Life is messy. For all of us. 

In this episode, Joseph sits down with Michelle Crist a close friend and mentor of his. Michelle dealt with alcohol addiction and some mental health matters, which runs through her family.

Michelle became strong growing up by having to grow up faster than others her age. When she was in middle school, she had a stalker and her parents made her take martial arts classes to protect herself if anything happened. 

When she was a freshman in high school she saw her teacher get shot. This changed her perspective on safety. When she went back to school she could not believe how normal everything was. Her life changed, her teacher’s life ended, but no one was really reaching how she was expecting. 

She realized if she was shot too, no one would have noticed until the teacher told them. Once she started prioritizing safety over connections, she felt very empty. She had a great job but felt weak and purposeless. She decided to end her life becasue she was just tired of living the life she was living. 

When she decided to end her life, she felt God’s hands on her. She was unable to move. The voice was just telling her to breathe. 

This episode is all about how to change yourself have a life that you are painfully wanting and prioritizing the right things. If you want to set yourself up on solid ground, this episode is for you. 

In this episode:

• How Michelle changed her life after feeling purposeless. 
• Overcoming alcohol addiction.
• Dealing with PSTD
• Entering a relationship to heal one another in a healthy way. 

Key Takeaways:

• When you are overwhelmed, just take a breath and believe in yourself. 
• Life is hard, but fear and doubt hold no truth. Do not let those thoughts overpower you. 
• Love life and make connections with others. That is the key in life. 

Tweetable moments:

• “Just because you have weak moments, you can’t stay in that”
• “We tend to think what happened to us. We are not weak. We are perfect not because we are strong but because we complement God’s greatness.”
• “Fear and doubt are loud and rarely hold truth. They hold survival, not life.”

Connect with Michelle Crist:

Michelle’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MichelleCrist_thankful/

Michelle’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.clay.7505

Michelle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-crist-7557a715b/

Michelle’s Email: michelle@advanceyourreach.com

Advance your reach: https://advanceyourreach.com/

Connect with Joseph James:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/meetjoejames/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetjosephjames/