Listen Now

Join Macy Gage as she shares her latest mishap that has jolted her into a renewed way of seeing the world. One that is at a much slower, clearer pace. Where she can recover sensibly.In this episode we take a deep dive into 5 inspiring stories of recovery by TBI survivors whose journeys to recovery help others understand; beyond their own narratives.Support the show

How can we define this word karma? Is it only a spiritual definition? Or can we reframe it and spin it to mean something that we can individually perceive to be special and unique for ourselves in our own lives? In this episode we discover new strategies to balance the seasonal affective blues, we discuss our current tools, and how discovering other insights may just be the ticket to managing this new year's cold spells.   Support the show

Let’s just drown in it today for this episode. It’s an overwhelming feeling this week. I don’t know what happened, but I just woke up today and nearly cracked.  I would almost cry while doing the dishes!?I would wonder what is wrong with me?! I just realized I can’t do this routine that I had set up for myself this summer. I burnt out because I had stretched myself too thin. I was working out 7 days a week. I thought I had this under control, boy was I wrong. Managing to make sense of this chaos I had created gave me a raft to float on.Support the show

Over the years since graduating university I thought being successful as an artist would just happen; that it would just fall in my lap. I think things like that only happen to the really wealthy people out there.  Going to school for art was sort of an Alice in Wonderland kind of experiences in some ways; I was able to spend excessive amounts of time on creating magical beautiful pictures. While I was surrounded by some of the strangest people in our country.  Support the show

Losing sight of the reality of the situation I had put myself in was the least of my worries. I had put myself in a precarious situation, and I had to untangle myself from it - easier said then done, especially since I was in the ICU and was in a coma. Building relationships again, starting fresh, and being mindful of my stumbles. Join Macy Gage as she shares when she recognized her lack of empathy, how she didn't even know this word existed before, and how she learned to make it part of her personality.Support the show

I have leaned on those first two words to becoming my focus as an artist, as a thinker, and how I see the world around me - I am always attempting to abstract the nature I see around me. Whether that be the physical natural world I like surrounding myself with; or the behaviors and relationships I see in the characters in stories, or even the people in my life. Expanding our freaks is another way of expressing  enriching our community, or circle of friends. I in fact think of it is a compliment because who really wants to be thought of as normal anyway? Expanding our freaks, this section, I wanted to go over how important developing relationships or refining our networks, or communities really is. Support the show

This monumental arrangement of massive stones in Wales is how I sometimes saw Jude. How he carried himself, his strong, secure, and unmoving persona in his values, beliefs, and work ethic; has shown me how important he is in my life, and how I have taken him for granted for too long. His family are great to, similar to those ancient stones that stand upright in an organized, circular like ring. They all check in on each other, have family get togethers every so often. I know that this is special to, something I know I was lacking for a long time in my own life - the special kinship of family. I realize that I brought that on myself to, in some ways; but I also know that families move, change priorities, and become preoccupied with themselves to - so it is not all me. But there it is again, the grass is always greener idea! Support the show

This is a repurposing of the word noose: It has been a difficult two years but I know that in the face of trauma most of us can shine brighter because we see how fragile life really is. There is a time for recover, reflection, regrowth, regrouping, rebirth – it has many names wink to Renaissance. We need to treasure our family, our friends, and ourselves of course – let’s honor what we to can put into the world. Because who else is going to do it? No one but you can do it - that sounds weird, but it is true. Don’t forget that, confidence is hard to maintain but once you get into the groove, ride it for as long as you can. Support the show

This episode just so happens to coincide with the anniversary of my trauma, also known as my car crash. It happened 25 years ago this May. I don’t want to celebrate it, but I do want to acknowledge it and how it actually saved me. If you’ve been following my Podcast you’ll be familiar with the episode #6  called: Wonderland Made Me Wonderful. This is a play on words because it is an amusement park, and how can a park do that? But no, my naivety it shines it’s head every now and again, as if I’m still that 15 year old girl again. Sometimes I think my memory problems keep me this way, because there is no traction to make the mistakes stick in my brain so I don’t do them again. Anyway that’s another episode!Support the show

Awareness and self esteem play an important role in either building us up or tearing us down.  I had a low self esteem; but I presumed, that this was part of being a teenage girl. That I would get over it later on. It wasn’t something that deserved my attention. Boy, was I wrong. Join Macy Gage as she discusses landing in teenage angst, leading to her injury, disorder and even pregnancy. See how she figured out what it all meant. Including philosophy, psychology, and an insight to stop you in your tracks. Support the show

