78. How to Embrace & Share Your Voice and Greatness with Diane Wyzga

Have you ever experienced something almost mystical that unfolds when you embrace and share your unique personal story? Well, Diane Wyzga is with us to roll out this transformative magic woven into the fabric of personal narratives. Our conversation is a spirited journey from the roots of Diane's love for storytelling to her profound work as an origin story co-creator, guiding us to recognize the strength in our own voices and the greatness we're destined to achieve.

Join us as Diane:

• Unpacks the essence of an origin story and its pivotal role in shaping identity and purpose;
• Examines the intricate dance of listening and sharing, pushing back against injustice, and the importance of being seen and heard through the unique lens of personal experiences; and 
• Shares strategies for overcoming the fear of vulnerability and the importance of women voicing their stories.

This episode is for anyone ready to rewrite their narrative, speak their truth, and discover just how influential their story can be, so prepare to be on an exploration of courage, resilience, and the undeniable ripple effect of embracing your unique story.

Connect with Diane:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Stories from Women Who Walk

Episode 78's Affirmation:
My voice is powerful and, because of that, I am created to do great things.

Transcript

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Power Transformation With Diane Wiska

Alethea Felton 0:00

There are some people that you meet in life , if even briefly , who are just true lights , who are genuine , who are sincere , who are so warm and welcoming that there is no other way that you can explain them , and that is how I'm explaining this person , or at least describing her , to you . Diane Wyzga is our guest today and , oh my , oh my , does she help you bring out your story and so much more . This is an episode that you want to hear , pay attention to and apply what she teaches us in your own life . Everyone's story is unique and everyone's story has power . So let's prepare for Diane Wyzga on the Power Transformation podcast . Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed hopeless ? Yet you think that you have the power to change your life for the better , no matter the obstacles you face . Well , if so , then you're in the right place and welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast , where we explore the incredible true stories of people who have overcome adversity and created meaningful lives . So prepare to be inspired , equipped and empowered , for the time is now to create your power transformation , power Transformation . Hey y'all , welcome back for another episode of the Power Transformation podcast . Oh , today's guest is going to definitely be someone who is going to inspire you because , y'all , she helps people with their stories and she does a lot more than that as well and , as you heard me say in the intro part of this , she's a light .

Alethea Felton 2:11

But I want to go ahead and jump into this episode . Thank you so much for people who have followed me from day one and if you are new to the Power Transformation Podcast , welcome . I always begin with an affirmation . We're going to jump right into that affirmation . Now say it aloud . I'm going to say it once and then you repeat it . My voice is powerful and because of that , I am created to do great things . I am created to do great things . I am so thrilled today to have such a beautiful guest inside and out , and that is none other than Diane Wyzga . She is beyond simply a storyteller , but she is an origin story co-creator . She helps people make so much meaning and clarity out of their own stories . But I'm going to get her to articulate that even better in a few . But first of all , I'd just like to say welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast , diane .

Diane Wyzga 3:23

Thank you very much . I am delighted to be here , Alethea , and I can feel myself being transformed already .

Alethea Felton 3:30

Oh , thank you . That's so lovely . That's so lovely . So I want to jump right into this interview and I always ask guests just a random question , starting so that we can get to know you better . And this is the question that I have for you . It's kind of connected to what you do now , but a little different . Diane , when you were growing up , what were some of your favorite stories or genre of story , or is there one story that you heard as a child that you absolutely loved , and what was it about that story that you just loved ?

Diane Wyzga 4:10

Oh , I will tell you . That is a great , great , great question . I have always loved the Pippi Longstocking series . It is a I think it's a Danish . It is a I think it's a Danish , I think it's a Danish woman author . There's actually a good movie , documentary movie out there about her . But Pippi Longstocking , as you know , and maybe some of your listeners don't know , was a young girl I want to say 9 , 10 , 11 . She had carrot-colored hair and braids and she lived on her own with a horse that she kept on her porch . Her father was a sailing captain , like a sailing captain out on the seas , and she had two friends . They were a brother and a sister , and the three of them were always getting into all sorts of adventures . In fact , in one story she actually goes out after her father , who's been kidnapped by pirates , and I read those books when I was getting ready , studying for the bar exam , just because it was so courageous and so encouraging . So yeah , that's a , it's a great , it's an absolutely great set of books .

