Behind the Mic Book Review: A Beautiful Mind, a Beautiful Life by Lindy Tsang

"An unstoppable person is someone who is not afraid to make mistakes. An unstoppable person radiates confidence because they believe in their abilities. An unstoppable person perseveres by viewing life's obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow.  They don't just dream the dream; they live the dream" 

I feel like this book needs to be announced on the loud speaker at the drugstore, no, not "clean up in aisle 4"... more like "inspirational life lessons in aisle 4...oh, and while you're at it, you can pick up that favorite eye color you've been wanting."  Lindy Tsang uses the platform of makeup tutorials on her Youtube channel to help bring out your best outer beauty and this girl has major skills!  Her love of all things beauty is infectious!  Not only does she serve as an ultra adorable expert, but she's also realized that beauty is more than just about the face.  You can have a pretty face, but feel broken, unlovable and hopeless inside.  I love how Lindy is using her success to help other women succeed and start to love the image staring back at them in the mirror.  Lindy shares deeply personal insights into how she felt growing up.  When she said she always felt different, I completely and totally could relate, especially with having a physical disability and using a wheelchair. One day she decided to take control and change her mindset about the world around her and not put limits on the extraordinary potential inside her.  Her parents just expected her to follow in her family's footsteps of choosing a career as a doctor, lawyer or engineer, but a love of art was what she really wanted to tap into and see if it could turn into, not just a job, but a passion!  Before becoming the household Youtube star she is today, she had to climb from the bottom to the top, but she took steps to pave the way to being the best version of herself.. being unstoppable!  She worked at her parents Thai Chinese restaurant and when she started earning money and buying makeup, she eventually got up the courage to post a video on Youtube!  The flames of her extraordinary potential were being sparked!  Through this book, Lindy walks you through the process of bringing out your own extraordinary potential that could be hidden inside you!  She becomes your loudest cheerleader throughout this book!  I recommend this book becoming a part of your beauty routine!!  Thank you Lindy for writing this book and helping everyone find their own way to being UNSTOPPABLE!

Learn about this book from Lindy herself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIUpOhu0oN8

To purchase the book: https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Mind-Life-Guide-Unstoppable/dp/1945293624/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Michelle Fischer is host of A View from My Window a podcast produced, by The Arc of Indiana

Behind the Mic Book Review: Someone Like Me By John W. Quinn

I met John Quinn seven years ago. He was commenting on one of Zach Anner's Facebook statuses. Zach Anner won the Oprah's Own show competition, remember? I was in my "interview search mode" trying to book interviews for my podcast. When I get in that "search mode" I can come up with pretty great stuff! I started looking through the comment feed on Zach's status, which I very rarely do, but I when I found John's comments on the feed, they weren't  the type of comments you usually see on public figure statuses. His remarks were dignified, respectful, and very commending of Zach's accomplishment on winning his own show. I noticed after that he made a short comment on his own story. I don't know what the full comment said, because my mind just focused in on the words: "disability" "Navy" and "hid". After seeing those words I was intrigued, but, I ended up going out of the comment feed and forgetting about it until a few hours later. "John is the perfect interview for the podcast, Michelle, c'mon, now, jump on it!" So I invited him to connect on Facebook, bought his book, asked for an interview and the rest is history! Really, John's story is one for the history books for sure. Speaking of books, I couldn't put his down! I read the book in a week! John went into the Navy and retired after twenty years, as a Senior Chief petty officer, which is the eighth of nine enlisted ranks in the U.S. Navy. No one knew until shortly after he wrote "Someone Like Me" that he even had cerebral palsy. That was astounding to me! The foundation that was laid to never let the label "cerebral palsy"  stop or hinder him, was set by his parents. In fact, it was his dad that told the doctors:  I don't want to see the words "cerebral palsy" or "handicapped" listed anywhere in his medical record. If you doctors label him with that now, it will follow him for the rest of his life, and I won't have that."  John comments further on his parents view of his condition:  My parents downplayed the issue of cerebral palsy to ensure that I lived as normal a life as possible  and I was never treated as someone with a handicap by my four brothers and three sisters. It was just the way I wanted it."  John never let his challenges follow him or get him down, even when the tough times reared their ugly head. Through loss, heartbreak, and the rigors of Navy life - screaming commanders, marching in frigid temperatures, a bout of acute cellulitis, losing his parents, his mom to cancer and his dad to a heart attack. His brother Steven took his life by suicide. The heartbreak of losing someone he thought would be the love of his life.  Not one ounce of all the challenges that life has thrown at him, has thrown him off his beat. Through each hurdle he jumped over, he came out stronger and even more determined.  I'm purposefully restraining myself from blogging about the whole entire book. It's a book review which is meant to just whet your appetite, but this book is a definite MUST READ! You will laugh, cry, cheer and most of all, be given hope that the possibilities are endless once you realize never to put yourself in a box, always being ready to push the envelope. As John says: "You want an absolute?  Here are two: You are never alone. There is always hope."  For Someone Like ME!

Thank you John for sharing your story on my podcast so many years ago! And thank you for allowing me to tell your story I appreciated the opportunity! And thank you for always bringing your story to everyone, everywhere! I'm glad I could be a small part of spreading the Awareness and Hope that's behind your story! -----Michelle

Hear John's interview I did with him 5 years ago on his story and book here: https://www.arcind.org/podcasts/a-view-with-john-quinn-author-of-someone-like-me/

Michelle Fischer is host of A View from My Window, a podcast produced by The Arc of Indiana

You can also purchase John's book on Amazon!