In this motivational episode with Tamika Felder, she talks about how she lives her life beyond cancer, how she feels the fear and does it anyway, and how she keeps moving forward. She gives us an exclusive on what the one thing was that helped her begin to heal after losing her fertility. Tamika also had a chance to interview Joe Biden and tells us the hard hitting question she asked him.
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About Tamika
Passionate about empowerment, Tamika spreads her unique message of survival and resilience with people around the globe. An award-winning television producer, Tamika is recognized as a leading voice in the rapidly growing patient engagement field, having built award winning patient ambassador programs and powerful awareness campaigns that united patients and industry. The author of "Seriously, What Are You Waiting For? 13 Actions To Ignite Your Life & Achieve The Ultimate Comeback," Tamika empowers everyday people to bounce back by equipping them with tools to find perspective after tragedy and loss.
Courage Up Moment
Being diagnosed with cancer changed everything for her. Cancer was the wake up call for her to remind herself to celebrate the small things and to do the things she wanted to do. She was not ready to die. Prior to cancer, she thought she was living, not letting life pass her by. From cancer, she realized she had gotten comfortable, and got into the hamster wheel work mode.
She had a really good life, but she wasn’t happy. It was because she was not letting her light shine, but she was just happy to be alive. She was happy with the crumbs that cancer left her, and then she realized she wanted it all.
Tamika is living her life beyond cancer.
When She Decided She Wanted it All
Tamika’s job became too uncomfortable. On the outside, her life looked great traveling, interviewing celebrities and political newsmakers, however she didn’t do the things in her life she wanted to do and she wasn’t doing them in the way she wanted to do them. She remembered worrying about changing her profession and who she would be if she wasn’t TV Tamika. Going to work, she would get amped up for her day in the car, but when she got the gate at work, she didn’t want to hit the gas. She was miserable. She had outgrown the people and the place, and had so much more to give.
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
There are little things like learning to swim as an adult. There are also the other things of doing the thing you should be doing.
We put ourselves in these boxes because it’s safe. Your dream isn’t for everyone else to understand.
Losing Her Fertility
She would love nothing more than having a little version of her running around. Her fertility was taken away from her. She just won’t experience that. The thing that has helped her begin to heal from it, she knows that the legacy she’s leaving behind isn’t necessarily about the lives she’s bringing into this world, but the lives that she’ll save.
She doesn’t know if she’ll ever be 100% ok with that but she does know that she has to move forward, look forward, and have acceptance.
Cervivor
When she was first diagnosed with cervical cancer, a lot of people weren’t really in the know. It really bugged her that this happened to her and there was this negative connotation that she brought it on herself. No one wanted to talk about this because of HPV and sexually transmitted disease.
People were coming to her privately, but weren’t willing to share their faces or story. Over time, Tamika’s background in television helped her shape the stories and the ultimate goal of preventing this disease. In the beginning, there were only 6 stories including Tamika’s. Now when a woman submits her story, they can’t get it up fast enough.
Currently Couraging Up
It means doing and saying the things. Courage means owning who you are. Courage is loving yourself. She fought so hard to live, she can’t hate one part of herself.
She was not born to quit and she has a little competitive edge.
Interviewing Joe Biden
While getting to interview Joe Biden, this was at the height of her feeling very unsatisfied at work. The event took place in a new Costco. While all of the journalists are asking him hard-hitting questions, Tamika asks him “Does he have his own Costco card?” She was curious if they let him in because he was the Vice President or if he actually got in with a card ;)
Advice:
“Give people a chance”
Courage Song:
Book:
Connect With Tamika
Website: www.tamikafelder.com
Instagram: @tamikafelder
Facebook: Tamika Felder
Twitter: @TamikaFelder
Pinterest: Tamika Felder
Connect With Ming:
Instagram: @mingshelby
Facebook: Ming Shelby
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