Alethea Felton 5:30

I'm so excited you said that , because I read the books but also there was a movie made , I want to say , in the 1980s , and I watched that movie . But what I loved about her too is both of her pigtails flipped up in the air . That was fun too . That was a lot of fun . Pippi Longstocking oh , that's so great , I think I'm going to have to find it again , maybe on Audible , and then that way I'm listening to it and everything . Oh , that's exciting , what a great way to start .

Alethea Felton 6:04

So Pippi Longstocking , to now you as Diane Wyzga . If you were to describe yourself , who would you say is Diane Wyzga ?

Diane Wyzga 6:18

Oh my , you know what

Discovering and Sharing Personal Stories

Diane Wyzga 6:24

. There are elements of me that are in Pippi , and I did a podcast episode about this a little while ago . There's a story in my family . I was the firstborn , so I'm the first of seven children , and when I was transitioning from diapers to I think they call them pull-ups now , or little girl unders , I did not , did not , did not want to sit on the little girl pot . There's no way it was . I wanted to be up there on the big human's porcelain throne and that was all there was to it . And my mother because our children , the children in the family , are about 18 months apart I'm sure that she was just beside herself and said fine , do what you want , do what you want . And if you fall in , you know that's on your head too , which I know is kind of literal .

Diane Wyzga 7:11

But that little story , I think , is emblematic of what's inside of me , that sense of I want to do it myself . I know what I'm doing , I got my own way of doing it , and what's important about that is , over time , like I imagined other women , your listeners here , and men too that that voice gets compressed or squelched , and that inner adventurer that I can do it . I know how I'm going to challenge myself , I'm going to climb up . There happens less and less and less . It's not gone , it might be misplaced or lost for a time , but that sense of what we are capable of .

Diane Wyzga 8:01

So I think that is an indicator of what the Spirit is in me and the other thing that I wouldn't have been able to say years ago . But , as it happens , we live our lives looking forward and we understand them . Looking backward , what I understand is that my work has been about overcoming or pushing back on injustice . So whether it was in nursing or in business or in law or story work , that theme of helping others be seen and heard and understood and listened to has always been important . I wouldn't have said that if you would ask me a time ago , but today I recognize it and I think that it's part nature and it's part nurture , because ironically , my mom's in there .

Alethea Felton 9:05

How is your mom in there ?

Diane Wyzga 9:09

Oh , good question . Well , like other women growing up in her generation , she had places to go and things to do . She graduated Phi Beta Kappa , she was a valedictorian of her college class and she was on her way to medical school . She wanted to be a surgeon , and then she met my dad Wow , and they decided that they would have a dozen children , which was kind of insane , because my mom was an only child and my dad was the youngest of about a dozen , meaning he had lots of brothers and sisters to take care of him . And so her life pivoted from the place that she thought she was going to a different place .

Diane Wyzga 9:52

However , those ideas and those dreams did not stop . She went on to teach math and science and there's four girls in the family and each one of us is a sole practitioner in our own way . And it was a family joke , but my dad would come home with the ideas Well , how about if we do this ? How about if we do that and my mom would be the implementer ? If we do that , and my mom would be the implementer ? Okay , well , we've never been camping before in our entire lives , but let's give it a go . Okay , we've never done this before , but let's give it a go . And it's her spirit , that sense of let's give it a go , that I grew up with .

Alethea Felton 10:40

Oh , and that's a good segue to this next question about let's give it a go . You help people give it a go , so to speak , when it comes to them sharing their stories . Now , when I said that you are an origin story co-creator , Diane , let's start that journey . Tell us what exactly is that and how do you go about doing that ? What even led you to that place ?

