~ About This Life ~

What if storytelling could heal your heart? In this conversation, John DeDakis — former editor of CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and former White House correspondent — opens up about grief, courage, and how writing became his path to healing after his sister’s suicide and his son’s heroine overdose. Host Ann-Marie explores how writing connects pain to purpose, why creativity is therapeutic, and how DeDakis uses his fiction to process real-life emotions. From “Bullet in the Chamber”, to “Enemies Domestic”, his six part Lark Chadwick mystery/ suspense/ thriller series teaches lessons on writing heart-stopping and heart- breaking storylines. A manuscript editor, Dedakis serves a masterclass in turning adversity into art. 👉 In this episode:
healing power of writing and storytelling
processing grief through creativity
facing fear and finding courage
creating authentic characters
writing heart-stopping storylines including drugs, drones, corruption and politics.
sharing insights into the Lark Chadwick mystery-thriller series 📘 Learn more: https://johndedakis.com 🎧 Listen to more episodes of About This Life — conversations that shift mindsets, challenge beliefs, and inspire transformation.
#JohnDeDakis #CNNNews #formerjournalist #SituationRoom with WolfBlitzer #NY Times Bestseller List #suspense #thriller #mystery #LarkChadwick series #GriefJourney #CreativeHealing #AuthorInterview #CNNJournalist #HealingThroughWriting #MindsetShift #EmotionalHealing #PersonalGrowth #Creativity #suicide #drugs #Transformation#PodMatch #AnnMariePodcast #AboutThisLifePodcast #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou

US Marine Ogunyemi takes us through the paces of servant leadership. Known for his infectious energy and creativity, Ogunyemi teaches us how to make meaningful family connections and turn disappointment into invaluable life lessons.
The author of “Lessons from a Deployed Father,” “Crow from Shadow “ and other children’s books captures what it it means to be a father and serve your family. 
Listen to the conversation and find out how Ogunyemi connects with children.
✨ Topics include:
📖 Teaching children to see their own worth🤝 The strength of community and mentorship🕊 Servant leadership: leading through humility💞 Building love and connection in family and faith
#YouVersion #FaithBasedPodcast #ServantLeadership #USMarines #MindsetShift #PurposeDrivenLife #InspirationDaily #OvercomingFear #PersonalGrowthJourney #LeadWithLove #FaithAndLeadership #ParentingWithPurpose #SpiritualGrowth #SelfWorthMatters #PositiveMindset #EmpowermentTalk #LifeLessons #AboutThisLifePodcast #becomingenoughbecomingyou

If education’s purpose is to prepare us for life, what grade would you give yours? 🎓 In this powerful episode of About This Life, Ann-Marie reflects on what it truly means to unlearn, listen, and heal from within. Drawing from her years as an educator and coach, she explores how childhood experiences shape who we become — and how reconnecting with your inner child can unlock transformation.
✨ Topics Covered: The purpose of education beyond academics Understanding the “inner child” in adult behavior The power of discernment and active listening Why empowerment isn’t something we give — it’s something we uncover How to become enough and truly become you This episode invites you to pause, reflect, and rediscover who you were always meant to be. 🌱
🎧 Listen. Learn. Unlearn. Transform. Hosted by Ann-Marie | About This Life Podcast
#AboutThisLifePodcast #AnnMarieSpeaks #BecomingEnough #InnerChildHealing #MindsetShift #LifeCoaching #PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #TransformationJourney #EmotionalHealing #PurposeDrivenLife #SpiritualGrowth #BecomingYou #UnlearnToGrow #HealingJourney #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou

Why do you ignore your intuition?
Listen as Ann-Marie has an otherworldly conversation with Laura Hoorweg — a gifted spiritual counselor, intuitive coach and psychic medium. Laura helps those who are stuck, overwhelmed or trying to reconnect with purpose, to release their energetic baggage. Part grounded, part mystic - Laura sees root wounds and hidden beliefs. “You are safe— but we’re going deep.”
✨ In this episode, you’ll explore:
🌙 Light and shadow 🧘🏽‍♂ How to connect with your intuition and spiritual guides 🔥 How to heal from past conditioning and rediscover your soul’s mission 💫 How to understand the power of energy, purpose, and divine timing 🌻 How to embrace your shadow self and become whole
This isn’t just a conversation — it’s an awakening of the spirit within. 🌠
#SelfDiscovery #SpiritualAwakening #Intuition #HealingJourney #PersonalGrowth #InnerPeace #Mindfulness #SoulPurpose #ConsciousLiving #EnergyHealing #ShadowWork #AuthenticSelf #SpiritualJourney #Transformation #Empowerment #DivineTiming #Meditation #HigherSelf #HealingEnergy #NewEarth #AboutThisLifePodcast #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou

