The Power Transformation Podcast
The Power Transformation Podcast hosted by Alethea Felton, celebrates the resilience, determination, and hope of entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and visionaries who have conquered adversity and various challenges to create meaningful lives.
With her own inspiring journey of living with autoimmune disease since birth (and now thriving), overcoming severe stuttering, and more, Alethea's authenticity adds depth to intimate conversations with her guests who have overcome extraordinary obstacles.
Alethea's heart-centered, introspective, and engaging style elevates this podcast into a movement that inspires listeners to embrace their inner strength, cultivate empowerment, and rise wiser, stronger, and more courageous to achieve their next level of success.
The Power Transformation Podcast
99. Transforming After Domestic Violence & Confronting Family Secrets with Lin Green
Lin Green’s extraordinary journey will captivate and inspire you. Her memoir, Enough with the Secrets, Mama!, reveals not only the complex relationship between she and her mother but also the resilience of her family’s migration to the United States from the Dominican Republic.
Lin’s story of overcoming childhood domestic violence and unveiling family is a testament to changing challenges into victories and the importance of faith, community connections, and perseverance. Discover how Lin turned personal struggles into a mission to uplift others and why her work in criminal justice with troubled youth as well as others in her local community has made lasting, positive difference.
Episode 99's Affirmation:
I am a resilient changemaker, using my experiences to empower, inspire, and create a better world.
Connect with Lin:
NOTE FOR APPLE PODCAST USERS:
- Unfortunately, Apple Podcasts does not show underlined hyperlinks anymore for you to connect with the guests. Therefore, follow these instructions to go to the various websites listed above:
- If you are listening on your phone, take your thumb and press down on each of the words above (Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram). When you do that, then you are able to visit each link.
- If you are listening to this episode on your iPad or MacBook, hover over the words above (Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), and a hand icon will appear. Then you are able to visit each link.
- Thanks for being a part of The Power Transformation Podcast community!
New episodes are released every Wednesday, so follow to not miss an episode.
- Want to be a guest on The Power Transformation Podcast? Send Alethea Felton a message on PodMatch, here.
Li Green is definitely an unforgettable guest and I am so glad that I'm interviewing her today on the Power Transformation podcast. She has such an incredible story of transformation, empowerment and resilience. She's an author, a public speaker, a community advocate, a consultant, a founder of her own inspirational platform and so much more. You see, lynn just wrote the book Enough with the Secrets Mama, which details. It's a gripping tale which is told by Lin, and she in a sense honors her mother, who was a self-empowered matriarch, yet is in a part of a family that holds so many secrets. You see, this story follows Lin's family as they journey from her mom's origins in the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico and then ultimately in the United States. And Lynn herself is a child survivor of domestic violence and her experiences throughout her life have shaped her in terms of who she is today and how she cares for so many. So this is definitely an interview that is going to leave you inspired and it's also going to want you wanting to see how you can be a greater part in your own community and changing the lives of so many. So, Lin Green today on the Power Transformation Podcast changing the world one community at a time.
Alethea Felton:Hey y'all, welcome back to yet another episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. I am Alethea Felton and I am so excited that you have joined me today. Thank you. For those of you who are long-term followers and listeners of this podcast, I appreciate your loyalty and I want you, if there is something that you hear on this show, go ahead and share it. Share this with at least three to five people that you know at least.
Alethea Felton:And you know what else? For those of you who may be brand new to this show, I welcome you with open arms and thank you so much for tuning in today, and this interview with Lin Green is definitely one that is going to have you coming back for more. So if you're new and you haven't caught up on the other episodes as of yet, I invite you to do so. This is episode 99. Oh, my goodness, we're about to hit a milestone and I am so glad that Lin is the guest for today. We're going to go ahead and start with our affirmation. I'm going to say the affirmation once, and then you repeat it, and then we will get right into our interview with Lin Green. I am a resilient changemaker, using my experiences to empower, inspire and create a better world. I am so thrilled to have Lynn Green as our guest today for the Power Transformation Podcast. Welcome, Lin.
Lin Green:Thank you. Thank you so much. It is definitely a pleasure to finally be here to have this conversation. I feel like we've been talking for weeks and it's finally arrived.