Diane Wyzga 11:10

There are many roads that led there and I think we've walked a few of them so far . In these great questions that you're asking me , the origin story , as I see it , is the story that is probably the most significant or consequential in our life . It is the story that says this is how I got from there to here , all of the accomplishments , the hardships , the difficulties , the achievements . It shows up in who we are , and I know that Simon Sinek talks about your why and that's important , your why , why do you do what you do ? But I take it a step back and say who are you ? What is your who ? Because your who informs your why . And your who has to do with that origin story , just like the questions you've been asking me when did you come from ? What's a highlight in your life , what are the values that you hold dear , and how do those show up in the work that you do ?

Diane Wyzga 12:16

So the origin story is the work that I do now . It's based on that sense of wanting to help others , be seen , heard , understood and listened to . And what's really key there is our voice . We each have a very unique , individual , once-in-the voice and when we voice our story , our ideas , those are acts of creation . And when we have the courage to use our voice to speak , our mind , to say what we mean and mean what we say , we've taken this bold and beautiful step toward making happen what we desire . And so by doing that , by actually stepping outside of your comfort zone and saying I know what I stand for , I know what I don't stand for , and speaking with intention , then we have the chance to be and do who we are . And so we go back to the power of transformation , and our work always transforms the lives of those we serve .

Diane Wyzga 13:41

So , when we are doing our work , we are transforming the lives of those we work for , those we serve as well is what led you to this work .

Alethea Felton 14:06

When did you decide , and how did you decide , one day , that I want to help others share their story and to bring more meaning to it ?

Diane Wyzga 14:15

When , when , when , when . Okay . So I was working as a storyteller and storytelling instructor decades ago and in my class and it was a university class , and into my class walked , well , the students , because this was the first time that they had ever been offered a storytelling course and it was a semester long . Into my course walked two trial attorneys . Now these are seasoned attorneys . They are supposed to show up in court and argue the case of their plaintiff , the injured party , to a judge and a jury . And they were there because they felt that they were doing a disservice , an injustice to their clients and that somehow , if they could figure out how to better tell their client's story , they would have a better chance at being successful in trial . And I don't mean lying or any of that spin that people say that lawyers do . I don't mean that at all . I mean that finding a heartfelt way to tell that story , using the facts , but also being able to connect with the stories that are in the jury's lives , in the lives of the jurors .

Diane Wyzga 15:39

And when I started working with them , one of the attorneys said this is like doing an archaeological dig on ourselves . So when people hear me say archaeological dig , that's how may , because the work of being able to hear , understand and share the plaintiff's story starts with the lawyer himself herself . They have to understand their who , they have to understand how come they became a litigator and then they have to understand exactly what is their plaintiff client going through . So I think it actually , if I had to pick a moment in time , that would have been the start of it , because once I started working with those attorneys , they had other attorneys and then I became a litigation consultant and so I had a practice for a dozen years and what I did was helped lawyers , litigation consult , litigators who worked only for plaintiffs , the injured party , and I . I helped , yeah , because the defense they got a lot of help , yeah .

Alethea Felton 17:13

Not so much . I never considered that , but you're right In a lot of ways . Yeah , I never considered that I love law . I was going to go to law school at one point changed my mind , but I still love law to this day and I never thought about it like that .

Diane Wyzga 17:26

Well , tell me what it is that you love about it , because that's not something one hears often .

Alethea Felton 17:32

I just like how the legal system operates , and I'm not saying that it operates well in all cases . But what I like about the law is , first of all , in these United States , I find that , depending on where you live , everything is not necessarily united in the law .

Alethea Felton 17:53

And I also just love the way that you do have a right in this country to a right well , to a trial , and you know all of that .

Alethea Felton 18:05

But in terms of law , I just like how the different types of law work in connection to the overall system as a whole .

