How To Live An Epic and Happy Life Despite Setbacks with Erica Grace

Erica Grace is the author of an interactive book called, Great Like You.   In this episode she will share how she's overcome many personal challenges and obstacles in her life, including juvenile, rheumatoid arthritis. Erica has turned inward to find strength and allowed her pain, exhaustion, and healing to transform into creative life force energy that she uses to help others that are struggling with health issues or any other setbacks in life.  Get ready to take notes on ways you can start to be a pioneer and get on the trail to start living an epic and happy life.

Transcript

Theresa Cesare: 0:05

Hey guys, welcome to heart to talk the podcast. I am your host Teresa Caesar, and you are listening to episode 38 keep going, don't stop. You're on the right path and don't be afraid. We are not alone like pioneers on the trail. We will learn to live by our own lights and the stars of heaven for that is all we need. There is no obstacle that true grit and amazing grace cannot overcome. Sarah banned. Brannick simple abundance. I am so excited and honored to bring to you. Today's guest Erica grace. Erica is a pioneer that is on the trail to living an epic and happy life despite setbacks. And she's here to show you how you can too. She will also share, has she's overcome many personal challenges and obstacles in her life, including juvenile, rheumatoid arthritis. Erica has turned inward to find strength, allowing her pain, exhaustion, and healing to transform into creative life force energy that she uses to help others that are struggling with health issues or any other setbacks in life. And she does this by providing mindset techniques with her online community and through her incredible interactive book called great like you, Get ready to take notes on ways you can start to be a pioneer and get on the trail to start living an epic and happy life. Despite setbacks I bring to you my conversation with Erica grace.

Erica Grace: 1:57

For those of you that don't know my history, I, was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis around the time of my first birthday. That's something I still have today. So you could say that I really don't know a day without arthritis. and so that consists of missing events growing up, missing school, spending time in hospitals, getting all those tests that everyone kind of hates to get, pain, swelling. Hard to move. for me, particularly, especially in the mornings, a lot of days it's really difficult to even get out of bed. So I love. Speaking about how to live a happy and epic life despite setbacks, because a lot of days it does take me so much to get even out of bed and get my body moving. So finding that passion and drive to do that. And I've had a lot of other setbacks in life as well, but, that's the one that really has. Inspired me and planted the seed for me to find my own unique mission of helping others. So I would love to share with you today, that first of all, to live your happiest and most epic life, you do have to make that choice. You have to seek out happiness. A lot of times we are trained to be such conditional thinkers. I'll be happy when I meet that person. When I move to a warmer state, when I lose. X amount of pounds, but truly you have to find your ways to be happy today. Now we are in the present and now is the time. So the soul consists of reframing your thoughts yesterday. I was actually having a pretty rough day and I stopped and recognized that. And said, you know, today hasn't really gone the way that I like it to, but I'm going to turn this day around and I'm going to watch my favorite show tonight. And I'm going to talk with a loved one and have a few laughs. So find your ways to reframe, have that self reflection, to see what exactly might be getting in your way. What some of those blocks. And a big one for me, that's been my anchor, especially these past few unique years that we're all experiencing together is gratitude with that. You can turn things around easily and quickly. So if you're struggling at your job, a gratitude might be. Well, my job's really tough right now. However, I absolutely love the freedom and the money that this job provides. It allows me to so many choices and options. I love reframes and gratitude practices like that. And it's nice to find your own gratitude practice that works for you. But my favorite way is throughout the day as a situation arises, that might be tough finding that silver lining or what you could be thankful for in that moment.

Theresa Cesare: 6:15

Love it. That's so powerful. it's beautiful how you show up. Anything else that you'd like to talk about in regards to showing up, you know, when you're not feeling good.

Erica Grace: 6:26

Definitely. So I find it crucial to have a rock solid morning ritual, something that can really set you up for success for the day, doing something that you love. Some people really enjoy in the morning reading a couple pages out of a book. I personally, when I'm feeling good and able to really move around, I love what I call movement and mantras. So I'll get my body moving and I'll say some mantras or affirmations while doing so to really set the tone for the day so find what fills you up and fuels your soul. You are going to feel more in control of the day so that you're not letting situations that come up controlling you. And, also to live a happy life, to always have something to look forward to putting something on the calendar, no matter how big, no matter how small it's nice when we kind of make a big deal, even out of things that might not seem so exciting. And you can also do this with setting. So incrementally each day, move towards a goal that you want to achieve. You can break down a big goal into very small daily tasks, and it's going to help your mindset. Feel excited and fueled and ready to take on each day because you're working towards a purpose and something that you can be proud of and something that you can then help and inspire others through. So that is certainly very helpful as well to do goal setting and. Find your personal stress management tools. Now this would be really catered specifically to you. There are some things maybe that doesn't respond to you and that's okay, but I'm going to go ahead. And list a few off. If you have a pen and paper, it might be fun to write some down and then look on YouTube or Google. If there's some new ones you want to try out, but here are some of the most popular and most effective ones right now. So of course, yoga breath work. Being creative, whether you're creating art music, incorporating dance movement, exercise. One of my favorites sound bowl healing because of course meditation's one, but personally I have trouble calming down my body enough to get. Tapped into that somehow sound bubble really speaks to me and gets me right in that meditative state, journaling and reflecting so that you can know how your emotions track your emotions and know what your best responding to, and maybe what you don't like as much. And EFT tapping. That's an interesting one to look up online. I personally do that on flights when I'm flying alone. For some reason, if I get nervous, EFT tapping is what I immediately go to. And it might sound like a weird thing to do on an airplane full of strangers, but you can also, be kind of discreet about. And then of course I am talking to the affirmation, babe. So patients are also a great way to help fuel your life.