Alethea Felton:Exactly and I know that, what you have to share. You have such an incredible story and I look forward to diving deep into more of who you are, but also things that our audience can walk away with. So thank you. But let's start with just a fun icebreaker question, and this is the question for you, lynn. Lynn, if you had a chance to be in a time machine to transport either to the past, sometime now, in the present or even in the future, which time period would you want to be in, and why?
Lin Green:You know, I have always been like a lover of the 1920s, so I would be really interested in seeing and living in that time period, in that era. It was just so much, so much history. I love history and so I like to look back into the past and see how people were living at the time. And I'm even more interested to be able to delve into how my, my grandpa, my great, great greats were living at the time. And I'm even more interested to be able to delve into how my, my grandpa, my great, great greats were living at the time. Yeah, I would definitely go into the past.
Alethea Felton:Now, when you mentioned the 1920s, do you envision yourself in a particular city, geographical area, or would you like to explore it all?
Lin Green:I'd like to explore it all. You know, if I can jump around around the globe, that would be ideal just to see you know what was going on with everyone during that time. You know, it's very because even in school, like when we and I know we've talked a little bit about how you're an educator. So when I think about when I was in school and what I studied in history and a lot of those time periods, you kind of just saw a small scope of the 1920s or maybe the 30s and 40s and 50s. I want to see it all. I would like to see how everyone was living during that time.
Alethea Felton:Yeah at all. I would like to see how everyone was living during that time. Yeah, and for me, when I think about the 1920s and I guess this is my background as a former English teacher I think about the Harlem Renaissance period. Yes, it started to be at its peak in the 1920s. That's what I think about, and how classy and stylish people dressed and, um, I'm such a nerd and I'm proud of it, and there are some nights on youtube that I actually watch different video streams of when uh cameras captured people in the past and how people in the 19-teens and 20s and 30s were dressed to the nines just for everyday things. And so thank you for sharing that because it gives us insight a little bit more as to who you are. But I want to ask this question to you because I think it's vital to our conversation moving forward but who is Lynn Green? Oh, that's that's a loaded question.
Lin Green:I'm sure you hear that a lot, but I feel like you know, when you're a lover of people, and just a lover of life. Your entire life is filled with so much, and so I'll give you just a little glimpse of who I am. I am an Afro-Latina, born to a Dominican parent, my mother's Dominican, my father's Puerto Rican. I come from a blended family of six or seven brothers and sisters. I am a mother to a 23-year-old boy, my one and only wife to my husband's army vet. We're both in public service, and so that's where a lot of my passion for people comes from. I'm a public speaker, I'm an advocate, an inspirational blogger, I'm a writer you name it. Anything that involves loving on people and serving others is what I do and who I am others is what I do and who I am.
Alethea Felton:Yes, and I really like how, even prior to you getting into what you do, you literally explain who you are and your identity and the people and the experiences that make that up, and I think that is so extraordinary, especially with the work you do and audience. I have to tell you, when I first met Lynn and she told me she was mom to a 23 year old, I looked at her like what, how in the world did that happen? Because for anybody that's listening, you know, of course you can see the thumbnail, but on YouTube people will actually see you, lynn, you are fabulous Black, don't crack on you. You look amazing.
Alethea Felton:And to have a 23-year-old and to have raised him to be the man he is today, as well as with your husband, is absolutely extraordinary. And and you really have a sense of family, you have a sense of purpose when it comes to your loved ones, and so take us back a bit more and I want us to kind of go with automatically off of the gate, starting with enough with the secrets, mama. Okay, lynn, that is your story, that is what you promote, that is a glimpse of who you are and that is one of you overcoming deep and personal familial challenges. So let's talk about a few of what those challenges were, but also what was the turning point, lynn, that made you decide to break the generational curses and actually set a new course for yourself.
Lin Green:Yes.
Lin Green:So the book was birthed out of a sense for understanding and trying to just dive a little deeper into my relationship with my mother, the difficulties we were having at the time, and though I have worked through that, you know, through counseling and through my own ways of self-healing, with my writing and journaling and I've been a writer as long as I can remember I finally was with every little detail and things that were happening in my life, whether it was conversations with other women or just like those little signs that kept telling me.