Alethea Felton 18:18

It's hard to kind of put into words , but ever since I was young I just liked looking at court TV and I liked looking at different parts of it and I was going to do education , attorney and educational law whole other story based on why I chose not to actually do that .

Alethea Felton 18:39

But to this day I just still enjoy reading about court cases , and not even necessarily serious ones in terms of manslaughter or murder . But it can be something , as you know , simple as a case where a person is suing their neighbor because they built a fence over their yard , or it can be about contracts . It's just that law is so multifaceted to me and I never really saw the connection between storytelling and law and how it's so important for attorneys to really almost in a way get that origin story first of their plaintiff or the person they are representing , prior to everything else taking place . You've just gotten me to have almost like an aha moment that I never realized before . And that kind of leads me to my next question , and that question is what role does storytelling actually play when it comes to fostering or creating empathy and understanding , and how can we use our personal narratives to even create a positive change in our world ?

Diane Wyzga 20:06

great question . I think you must be batting a thousand . Now um story so much in you .

Alethea Felton 20:13

I said , okay , I had to kind of , you know , scaffold these questions .

Diane Wyzga 20:18

But I said she's ready for those higher level thinking questions I hope so yes , you are so um story connection shifting attitudes , behaviors and cultures will kind of go at it that way . Does that cover your question ?

Alethea Felton 20:34

storytelling . What role does it play when it comes to fostering and or creating empathy and understanding ? And we need more of that . Personally , I think we need more of that in our world now , but I think sometimes people take their stories for granted and don't think they have a story to share . But I think everybody has a story to share , has something right . So how exactly can our stories create empathy , understanding , in order to promote a positive change in our world ?

Diane Wyzga 21:22

Got it .

The Magic and Power of Stories

Diane Wyzga 21:23

So the way in which story works very generally I'm not going to give you the semester class but the way in which it works is that it touches the listener's emotions , senses , feelings , memories . So when I'm telling a story to you , so we shared the Pitby Longstocking story and right away there was a connection because of the themes that we were talking about the universal truths of you know , independence and whatnot . And so that's the way story works , that we , the story storyteller and the story listener , are all working together in a unit . And it is that engaged connection that goes back and forth , that heartfelt story that people are feeling inside , so that when we share our story about a particular event and so I'm sharing the story about the potty training and what it was like and the role that that played in my life someone else hearing that story is actually going back in their imagination and remembering a time when they were similarly independent or trying to do it their own way . So we're connecting in ways that are unsaid but also felt . So it's being said but it's also being felt at the same time .

Diane Wyzga 22:58

The place that I begin is with the sorcery of stories . I call that the magic part of stories because we are connected with the way in which stories happen to us . We are always talking in narrative , we are always talking in metaphor . This is like that is From the very earliest time we came home from school and someone said what happened to you today ? And we're telling a story all the time , all the time , all the time . So , by using our stories to help shift attitudes and behaviors , we are looking at something that we learn . How did I overcome my righteous , opinionated , judgmental self to become empathetic , understanding of and compassionate toward another ? See , we're right back to ourselves ourselves , our who , our archaeological dig on our story . That was the change that the lawyers were talking about . Now that I can see something in myself , I can see it in the other , so it starts with our own , you know , overcoming our lesser angels as it were , and becoming a better human being and then turning that understanding of humanity , shining that light on the next person .

Diane Wyzga 24:30

So I'll ask you a question what do you think is the greatest , the most important skill ? What do you think the most important skill of a storyteller is ?

Alethea Felton 24:41

Oh , dang Diane , I wasn't prepared for this . Uh , the greatest important skill of a storyteller ? The greatest important skill of a storyteller maybe the delivery of it .

