Life & The Sunday Series

Find your why and find your way. Become more.

  • About Mark Brodinsky
  • Contact
  • The Higher Shelf!
  • Home

Need inspiration to find your why and your way?

Join the Tribe Today!

Writing Wednesdays: Get Your Cap On

April 5, 2017 By markbrodinsky Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the world’s greatest game, the game of life disguised as baseball. Get your cap on, it’s time to play.

There is no other game quite like it, no other game that mirrors every day life in such unique fashion.

Consider the numbers, the stats, the nuances, the challenges, the reality that is baseball… and life:

Baseball: 162 games – over a six-month time frame – day after day, with few days off (resting days).
Life: Last time I checked our lives are a marathon, not a sprint – day after day with few days off. (vacations).

Baseball: 3 hits out of 10. Do that over a long career and you’ve got a good shot at ending up in the Hall of Fame.
Life: 3 out of 10? If for every risk or chance you took in life you nailed 3-out-of-10, you’re a champ. In sales, close 3 out of 10 you’re at the top of the heap.

Baseball: No clock on any inning, you can’t stop and hold time.
Life: There’s a clock, but it only tells you the time. You have no control. Since you have no idea how much time you have left in this life, it’s almost meaningless. You can’t stop and hold time.

Baseball: Win a game or lose a game, take time to feel either… then sleep fast. There’s a new game coming tomorrow.
Life: You get 24 hours to get it right, or have it go wrong every single day. Some days you win this game of life, some days you lose. Then the sun rises on a new day. You keep going.

Baseball: Played on a diamond, the entire park referred to as a field of dreams.
Life: If you don’t think your life is a rare gem – a diamond – then you have failed to recognize the miracle that you even exist. And your dream? Well if you’ve got one, and you most certainly do, then hold fast to it baby, cause if you build it they will come.

Baseball: The pitcher, the leader on the field, the general who controls the game stands on a mound, just a bit higher than everyone else. Yet he can’t exist without the team behind him to save him when the ball is put in play.
Life: The leaders we need and respect stand just a bit taller than those who follow. But any leader needs a team, to defend and to support when the ball is put in play, when danger threatens, when life happens.

Baseball: Three strikes and you’re out.
Life: Three strikes against you will cause you trouble in almost any endeavour. It doesn’t mean you give up however, because hopefully you get the chance to get another at-bat.

Baseball: Failure. Massive failure in order to achieve even a modicum of success. If you’re good – even 7 times out of 10 you won’t get a hit. If you’re a pitcher, even if you’re good you will still throw nearly as many balls as you do strikes, you will lose several games, maybe more. A team that makes the playoffs will lose 40% of their games.
Life: That’s right, accept it, suck it up, embrace it, love it – it’s called failure – massive failure. Yet it’s the only path to unbelievable success. Be too careful, too cautious and you will probably bat below the Mendoza line (.200), in life. Failure to work on yourself and improve your skills means you will be sent down to the Triple-A team of your existence on this earth – that team’s called Mediocrity.  The minor leagues suck.

Baseball: Slow, methodical, beautiful, brilliant, plays and moments that defy the odds, stand the test of time and remain embedded in our memories for a lifetime.
Life: Ditto.

It’s time to play ball! Welcome back baseball and welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, which is every day. If you’re ready to play… get your cap on.

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark Brodinsky
Write. Speak. Inspire.

Join the Tribe!
Enter your name & e-mail address into the box on this blog and get posts sent directly to your inbox!

Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Brodinsky/e/B00FI6R3U6)

Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/)

The Profile: (http://www.talkinggood.com/profiles/MarkBrodinsky)

The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)

Biz Impact: http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm

Company “Stories”: http://www.ushacareers.com/news/

For more info contact Mark: markbrodinsky@gmail.com/443-865-2795

 

 

 

 

 

 

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

The Sunday Series (144), with Mark Brodinsky

April 2, 2017 By markbrodinsky Leave a Comment

Put your hand in mine. Share my mind with yours. Pair our hearts to beat as one.

In this life the source of joy and happiness comes from connection and compassion, which in turn creates courage. There is not weakness, but strength in the presence of vulnerability and incredible power in the purpose of letting go.

