Surviving the Choke: A Lesson in Gratitude and Presence (Updated)🎙️✨ | Lesley's Lessons Podcast

In this powerful update to the original episode, 'Surviving the Choke: A Lesson in Gratitude and Presence,' I revisit a life-altering moment that continues to inspire and motivate. During the pandemic, I faced a near-death experience when I choked on a cracker, alone and overwhelmed with work. This gripping story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Join me as I dive deeper into the insights gained from that harrowing incident. Discover how this crisis served as a catalyst for personal growth, reminding me—and all of us—of the importance of gratitude, presence, and the urgency of living fully. This episode underscores the value of having something to live for and the strength it can provide.

Listen now for an inspiring journey of survival, resilience, and the profound wisdom that emerged from a moment of crisis. It's a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we can find motivation and fight for our peace.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Leslie's lessons.

Speaker 1: 0:04

I did a podcast during the pandemic and it centered around me actually choking on a cracker, which really turned into something serious because I could have lost my life that day and seeing my life and choking felt like an eternity. You know, usually it's just a few seconds, but this was longer than that. Seeing that, I had to think quickly and it was something that I was out of my control, and how it made me feel and where my mindset went was really an eye-opener and I wanted to share with you some sage lessons that I got from that experience. What came to mind and how this can inspire you. If you're just feeling like you're just getting along through life, you're just going along with life and not setting the tone for your life. Sometimes, whether you are in transition right now, or you're feeling stagnant or there's something that's just bothering you, I want you to listen to this podcast and take what resonates with you, because, listening to it over again, I definitely felt inspired and even more appreciative of life, knowing that in an instant it can be all taken away. What is your story? Imagine if this was it. What would your story be? What would the message be? And that's what came to me in that moment. I was losing it. I was losing it. I was getting more into what was happening and something clicked this ain't it, this cannot be it, and that is what propelled me to stay motivated and to fight for my life. When you have something to live for, you will do anything to live, and I just want you, wherever you are in life and you don't feel your best right now, find your reason to live, because it just might save your life. Please enjoy this podcast. Leslie's Lessons.

Speaker 1: 2:44

I've been doing everything during the pandemic, if I haven't been recording audiobooks, writing them, creating designing earrings, sage tray dishes, airing holders, building a planter box like I've just been, oh, landscaping. I've just stayed busy. But on this particular day, when I bought the cart and I was home putting it together, I didn't eat and I remember this was about 6 pm and I still didn't eat. And I had plans to cook something but, knowing me, I was going to get to it when I was done with whatever new project I was working on. So I had a snack in between, going between the kitchen where I was putting together the cart and the room that we call the She-Shed. The She-Shed is our creative room, creative space, the craft room, fluffy blankets and pillows and you know place to hang out with company when that time comes, comfortably.

Speaker 1: 4:21

So I had a snack and it was these new crackers. I think I got it from Whole Foods. It was like these new rectangular crackers and they were dry, very dry, and I was snacking on them as I continued what I was doing. So, no problem, I had one, then I had two, then I was going to break apart the box so I could recycle it. So in the middle of doing my stuff, I had a third cracker and then I coughed. But when I coughed it got stuck and I wasn't able to cough it up. In fact, at one point I couldn't breathe. And I can't tell you how I felt, because I never felt like that before To feel absolutely powerless.

Speaker 1: 5:45

And in the second one that happened, I swear to you, I looked up at the light in my kitchen and I said this ain't it? The more I tried to catch my breath, the more it made it worse. So I tried to run and go inside the refrigerator and look for something that was easy to open, because I felt powerless. Not did I feel I was powerless. At that moment I grabbed the orange juice. Yes, I saw the bottle of water, but it looked like I would have to keep twisting it and the orange juice just seemed easier to open and it wouldn't, it wouldn't help. When I tried to sip it, well, gulp it, it wouldn't help, it wouldn't help. So I started to do something that I knew always worked, no matter what, and I slowed down myself and I got a hold of myself, I got a hold of my thoughts to try to control my mind, to control my body and actually calm down.