Diane Wyzga 24:58

That's a great answer , and I will jump to the end and say , believe it or not , it's what you've been doing , it's listening . The most important skill a storyteller has , believe it or not , is listening . Because as we're telling the story , we are listening with our body , we are listening with our eyes , we're listening to see , listening in quotes , to see if our listeners are picking up the little cookie crumbs that we're dropping in the forest and coming up with us . Are they getting the story ? Are they with me in the story ? The same thing happens when we are using our stories to shift attitudes , behaviors , dare I say , cultures . We are listening to see if the listener is with us and then we are listening their story out of them . How are you like me ? How is your experience like my experience ?

Diane Wyzga 25:55

Because the one thing that I will say that is universal when we tell a story and someone listens to a story , there is that sense of what you too , I thought I was the only one and you're not . And the other thing is , when we hear a story , we are to raise our eyes to whomever our God is and say why did you send that story to me at this time ? And say , why did you send that story to me at this time ? And the last thing I'll say about this is that I believe that stories are very organic . They want to be heard , and so the question that we're asking ourselves is what is the story that I know about myself that needs to be said , that needs to be heard so that I can help someone else ? And what is the story I want to listen out of them , so that they know they are seen , heard , understood and listened to .

Diane Wyzga 27:03

And the last thing I'll say , because you mentioned this there is a lot of division in the world . When we are having a disagreement with someone , our views are different . They say black , I see white . They say red , I say blue , whatever . If we can find the awareness in ourself to know that we're not disagreeing with the person , we're disagreeing with their viewpoint , their perspective , okay , that's all right . However , where can we find common ground between the two stories ? And once we find common ground between the two stories , what can we build on ? And that's the connecting part , that is the invitation to someone that says I don't necessarily agree with your point of view , but I understand what you're saying to me . I want to take what you're saying to me find common ground and see if we can knit together a third story that takes my story , your story , and grow something good out of what could be a disagreement . How does that land on you ?

Alethea Felton 28:22

I guess that's what they say . That lands well on me because what came to mind ? I'm a musical person too and a song just popped in my mind hearing that , and it was really the song from the 1980s we Are the World where everybody came together in unity for a common cause despite the differences . For a common cause despite the differences . I'm hearing that in the background from what you said because it does get me to think about if we could just pause for a moment and just listen and we can understand .

Empowering Women to Share Their Stories

Alethea Felton 29:05

Now for a person who's experienced many challenges in their life and they may have a story to share , but not exactly sure how to rewrite their narrative , diane , would you briefly just tell us how did you find the strength to rewrite your narrative after experiencing challenging life experiences ?

Diane Wyzga 29:28

experiencing challenging life experiences .

Diane Wyzga 29:31

Well , I was lucky in that I was able to find good counselors , people that could listen to the story out of me , and so , with that help , I was able to , as I say , do the work , do the work on the story and sort out where I might have been at fault in something and can change that , and where I wasn't and shouldn't be taking the blame for that .

Diane Wyzga 29:55

So doing the work on our story comes first , and the reason that that's important is because when we decide to intentionally share an aspect of our story and we have to ask ourselves how come and to whom and for what purpose , then we want to make sure that our listeners don't feel like they have to reach out and catch us . That person's solid in what they're saying . So what that goes to is the work of vulnerability . We all have shadow sides and the question becomes what of my story is important for someone else to hear ? I'm not saying that we've just got to puke on the page and hang out all the dirty laundry , but there are times when what we've overcome is important for us to say , because it's a way of saying this is my story , this is what I've accomplished , and it's important for someone else to hear what you two thought I was the only one , wow .

Alethea Felton 30:57

And when it comes to that sharing of stories , say , if a person comes to you and they want to share that story but frankly they're scared and they're afraid of that vulnerability , what are some strategies that a person could use to begin to overcome some of that fear and embrace their own personal power when it comes to their stories being shared ?

Diane Wyzga 31:26

Well , first of all , what I offer is a safe place . So I start with the belief that you know the story you want to tell . You might need some help in finding the words that you don't think you have , but you really do . And so the story sitting there and holding the story you see me holding a circle . It's like you're sitting inside a circle of safety .