Lin Green:You know, I think this is the time, this is the time to tell your story, and so I did. It really was a labor of love, you know, definitely loved my mother to no end, but I understand that, just like me, there were other women out there that are struggling currently, or have struggled, with the mother daughter relationship, with their own mothers or maybe even with their daughters, you know, because of things they have been through. So it was really important for me to delve into who my mother really is at the core, who she, how she became who she is, and that's pretty much how I opened the book with. I'm trying to understand where she came from, how she became the woman that she is and how, in turn, that affected how she raised her children. So certainly, within the years in my upbringing there was some family dysfunction, some traumas that I experienced along the way, but all the while, you know, even while struggling with my relationship with my mother, determined not to let those things overpower me.
Alethea Felton:And you mentioned about your trauma throughout your book and just on your platforms, and you experienced quite a bit of trauma. And so, with the emotional trauma that you went through, as well as some of the physical trauma you experienced, lynn, how did you find the strength to not only survive but to actually transform that pain into purpose?
Lin Green:Yes, I think a lot of the example that my mother had set, even watching her go through things in my childhood, albeit a lot of the things that she was experiencing she was not expressing. But children are very observant. There's really not much that you have to say for children once they get to a certain age to really get a feel for, OK, something just doesn't seem right, doesn't feel right, doesn't look right here. But even through all of that, she was strong. She was strong and she was steadfast at making sure that we had everything we needed, that she accomplished the things that she wanted to accomplish throughout her life. And seeing that really did have an effect on me, Good and bad, because what that did was it developed a sense of purpose and determination and focus to the point where I just was determined not to fail.
Lin Green:And that's a lot of pressure to put on yourself. It's a lot of pressure for kids to put on themselves too. So I would say that really was the driving factor for me accomplishing the things that I did and getting through a lot of the difficulties as well.
Alethea Felton:Yeah, yeah. So with you now, of course, being an adult, having had a lot of experiences, take us back to that childhood, take us back to those experiences, describe what your family life was and then also share with us what were some of those challenges that you had as a child, especially in dealing with your mother.
Lin Green:So, interestingly enough, you know I say this because everyone has who's come from a different country has an immigrant story, has an immigrant story, and my immigrant story is a pretty unique in that, even though we came to the United States for a better life, we lived a pretty good life in the Dominican Republic prior to and in Puerto Rico. My mother has always been a businesswoman. She was a beautician, had several salons. We actually had nannies and people that cooked meals for us and everything. We lived a pretty good life.
Lin Green:All the while, of course, we're talking in the 80s, right, there was always a sense of coming to the United States, we could have a better life and my children this was what she was thinking my children could be, you know, anything that they want to be the education would be different, and so that's where she decided to come here to the United States.
Lin Green:So we came into Rhode Island, providence, rhode Island. I would say that's probably where a lot of my love for history came, because it was all about the colonial times and what came of the US and of the United States as a whole. So that was interesting to me, because I came from a different place and now I'm learning all these new customs. So that was my childhood. Nonetheless, it was a lot of the things like the happiness and the coming into a new country, the excitement. All of that was short lived because my brother, my oldest brother, was struggling with drug abuse, substance abuse, alcoholism, and we saw my mother really struggle as she was helping him through that. Ultimately he ended up getting deported, and I speak of that in the book, but we really just had to, you know, pick up the pieces and keep on moving, and that's pretty much how I grew up.
Alethea Felton:Wow. Yeah that's a lot. And how old was your? Or how many years apart are you and that brother? 17 years, oh, ok, a substantial age gap, but still, nonetheless, that was still a relationship that happened to be severed and, although you share with me, let the audience know how old you were when you came here.
Lin Green:I was three because I started kindergarten shortly after. So I was three years old, my sister and I both only spoke Spanish Spanish when we came here and we learned. You know, kids learn very quickly. Yeah.
Alethea Felton:Kids are sponges.
Lin Green:Yeah, yeah, yes and I think I mentioned this before that Sesame Street was also a major part of my learning.
Alethea Felton:Yeah Well, my sister was in school. Before I could get into school, I spent a lot of time watching Sesame Street, and I learned Latino heritage Also, I was born here, and so English is my first language, spanish is my second, and so it was quite the opposite, and so I can only imagine coming into a new place, a new environment, new cultures, new people, new words. That is significant, and while you overcame that obstacle, you were still dealing with a lot of different things in your own personal life. So when we talk about this complex relationship and dynamic between you and your mother, lynn, the question that I'm inclined to ask you here is how has that relationship with your mother evolved, and what lessons in particular have you learned that could also help heal other people or improve their own familial relationships?