We all become more when you give more. Your gift is your story… one of the greatest you can give.

Everyone has a story.

I am Mark Brodinsky and this is The Sunday Series.

________________________________________________

The Sunday Series (144): I’m Love

“I’m just a girl.”

This is Marlo Higgins favorite refrain, at least in her moments of private and soulful reflection. But saying Marlo is just a girl is like saying David was just a guy… then he slayed Goliath. Perhaps Marlo was just a girl, until she took on her own giant – the same one so many of us fear to conquer – life.

Marlo’s name was inspired by award-winning actress and activist Marlo Thomas, a woman of poise and beauty who helped pave the way for women to be seen and recognized as possessing higher value and strength – someone who gives back with such power and perseverance to have earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That award, the highest civilian award in the United States is presented only to an individual whose contributions create such significance in the lives of others that we all stand in awe.

Enter, Marlo Higgins.

Marlo, a Chief Inspirational Officer, builds champions. Just ask her. “Champions challenge me,” says Marlo. “I’ve been given the discipline strength so I’ve simply connected this strength with a champion’s mindset to become fearless in business… and in life.”

Business is part of life. But how many of us get down to winning the business of life? After all, life is hard.

Marlo doesn’t come to strength by chance, she brings strength from source, that source is the story of her life. Raised by a single mom since she was a little girl, Marlo says her mom worked so hard and as a single parent truly did her very best to provide for her children. It wasn’t easy for her mom, or for Marlo and her brother when the signal to go to bed was their mom flicking the lights… from blocks away at her real estate office. Hard work meant sacrifice.

The small family traveled from California, to Utah, to Minnesota where Marlo’s mom opened a restaurant. “I would get up and wait tables before the school bus,” says Marlo. “Then I would go to school and wait tables again in the afternoon.” It was hard work, until one day she couldn’t work anymore. At age 16, the beginning of a chain of health challenges, not problems, challenges… began to surface.

“I’m the healthiest unhealthy person you will ever meet,” jokes Marlo. “My body just doesn’t like my body. At 16 it was the catalyst of it all, ITP, (Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura).” ITP occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks platelets. Symptoms can include easy bruising and bleeding… in rare situations the spleen may need to be removed.  If Marlo is anything, she’s rare… she started to bleed out, so there was no choice but to remove the spleen.

“At 16 I was cut from the sternum all the way down,” Marlo says. “It’s the most immeasurable pain you can ever imagine. I was cut wide open, numerous spinal taps, a huge needle into my bone marrow to extract it, so painful. I spent six months in a children’s hospital. When you are 16 all you wanna do is drive a car and have a big life. Even at that age I realized life is so delicate. You can’t risk NOT living life.”

Despite any and all circumstances Marlo takes on life, describing herself as fearless: “When we’re fearless we surrender. When we surrender we have no fear. We have the ability to take action. I’ve had to face my fears more than once. When I simply surrender to whatever is coming, whatever is happening, I’m able to accept it in a way that’s empowering. I love to be empowered. When I operate from this depth of my core I know it’s right. It’s pure. It has intention.”

Marlo needs her core beliefs, since it’s her bodily core that continues to challenge her and keep her on her toes. A few years ago, the challenges went straight to her head… a brain tumor. It was October 30th of 2010, diagnosis of a non-cancerous brain tumor, the same experienced by the likes of singer Sheryl Crow and Olympic Champion skater Scott Hamilton. But just like these icons, it’s not the tumor that controls them, it’s the challenge, the fight and the triumph of beating it back every day – and continuing to perform at life’s highest level. Health might be wealth, but it doesn’t mean you still can’t make significant deposits into the bank of life, and most importantly the lives of other people. The experience of the brain tumor helped create part of Marlo’s inspirational message: A setback is simply a setup for a comeback.

Even a recent diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis will not keep Marlo from living in service to others. “During a recent MRI there was a guy named Noah in the waiting room,” says Marlo. “He was so scared. I talked to him, made suggestions, recommended he use earplugs, or headphones and listen to music. We went in around the same time and were both getting dressed after the procedure. I asked him, ‘how was it?’ “He said, ‘it was nothing.’ He loved the advice of the earplugs. I love that – walking away knowing I have helped someone else.”