Diane Wyzga 31:54

It's also recognizing that a story is a narrative . It can be rewritten , and by facing where we might have created a problem or where someone might have created a problem against us is the first step of saying , okay , there's a part I played in this and there's a part that someone else played in this . I can't make that person different , but I can make myself different . I can do that , and I think that's one of the most important steps of moving into looking at some of the challenges in your story and saying , okay , this is where I screwed up , you mess up , you fess up , and now I can begin with help to rewrite that narrative . And I suggest seeking out help wherever you'll begin to see that it's only a story . You can unravel it , you can rewrite it .

Alethea Felton 33:21

And one of my favorite quotes from you that you said to me when we first met and you also brought it up here here is that you said to me one point my job is to help you find the words you didn't know you had , but you have . That , to me , is so profound , and so I know that we don't have a lot of time left , but , diane , was there ever a point in your life when you didn't think you had the words that you have now , and what was it that catapulted you to finding those words and being able to share those words with others ?

Diane Wyzga 34:08

We could talk all day . Great question . So I've shared before and I think I've mentioned it to you before , that I'm an incest survivor and so , like many , as a child , you want to say something but you don't have the words to say it . Or you do say something and someone says that didn't happen . You are a liar . And so , gradually , you begin to not trust your words , your intuition , your experiences , and you begin to get really small . It's not gone away . The voice has not gone away . It's just a lot smaller . Where did it begin to get bigger for me ? I will tell you this .

Diane Wyzga 34:59

I hadn't thought about it to this moment , but when I was in law school , there is a competition called moot court and you do that in your first year and you're paired up with another student . You're given a case that is going on to the appellate court , so it's been tried in the lower courts , it's going on as judges or eventually really judges , and there was something about that process , something about that organized process , something about that process that said this is your chance . I mean , you're arguing and even though it was an exercise , it was an exercise that I could really get involved in . Like , all right , now I know what to say , how to say it . I'm acting on behalf of someone else , because this was a case involving someone else .

Diane Wyzga 35:58

And I will tell you that on the very last day , I was arguing against a student who was an older student and he had been a pastor , a church pastor Talk about somebody that could talk . We were in front of a panel of five sitting Supreme Court chief justices from different states , the state of Pennsylvania and Idaho , yes , yes , and so we would each argue . There was the appellant side , the appellee side . We would each argue , and then the judges would ask us questions , and then we had to reverse roles , meaning you can't just argue .

Diane Wyzga 36:37

The side that you're familiar with you had to argue the other side and then the judges would ask you questions again . I won and I have to say , yes , I've got a picture of myself in a pinstripe suit and a perm , but I think it was that moment , and I've got the five justices behind me in their black robes .

Alethea Felton 37:02

Oh , I love it .

Diane Wyzga 37:03

But I think it was at that moment .

Alethea Felton 37:23

Definitely impressive . Yes , that was it .

Alethea Felton 37:24

That was the place where I could say you know what , maybe there is something here , and through all of this , I just hear such empowerment and what is a piece of wise counsel I don't like to say advice , but a piece of wisdom that you could share specifically with women . Now , I know I have men listeners , and I love men , but in terms of women specifically , it's been my experience , and in just reading certain things , is that women , we tend to apologize more , we tend to silence our voices and we apologize for things that we don't even need to apologize for . And so my question to you is what is a piece of wise counsel or advice that you'd like to share with women who are on a journey of self-discovery , self-empowerment and want to begin sharing their narrative and their story ? What can you say to them ?

Diane Wyzga 38:33

keep going . You have a voice . There will be no other voice like yours in the whole of creation . So begin to find the courage to say what you mean , and mean what you say , because those are acts of creation , regardless of whether you say them in your family , in your community , in your school , in your church , in your job , whatever .