Lin Green:Yes, and I love that question because the evolution of it has it's been a challenge. You know it wasn't. It wasn't easy to even get to a place where we can have a conversation about it, because and I understand as a parent to, you know, to hear from your child child, you think you've done a great job being a parent, but to not see the other side of it, because you're so consumed with life and the happenings and you know you think your children are just adapting very well, when in fact there are these little things that have affected them throughout their life. So the evolution of our relationship, we're in a great place now and now she's at the stage where she's really needing, you know, our assistance more and she's getting older and so we're there every step of the way as things are changing.
Lin Green:But the start of that, of building that relationship, wasn't easy. We had to have some difficult conversations. A lot of it was difficult for her to understanding that there are things that maybe she didn't fully comprehend, that were happening within us as her children and how we were affected by the different things that were happening along the way. But to have grace for myself also to understand that a lot of the things that I've done throughout my life, or the things that I've tried to overcome, were rooted in this relationship that I was seeking with my mother. So the level of just trying to be great at everything you know, to be trying to be perfect, get good grades, be a good student, be the good child you know, and that carried on throughout my life, to the point where it affected me even in my adulthood. So we've definitely come to a more healing place and a more understanding place, especially as I've written the book.
Alethea Felton:And in terms of you writing that book, lynn, what was that aha moment for you, that moment of discovery and that moment of certainty that even led you to write a book, because that can be a tough task. Writing a book by itself takes confidence, but better yet to write a book, a memoir of sorts, that is so intimate, so personal and so detailed. Tell me about that journey and that process. What led you to writing it? And, although you had to have those tough and courageous essential conversations with your mom, what effect did writing the book have on your overall family?
Lin Green:Yes.
Alethea Felton:So, as you were asking me, that question.
Lin Green:I was getting a little emotional because the core of it, especially when it comes to being intimate and sharing so many intimate details of my life, that was something that I wasn't even prepared to do prior to.
Lin Green:You know, when I was, when I was thinking of writing the book, I knew I had to be very transparent, I had to be vulnerable, and these were all things that I was really not good at.
Lin Green:I was raised in and developed this, this attitude that anything that happens in my life, around my life, to my family, you do not mention, you don't express, and so, to get to a place where I had to be open about it, that was nothing but God nudging me in that direction. I knew that in order for me to accomplish what I wanted with this book, which is to ultimately reach other women who are hurting in their maternal relationships, I had to be open and honest. I couldn't hold back, you know, and I had to dig really deep into those very vulnerable places. So, in so many ways and I'm sure people have heard this a million times over, when it comes to authors writing memoirs or, you know, any books depicting their lives, it was very cathartic for me, you know I really learned and grew even through that process. So how has it affected my family? Now my siblings are glad that I was able to express myself the way that I did and my story um my mom, albeit um the, the true matriarch of the family that she is.
Lin Green:She's just glad that I wrote about her, um.
Alethea Felton:Wow, I get it. Yeah, that is something else, uh-huh.
Lin Green:And me I'm like look, if that brings you joy, then I have accomplished something.
Alethea Felton:That is too funny and I laugh because all of these personal things mom is just like hey, I got a book written about me and I said, oh my gosh, what a perspective. But it goes to show how far the relationship has come, where it can be a healing moment for everybody. That is too cute, wow, okay, and so what I find absolutely I don't want to use the word amazing, because I don't think that it's big enough. What I find spectacular about you, lynn, is knowing that you experienced all of these challenges, all of these hardships, yet you actually have a nerve to do work where you are helping so many people through their moments of trauma. And so you are a public speaker, you're an advocate, and you especially have addressed issues like human trafficking and domestic violence. Lynn, how do you tend to maintain your resilience and hope when confronting such difficult topics regularly? But also, more importantly, what led you down this road, into getting into this type of heavy lifting work?
Lin Green:Yes, I feel like a lot of us, as kids, always know what we want to be. Right, there's like that very first thought of you know when they ask us what do you want to be when you grow up? My, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Thought was always number one. Writing has always been my first love, and so I wanted to, to be able to share my what I didn't even know was a spiritual gift at the time. I knew it was something I was so passionate about reading and writing so that was was number one. But but also serving others has always been in my heart. And so I remember going through some old things, that probably one of the times I was moving, I was packing things up and organizing things and I found a it was my middle school kind of like a memory book, memory book, memory book. And in the memory book it had all these questions you know about what do you want to be when you grow up, or what do you want your career to be?