“I have extreme mental toughness. I prefer to go it alone. I don’t want anyone taking me to the hospital or to a procedure. I put myself out there as a force to be reckoned with and a powerful mindset of overcoming, but I am able to remove myself from the circumstance. It’s so much bigger than me, so I remove the fear.”

Fear, False Evidence Appearing Real, will never define Marlo’s life. In fact the exact opposite is in evidence in each move she has made through the journey of her life. At age 18, despite her significant health challenges, Marlo eventually followed her brother to Minneapolis where he was attending college. But literally struggling to make ends meet and while on the bus to yet another job, Marlo says she passed the Basilica and prayed, asking God to bring someone into her life and create a bond she would never break. Six weeks later, she met Scott.  As Marlo will tell you she came off the market April 8th, 1989. Scott happened to be in Minneapolis training for a position in the financial industry which was awaiting him back home. To make a long story short Marlo eventually packed-up at age 19, rented a U-Haul one-way, and headed to Iowa, living in her truth, don’t get yourself into anything you can’t get yourself out of. She could always go home. But she had found her new heart and her new home.

Just a few years earlier, when her health challenges began, Marlo was told having children would be high-risk. But a champion never backs down from a challenge, especially one they truly desire. Marlo heard those words, but didn’t listen. Four years after tying the knot Marlo and Scott welcomed the first of two sons into their lives. In fact they just celebrated their April Fool’s baby’s birthday, his 22nd. Bringing life into the world, just like the life she brings into the world of others, is no joke to Marlo.

 

No excuses, no apologies, that’s her brand. It’s serious work challenging and championing the lives of other people. In 2005, after ten years of raising her family, tremendous success in the non-profit world and asked to be the person in numerous leadership roles because of her confidence and her results… Marlo was asked to help a start-up business get up off the ground. The results were staggering – building a nationwide brand, doubling income in the midst of a worldwide recession and then walking away and doing it all over again.

A powerhouse, a self-described “professional encourager” since the age of 12, Marlo soon realized she was her own personal brand and in 2011, just one year after a brain tumor tried in earnest to tame her passion, Marlo launched herself as a Chief Inspirational Officer – her personal mission – to build champions.

“More than anything I love champions,” says Marlo. “Mavericks, thoroughbreds, the best of the best. Why champions? They challenge me. They show me that it’s possible. That anything is possible. They prove that if you work at it, you can have it. I’ve been shown through numerous obstacles and barriers of my own that it can happen. I’m just a girl and the powerful and amazing people that I’ve been able to align with since I launched my personal brand have superseded my expectations. I’m blown away by the people I have on speed dial. All my life I’ve been enamored by influence and power.”

(Interviews with Champions – 22 Motivational Minutes with Marlo: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/22-motivational-minutes-with-marlo/id1191492741?mt=2 )

“I love power. I guess I see power as strength. I need strength, more often than not. So to align with powerful opportunities, powerful people, powerful initiatives, it simply gives me strength.”

Marlo also gains strength from her best friends – the six-pack of ladies who named themselves the chiquitas. They talk, they travel, they inspire, they confide, they are there for each other. They have a sisterhood which is strong and unbreakable. “What don’t they do for me,” says Marlo.

 

Marlo will tell you she is driven by challenges, obstacles and barriers… and she has experienced plenty in her life. Yet the challenges of life are a cliché when it comes to those who find a way to live life literally teetering on the upper echelons of their existence here on earth. Those individuals, like Marlo, then give back in a way that is even larger than their persona. These are the people who, as Marlo would say, “stand tall in their truth.” Yet those like Marlo don’t cast shadows on others, instead they reach down to say, ‘join me, I’m here for you, you can do this too.’

“My product is people,” says Marlo. “I’m called on to challenge people to develop their personal power, defined as their value, talents and self-worth. When we tap into this personal power we understand the depth of our being. We gain confidence, we become better at leading ourselves and ultimately others. When we do this we perform at higher levels. When we perform at higher levels we achieve more, we do more, we become more. I’ve always wanted more for myself and so I want more for others. I’ve built this brand to make an impact.”

