks your heart? What story have they overlaid on your experience and is it something you need to carry? In this episode, we talk about the different ways strangers relate to us--from sad looks to inappropriate comments to outrageous questions. And we talk a bit about both how those things land and how we have learned to cope with and move beyond them.- Experiencing Pity: Personal Stories- The Complexity of Reactions- Insecurities and Emotional Responses
2025-09-2628 min
Looking Up From HereIn Relationship with Our Bodies"The choice that you make to live is the most important choice you make every day." -- In this episode, we get honest about the frustrations and fears that challenge us daily and how we struggle to cope and overcome them. With a little humor and a lot of candor, we share how our relationship with our bodies have evolved over time as we've learned to be kinder to ourselves and more patient with the set backs.- The Choice to Live: Embracing Life's Value- Perceptions of Disability: Beyond Extraordinary Achievements
2025-08-2427 minLooking Up From HereThe Unbearable Sense of Almost Being"I feel like there's this sort of tantalizing closeness to things, the almost there of a lot of experience." In this episode, we discuss how our limitations affect our relationships and our sense of what is possible in social settings. Our conversation touches on setting boundaries when something doesn't feel right and how wonderful it feels when our needs are understood.- The Choice to Live: Embracing Life's Value- Choosing Your Battles: Navigating Accessibility Challenges- The Complexity of Social Gatherings and Accessibility- The Emotional Toll...
2025-08-2424 minLooking Up From HereMore Than Curbs & Cuts - Demo ShowThis is us making a good go of it and learning the ropes. We get into some of the issues around the misunderstandings people have--even those closest to us--about what it's like to live with a disability.- Understanding Disability Beyond the Surface- The Emotional Journey of Living with Disability- The Pressure to Maintain Positivity- Navigating Relationships and Expectations- The Challenge of Sharing Personal Struggles- The Complexity of Changing Dynamics in Friendships
2025-04-0416 min
Matt Christiansen Live#121 | Guest Styx, Kavanaugh Smearing, Rosenstein Scandal, TX Murder(?) CaseStyx joins us to discuss the Data & Society YouTuber hit piece (starting at 1:55:55), but first we discuss the week of Kavanaugh smears, the allegation Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein was seeking to undermine Trump, a crazy caught-on-tape killing after a fight between neighbors escalates in Texas, and more.
Styx's YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/2xEwar0
Styx's Twitter: http://bit.ly/2oCLgKY
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Beauty...
2018-09-242h 24