In this powerful conversation, Frank Healy, a Licensed Professional Counselor and life coach with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), shares how remembering every day of his life since childhood shaped his understanding of trauma, growth, and the human spirit. At 65, Frank has turned his rare gift into a source of wisdom and compassion, helping people heal their memories, release stress, and find peace in the present. As the author of over 20 transformative books, including “Heal Your Memories, Change Your Life,” and “Stress Free Success,” he offers practical insights into turning pain into purpose. ✨ Themes explored: 🧠 The power and burden of memory — what it means to remember everything 💫 Healing emotional wounds and transforming past pain 🧘‍♀ Stress resilience, mindfulness, and self-compassion 📚 Writing as therapy: using stories to heal and connect 💬 The intersection of memory, identity, and personal growth If you’ve ever wondered how your past shapes your peace — or how to rewrite the story it left behind — this conversation with Frank Healy will open your heart and mind. #FrankHealy #HSAM #EmotionalHealing #TraumaRecovery #Mindfulness #StressFreeSuccess #Memory #Neuroscience #HealingYourPast #SelfAwareness #Counseling #Therapy #PersonalDevelopment #LifeCoaching #Resilience #EmotionalIntelligence #PsychologyPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfGrowth #AboutThisLifePodcast

A powerful conversation on how mindset, self-talk, and daily habits can rewrite a life. From cycling 150 miles a week and skiing since childhood to navigating COVID, caregiving, genetics, and boundaries, this episode shows how science + soul = sustainable change. Meet Stephanie on the next Capital Jazzfest Cruise featuring talented artists and hand dance classes. The first 5 listeners who book with Stephanie will receive a special credit for the cruise.
✨ Themes explored:
🧠 Mindset, self-talk & the neuroscience of change
🧰 Boundaries, self-care basics & habit stacking
🩺 Functional medicine, genetics, hormones & gut health
🚴‍♀ Movement as medicine: cycling, skiing, nature therapy
If you’re ready to stop living on empty and start leading from a full cup, this conversation is your roadmap.
#CapitalJazzFestCruise #AnthonyHamilton #Najee #LalaHathaway #dopamine #functionalmedicine #cancerscreen #MindsetMatters #PositivePsychology #Resilience #Neuroscience #SelfEfficacy #BoundarySetting #FunctionalMedicine #GutHealth #HormoneHealth #CaregiverSupport #WomenOver50 #HealthyAging #ProstrateScreen #AboutThisLifePodcast #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou

The neurologist said her brain was rewiring itself- what emerged would be something whole. Something wild. Something wonderfully unexpected.
Cheri, a former Air Force Critical Care Nurse, knows a thing or two about surviving injury. But after a traumatic brain injury ended her 25 year career, she turned to art as a lifeline.
She creates art that is raw, emotionally layered to hold space for what’s been broken, unraveled, and rebuilt.
The injury that stole her nursing career gave her back her soul. Now Cheri stands before a canvas, paintbrush in hand, creating magic.
✨ Themes explored: 🌿 Healing from trauma 🎨 Finding creativity through art and self-expression 🌌 Traumatic brain injury 🧘‍♀ The connection between body, mind, and spirit
If you’ve ever felt stuck, defeated or depressed, this story will inspire you to step into your own power and become new again.
#HealingJourney #LifeAfterTrauma #Resilience #CreativityHeals #ArtAsTherapy #Neural Pathways #Starting Over #Air Force Nurse #Abstract Painter #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalHealing #MindBodySpirit #AuthenticLiving #TransformationStory #SelfDiscovery #InspirationDaily #OvercomingObstacles #SpiritualGrowth #ChaosToClarity #AboutThisLifePodcast #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou

Who gets to tell our story? From poetry to prose, this powerful conversation dives into the themes of family and the resilience of the human spirit. Discover how storytelling preserves culture.
V Efua Prince, author of Kin (2024), a winner of a 2025 Next Generation Indie Award and longlisted for the 2025 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and co-author with Hoke Glover III of Crazy As Hell: The Best Little Guide to Black History (2024), sits down with Ann-Marie to talk about philosophy, history, poetry, and writing that is transformative. Her current work represents a refinement of themes she has been considering for more than 20 years, evident in Burnin’ Down the House (2005).
Prince is a professor of African American Studies at Wayne State University. She received her PhD from the University of Michigan in English Language and Literature, the Avalon Professor of Humanities at Hampton University, a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia’s Carter G. Woodson Institute, and a fellow at Harvard University’s W. E. B. Du Bois Center.
We explore the importance of language, dialect, and the power of literature to create community, inspire change, and pass wisdom across generations, reflecting on soul, resilience, and the stories that shape us.
✨ Remember to like, share, and subscribe for more powerful conversations on life, culture, and transformation.
#HamptonUniversity #BlackAuthors #Black GirlLiterature #MochaGirlsRead #AfricanAmericanStudies #AfricanAmericanLiterature #Storytelling #HealingJourney #LiteratureMatters #HarkemWritersGuild #Black Writers Collective #Hurston/WrightFoundation #CityLitStage #Kin #Kindred #Ancestors #LifeLessons #Wisdom #LoveAfterTrauma #Inspiration #PoetryAndProse #CommunityVoices #SoulTalk #MindsetShift #CulturalHeritage #HumanExperience #GenerationalHealing #AboutThisLifePodcast #BecomingEnoughBecomingYou