In fact impact is Marlo’s word for 2017, (http://www.marlohiggins.com/), each year she chooses a new one. In 2010, as she faced one of the great challenges of her life, her world was simply survive. But since that time – Marlo is living to thrive and changing lives – and it comes in the form of a full and open heart.  In fact any correspondence you get from Marlo will end with her signature of personal power: Love & Belief.

“I choose to stretch every day and see what happens when I do,” she says. “I’ve achieved more than I would if I had chosen to stay small, comfortable and not stretch. Empowering is a choice. If I’m empowered I can empower others. I love champions. I love people. I’m the most grounded and faith-based person you’ll find. I’m pure. I’m simple. I’m love.”

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark Brodinsky

Wanna work with Marlo? (http://www.marlohiggins.com/)

Join the Tribe!
Enter your name & e-mail address into the box on this blog and get posts sent directly to your inbox!

Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Brodinsky/e/B00FI6R3U6)

Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/)

The Profile: (http://www.talkinggood.com/profiles/MarkBrodinsky)

The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)

Biz Impact: http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm

Company “Stories”: http://www.ushacareers.com/news/

For more info contact Mark: markbrodinsky@gmail.com/443-865-2795

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

Writing Wednesdays: You Ain’t Got A Life…

March 29, 2017 By markbrodinsky Leave a Comment

It just takes 10.

Ten minutes to do something that if you did it every single day could change the course of, purpose of and significance of your life.

It might be praying. It might be reading. It might be meditating. It might be looking at your goals. It might be looking at your day. It might be purposeful conversation. It might be physical activity. It might be soulful reflection. It might be gratitude.

Of all that was just mentioned if you took even one of these activities and did it every single day for ten minutes your life would change.

Guaranteed. So why don’t you?

The general consensus is we don’t have the time. We’re too busy, the world moves too fast, there’s too much work to do, the kids are too demanding, the job is too hard, we’re too tired, there are too many bills to get paid, there are too many people who needlessly take up our time, life is too hard, we’re unsettled, depressed and unfulfilled.

Yup.

So take 10. If I told you even ten minutes a day in prayer, with a great book, in meditation, in physical activity, in goal-setting, in reviewing your day, in great conversation, in reflection, in gratitude… if that’s all it took – and promised you life would get better, would you do it?

Why not? What have you got to lose?

It’s only ten minutes. It’s so simple it’s silly. It’s such a short amount of time it’s actually stupid not to try. Your life is worth it.

And here’s the thing… you should really be doing all of the above. But we’re talking about just getting started because if you’re doing none of those things then you are stuck right where you are. The essence of life is growth and even one of those activities will lead you to a better version of you.

Talking to God for ten minutes a day… will connect you with a higher purpose and the higher purpose within yourself.

Reading for ten minutes a day… the ideas you pick up will change your mind and change your life.

Meditating for ten minutes a day… will quiet your mind, your spirit and present you with ideas you can’t imagine during your “waking” moments.

Reviewing your goals for ten minutes a day… will give you vision toward your dreams, purpose on your path and a map to navigate through it all.

Ten minutes to look at your day ahead and/or review the one which is ending… will give you quiet confidence and peace.

Ten minutes of great conversation with someone who inspires you or motivates you… and you are on your way to a greater sense of self-worth and achievement.

Ten minutes of physical activity… will give you energy and get your body, your blood and your mind flowing.

Ten minutes of soulful reflection… will help you discover why you are here and what you have to give.

Ten minutes of gratitude… come on –  if you can’t be grateful then it’s time to find a new planet to live on. Gratitude is everywhere.

The point is even one of these activities, which we think aren’t “urgent” are literally the most urgent things in our lives. If you ain’t got ten to do even one, then you just ain’t got a life.

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark Brodinsky

Join the Tribe!
Enter your name & e-mail address into the box on this blog and get posts sent directly to your inbox!

Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Brodinsky/e/B00FI6R3U6)

Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/)

The Profile: (http://www.talkinggood.com/profiles/MarkBrodinsky)

The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)

Biz Impact: http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm

Company “Stories”: http://www.ushacareers.com/news/

For more info contact Mark: markbrodinsky@gmail.com/443-865-2795

 

 

 

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

The Sunday Series (143), with Mark Brodinsky

March 26, 2017 By markbrodinsky 1 Comment

It’s been said God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Yet sometimes it’s so challenging, so tough, we wonder if that statement can stand in its truth.

