Tag: Cancer Survivor

An Angel in my Car

November 14, 2020

Listen to TinaO read About it here.

About it

I’m struggling with it

It’s not new

but it 

looks 

so damn easy,

also not new

I hear

it 

can be,

easy

I keep hearing it

I should know it

by now 

Like really know how 

by now

Like if I don’t know,

it 

by now,

then there’s got to be something wrong with me

because I’ve watched every damn video there is

about 

it

and I still can’t seem to get 

it

So I read the books 

you recommend 

about it

Listen to the words

you tell me

And keep telling me

And telling me

And telling me

And telling me

About 

it

And I ask for more

Because I want 

it

And it 

looks so easy

it seems

So easy

But it’s

not 

for me.

I ask

What else don’t I know about

it?

You know I even had someone create a meditation for me 

About it.

I slept with 

it,

the meditation

and I dreamt about 

it

Woke up with it

Spoke with it

Joked with it

Croaked with it

I didn’t toke with it

I don’t 

smoke 

it

I think I’ve had it

Because your encouragement is 

starting to feel 

like nagging

The truth is

I suck 

at it

being supported

and ocean swimming

has been my greatest teacher

Where We’ve Been – Circa 2017

Pre-Triathlon Iron Man 5150

I was four months out of cancer treatment when I started training for the Iron Man 5150 (Olympic distance triathlon). I could barely swim ten strokes without losing my breath.

I had suffered a shoulder injury after a full on knock down drag ’em out with young son and couldn’t rotate my shoulder.

But I was committed to the race. I trained with a kickboard up to ten days before the swim. After being told I would be disqualified if I brought my trusty board, I panicked. This video is less than seven days before the swim.

So an Angel took a seat in my truck today. Just in time.

This year on December 25th, which is both Christmas Day and my 50th Birthday, I am stepping into a new story…

and I know what I know what I know about how stories work:

Stories won’t let go until they’ve been fully heard.

This is release #6 of sixteen Story Hits (vlogs) from as far back as 2013. Some are my favourites, some are yours. If you missed week #1 or more and want to start from the beginning, you can start here with: Out of the Water. 

I will be writing more about these moments in both my upcoming book: STORY STONES (coming fall 2021, and in my one woman show: O MY GOD (touring spring 2021).

I have to close one story to open another. 

Thank you for listening.

xT

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. 

CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.

Out of the Water – TinaO’s Story Hits #1

September 12, 2020

FINISH LINES

Listen to TinaO read this poem here.

a nervous system,

that’s what we are

electricity and thought mashed up

on sound

words on guts

fear on finish lines

how we love a good finish line story

but we are far

far

far

from ever being finished

–

stop pushing

I heard,

but I don’t know how to swim

stop

pushing

I…

but I will be sucked down by the reeds if…

stop

pushing

(hold breath)

but this is how I…

stop

–

a list of finishes

fishes

still swimming

–

stop

the,

now go.

–

Listen to the poem read by TinaO here. 

Out of the Water – Story Hit #1

pre-triathlon – post cancer – July 2016

These vlogs bring you back with me to where we’ve been together over the last seven years. I share them to close one story so as to open another.

This year on December 25th, which is both Christmas Day and my 50th Birthday, I am stepping into a new story…and I know what I know what I know about how stories work:

Stories won’t let go until they’ve been fully heard.

For the next sixteen weeks I am releasing a Story Hit (vlog) from our last five years together. Some will be my favourites, some yours.

This is release #1 – Out of the Water, and if you’d like to carry on to release #2 – Beauty School Drop Out – click here. 

I will be writing more about these moments in both my upcoming book: STORY STONES (coming fall 2021, and in my one woman show: O MY GOD (touring spring 2021).

On my 50th Birthday, if you’re on my VIP list, I’ll be sending you 50 Days of Christmas Story Gifts from Dec. 25th to February 12th. If you want some story goodness filled with sneak peeks into the creation and rehearsal process, plus be able to pre-order the book, and order tickets to the show, click here and the let the gifting begin! (You’ll get a bunch of cool story right away)

I have to close one story to open another. 

Thank you for listening.

xT

Tina Overbury is a core-communications specialist who works with individuals and organizations who feel called. She is a storyteller, performer, and a professional listener who works with narrative and story structure as a vehicle for human connection. Her work is rooted in Myth, Mysticism, and the practice of personal faith. She brings thirty years of collaborative storytelling in theatre, film, marketing, team based selling, and workshop facilitation. She is the founder of Live Your Best Story, a weekend retreat of deep listening held on Bowen Island, BC, Canada and is the voice and story behind TinaOLife, home to Story Stones, TinaO’s online gathering of listening in to sacred stories. Tina is a proud associate of PowHERhouse media where she listens and supports the ‘stories’ of whole and integrated leaders of tomorrow.

