Hey guys! What’s up and welcome back to another episode of Hear and Now Podcast! Happy February! Today’s episode is going to be a light and fun one!
Without further ado, shall we just get into the episode? Okay? Okay.
So I asked you guys over on my instagram, which if you don’t follow me, my links are always in the show notes (or @sophialebano). But I asked you to ask me questions so I can do a q&a episode!
Let’s do it!
First question – what do you do when you have self-doubt?
This is a really great question. I’m no expert on this whatsoever. But, I think about what is causing me to feel this way, and I compare it to things in the past. I’ve been through harder things than right now. I make small changes – whether physically, spiritually, mentally, etc. So, if I doubt the beauty that God gave me, I will do something to make me feel good in my skin. Or if I am doubting that people are going to listen to a new podcast episode, I look at how many people have in the past. It’s all about your mindset shift. I mentioned this a few times in my episode from last week on courage and confidence. Again, I’m no expert, but doing small things to shift and change will really help me get through that.
Number 2! Do you think that people with hearing disabilities are represented well in the media?
Oh okay, wow. I love this question. Just as a disclaimer, this is my own opinion so please don’t come after me. So this is definitely a deep question. I think that in the media, specifically tv and movies, hearing loss is not represented very well. Hearing loss has a very wide spectrum. You can have a mild hearing loss , you can have moderate loss, you can be completely deaf. In the media, theres usually a standard for hearing loss – that’s either people who are completely deaf and only sign, or the elderly who are losing their hearing. There’s an entire population who has maybe a mixture or different hearing loss. I for instance, am completely deaf. I began losing my hearing at age 8 as progressive loss. I wore hearing aids that would need to be adjusted every 6 – 10 weeks to compensate for my declining hearing. At age 15 I went deaf in my left ear following my first implant surgery. So I wore an implant on that side and a hearing aid on the other. Then at age 17 I had my second surgery and lost all natural hearing. I am fully deaf, but I wear cochlear implants. So, with them on, I only have a mild loss. Things still don’t sound completely natural to me, but when they are off, I can’t hear a jet engine above me. I don’t want to get into the controversial side of it, but you can be deaf and not know sign language. It’s a very harsh stereotype. You don’t look deaf.. People with deafness are often represented as monstrous people! So no, I don’t think people with hearing loss are represented well in the media! But, I think the smallest details are starting to come out. American Girl finally released a doll that wears hearing aids. Toy Story 4 has a little boy with implants. A book came out which I’ll link below and the little girl has an implant! So I think people are starting to realize how inclusive we all need to be. If you want me to make a whole episode on this please let me know! Thank you for that amazing question.
Number 3. What was your most life changing moment? Oh.. I don’t know. I have a couple. I think first of all when I took my most recent hearing test after both my implant surgeries. I’ve been telling people for years that I’m deaf, but it didn’t hit me until I saw that I couldn’t detect the decibels of a jet engine 3 feet away. It really hit me like holy crap, I’m actually deaf. I just don’t think about it on a daily basis because I almost always have my implants on. Technology has improved so much that I can wear them in the water, so the only time I take them off is at night. So, yeah, I think that was my most life changing moment. I have others, but I think that one was the most life changing.
Number 4! What helps me be confident in who I am? Great question. I think just self-acceptance. Again, I did an episode on this last week. I think just accepting that God has a plan and a purpose for me and that everything He is doing is for hope and my future. Jeremiah 29:11 and Esther 4:14 are my life verses. “For I know the plans I have for you says the lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And Esther 4:14, “Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created.” There is no set way to be confident, but when you first accept yourself and God’s plan, it’s life-changing.
Number 5! What are my dog’s names? So I have two – I have a little French bulldog named Clyde and a white standard poodle named Bonnie! Those two are the most unlikely duo but I love them to death…
Number 6. This is a two-part question. What are most people’s thoughts about mental illness if it isn’t their personal struggle? And what do people want to know about interacting with someone who has a mental illness? This is a great question. Just a quick disclaimer, I am not a medical professional, these are just my honest opinions. There are so many myths about mental illness. But I think that people assume many things about mental illness – like children don’t struggle, it’s easy to snap out of it, just take medication, it’s hard to prevent mental illness, etc. I found a great website which I will link down below answering these questions. But I think the one thing everyone should know is that compassionate is always welcome. Ask them what you can do for them rather than assuming. Check in every now and then! It never hurts to ask.
Number 7. More about you? Um, lol. I don’t really know how to answer this question. Here’s three fun facts about me – I want to publish a novel, I am majoring in theology and philosophy in college right now, and time management/organization is my favorite thing in the world. I don’t want to talk about myself too much – I feel like I already do!
Number 8. What is the biggest fear that I would like to leave behind with God’s help? I think the fear of fear, doubt, and the unknown. I struggle with anxiety and trauma. I would like to leave those behind and make steps towards the future. And I am, no doubt, but sometimes they just keep creeping back in. So only with God’s help can I do that!!
Number 9. What’s my favorite way to keep fit? Dance, dance, dance! I danced full-time 15 hours a week for a long time. Life got in the way and I ended up taking a sabbatical. But, I love to put on my good vibes playlist and have a kitchen dance party and dance like fat Monica haha. But dance for sure! It’s such a good workout.
Number 10. This one is from my lovely mom. Why do I not get done as much as you do? Great question. I love to prioritize and time manage. I am easily distracted for sure, but I just make something a priority everyday and then make sure that is the first thing that gets crossed off my list. I just build in blocks to do everything. If you would like an actual video on how to do this, drop a comment or rating either here or my insta and let me know! I’ve had a few people ask me this question. I use Google calendar for everything.
Number 11. When did I get started in podcasting? So, I started my show in August of 2019. People always ask me what made me decide to start podcasting and how long did it take me to figure it out. So to answer these. I decided one day while I’m sitting on the beach that I wanted to podcast. I’ve always wanted to start a youtube or vlog channel, but my day to day life isn’t always glamorous and I don’t know if I would want myself out there that much. However, I wanted a way to share my story and my voice with the world. So, I spent my entire vacation researching endlessly how to podcast, what equipment to buy, where to host, etc etc. When I came home I bought my equipment and just poured my heart into it. I am so thankful I decided to start podcasting for so many reasons that I can’t even begin to articulate. It helped me realize my worth and that I can use my gift of hearing loss to help guide others. People actually want to keep coming back each week to listen to me ramble on for 10-20 minutes! So thank you for coming back each week to support me!
Number 12! Last one best one! What are your plans for the future or where you see yourself in 10 years? So. I want to graduate college with a major I love, I want to grow closer to God, I want to build my audience and continue sharing my story with the world, I want to publish my first novel, continue to write, I see myself being married in 10 years (although I have to know guys and have guy friends first..), and continuing to do what I love!
Wow okay that was a packed episode. Thank you to everyone who asked me a question! I had fun answering these questions! I’ll see y’all next time!
Show Notes:
It’s the 26th episode of Hear and Now Podcast! Thank you for joining me this week as I answer the questions you asked me!
Links:
Young Living Essential Oils
Blog
Shop
Work with Me
5x6x7 Goal Setting and Productivity Episode
Courage and Confidence
PodCorn
Blog Post from 1/24/20
Mental Health
Hearing Loss in the Media
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