Reflecting on a year of profound narratives, I, Karen Hall, invite you to join in our celebration of the Hero Within podcast's first anniversary. We revisit Rusty Labushagne's journey of wrongful imprisonment and his extraordinary path to forgiveness, showcasing the indomitable strength of faith. It's a moment to acknowledge the inspirational tales that have woven themselves into the tapestry of our lives, as I share my own connections to these stories, drawing parallels with revered historical figures and my personal encounters with hardship. This episode is a testament to the incredible power stories hold in healing, bringing us closer together, and reminding us of our shared humanity.
As we raise a glass to this milestone, I'm filled with gratitude for the unwavering camaraderie of you, our dedicated listeners. Your feedback and engagement have been pivotal in shaping our podcast into a beacon of hope and unity. The words of encouragement and the community we've built together have uplifted the spirits of our guests and myself. Join us for this heartfelt expression of thanks, as we look forward to another year of compelling storytelling, filled with love, inspiration, and the promise of more unforgettable connections within the Hero Within family.
Speaker 1:
Hey there, welcome back. I'm Karen Hall, your host of the Hero Within podcast. I'm passionate about sharing inspiring true stories of unsung heroes who've overcome some of life's most challenging adversities. Come along with me and learn how you, too, can find hope and healing to return to love. Happy anniversary it's the one year anniversary of the first episode of the Hero Within podcast, which debuted with the story of Rusty Labushagne, who was unjustly imprisoned for over thirteen years when he was wrongfully convicted for murder. While he dealt with resentment and nying bitterness because of the incredible suffering that he experienced due to this unfairness, he eventually learned to forgive and to rely on God for hope, which was an anchor to his soul. If you haven't heard Rusty's story, you can listen on Apple Podcasts or on any of your favorite podcast platforms. Rusty symbolized the kind of guests that I love to feature someone who is going through adversity and discovers how to navigate their challenges to find hope and healing. I celebrate with my guests as they turn to God or their higher power, and he helps them forgive and feel greater love in their heart. I thought you might like to hear more about the story of why I started the Hero Within podcast and why I chose to feature these kinds of stories.
Speaker 1:
I've always been intrigued by true stories of overcoming. As a girl, I used to go to the library and check out stacks of books. I love to read nonfiction stories about true life heroes such as Clara Barton, florence Nightingale Sakajewaya and other men and women who overcame incredible difficulties to fulfill their callings in life. My love of nonfiction continues to this day. I was also inspired to be a writer when I was a girl, as I read about other writers who wrote their own stories, such as Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House in the Prairie and Earl Hamner Jr, whose story was the inspiration for the Waltons. I started writing my first book when I was eleven and then I continued writing my own life story and life stories of family members, and I did that for many years. I loved interviewing people. I still do, and my favorite stories are always ones where people have gone through difficult situations and they describe how they have found any kind of light while they're suffering with their adversity.
Speaker 1:
With my own adversity I've been willing to share with people through the years and I thought about Renee Brown and her quote that says that vulnerability is the key to connection, but that formula didn't always work for me. In the past I've shared my stories and sometimes people would just stare at me and they would just be blank. They would just say nothing. Even when they could speak, they would often say I don't know what to say or I can't relate to you, and in those settings I felt like an alien. It was so painful for me, and so I started thinking I should write a book about this topic and about people who have gone through hard things, so that they could share their story. And I thought other people could read the story and they could say oh, that person knows just what I'm going through. They understand how I feel and I thought you know. Even though we don't have the same experience, we can still relate to each other and our feelings. I may not relate to you in your life and your experiences, but I know how it feels to feel lonely. I know how it feels to feel rejected or to feel sad, and I can always relate to your feelings, regardless of what you've gone through. I wanted people to know that they weren't alone and to be able to know that they weren't the only ones who felt the way that they did.
Speaker 1:
I put the book project down during certain seasons of my life and a couple years ago I picked it back up and I began writing again. I was also trying to learn at that time about how to market my book and how to reach the people who needed my message. As I prayed about it, the distinct impression came to me that I should do a podcast. I could see how people could learn from hearing other people's stories, hearing their intonation of their voice or seeing the expression on their face, and they could feel like they were having a conversation with somebody and they could know that they weren't alone. And I thought this would be such a great idea. Except for one thing I didn't know how to do a podcast and I had no idea how to do any of the technical end of things.
Speaker 1:
But what I did know was that I had suffered in my life and the Lord had led me to resources and he had taught me so much. He carried my pain and he'd helped me to heal, and I learned so many vital lessons in my life. When I've been able to help other people so that they don't suffer like I have, that is what brings me the greatest joy, because then I feel like my suffering wasn't in vain, and so I set out to do the podcast and to interview people and to share their stories with you, so that you know that you aren't alone, that you're not the only one that has gone through these things and you're not the only one that feels the feelings that you do. And I am so thankful for all of my guests, for sharing their stories and for uplifting me, and I know that they've uplifted you too, and so thank you, thank you to every one of my guests and thank you to all of my listeners.
Speaker 1:
I wanted to close with this quote by Elizabeth Kubler Ross. She says the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen, and I think that perfectly describes the guests that we have on the Hero Within podcast. You are all beautiful people and I am drawn to you, and you do bless my life with your compassion, with your depth, with your understanding, and I hope that all of you who are listening are also blessed by these stories, and so thank you for being with me on this journey and thank you for blessing my life for listening too.
Speaker 1:
Thank you for your support. Thank you for your feedback. It means so so much to me to hear your thoughts and to know that you enjoy the messages from the guests, and it means so much to my guests to receive your feedback as well, because I pass that on whenever you send me messages about the episodes. So thank you so much. Happy anniversary, and here's looking forward to more episodes of more inspiration and love in your life. Thanks for listening. I know you're busy. Did you know that you help spread the love by leaving your review and following? This helps increase our visibility so people can find us online. I really appreciate your help. I'm wishing you lots of love in your own hero's journey.