It can. The secret is faith. To live by faith, not by sight. If you believe in the unbelievable, you can set yourself on a mission to get there… there is power in the vision to overcome the most challenging circumstances life can put in your path.

Average, ordinary people do it every day… living in this belief makes them extraordinary… and defines their story.

Everyone has a story.

I am Mark Brodinsky and this is The Sunday Series.


The Sunday Series (143): The Warrior

Most times when you read this blog you should get a sense that you are on a journey, as I take you through a life, a struggle, a challenge, or a world-changing gift you are sharing… and usually the ending of the story brings you full circle in this life.

Yet today, because of the person who is sharing their story… I must begin with the end in mind… because that is how Cassidi Dente is living her life.

“It’s pure visualization. I visualize what I want and I jump to the end result and allow God to build the bridge, cause I can’t build the bridge. I need him and others to build that bridge. It’s not believe it when I see it, it’s – I see it because I believe it.”

To walk again.

Don’t tell Cassidy Dente she can’t or she won’t walk one day. That’s for other people to accept. Cassidi knows her power.

“I almost feel like I was in training for being in this accident before this accident happened,” says Cassidi. “Training to be able to handle what I’m going through right now. I’ve always been positive and teach others to do the same. I’ve been in training for this and I tell the doctors I’m gonna walk again. I don’t care if I’m paralyzed from the chest down. I’ve gotta live with this and deal with it. They would tell me we don’t want to give you false hope. I just say to them, just tell me I’ve got a chance to walk again and I will make it so.”

Seven months ago Cassidi’s life turned upside down, after her car did the same on a Florida road. The accident near her Melbourne home left her in critical condition and in ICU for nearly six weeks – most of those days her life hung in the balance. A severe spinal cord injury left her body unable to handle the single most important component in the sustenance of life – breathing. Yet somehow she held on, waiting for God and the doctors to build that bridge to the other side… a chance at living and the opportunity to take on and view life like never before.

 

Despite being paralyzed from the chest down… Cassidi is living and winning every day, full of hope and promise. When one of your senses, or a part of you gets shut down, another piece of you rises to the occasion. In Cassidi’s case it’s her mind – and now with the ability to speak again… her voice.

“I’ve lost the use of my legs and my hands and I can’t fix people anymore,” Cassidi says. “I’m a people pleaser. I’m very active. I was doing body building in the gym five days a week. I’m an athlete, I played college basketball. I’ve lost this ability to be all things to all people. I can’t do so many things and I have to ask for help with everything. But I think about what I’m grateful for… and I get to study all day how the mind works and to think of how I am grateful.”

“The greatest tool we have is gratitude to eliminate suffering. You can handle everything if you are grateful. But appreciation is just as important, it’s that silent knowing that everything will be OK. In this game, or this school of life you have to have appreciation.”

Cassidi has so much appreciation for all those who are helping her to build her bridge to her ultimate destiny of walking again.

Family & Father:

 

“I can’t begin to tell you how unbelievable my family has been helping me get through this. I couldn’t speak for the first month, I couldn’t breathe on my own. I was lost in anxiety because I couldn’t move my body. I couldn’t tell anyone when I couldn’t breathe. But my dad came up with a system where he wrote down the alphabet – one letter at a time – and going letter by letter help me to form sentences. Imagine having to create even one sentence this way. I kept wanting to say forget it, but he had the patience to keep going and to do that.  Once my trache was finally removed he bought me a voice-box you put on the hole in your throat and I suddenly had a voice. At the end of my time there he donated it to the hospital. He recently bought a special van just so I could be transported to my hair appointment and go to this special healer in Tampa.”

Mom:

 

“At the rehab facility, the Shepherd Center in Georgia –  everything started to set in. I was on so many drugs while I was in ICU, but at the Shepherd Center they took me off everything – it’s when I got clarity and realized I’m still paralyzed. Every morning I woke up someone new was washing me down. I saw the basketball hoop there and started to cry. I would see people walking and think they are not even grateful they can do this.  I just watched TV, zoned out. I needed my mom. God put my mom in that place at that time. I would not have survived without my mom. ”

Friend:

There was also a special friend who came to visit every single day as well. Cassidi works for USHEATLH Advisors as a field training agent and one of the new hires last year is a man named Ron Leonard. In Cassidi’s time of struggle, Ron was there.