Embracing Your Voice and Story

Diane Wyzga 38:56

I also say that , if you're just at that place of I'm not really sure about how to step out with my voice , take the step that's right in front of you . Find one moment in time to speak up . If you scramble your words in an office setting , trying to make your thoughts clear , get your idea across . Practice , jotting down a few things so that you've got an anchor there . Deliver those thoughts with intention and end with a solid conclusion .

Diane Wyzga 39:27

If you are interested in exploring more . You don't cross the ocean by standing on the shore . If you want to know what you're capable of doing , you have to step out yourself . There's a song . We've been talking about stuff in the past . Give me one moment in time where I can be more than I thought I would be . That moment we have to give to ourselves . Nobody is going to give it to us . And if you want to take one word out of your vocabulary it is sorry . If there are occasions where you have to apologize , then you can say that I apologize for . But otherwise you can always say excuse me , yes and that's enough . Oh my gosh , excuse me is enough . Yes , and that's enough .

Alethea Felton 40:16

Oh my gosh , excuse me is enough . Yes , my sister listens faithfully to my podcast and that is one thing that she is the queen of and she has gently corrected people who say that where we might be in a grocery store and a person needs to get to something in the aisle and they sound scared and say I'm sorry , and my sister has turned to them and say what are you sorry about ? You didn't do anything to hurt me . They stop and pause and say , oh well , I need to get that . And my sister has said , well , all you have to do is say , excuse me , you aren't causing trouble for me . And the person will stop and pause and say , oh , you're right , excuse me . I've seen it happen more than once . It's in the little things where we say yes , I'm sorry Like no .

Alethea Felton 41:11

If you need to get a loaf of bread , it's fine , just say yes , I understand that .

Diane Wyzga 41:17

Wow , that's clear . Yes .

Alethea Felton 41:20

I know that you have , of course , confidentiality between clients , so you can keep this general , but is there a story that comes to mind of a woman that you've worked with who experienced a significant transformation and a significant change when she clarified her narrative and decided to amplify her story and share it with others ? Have you seen a transformation happen and could you just give us a brief example in general of how that person was when they started working with you ? By the time that process was over , did you see some type of a change in them or shift ?

Diane Wyzga 42:11

Yes , I always do . I always do , and it's the most exciting thing , because it's like having a kid come home from school and go guess what , guess what , guess what . I got a pumpkin on my paper . Woo , woo , woo . Yes , yes , there is always , always , always , as you said earlier , this aha moment , this sense of delight , and , hoping that you would ask me a question like this , I grabbed something .

Diane Wyzga 42:34

There was a woman who came to me because she had an idea for a keynote and she wasn't sure about the idea . She needed to clarify the ideas , she needed to figure out how to amplify the message . Like so many people , she was afraid of public speaking . Okay , so we've got this . We got this big project . So here's what she said . When we were done , she said Diane knew that I needed someone to hold supportive , non-judgmental but always very disciplined space to help me find the words .

Diane Wyzga 43:06

Throughout our time working together , I learned how to further develop my creative process , reframe negative self-talk and self-doubt and turn it into self-love . These are her words Create a more consistent writing practice and how to work with my inner critics so they were no longer stopping me . Two more points Gained insight into my own unique brilliance and how to use it for my life and creations . And , above all , I learned that I loved writing . And this new found discovery resulted in my biggest dream of all being made real . And she took that keynote and she went on and she delivered it and then she wrote a book .

Alethea Felton 43:50

Oh , it gave me chills . Oh , wow , that is so . Oh my gosh . That is everything , and I'll just chime in to say to anybody listening it's never too late for you to share your story . As long as you have breath and you are still looking on this side , you can share your story . It doesn't matter how old you are , because sometimes people think I'm old or I'm older , or even people who are younger , who might be 20s , 30s or even 40s , who say , well , I haven't really done a lot with my life . It doesn't matter , you don't have to be famous , you don't have to be well-known .

