janine shepherd
the curious silver lining of a spinal cord injury
how do we recover when life hits us with a mack truck (figuratively and literally)? what are the ways that we grow triumph from tragedy? and how do we use curiosity to look up when we are so trained to look down? this and more as we dive into curiosity with janine shepherd.
janine shepherd is an inspirational speaker and writer whose books have become classics in the survivor genre. A champion cross-country skier in training for the 1988 winter olympics, janine’s life changed forever when she was hit by a truck during a bicycle training ride in the blue mountains of australia. Her remarkable life story ultimately captured the interest of a prominent film company, which produced the feature length movie, aptly titled never tell me never.
In recognition of her service to the community and her tireless efforts in raising awareness for spinal cord research, janine was awarded the order of australia, her nation’s highest honor. she is an ambassador for spinal cure australia and red bull’s “wings for life” and a contributor to deepak chopra’s workshops. janine’s story has been featured on 60 Minutes, this is your life and CNN’s turning points with dr. sanjay gupta. her inspirational and emotional TEDx talk, “A Broken Body Isn’t a Broken Person,” has been viewed almost 2 million times. her latest book, “Defiant: A Memoir” was published for worldwide distribution by SoundsTrue®.
on the podcast, janine shares her own story of struggle, success, and surprise. She gets curious about the ways in which she used the power of 'what if' to propel her into the sky and become a pilot. Her resilience and courage took her far beyond what she imagined for herself and the grit she shares is contagious.
OUR CURIOUS JOURNEY:
3:27 - Janine’s story of suffering from a spinal cord injury.
5:25 - Janine’s emotional experience after her accident.
7:34 - The early insights of strength and how she identified her strength through her body.
12:32 - How do you let go and allow your mind to expand?
13:16 - The importance of loosening up your grip.
14:40 - How Janine transitioned to the role of pilot and how flying saved her.
21:25 - Aligning your goals with your values.
28:00 - How do we move away from defining who we are by our body.
32:20 - Getting curious about why we struggle to ask for help.
37:00 - Gratitude and how it expands us.
41:46 - Seeing life from a new perspective.
42:40 - Human Declaration Quiz.
48:02 - Closing Curiosity.
FOR MORE FROM JANINE:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janine_shepherd/
Her book: Defiant