Why did I need to feel lousy about myself? Why didn't I see any value in me? I learned the price of my behavior was one tough lesson, or more specifically my lack of awareness; and how it plays an important role in either building up confidence, or tearing it down. Am I right or am I wrong? It needed me to shake it out of that nonsense. I knew that I had a low self esteem; but I presumed that this was part of being a teenage girl, that I would get over it later on. It wasn’t something that deserved my attention. But boy, I was wrong. I was a decent looking girl, young, fit, ,  smart, going to school, I have a family – or was it the hormones? What ever it was, I needed a wake up call. Support the show

Time management where does it go? Does it evaporate?? Is time a construct? Are we prisoners of our own lives by creating these routines we live by? Or is it how we frame it in our minds  that gives us the fulfillment we seek? Join Macy Gage as she uncovers some skills and strategies that make every day that little bit easier to navigate. While https://www.facebook.com/Tangentalist page has some links to explore with life hacks and youtube videos that can  motivate you to find a new routine to structure yourself more effectively.Support the show

Outrageous events sneak into our 5000 sided cube of memories; as if it belongs there; when the every day just flies by. Where is the limbo section? What gets in there, and how? Can we replace crisis with clearer versions of adventure and happiness? Macy Gage lists 5 top websites with key strategies to improve your memory with links available at: https://www.facebook.com/TangentalistSupport the show

Climbing out of discontent I put together some thoughts that have been floating around my brain. I shared them on the Tangentalist Facebook Blog and have gathered them here with additional insights. Generational themed Loser anthem, changing how you think can change your world, talking about talking, memory on stilts and jumping down the stairs . As well as wherever you go there you are yet how do we forget this?   Support the show

Season  of Illusions and delusions perpetuate my psyche these days. The days getting shorter, the retreating sun behind the clouds has never affected me as much as it has this year. That being said there are a few gems to share on how I make sure it doesn't get the better of me.  Support the show

This is how I saw it back then. Or at least I thought I did. I was inviting danger into our perfectly set up flat in the Gay village. I mean it wasn’t perfect as one window didn’t have a screen and the bathtub was pink, but it was really big with a great layout. It over looked Church Street the hub of the gay community in downtown Toronto, Canada. We were near our school, the rent was reasonable, and the area was full of fun, interesting often international people ready for a party at any second.I had to put a stop to this seemingly ideal situation. Why did I deserve it? I had made life for Jude a living hell. We broke up frequently. I was in self-sabotage mode again. I’m not sure if I was fully aware at the time, but I wanted to wreck this infallible setting. Something was wrong and rather then addressing it I chose to ruin it by bringing dangerous people into our place. I even was trying to separate myself from Jude in the space claiming that he could have one side of it while I had the other! At the same time I was inviting strangers’ in from the street. Becoming intimate with some while others were taking items with them as they left! I was so out of it I didn’t notice until the next day.Support the show

There is a lot to be said about Memory, Friends and Ego. How does memory get into a landslide? How do friends show value with reciprocity? I didn't think the friends that I had helped me get to the trajectory that got me to where I am. As I think some of us are aware that we always want what we don't have.  Moving too much, diverting from friendships were my pitfalls. Realizing the sense of self importance and finding humor are the keys to disguising my bruised fruit identity. Support the show

Being tripped up by disorder while going to university, I didn't see it that way at all. This aside my faculty was organizing a trip to the Big Apple and for some reason I though it was a good idea to go. The only problem was I had no money, I was spending it like mad because I was undeniably manic - even though I wouldn't admit it. Jude had a friend Ivan who wanted to lend me the money. I took it and decided to be reckless and destroy any sense of sanity that I may have had.Support the show

I was a mess back then, the demands of school, managing my condition, and trying to find where I fit, in the big city socially and economically. Finding my purpose, or a thread that seemed to fit that idea really gave me focus then and now. In a way knowing early on that I was artistically inclined helped to give me direction. Over the years I have wavered, as do many of us, in where we see our lives taking us. Because opportunities sometimes lead us in different directions and take us some where we least expect. Essentially I believe having this goal of mine way back when I was a kid developing in my early teenager years; really gave me a foundation, a framework to work with that during times of struggle is crucial. It gives structure when  my life after the crash was appearing lost in limbo. This with changing my thought patterns on TBI and my injury really helped lift me out of the slumps of where I seemed to be drifting.  Keep exploring these strange insights that may have you wanting to start a discussion!Support the show

This took some time to process, because a toxic person from my past contacted me via Messenger - who knew they could get through even when they're blocked. Even bad actors have some form of intelligence. Actually it is more a case of opportunity accidentally  resembling innovation. That aside I was shivering on the inside when I skimmed over it during a delicious weekend brunch. Immediately after I felt dirty and had to escape to the great outdoors. The power of nature triumphs again.Support the show