Lin Green:And I remember at that time I wrote that I wanted to work with troubled youth and I didn't really, yeah, and that this was like middle school, you know, and the root of that at that time I couldn't tell you specifically other than obviously I had a heart for wanting to help others and that has been the case all my life, all my life, whether it's been family or just people around me. You know, I think this is just the humanity of seeing other hurting people and feeling like what can I do to help you with that or how can I be of assistance to you? So much of what I do currently is just rooted out of the love for people, out of public service, and the more I have dove even deeper into my spiritual life, more I have even deeper into my spiritual life, the more I realize that is exactly what he wants us to do, so I'm just overjoyed over the fact that I'm doing not just what I love to do, but that I'm honoring him in the process, and so that's great for me.
Alethea Felton:Wow, Indeed it is. And might I ask you more specifically about although you had this desire from a young age, did the opportunity just somewhat come to you? How exactly did you land one of your first positions doing this type of work Did?
Lin Green:you land one of your first positions doing this type of work. Yes, and so interesting, Right? It's just like kind of like one of those goosebump moments. I graduated college and I was ready and I studied criminal justice. That's not what my initial thought was because, as you'll read in the book, I had other thoughts and ideas when I first started college. But I landed in the criminal justice field by an angel registrar who looked at me and said this is where you need to be. That led me to ultimately getting a job with the Department of Juvenile Justice once I graduated and middle school dream come full circle I was working with troubled youth with Department of Juvenile Justice.
Alethea Felton:Wow.
Lin Green:Yes, and so this is not anything that I could have ever even planned you know, talking 14 years old to you know, 23 years old. I would have never have been working on that plan during that time, definitely just dropped into my lap at just the right moment. The position became open and I said this is what I need to do and that's what started my career working with law enforcement and troubled kids.
Alethea Felton:And you know what I think is neat about that, and just listening to the fact that you had that goal at such a young age, despite the traumas that you had experienced. Age despite the traumas that you had experienced. So when you were a child, yourself growing up, going through all of that, Lynn, how did you keep your hope in the midst of such darkness? What did you do?
Lin Green:to navigate through some really challenging times, even in your childhood. Yes, yes, and, dare I say, I believe that a lot of my want to work with others who were hurting is likely rooted also in the fact that I too, at one point in time in my childhood was and I could relate to certain extent. So there was a human connection there that I just knew it was just. You know, I felt like that's where I needed to be, and as far as how I was able to overcome those things in the moment, a lot of it was what I would call like escapism. You know, I read a book and just escape into this whole new world outside of what I was currently living. I'd spend a lot of time outside playing with friends during the time, and that's really.
Lin Green:I dug deep into my education. I feel like this is where I think it's so important and I feel like teachers do not get the credit that they deserve, because if it wasn't for the teacher who believed in me, who really pushed me, who I dedicated my book to, who's passed away since I've been writing the book, I've learned that if it wasn't for that teacher who believed in me and saw something in me and really kept nudging me to pursue this. Um, I would not have been able to overcome a lot of the things that I was experiencing in my childhood. So, um, I am very grateful. Grateful for teachers overall. I'm definitely grateful for Mrs Mullins, who was very, very gracious to me.
Alethea Felton:What a beautiful tribute and honor to her and to her memory and to her legacy, and thank you for those kind words that you said about teachers everywhere.
Alethea Felton:You know I've only been out of the educational sector for a year and I had multiple roles within it, but I did often see the fact that teachers as well as other types of educators or anybody that works in school environments they definitely do so much for the student, and that is one profession where you won't necessarily see the benefits reaped. Because you're planting seeds or you're watering their growth. You don't actually see the harvest of it. More likely than not will you ever in your students. And so that actually leads me to thinking about, then, how you have made a life devoted to service and that you actually have developed a mentoring program and worked extensively in families in their various transitions. So, lynn, what are some of the most common struggles and challenges that you have seen in these families and what practical steps? Say if somebody's in a family who's in a similar situation, what practical steps can they take towards healing and moving forward in their life for a better future?
Lin Green:Yes, I'm a major believer in community. I recall even moments with me growing up where my mother was seeking out those community organizations, whether it's a church. A lot of those community centers and recreational programs and such churches are really geared towards helping people in need, right, and so I think, with a lot of the families that I come in contact with, that the root of their need is community. A lot of them do not know that there are so many resources available to them, and it's easy to get closed into life when you have so many challenges, right.
