Summary:

There is always hope. Even in a person’s darkest moments, there is a path forward. Finding it

can be difficult, but it’s made easier when you have a community to turn to for support. This

week, host Wayne McCullough speaks with Jessica Trudeau, executive director of the

Momentous Institute, about finding that path through difficult times. Trudeau had a challenging

childhood and it took many years for her to both sit with and move forward from those

experiences, she says. Now, she’s dedicated to helping others learn to grow from adversity.

The Momentous Institute, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, works to help

children reach their full potential through fostering social emotional health. Providing children

and their families with mental and social help resources gives them the chance to become

agents of change within their own lives and communities. After all, Trudeau says, people can

break unhealthy generational cycles if they can begin by healing themselves.

This Week’s Takeaways:

-Acknowledge mistakes and work to repair them

-Practice forgiveness of both self and others

-Seek help and support if you are feeling alone

-Learn to sit with discomfort

-Find a way to release trauma after honoring it

Quotes:

“At one point, someone told me, for stained glass, it’s the fractures that let the light in and allow

it to be beautiful. I believe that about human beings.” -Jessica Trudeau

“The moments of really deep suffering in my life, I’ve grown from. My mother always says, you

can learn in the darkness and you can learn in the light.” -Jessica Trudeau

“It’s easy to think there’s not a path out. There is always a path out. The easiest way to access

that path is to surround yourself with community. We cannot do this life alone. We were not

meant to do this life alone. I believe we were created and hardwired to be in community. When

you feel like (you) just can’t keep going on, find the person who will be safe for you and reach

out and ask for support.” -Jessica Trudeau

“You have to be able to sit with discomfort. The goal is not to numb pain. If you numb pain, you

numb joy. And sitting in pain will not kill you. You will get to the other side. But there’s no way

around it. There’s no path to recovery in this lifetime that does not involve walking through the

pain you’re experiencing.” -Jessica Trudeau

“We have an opportunity to understand that everyone has their own life path to walk. And it’s not

our job to save anyone. It’s our job to learn the lessons we’re supposed to learn in this lifetime

and to witness and offer light and hope to others, but to let them walk their path.” -Jessica

Trudeau

Contact:

You can find out more about the Momentous Institute at momentousinstitute.org. The institute’s

Changing the Odds 2019 conference is scheduled for Oct. 24-25 in Dallas. The theme of the

conference is Hidden Factors.