If you’d like to know more about TinaO’s approach to STORY and receive updates about STORY STONES the book, and O MY GOD, her one woman show, click here and you’ll be added to her ‘stay in touch’ list plus she’ll send you a few short intro videos about what story means to her. 

CLICK HERE for TinaO Story stuff.

Dear Tina #3, Teach Others to Listen

April 14, 2016

dear Tina TeachYesterday I decided to stop pretending.

Yesterday I decided to ‘come out’ – can I even use that term if I’m not gay? Can ‘coming out’ apply to being ‘seen’?

Yesterday I quaked a little bit, you know the human part that worries that people will think you’re weird and you’ll end up alone, wandering back alleys with nothing but stray cats following you, their bent tails resembling the off-ness of you, eating samosas out of a bag, muttering poetry with every step, and wearing nostalgic too old sneakers and smelling like patchouli…?  That part. I quaked about the possibility of all of that happening, and then I decided to risk it.  But then, I kinda like the smell of patchouli.  

  • Yesterday I didn’t stop until the message stopped me.
  • Yesterday I decided I’m going to be seen.
  • Yesterday I said I am. I do. I share.
  • Welcome to my page: Work with TinaO 

Here it is:

Dear Tina2

I’m committed to helping you to LIVE.

That’s a pretty broad statement isn’t it? Yes, I think so too. Yet that’s what I’m here for, and that unique message was delivered straight to me via me through my very own Dear Tina journal…

My Dear Tina personal practice began on March 13th 2014, and through these very pages, my own calling to help others truly live is what showed up. And who am I to argue with myself? Because that would be kinda silly don’t you think?

Dear Tina You are HereWhat am I talking about?

Life.

Living.

You know, this ride we’re on for however long we’re invited to be here (which none of us knows how long that will be even though we talk a big talk and stay up at night thinking about or avoiding it).

It’s this thing called LIFE, and it’s super distracting (oh the schedules, appointments, paperwork, pings, dings, deadlines), often ridiculous (the fights, flights, climbs, and confrontations), kind of depressing (broken dreams, resentments, shattered hearts, deaths and disappointments), is also wildly thrilling (think: love, laughter, accolades and ambition), is fantastically possible (with our bucket lists, breakthroughs and aha moments), and is ultimately, an intoxicating ride (hate it, love it, forget about it, and want it…) called LIFE.

My work is to help you LIVE FULLY without having to:

  • FIGURE IT OUT or
  • ESCAPE from what you don’t understand.
  • Live only in the ‘meditative or spirit world’
  • or be an EXPERT.
  • or be a LEADER.
  • or become ORGANIZED.
  • or know how to PRIORITIZE.
  • and for freak sakes… to once and for all FINALLY GIVE UP the painful practice of NEEDING TO BE ON TOP OF IT ALL.

Gawwwwd aren’t you exhausted of being on top of it all???

I sure was. It gave me cancer.  And that’s how I came to be here with you.  

on the bed

 Dear Tina… 

…teach others to listen, what to listen to, how to navigate the voices. Dec. 26th 2014

Dear Tina Imagine

 

 

 

…You will create a process for people to follow that encourages self listening.  December 26th 2014

You will create

 

 

 

…Show others the way through the mess of busyness. It is not necessary.  Lead Tina. Lead.  August 2015

dear Tina busyness

 

 

 

…Disease is transformation Tina, and you have transformed.  Do not shrink back.  August 29th 2015

Disease is Transformation

 

 

 

…You have been asked to help others connect to the whole self.  You’ve been asked to help people reacquaint themselves.  December 1st 2015

So there it is.

And that is how I will work with you.  You will learn how to listen to your innate wisdom and together we’ll build a way of LIVING that is truly yours.

I call it Your Living Story, or #liveyourall

I showed it to my husband because he has the best ‘total-bull-shit-sniff-test’ out there.

and I passed his ‘sniff’.

I’ll never forget the day I shook in my boots across our kitchen island, over the toast and butter and apples and and and… clutching my Sunday morning coffee, crazy weekend hair flying and sheepishly looked up and said to him:  “I think I want to write a book, speak, and run workshops and stuff.  I can’t stand the expert industry, but I think I might be one. I don’t want to lose you. Will you still like me?”

He said:  Tina, that train, your train has already left the station, you just haven’t decided to get on yet.  I know you. This is who you are. It’s who you’ve always been.

That was almost four years ago now.  

Welcome to TinaOLife,

These are my offerings.  

img_0047.jpg

 

xxT

p.s. if you are a cancer survivor or have loved ones you’d like to honour, check out my #100love campaign. I swim, bike and run for them. 

 

TinaO is a writer, speaker and the founder of TinaOLife – a hub for all things worth living for, the workshop Live Your Best Story, and her coaching practice:  Tall Poppy Living. She’s also a professional network marketer with a decade in the industry and with her Tall Poppy Living for Network Marketers Coaching Program, she teaches: selling isn’t slimey and marketing isn’t make-believe. You can be yourself and be successful in Direct Sales.