Lin Green:So you put yourself in this little box and all that's of primary concern is survival. You know that's. How are we going to eat? How do we going to pay the bills? How am I going to get to work? How can I get a job? You know all those things boxed into this life. Having people like myself who are advocating for you in the community or at least reaching out to you, whether you're ready or not in that moment, but giving you my name and number and saying, hey, I know this is a very difficult time and when you're ready, I'm here to help. I feel like that's where it starts. Major, major, major believer in community. I don't think it'll accomplish anything, you know, if it weren't for a community.
Alethea Felton:So yeah, and community is everything, and it goes back to that old adage and proverb about it takes a village to raise a child, and it really does is. I think it takes the entire community working in connection with each other to not see it from the us against them perspective. Common goal toward unity, uplifting, restructuring, rebuilding those networks of community. I think it makes the world better, and with your background, then, in both criminal justice and crisis counseling, you've actually seen people be at their most vulnerable. And so what have you learned about the human spirit's capacity for resilience, and how can people that you work with, as well as people in general, cultivate this type of resilience into their everyday lives?
Lin Green:Yes, you know, I'll tell you. There have been cases that I've responded to where I have been inspired by the resilience in some people, really Wow, who lost her son pretty tragically and she was strong and she kept reciting scripture and she kept just really that was the foundation of her strength at the time and I remember looking at her and saying I am inspired by the way in which you know God is speaking into you in this moment and just keeping strong through the process. I can't imagine that I would be able to have that much strength, but in that moment, watching her, I was a believer, you know.
Lin Green:Whereas, there have also been incidents where I have assisted families who were absolutely crushed, devastated, didn't see how they can get through that difficult circumstance, and the words that would flow out of me I knew were nothing, but you know God working in me. You know for this family because there have been many circumstances where it came pretty close to home. You know for this family because there have been many circumstances where it came pretty close to home. You know the difficulties that they were experienced. I could relate to um. I just used that as a driving factor to to assist them, to assist his family in this difficult time, and so there was a second part to your question. I can't remember.
Alethea Felton:Yeah, so the second part is thinking about and you kind of discussed this, but it's about the human spirit. It's the human spirit capacity for resilience, and the question specifically is how can the people, just in general, cultivate this in their everyday lives?
Lin Green:Yes, yes, um. So I was asked this question once and I and they a gentleman, um, well, another question a gentleman that read my book and said you know, um, and he's a a mental health um expert. And he says, you know, and he's a mental health expert. And he says you know, reading your book. I had to set it down a couple times, but I was definitely impressed and I wonder if it was it's the nature versus nurture, you know, and so the resilience that you're building as a part of living through it versus are you born with some of that resilience, either just observing it in others? I think it's really been impactful for me to have people who surrounded me, who have continued to feed into my soul, so to speak, in whatever way that might be.
Lin Green:And I think those small spurts of love from others, whether it was just their kindness or their time and attention, really did build resilience in me, like, okay, I may be going through this right now, but it's clear that there's better up ahead. Um, my, my spiritual base has definitely been a grounding factor for me. So if it, if it wasn't for that, um primarily, I don't know how I would be able to get through um much of anything, even till today. You know, that's how I start my day, so I would say that's where the bulk of my resilience comes from and that's what I encourage, you know, in others as they're dealing with difficult circumstances.
Alethea Felton:And you definitely come across a lot of different people and some may share your faith and others don't. But let's kind of talk about that aspect. Man is that, how has your faith influenced this work that you're doing, from whether it be promoting the work to helping in the promoting the book, excuse me to working in the community? How has your faith shaped that? What role does faith play in that?
Lin Green:Yes, and you're right. You know I come in contact with a lot of people, some who are spiritual, who are believers in God or have their own religion that they practice, and then others who don't. At the end of the day, we're all human beings, right? We all hurt, we all experienced. You know hard times, we all have good moments and you know bad moments. We all have families who love us and who also may hurt us.
Lin Green:You know, we all experience things, and so I come from a place of love, first and foremost, and my, my beliefs are rooted in love. So, whether it's within my spiritual base or not, I think that's where it's easy to make that connection, because love is universal, right? So, as I'm being genuine and I'm expressing that, you know I care for you. I want to be here with you in this moment out of love and care for you. If you're open to receiving that, then wonderful, you know. And if you're not open to receiving that, also great, because at least I had an opportunity to show you what love is, and when you're ready, you can reach out to me.
