The Power of Oxygen 1st
When my son was little, I was a single mom who was doing it all alone. I was putting everyone else first and my own needs last. To everyone around me, I was successful but little did they know that my success was tied to pushing, stressing, sleepless nights and early morning workouts pushing my body and my limits to the extreme. Until one day I was flying alone and nearly crashed an airplane and I realized that I needed to take care of my own needs first before anyone else. You see, when you’re a pilot, if you have any issues in the plane, you put on your oxygen mask 1st, not your passengers. They need you to land the plane.
This podcast is all about this journey to healing, to getting clear on the desires of your heart… and stepping into them with courage while leaning into, asking for and receiving support. I hope you feel inspired to do less, to follow your passions and infuse them into your daily life and truly claim the life you were meant to live: a life filled to the brim with epic ADVENTURE.
The Power of Oxygen 1st
EP 94: The Others: Finding Family Beyond Blood with Anjilee Ferguson
Family isn’t always the people who share your last name. Sometimes the deepest healing comes from the “others” who choose you, love you, and hold space for the life you actually have, not the one you imagined.
In this tender, heart-forward episode, I share the concept of “the others," the unexpected parents, children, mentors, neighbors, and friends who become our chosen family. I open up about my own story of longing for a big family, navigating divorce, solo parenting my son, and grieving the life I thought I’d have, while finding profound love in the people who stepped in along the way.
You’ll also hear from my dear friend, entrepreneur and author Anjilee Ferguson, as she walks through her journey with divorce, remarriage, step-parenting, and childlessness.
This conversation is for any woman who thought her life, marriage, or motherhood would look different, who’s learning to receive support from unlikely places, and who’s ready to see her “others” as oxygen for her soul.
We also talk about practical tools like journaling through grief, letting safe people hold space without fixing, and the quiet power of simple rituals like a weekly “I love you” call.
Takeaways:
- The “others” in your life can offer real, sustaining love that is just as valid as first-family or biological bonds
- Grief for the life you imagined can coexist with deep gratitude for the life you actually have
- Mothering can look like step-parenting, auntie-ing, mentoring, neighboring, and being a safe harbor for other people’s children
- Mindset work, journaling, and letting yourself fully feel your emotions are essential parts of healing
- You are not “less than” because your path to family, love, or motherhood looks different than you expected
Anjilee Ferguson, is an entrepreneur, peer mentor supervisor, and author. Six years ago, she co-founded an online school for students in grades 6-12, helping thousands of students with their education. She has also supported college students as a peer mentor supervisor and enrollment counselor. Her first book was all about the ups and downs of single life and divorce. She’s currently working on another book about childlessness. She is also the author of: Yes, No, Maybe So: A Comedy of Dating, Divorce, and Devotion which talks about finding your place in a world that revolves around family and keeping faith through a journey that looks different than those around you.
Connect with Anjilee: https://www.instagram.com/anjilee.ferguson
Download my free Support + Breathe Calculator here: https://dotrockconsulting.myflodesk.com/hiring-calculator It’ll show you how much time and energy you can reclaim by letting go of what’s not yours to hold.
Remember: your energy is your greatest asset. Protect it, invest in it, and always put your oxygen mask on first.
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Remember: your energy is your greatest asset. Protect it, invest in it, and always put your oxygen mask on first.