Diane Wyzga 44:46

You still have something significant to offer , diane . What do you love most about the work that you do from the women that I work with ? Because I don't think they expect the archaeological dig work , the sense of pushing back on the inner critics , the realization that they are bold and brilliant and beautiful and have things to create and to offer , it's that I mean . You can say , yeah , I helped somebody with a keynote . That's just the beginning , that's just the open door part . The rest is what you heard her describe about herself , and if I can be of use to a woman to arrive at that place , imagine the effect , the transformative effect , the power of her transformation she will have on others that she serves . So it can only go out from there , and I will echo what you said we need the voices of the young people to show us the way . We need the voices of the elders to show us how it's been and what they still see . And so , yes , regardless , regardless , it's a story that needs to be heard .

Alethea Felton 46:04

And my last question for you prior to getting your contact info is what have you learned most about yourself in being a story origin or origin story co-creator ? What have you learned most about yourself ?

Diane Wyzga 46:22

That's a brilliant question . I think it goes hand in glove with the podcasting work that I do , which is I feel like I'm building my life in public and when I work with someone , they are teaching me , they're helping me pull back layers of myself , they're helping me find a deeper level of awareness , empathy , compassion and also , you know , delight . We get so caught up in the work of things and also we get so caught up in the work of things . I'm not a person that goes easily to joy and happiness and all that stuff . I'm a little bit more centered on that , and yet I reach for these places of joy , of what I call deliciousness , because that is so nourishing . That is so nourishing for us and for the world .

Diane Wyzga 47:19

So , my , you know , each one teach one , each one lift one . That's how we roll here .

Alethea Felton 47:25

Yes indeed , diane . I know that people are going to want to learn more about you , want to hear more interviews or even say I'm ready to tell my story . How can someone connect with you , diane ?

Diane Wyzga 47:39

There's a couple of ways . I'm on LinkedIn , so that's a really easy way to get a hold of me . My website is called Quartermoon Story Arts and there's lots of information on there . You can reach out to me at info at quartermoonstoryartsnet and I will happily write back to you . But I think the most important thing that I offer is something that no one else really does , and that is a discovery conversation , and I know it's 45 minutes long , which might sound a little bit daunting to people , but it's a chance to get to know each other , to start to flesh out what your project might be , hear the beginning parts of your story , see what it is that you want to do and be , and so that's free , and I offer that . It's a good value . It's a really good value , but I offer that to people . No sales , no obligations . Just sign up on the website and let's hear what you want to offer to the world .

Alethea Felton 48:44

Beautifully , beautifully stated . Everything has been beautifully stated and it is such an honor to be in your presence . I am so glad that we've connected and I thank you for taking time to be a part of the Power Transformation podcast . And , of course , this is not the end of our collaboration . But again , diane , thank you for taking time and being on West Coast time and I'm on the East Coast and I appreciate you so much . Thank you again for gracing us with your presence .

Diane Wyzga 49:20

I could not have done it without you . And if you ever get out to the great state of Washington , my door is open because we are sisters from different misters , so there will be pie and coffee waiting on the table for you .

Alethea Felton 49:34

And I will take you up on that offer , okay .

Diane Wyzga 49:38

Good , thank you .

Alethea Felton 49:46

What an honor it has been to have Diane on the Power Transformation podcast . And , as our affirmation today speaks on and we're going to say it as we close out Everybody has a story to share and you are created to just do unbelievable things . So I thank Diane from the bottom of my heart for gracing us today with her presence , and I encourage you to share this episode with others also and connect with Diane . If you want her to help you , let's go ahead and close out with our affirmation . I'll say it once and you repeat it my voice is powerful and because of that , I am created to do great things . To do great things . If you enjoyed today's show , then you don't want to miss an episode . So follow the Power Transformation Podcast on Apple Podcasts , spotify or wherever you usually listen , and remember to rate and review . I also invite you to connect with me on social media at Alethea Felton , that's , at A-L-E-T-H-E-A-F-E-L-T-O-N . Until next time , remember to be good to yourself and to others .