Alethea Felton:I had the opportunity to show you what love is. That right, there is a statement, because it shows that love is an action. Love is something that you interact with. It is something that you, that you interact with. It is something that you inspire, that you empower people with. Love brings back a person's form of self-worth, and your book details about you finding your own journey of self-worth. And so then I, for a person that may feel someone watching, or even listening, who may feel devalued, who may feel that they aren't worthy enough, how could that person, lynn, begin their own process of self-empowerment?
Lin Green:It starts with the self right. You have to be willing to find that moment with yourself to really dig deep into who you are, why you do the things you do, why you think the things you think, and is it working for you? At the root of knowing who you are, you know who yourself is, understanding where you currently are. And how does that feel? Do you want to feel better? Do you want to do more, but just don't know how to go about it? Then usually the barriers are kind of grounded in that lack of self-love or lack of self-care.
Lin Green:There was a time when I was in that place where everyone else came before me because, again, I was always wanting to help others and reach others, but sometimes to a fault, you know, and I forget about myself. So, learning to prioritize the things that are going to build you up and look at the things that are breaking you down and see where you can shift that in the other direction you can shift that in the other direction and while you were on your own process and journey of this worth finding and healing.
Alethea Felton:but thinking about the work that you do within the community, lynn, how important is it for the community to help stand in support of helping someone's journey of healing after trauma?
Lin Green:Yes, that is major, I think it's. I think it's hard for people to connect with others if they don't have a personal connection to them anyway. I think that if we would all be willing to shift our mindsets and look at people in much the same way that God looks at us, that wants us to reach other people because we're all you know, they're saying we're all brothers and sisters in Christ or we're all brothers and sisters in general right, we're all here on this earth not by choice or by chance. You know we're here for a purpose and I think if most people would look at others that way, they would create a personal connection where there is none, and you'll start to see people in the human way. You know enough to connect with them to allow them to be more willing to love and care for others.
Lin Green:I'm really loving this movement that we're seeing too. We see it on the social platform, where we're seeing a lot of inspirational guides and people trying to shift, you know, the mindsets into a more positive way of thinking, into a more elevated way of living, and I'm hoping that carries on for a while and I feel like that would solve this problem. But I think if people were to be more open to to being that for others, knowing that you know it's.
Alethea Felton:It's just you're creating a connection where they're with someone and who knows when you'll need that attention and that care and help and people are noticing how you help others, and people are noticing how strategic you are with your efforts, so much, in fact, that you were recognized as a featured changemaker in Orlando Voyager. You have had other spotlights, awards and accolades, but let's think about that word, changemaker, lynn. What does being a changemaker mean to you, and do you even see yourself as such?
Lin Green:Yeah. So I remember when I was reached out, when Orlando Voyager reached out to me, for that I was honored, much the same way as I was honored when Fox News gave me that award as well for my advocacy work in the community. And what's interesting about that is that when you're living in this space, you're not thinking about the possibility that someone is going to recognize you for the things that you do out of the kindness of your heart, whether it's through your profession, or you're going the extra mile which is usually when people start to recognize you. Right, you go the extra mile because you're really connected to wanting to help someone, and so it's really it's it's it's an interesting way of thinking. It's really it's it's.
Lin Green:It's an interesting way of thinking, I guess, is where my, my humbleness comes in, because I'm grateful to be able to wake up each day and do what I do, and there will come a day where I'm no longer specifically within the community, but now wanting to reach the masses, which is what I'm feeling like I'm being led to do, and I have to get out here and be vulnerable and transparent and share my story, because I feel like that is the only, whether it's within the dynamics within my family, breaking a lot of those generational cycles. I'm certainly seeing the effects of that around me, which I am very, very grateful for, but definitely just honored by all the attention?
Alethea Felton:definitely just honored by all, yeah, cause I'm sure some big time awards like that took you by surprise, especially because you weren't even seeking them, but others saw your good works and said, hey, she needs to be known for what she's doing, and that's really a blessing that you've had those opportunities and you'll have many, many more to come as well. Yeah, now let's talk about Lynn, what you're working on, what are some projects you're working on, what are you promoting, what types of events are coming up and that can be anything you are comfortable sharing and, more importantly, how can people buy your book as well as how can they learn more about the work that you're doing?