“Ron Leonard came every single morning, without fail,” says Cassidi. “He would bring me a smoothie, and he would feed me breakfast. He would wash my face, make sure he used my lotion and then he would get me ready in the morning. He did that every morning at 6am before he would go to work. Even if other people were there, Ron always came.” There was also the outpouring of love and of donations from all the USHA family. Cassidi says she was overwhelmed and made joyful. The people she works with, are “closer than her closest friends”. The friends who become part of your family you meet along the way.

Sister:

The Dente family is a big one – Cassidi has seven other siblings, and all are pitching in to help, but she says it’s her sister Madison who is her primary caretaker, she’s the one as Cassidi says is “doing all the dirty work”. Madison handles all of Cassidi’s morning program, from showering to toileting to dressing. These are the parts of the process, the new pieces of Cassidi’s life she says are some of the most challenging to take – since none can be done alone – she’s lost her ability to be self-sufficient in these areas, but she chooses to not allow them to impact her positive outlook and know that there’s hope there right in front of her instead. Cassidi says she detaches herself from the morning routine, closing her eyes, blocking her consciousness and visualizing a magical future.

To walk again.

The magic is already starting to happen. For months the doctors told Cassidi she was paralyzed and would never be able to move from her chest down for the rest of my life. But while in the Shepherd Center Cassidi learned of a “healer”, a paralysis specialist who helps to “un-paralyze” people. His name is Ken Bryant and once he touched Cassidi her life changed. “Ken has a sign on his wall,” says Cassidi. “It reads If It’s Burning, It’s Working.”

For months now Cassidi has been burning. A few minutes after Ken put his hands on different parts of her body Cassidi says her insides got “turned on”. She could feel the warmth in her lower back, in her triceps. Another session with Ken and she could feel the same warmth in her legs and her toes. Twenty-minutes later she was doing a leg press. Prior to all of this Cassidi says she had no movement at all from the chest down. Now the warmth of these small miracles fills her body and touches her soul.

And it’s Cassidi who is touching many souls. In our conversation for this story Cassidi and I talked about how it’s God who decides who he will test – who will carry the greatest burden, because He knows they can take it, they can make it and they can share to help others to truly live.

It’s happening. You won’t meet a more grounded, certain and hopeful individual than Cassidi Dente. She simply believes.

“I think everything in life has it’s purpose,” says Cassidi. “While you’re here you get brought to the right people at the right time. I think we have a choice in our life and it’s free will and free will is based out of this choice you make of how you feel and your thoughts.  A lot of things in life were meant to be. Whatever you go through and whoever you go to – there’s a message there and you just have to find it. Wherever I go, wherever I end up, whomever I meet, there’s a reason I’m here.”

“We all have a different piece of the puzzle in life, we’re all one puzzle. We’re all doing what we’re doing for a purpose to help us all evolve and grow and what we’re going through you have to believe you signed up to do and you need to see yourself as a warrior who chose to do this life, rather than a victim that’s forced to go through this life.

A warrior who will walk again.

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark Brodinsky

Join the Tribe!
Enter your name & e-mail address into the box on this blog and get posts sent directly to your inbox!

Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Brodinsky/e/B00FI6R3U6)

Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/)

The Profile: (http://www.talkinggood.com/profiles/MarkBrodinsky)

The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)

Biz Impact: http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm

Company “Stories”: http://www.ushacareers.com/news/

For more info contact Mark: markbrodinsky@gmail.com/443-865-2795

 

 

 

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 125
  • Next Page »

Search over 500 posts, including The Sunday Series

Get all My Latest News & Offers
Introduce yourself with your name and email below

#1 Best Seller on Amazon

Click to order your copy today!

The Book Trailer

Mark Brodinsky
Emmy Award Winner, 1996

Ever thought about writing a book? check this out!

Blog Reviews

Love seeing new blogs hit the ground running like this one (by a dad no less), but I also urge anyone vaguely interested in blogging to stay tuned, I am. Good luck on your journey – glad that I am along for the ride.