Speaker 1: 7:03

In the midst of this and it didn't stop myself from having the cracker stuck in my throat, but I was able to calm my mind down and not make it worse. And in the middle of calming myself down because easily you could panic and go anywhere you want at this moment I just took my body and thought about getting on all fours and, kind of like a yoga pose, I leaned my arms forward and my head towards the floor, with my knees on the floor and my feet propelled up a little bit, so I'm just like bending down, you know, my upper body towards the floor, and I just gave one good cough and that was it, thank you. My throat felt scratchy, highly uncomfortable, but I was so happy that it was over. Of course you don't just cough and that's it. You have like little baby coughs after that. But I sat there with sweat. I sat there in disbelief because I was coughing so loud in my kitchen and my back door was open. Just the screen door was locked and no one could hear me. I didn't even have my phone next to me. I couldn't call anyone and to know had I panicked and just succumbed to the fright of this. That was going to be it.

Speaker 1: 9:04

I was powerless in that moment and no one was going to know until later on, when someone came home, because I didn't even have my phone, and I just thought to myself if you have unfinished business, please get to it. It could be something like speaking to someone you haven't spoken to in a long time. It could be something about yourself. If only you had more time. What you would have done better. Whatever it is just like that. No one would have heard from me again. No one would have known To be robbed or to feel like you're robbed of life, just being cut short.

Speaker 1: 10:19

I'll tell you, my thoughts were like this, ain't it? I have way too much to do. I have way too much to do. Really, this is how the story is going to end, and I say all of this to say is like you're going to have that moment hopefully not that moment, but when you find yourself jammed up in any way, use your mind. Remember the power of your mind. It will help you, it will steer the way. But I'm only sharing this story because I don't want you to waste time. If there's someone you really care about and it's safe for you to meet up with them and you could do it in a safe way, do it. Then you got to pick up the phone and call and just hear their voice. Do it. You know it's so. It just feels like it's more uncertain now more than ever, and that could be a lot for a lot of people to think about. But I just want to leave you with this Don't let that be the only thing that you think about.

Speaker 1: 12:17

Today was such a beautiful day in New York. It was so beautiful, like even though it was so windy. It was so sunny, you know, and just something as pleasant as seeing the sun, just something as pleasant of picking a flower, a beautiful flower that you can add to your home or to your garden, or eating some leftovers that you warmed up and you were just starving all day and when you got to it it just tastes that much better. Try to remember that. Try to remember the laugh or the exchange, the pleasant exchange that you had with that other person in the supermarket, the person that you let cross the street, and they waved and said thank you. When you walk into the store, you nod at the security guard just to acknowledge their presence.

Speaker 1: 13:52

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to live. It doesn't have to be this big thing that we see some people do, and it's not even to knock what they do. But don't feel that if you don't share the same dream, your dream is not as valuable, because what matters is how valuable it is to you. Just live. Every time I open my eyes, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I say is thank you, thank you Every time. And sometimes you know I might have got out of bed and I felt different, like whoa did I miss something? And I'll say it Because I'm not perfect. It's just the thing that I do, kind of like a spiritual payment of gratitude. I just like to check in, but I also have to live, and so do you. Don't waste it. It's about living. It's about experiencing these moments, not just with people you're comfortable with, but strangers, assuming it's a safe interaction, of course.

Speaker 1: 15:54

Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in what society tells us is the good standard of living that we really just forget about the little things. You know. There's a lot being thrown at you right now, to the point where you might be numb if you hear any more bad news. I understand that In my own family my mom, her cousin, her childhood cousin, which is also my cousin I'll make her my second cousin. They grew up in Trinidad and her cousin passed. She can't even attend the funeral. How many people can relate to that? Because they're not allowing people to go into Trinidad. Now people are watching their loved ones get buried via Zoom or YouTube and I say try not to get caught up in the house but to remember the what's. Remember what touched your heart, remember what connected you Remember, or think about what you're looking forward to connecting to next. What are you doing in this moment?