Theresa Cesare: 11:01

I agree. Okay. So being the affirmation, baby, I'm going to ask you, do you have like your go-to affirmation or affirmation?

Erica Grace: 11:08

Definitely. Yeah. So the one I do every morning, I, the first part of it, I learned from Chris Harder's podcast and it really covers all aspects of life. It goes like. I am happier, healthier, wealthier, and more fit than I was yesterday. And then I added to it each day gets better and better. I am forever grateful and that's what I say each morning.

Theresa Cesare: 11:43

I'm so glad you shared that. That is so powerful. And it is so important. To make that part of your morning ritual, right? That's the tone for your day.

Erica Grace: 11:50

I did make up my own great, like you mantra so that one center serve celebrate. So that's my guideline for the day. Centering yourself every morning by doing those practices that failure. Serving is step two, which is what you spend the majority of your day doing at we're helping clients, helping others, pouring love into others, complimenting you're out there serving, and then you end each day with celebrate. Every little thing, you make this a way to show yourself and your family members, some love for all that you did each day, each day, there's something you can celebrate. So center serve, celebrate.

Theresa Cesare: 12:49

I love that you are seriously incredible. You show up and doing it, your Erica great, like UA so that being said great, like you,

Erica Grace: 12:58

so great. Like you, my book really birthed from me finding my purpose. I was attending a lot. Female entrepreneurial events, self-development type of event. And I stopped and reflected on what to meek about me that I can help other people buy. And so one day it just suddenly came to me how. My growing up with this juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and spending some time in the hospital really kind of sets me apart in a way that I really hope to help as many young readers in the hospital or that are overcoming challenges. In life, through their hardships. So great. Like you centers on mindset techniques in the book in layman's terms for ages 10 and up. Our ways to manifest through visualization and there's goal setting and reframing. And then there's plenty of space at the end of each digestible bite sized chapter for the young reader to either draw or journal their takeaways so that they can really absorb what they read and be able to apply. And the goal of this is for great, like you to be a tool and a resource that the young reader can always refer back to any time they need that extra support. I was blessed to have so much support from family, friends, teachers, and nowadays young readers have a lot more. Going on in this evolving world, there's so much more challenges. Then I say that I grew up in an easy time. So I am honored to really deliver this book to those that need it most.

Theresa Cesare: 15:23

It's definitely a gift to the world. And you could buy it on Amazon. How else can we find a book?

Erica Grace: 15:27

Yes. And my website is great. Like you.com. And the great thing about my website too. It'll direct you to the Amazon, but also to my social medias, because I love interacting. So my Instagram is act great. Like you book. And then my Facebook is great. Like.

Theresa Cesare: 15:51

All right. So I'm going to ask you for tradition, the three ending questions. The first one, Eric, what is your favorite book besides your own?

Erica Grace: 15:59

So I have three. So the first one's a classic, how to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie. So this drives home that saying that the most interesting person in the room is the most interested person in the room. Love that my second book to share with you today is the audacity to be queen by Gina Devee. So this book is how to step into the queen inside of us and break down the barriers and blocks that can hold us back. So that is amazing. And then last, but certainly not least because this author saw me through the entire process of writing and releasing great like you, and this is her first book that recently came out. This is beautifully. Bye Sarah Hendrick and this digs deep into empowerment and true self-care practices. Another ethic book to really go along with what we've been talking about today.

Theresa Cesare: 17:22

Wow. Such great reads. I wrote them down. I'm going to add them to my list. All right. Second question. What's your favorite?

Erica Grace: 17:32

Favorite quote is by Oprah. And it is when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. What you focus on expanse. I'd love it. And it's true. It's true.

Theresa Cesare: 17:51

and so simple, right? And the last one, Erica, what is the best advice you have?

Erica Grace: 17:57

Well, the advice that I have really been most excited about. Is my center serve. Celebrate. I really believe that if you repeat those actions each day, you're setting yourself up for success, abundance, happiness, and then you will, of course be able to inspire others to be great.

Theresa Cesare: 18:26

Like you. So center serve, celebrate.

18:33

thank you so much for listening to this episode. I do hope that you enjoyed my conversation with Erica grace and that you feel inspired to start taking action on how to live an epic and happy life. Despite any setbacks, please remember to rate, share, subscribe, and download. This podcast, find me on Instagram and Facebook for updates and more. Otherwise I'll be back in two weeks.