Bite Of Courage

Alicia Bean is one of our country’s frontline nurses putting her life at risk in an effort to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. She is generously blessed with humility, compassion, and determination to care for others and is deferential to courage. Instead of ascribing it to herself, she attributes it to her colleagues, essential workers and volunteers alike. Alicia, who says fear lives in the lizard brain — the part of the brain that triggers our fight or flight response (like the rush to buy toilet paper during a pandemic) — tells us how she isolates fear to find joy. Thank you to Alicia, her colleagues, and all of the selfless people who are risking their lives to make other lives better. You are inspiring hope and spreading joy. Let’s make that contagious. Visit BiteOfCourage.com for show notes and available downloads. © 2020 Mo Vear

My initial intention for today’s episode was to talk to my guest, Judi Langley, about her twenty-five year marriage to her husband, Gotham. I quickly realized, however, that Judi is one of those people who has as much knowledge as she does depth, on a variety of topics. From her bi-racial, bi-cultural marriage and an illustrious thirty-five year career that she recently left behind, we talk husbands, kids, careers, family, and friends and the gifts that come to our communities when women have the courage to lift up and support each other. Visit BiteOfCourage.com for show notes and available downloads. © 2020 Mo Vear

Have you ever had to leave someone you love behind? My guest today is Ray. Over 8 years ago, Ray’s partner, who was an illegal immigrant, was deported. Separated now longer than they were together, Ray travels back and forth to see him, but every time he’s getting ready to go, he needs all the courage he can muster to go through with it. He knows the possibility of them ever returning to the U.S. together, and the place they once called home, is undetermined. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” Ray says. “Each time I leave, I also have to leave behind the person I love most in life. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

Can a positive attitude help us heal? My guest today is Laura Alberts. While Laura is a breast cancer survivor, she isn't defined by it. In fact, after undergoing chemo and radiation treatments, Laura claimed to have her "breast year ever" in real estate. One of Coldwell Banker's top realtors in Orland Park, Illinois, Laura is also a musician, dancer, and vocalist and the winner of both Senior American Idol and Seniors Dancing with Seniors Dance Competition. "Things happen in life, but I've developed a skill set to deal with them. I have faith. I have courage. I have my music, and I have a sense of humor so I forge ahead and enjoy each day as it appears," she says. "Like the Cowardly Lion in the The Wizard of Oz, we all have the courage inside of us to forge ahead, and if we do things that bring us joy, we don't have time to think about fear. That's the key.” © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Cour

Are you free, really? My guest, 41 year old Dawan Warren, has had a lot of time to think about this question. He's spent half of his life in prison. Indicted at the age of 18 for a series of robberies, Dawan was facing 40 years. Charged with 16 years at the age of 20, he had served 8 by the time he was released. 11 months later, he proceeded to commit bank robbery for which he was given a 34 year sentence. Dawan had no way of knowing that he'd be released twenty years early for good behavior, yet he found the courage to change his thoughts and behaviors and turn his life around. "A person can be free and still be incarcerated in their mind; a person can be incarcerated and still be free in their mind, too," he says. “I was looking for peace. That's what freedom is--peace. It's not about the physical world; it's about what's going on inside of you. Clean yourself up on the inside, and it does't matter what your circumstances are. You'll have joy.” © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gm

How do you hang on to your dreams when you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay? My guest today is Dr. Charles Vear. Ninety-three years young, he is a retired medical doctor, a navy veteran and an author who, along with his wife Gloria, wrote their memoir called Love, Laughter & Dreams: We Prayed for Twelve Children. But at the age of 34, with his wife and 8 children, he received, perhaps, his greatest call to courage. “I didn’t want to die with my dream still inside of me,” he says. So, with Gloria’s support, he embarked on a journey that would change the course of his and his family’s life forever. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

Can accepting and embracing your adversities be the key to living out your wildest dreams? My guest, Elaine Gabalac, opens up for the first time about living with epilepsy. Diagnosed at fourteen, she was angry, sad and scared. But things had to get a lot worse before she realized that the very thing destroying her life was also the very thing she needed to embrace — and that thing was fear. “Fear is useless,” she says. “You can't summon courage to meet fear from a place of emptiness.” Grateful now for having epilepsy, it's taught Elaine how to accept and embrace adversity and how to overcome fear. “Now I can catch all that is good and within my reach. I can enjoy the little things in life. That's the art of living,” she says. “But it's a choice. Healing is a choice; faith is a choice; courage is a choice." Life is a choice. Give yourself the chance to live the life you're dreaming about. In the words of Mark Nepo: “One life. Just one. Why aren't we running like we're on fire towards our wildest dreams?" © 201

Is love stronger than death? My guests, Christine and Jean Bosco Rutagengwa, talk about surviving the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Inspired by his love for Christine, Jean Bosco recounts what happened and why, and how he found the courage to leave Hotel Rwanda to get Christine—hopefully, alive, and return with her to the hotel. An unplanned refuge with only a thin layer of protection, Hotel Rwanda was the only place to get away from the killers. “Love gives us courage," he says. “I accepted death, instead of failing to go get Christine.” This isn't just a story about surviving the Rwandan genocide or a love story between a man and a woman, though. This is a love story between human beings trying to help each other through the worst of times—an ethnic cleansing. On the top floor of Hotel Rwanda, people from all denominations gathered to pray and to help each other: Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah Witnesses, Muslims, even non-believers, and they had one thing in common. They were scared and in need of prot