Speaker 1: 17:54

I think people get depressed quicker and longer because they think about the next Way more than they appreciate them. Now they decorate it with being responsible or being independent. And who else is going to do it for them if they don't do it for themselves? I get it, but your mind needs rest, your spirit needs nurturing. There has to be a balance where your mind and spirit connect. It can't be something that you just try to patch the two when you feel desperate for help, desperate for comfort. I think, let me say I know in this life is to help other people reach their higher sense of self, whether through spiritual or just inspirational, not just, but however that manifests. And I love that. I love it Knowing that I get to help someone see another way, the deeper way that is right there for them. It's really right there for you. You don't have to keep doing things the way you've always done them. Peace is right there for you.

Speaker 1: 20:02

If someone wants to argue about something you know in politics or hot topics of the world, let them. You can have your opinion. Do you have to share it? No, is the friendship worth it? You want to save it? Save the opinion to yourself.

Speaker 1: 20:30

I just feel like we're at a place right now where we have no time to waste, where we have no energy to waste. If you're arguing with someone about something that doesn't feed you, you're wasting your energy. Just excuse yourself or say nothing about it. If someone you know, if you want to be in a relationship, and that person, who you're interested in or wouldn't mind exploring it with, pops in but doesn't really say anything, why waste your time? You don't have to be, you know, aggressive or rude with them and you don't have to apologize for what you want. Let it be known what you want and they'll get the hint, because they'll see your energy and your words and your actions match and they'll have no choice but to step up or step off. You don't have to be aggressive or off-putting with them. You don't have to. You need every piece of your joy, now more than ever, and you know what.

Speaker 1: 21:49

This is not just for now, until we go back to what people call normal, what we had before. This is about the new you. There's no going back. Say goodbye to the past. This is about holding on to your joy and creating new joy and continuing to compound on that joy, and you can do it with very little, very little. I tell God this ain't it, this ain't it. God, like this can't be the end of the story. This can't be how it ends.

Speaker 1: 22:53

And when I decided that in the midst of choking, it was game on Mind over matter. What's happening in your life? God is eating up at your soul or just stealing your energy. You gotta tell it. This ain't it? This ain't it. You have one chance, one life, and willingly more than one breath. Don't waste it. Don't waste it, and it's not just about showing up for other people and being this person who says and does all the right things. You know what's the right thing? That was a trick question Just what's the best thing? Because there are gonna be times when you do things that doesn't make everyone happy. It's about the authentic thing. Do the authentic thing. Don't judge yourself. The world does that enough. Don't judge yourself. Forgive yourself Now that we know what isn't it.

Speaker 1: 24:57

What is it? How have you defined that? How have you broken down? What is it? What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What have you discovered during this time? Focus on that. It will lead you on your path.

Speaker 1: 25:23

People don't like to hear it, but we are here for temporary, for a temporary time, and despite what some people might say or that you're getting old or this and that you are on a journey. It's not about being the high school version of you forever. It's okay to grow. It's okay to slow down and smell the roses. It's okay to think before you speak and listen more and not be too quick to offer your opinions, especially when they didn't ask. It's okay to save it to draft or not type it at all. It's okay to say thank you, excuse me, you're welcome, I'm sorry, I'll do better. It's okay.

Speaker 1: 26:52

See, all of this is exploration of life and if you stick to one way, I don't apologize. I don't do this, I don't do that. What are you really getting out of life? What are you really giving? Because what you're really giving is exactly what you are receiving in return. Think about it. Show up for people, not just the ones you know, not just the ones you deem worthy. You'd be surprised how you could change someone else's life If God decided that this was it. What would be something you would hope would be the last thing that was said or done? That's your sweet spot, that's your focus, right there. I hope you find it under better circumstances than me. I'm hopeful you will. Leslie's Lessons.