Rachel Blaufeld

Great blog Mark! I always appreciate reading what you have to say. You are very gifted and talented and hopefully someday you’ll not just blog, but write a book.

 Stephen Koncurat

I’m definitely along for the ride. We’ve all seen how much damage the written word can inflict. More positive writers are needed. And I love how you are using your personal experiences – those with your wife and children – and your gift of writing to open eyes and to inspire others.

Victoria Endicott

Absolutely beautifully written! The girls in your life must be very proud of you. Thanks for sharing Mark, I look forward to reading more!

Gina Glick Jolson

Very shortly this site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building users, due to it’s pleasant posts.

Leila Galloway

Absolutely beautiful! Are you at all thinking of penning a book? You’ve got a fan base out there that really thinks you should Mark. You write so eloquently. Glad that I got onto this site.

Marilyn Lefkowitz

Mark, You are truly a gifted writer and obviously, a special father and husband . Always a delight to read your words.

I’m speechless…beautiful words flow from your heart just like a gentle waterfall into a tranquil stream… thank you so much for the friend request I was blessed the day I clicked confirm.

Lynne Turner Dorsey

From your first writing in 4th grade entitled “People” which was published in the school newspaper, you have always been able to write. Never more so than when you started “Caringbridge” and now your blog, everyone who reads says what a wonderful writer you are. Our DREAM for you is to become an author and encourage people every day. You are by the far the best and we hope and pray you reach your dream.

Bonnie Brodinsky

I know you always thank us for reading but I would like to say thanks for writing.

Stuart Abell

Great piece. You are an inspiration!

Rob Commodari

Mark I just wanted to let you know that you are succeeding in your “ultimate goal”. I have gained so much from your blogs. I look forward to reading them for the special lift that they give me. Thank you.

Amy F.

I love waking up and starting my day with my coffee and your blog! It a great way to start my day with positive uplifting thoughts!! It puts me in a positive frame of mind throughout the day and allows me to reflect on my personal life, make changes, and grow !!!

Gayle Blank

You are quite talented Mark. Thanks for sharing!

Cynthia

I always look forward to your Blog Mark. Thanks for sharing and as you always do, make it a great / remarkable Day!

Chuck Connolly

Thanks for your Blog Mark. It is fun, encouraging and a nice break from a day full of ups and downs.

Jackie Hetrick

With my busy schedule, there is (sadly) little time for reading. But I have two must-reads every time I come across them, the sports section and your blogs. Keep inspiring and following your dream!

Ed Nemec

Mark, you are a truly remarkable individual. You do speak from your heart, I can’t wait to read your book. You are an incredible writer.

Debbie Press

Mark, I am glad I clicked on your post this morning, which lead me to your writing, your goal.
Would like to connect. This speaks to me.

Aileen Braverman

I can’t wait to read the book. I have followed all the blogs and feel so good that I know u guys. You make me cry but you make me laugh too. All the very best to you!

Beverlee Rendelman

Connect with Mark!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

WOW!!! It Takes 2 is a must read for anyone who has known someone diagnosed with cancer or other life threatening disease. This is the real story of a family lead by an incredible woman, Debbie Brodinsky, who took radical steps to beat the breast cancer beast. The story is told by her husband, Mark Brodinsky, through journal entries he kept starting with diagnosis through one year cancer free. This author's unique ability to pour his heart out onto the page draws you in from the beginning and holds you until the very end.

Thanks to Mark and Debbie Brodinsky for this gift...I have a new perspective on what it means to be a breast cancer survivor. You are a hero, Debbie Brodinsky!

TeeBThree
September 25, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book gives a heartfelt, in depth description of what it is like to go through breast cancer with the one you love. It is beautifully written and I felt as though I was living it with them! I highly recommend this book!

Jgs17
September 24, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

In It Takes 2, Mark Brodinsky windows us into his world where his wife, the cancer patient, is not the only victim. Part journal, part roadmap, It Takes 2 goes to the real humanity of facing the mortality of one's better half. Mark's candid perspective, love, and fierce intention resonate with hope in a story which is about much more than cancer. Mark himself is perhaps the most heroic character for the way he appreciates this life and so many of us in it...as he says, "thanks for caring."