Livia Gazzolo is a musician and jazz vocalist with a residency at the Atwood Cafe in downtown Chicago, Illinois. She also produces a monthly cabaret variety show at The Mouse House called “When the Cat’s Away." © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

Celebrate your powerlessness? That’s just crazy talk. I thought. I’d have to relinquish control! Can giving up control and embracing my pain and feelings of powerlessness really be the key to healing? It's hard to imagine, but that's how it began for my guest today. Albert Ancel, a grateful recovering alcoholic, says that once he embraced his pain and his fears of feeling powerless, he could celebrate. His whole attitude, outlook and perception changed, and life got better. That was over nineteen years ago. Devoted to the practice of the twelve step principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al spends much of his free time being of service. Volunteering several evenings a week at Hinsdale Hospital in Illinois, he facilitates recovery with men and women who've relapsed from drugs and alcohol and also volunteers an afternoon a week facilitating healing for inmates who are awaiting trial and sentencing at Illinois' Cook County Jail. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page Hu

Can an act of defiance help to cultivate courage? My guest thinks so. An attorney by trade, Vince Auricchio is used to having the odds stacked against him, but this was personal. His daughter was about to undergo brain surgery and the reality of losing her was more than his heart could bare. But in a moment of defiance, Vince, a Christ follower, found the courage to win the fight of his life by relying on his faith and surrendering to the outcome. In this heart-felt episode, Vince gives us a behind the scenes look at what it’s like to balance being an attorney and taking care of his family emotionally, through his personal relationship with Christ. With unwavering integrity, both personally and professionally, his faith has made him a better man, husband, dad and friend, and given him an incredible capacity for listening and accepting others who have different points of view. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on Link

High school senior, Skyla Stillo, talks about finding her courage after an attempted suicide and how it led her to start her blog: Unlabeled.blog about self-love, mental health, and fashion. “It's not who you wear, it's who you are.” © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

After suffering from traumatic burns over 50% of her body, Lesia decided she didn’t want to be known as the “burn girl.” Determined to be known as an ordinary girl who endured an extraordinary experience, Lesia learned how to face rejection, conquer her fears and live in the moment by unlocking her courage with vulnerability and turning her pain into purpose. Now, the founder & CEO of Angel Faces, a nonprofit organization for other burn and trauma patients, Lesia is teaching them how to not be defined by their circumstances and to heal from the inside out. “What happens to you is not who you are.” © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

Dr. Kessler Vear, who is currently the inpatient attending physician at Chicago’s Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, specializes in physical medicine, neurological rehabilitation, and spinal cord injuries. Paralyzed in a skiing accident at sixteen, she shares her story of courage, recovery and ultimately, her desire to live her best life, despite her physical limitations! © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

Kirsten Alberts is a stand-up comedian, writer, podcast producer, and social media professional who can be seen at comedy clubs across the country. On this episode of Bite of Courage, she shares openly about finding the courage to overcome an eating disorder and her journey to manage it. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Trio Productions. All Rights Reserved. In Association with Podcast Prowess.

A chance meeting in Chicago, Marzie Ghasempour and I met because we happened to be sitting next to each other at the musical Hamiliton and we couldn’t contain our excitement that night. During intermission, we picked up our pre-show conversation. Born in Iran, Marzie feels privileged and proud to be living and working in the United States where using her critical thinking skills is celebrated. Reluctant to speak about her own courage, she opens her heart on BOC and shares things about her day-to-day struggles that we all deal with. Marzie is many things: a woman, daughter, fiction writer and playwright, translator, teacher and now my very dear friend. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Produced by Podcast Prowess

Singer, songwriter, Stephanie Erin Brill, whose music Save the Day is the title track for Bite of Courage, shares her incredible story of strength. As she takes us on her journey and tells us about her love for music, family and friends, she talks candidly about how she overcame a tragic event in her early childhood. From Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Stephanie’s been singing and composing music since the age of five and recorded her first album when she was thirteen. Her triumphant story lends itself seamlessly to her soulful, indie tone, and her captivating personality. She is wise beyond her years. You can find out more about her and her touring schedule at www.stephanieerinbrill.com. You can also download some of her music from Bite of Courage at www.humormewithmo.com © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Produced by Podcast Prowess

Jim Gaffigan doesn’t need a lot of introduction. He’s one of America’s funniest and most well-recognized comedians. He’s also been a friend of mine since high school so I have lots of dirt on this clean comic. From high school to show business, Jim talks honestly about life’s ups and downs and the courage it takes to be true to yourself. © 2019 Mo Vear Visit: HumorMeWithMo.com Email: humormewithmo@gmail.com Facebook page HumorMeWithMo @BiteOfCourage on Twitter Mo on LinkedIn Bite of Courage on Instagram Produced by Podcast Prowess