Lin Green:Yes, yes. So right now I'm in the start of the second part of that busy season for me, which is going to be until the end of the year.
Lin Green:Since I released my book in May, I have some book talks and some speaking engagements and a lot of work I'm doing with the public libraries in the area as well as I have a group that myself and several colleagues have been working on, called Hope, inspiration and Healing, where we're going to be doing biweekly lunchtime sessions and just meeting with people face to face to have conversations like this. Aj Garcia, who's a mental health expert she's a therapist, and then we have Daisy Ramirez, who is a major connector of people in Lake Nona. We're definitely building a group with speakers and a number of different experts to help others in a variety of areas. So continuing to build others through that work and then just obviously, continuing to promote my book, getting before all the people who need to hear the message, and just grateful for opportunities as they come forward.
Alethea Felton:And how can people buy your book? That's important. Yes, how can people buy a book, and is there any way that they can learn more about you and what you do? Do you have a website? Do you have LinkedIn? Yes, what Okay?
Lin Green:Share all that when you buy books everywhere that you can purchase them online. It is available On my Instagram page. I have a link tree and I'm sure you're probably going to share a lot of the profile information. My link tree actually has an easy, quick buy link on there as to where to purchase the books, and it also includes all my other social media platforms to include LinkedIn, where I am connecting with a lot of professionals and making connections to continue to have these conversations, and my website, where it is an inspirational blog. I started back in, you know, I think, when the pandemic was birthing all these amazing things out of us. Right, it's called, it's a lifestyle and that's wwwisalivestylecom. It's the live A-L-I-V-E stylecom.
Alethea Felton:Thank you, and could you spell the first part I-S-S-A. Yes, i-s-s-a.
Lin Green:S-T-Y-L-Ecom.
Alethea Felton:Thank you, and I will have all of that in the show notes as well. Girl, I could talk to you forever and I'm just so intrigued as to what you're doing, but to just know that it's not over and that there's still much more out there for you to do. And so, in thinking about your life and coming here as a child new culture, upbringing, then experiencing different traumatic experiences in your life you didn't let that stop you at all in your life. You didn't let that stop you at all. And so what I want to know, lynn, is based on who you are now, and I know that your son is a great accomplishment in your marriage, things like that. But putting aside the work and the service you do for others, what do you consider to be one of the most extraordinary highlights of your life in connection to the work that you're doing and serving others?
Lin Green:How I have been able to grow through it, I would say, is the major highlight for me. Just so many things that I'm learning about myself, even as I am dropped into certain situations and I'm helping others. I'm learning so much about myself and what I am capable of, and even my weaknesses and the things that I need to continue to grow on. One thing I learned through this process and I talked a little bit about this on my social media because I have these moments of transparency, you know, which, now that I'm transparent and it's out there, you know, we're going to give you a little bit more of that.
Lin Green:But one of the things that I've noticed is that in all of this, I haven't been making much time for fun, you know, for, for, you know, more vibrant, lively things, you know, and yes, I love the work that I do, things you know, and yes, I love the work that I do and I am definitely, I am rooted in that space. But what am I doing to bring a little bit of life back into me, right? So that's that's been the thing that's been looming over my head lately Just creating space for that, because so much of my life can be pretty serious, you know, serious in the workplace, serious within my business, within conversations I'm having with others, but important to impart a little bit of fun in that.
Alethea Felton:And if you could go back and think about one of your darkest periods or moments as a child growing up, what would? Who you are now, you as Lynn Green, now to that younger version of yourself, going through that dark period, to speak life into her and to give her unwavering hope to keep going.
Lin Green:Yeah, I would definitely say. It may not seem like it right now, but you are loved and worthy, and this too shall pass.
Alethea Felton:And Lynn, I am so grateful for the fact that you continue to move forward, push forward. Thank you also for even giving us a snippet of your book. I'm glad you didn't tell us everything, because of course, you want us to read it and buy it, and I thank you for the copy that you gifted me with but I want to just continue to encourage you to keep moving forward. Thank you for giving our listeners some practical pointers they could apply even to their own life. Maybe their experiences aren't exactly the same as yours, but we all have that human connection and that human experience, and I am so excited to see what else is coming your way. There are huge, extraordinary things in store for your life, so walk in the moment, enjoy it.
Alethea Felton:And thank you wholeheartedly for being a guest on the Power Transformation podcast. 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.