Réné Pallace
September 24, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

It Takes Two: A Spouse's Story by Mark Brodinsky should be read by every person who is experiencing serious illness or injury or by a loved one of someone who is experiencing either of those situations. The book is an eloquent testament to the power of love and the healing energy derived from the belief that things will get better. There is not one word of "poor me" from the author or his wife who suffered breast cancer and the radical surgery she elected to have to beat the cancer. Rather, the book is a celebration of the courage displayed by them both in seeing it through.

The book also encourages readers to speak and write down their true feelings and be validated in them. John Mackovic writing in the Palm Springs, CA Desert Sun on November 2, 2013 quoted author and artist Doe Zantamata who said, " To be happy, you don't have to do anything new. You just have to remember how to believe again...Believe everything good is possible. Believe in your dreams. Believe in people. Believe in love. But most of all...believe in yourself." The author, his wife, their family and extended family and friends never stopped believing in his wife's recovery, and I think, in themselves. Read this book and believe.

Paul A. Riecks
November 4, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book is a must read for anyone with a family member with breast cancer. It takes you through the spouse's perspective from diagnosis to recovery. Mark journaled his wife's journey and put all of his emotions out there. It is beautifully written and inspiring to anyone going through breast cancer. Thank you, Mark for sharing Debbie's story.

Jmu1109
October 23, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

A friend recommended this book. This was a great perspective of a man standing beside his partner and passing along to the reader fear, hope, useful information and a broader story than his own. I loved Vinnie the tattoo artist. This is a great book. Thanks for sharing, Mark and "thanks for caring"

Blahsan

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book is a must read. What sets this book apart from other books about surviving breast cancer is that it is told by the husband and his point of view, not from the survivor. At times sad, at times poignant but even through the worst of it you can always feel the love he has for his wife, her strength and the strength of their extended family and friends. The posts that are included from their friends and family lets you really into the heart and strength of the family. I would recommend this book to anyone who is currently going through this, whether you are the person or the caregiver. I also recommend this book to anyone who has a friend that has been or is currently going through their fight now. It was an eye opener for me.

L. Bogash
Seven Valleys, PA

ittakes2_reviews_2

There isn't a shortage of books about breast cancer, but most are written from the perspective of the person who has battled cancer or a physician or other expert. What an enlightening experience to read about breast cancer from a husband and caregiver's perspective! Not only does the author give us insight into his wife's experience and emotions, but he openly shares and reveals his love, compassion, support, and, yes, sometimes anger at the disease as he stands by his wife's side during their journey to beat the beast. Your story may not be the same, but I guarantee if you have a loved one battling cancer, you won't go wrong reading It Takes 2.

 PattiM
September 25, 2013

 

ittakes2_reviews_2

From the moment I opened this book I never stopped reading. Mark invites the reader to come along on this journey that his family went through. I cried, laughed and learned so much. This book will give comfort and knowledge to those going through similar situations. Most importantly, Mark and his family never give up. They get knocked down and get right back up. They fought cancer together and with their strength, determination and will to prevail... They do!

 Jenny Schloss 

Recent Comments

  • Patricia Storey on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • markbrodinsky on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • markbrodinsky on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • Abby Scherr on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • Sheila Hyman on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky

Write On!: It’s Just About… Life

If it’s alright, I will continue to write. After more than 340 posts on this blog, including nearly 50 Sunday Series, I might think there would be writer’s block. Not so and I think it comes down to two things, well maybe three, (there’s that magic number again). 1) Awareness – paying attention to being in […]

Just Grow: It’s Just About… Life

There really is no other way. Either grow or go – nowhere. It’s the undeniable fact in life that if you can’t focus on growth, even in the smallest, most seemingly insignificant but consistent way, then it’s tough, maybe nearly impossible to reach that big dream. And every dream needs a team. That team doesn’t […]

Categories

  • Life
  • Sunday Series
  • Uncategorized

Pages

  • About Mark Brodinsky
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Storytelling
  • The Higher Shelf!

Connect With Mark!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Categories

© 2023 Life and The Sunday Series. All Rights Reserved.

Built Masterfully on WordPress and Maintained by the Blogging Experts