Hitting HUFFPO as an “Agent of Change”!

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Mara hair

I’m in shock as I hurriedly write this, but I wanted to publish this post right away because I’m so thrilled!  There will probably be typos and syntax errors, but I’m so over-the-moon I don’t care!

I had no idea that a brilliant writer/editor friend of mine, Greg Archer, was planning to include me in his regular Huffington Post Blog column called “Agents of Change”.  

This afternoon Greg casually asked me via Facebook if I’d be interested in participating as an “Agent of Change” subject, to which I answered “YES!” in no uncertain terms.

Fast forward an hour later.

I found a link in my email in-box from Greg leading to the Huffington Post.  After opening it I scrolled down a bit, spotting a selfie I took after visiting my friend Mara at her awesome, certified-green The Green Room Salon.

Yep – there I was in the Huffington Post alongside four incredible, inspiring women!

I can’t tell you how moved I am to be profiled about my struggle with bipolar in any publication, let alone one like the Huffington Post!  As soon as I realized this article was live, I emailed my husband Craig and my mother with the link.  Craig is usually verrrry mellow, but he called me right away to congratulate me and I could hear pride in his voice.  Two minutes later my Mom called.  While we’ve had some differences when it comes to bipolar & stigma, she too was so proud of me that she wanted to share the article with her friends on Facebook!  

I was astounded.  

At the end of the day I’m grateful…grateful that someone who I respect immensely found my story relevant enough to share with an audience, and I’m thankful that the people I love are happy for me.

Here’s the link to the Huffington Post article: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-archer/agents-of-change-5-inspir_b_5992870.html#es_share_ended

Thank you for reading!!

Wishing you all happy surprises when you least expect them…

Dyane

P.S. I have favor to ask!   I was nominated by the bestselling author Wendy K. Williamson (“I’m Not Crazy Just Bipolar”, & “Two Bipolar Chicks Guide to Survival”) for the WEGO Health Activist “Best in Show” Blog Award.  I need your endorsements to win!  Just visit the below link, select the purple tab that says “Endorse Dyane Leshin-Harwood” and go from there – it takes only 20 seconds to endorse me.  Thank you so much!

https://awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/4811

43 thoughts on “Hitting HUFFPO as an “Agent of Change”!”

    • Thanks so much, Joe – by the way, I noticed you live in Santa Monica. I grew up in the Palisades and I miss that whole area. I loved hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains & running up Temescal Canyon – ouch! 😉 It was hard. Did some 5 & 10K’s down there like the Jimmy Stewart Relay Marathon. (I’m a former A.C.E.-certified personal trainer, circuit training class instructor & gym employee) Keep up with your awesome-sounding fitness program!

    • Thank you my dear one! Your comments always make me smile. I’ll never forget the one you wrote a few weeks ago: “Dyane – you made me cry sometimes – I adore your respect and approach to your post. Shine always:)” I keep that comment of yours in a special file on my computer called “PRINT FOR INSPIRATION!”

      You inspire me so much. Wishing you love and joy today and every day!!!

    • Thank you beautiful Bee! I’ma diehard fan of your blog and I apologize for venting recently on it – I know you understand where I was coming from. I want happiness for you because you deserve it big-time. You really do. XO

    • Sweet Vic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Whenever I read your comments I swear to God, I can feel your warmth, empathy and support radiate from your words. Call me a hippie – I don’t care, it’s true!

      You and your blog are a tremendous inspiration to me. You are a true fighter in the best sense of the word. Your family is incredibly lucky to have you. Take extra-special care of yourself – you’ve been through so much recently (a slight understatement, eh?) and it’s time for some “Vic Pampering”!!!!!! Men can get massages and facials and boxes of chocolates too!!!!!

      • Thank you so much for you vote of confidence in my blog and your kind words! I hope that one day my blog can be as successful and impact-ful as yours!

    • Hi there, ikarlee – you are a sweetie to comment! I’m grateful to you for reading this blog and for your kind congratulations. I wish that something unexpected and wonderful happens to you very soon!

      take good care of yourself!
      (((hugs))) from Dyane 🙂

    • Thank you so much, everythingzen2014 (great name & I also love your blog name, by the way!) I’m practicing what you advise: “living not just existing”!!! After merely existing for so long, I feel like I’m living again. Life is still stressful and freaky, but I’d rather be here than in the past.

      I’m excited to be one of your new followers and I look forward to getting to know you!

      have a fantastic day and take good care,
      Dyane :))))))))))))

  8. Yay! I am so incredibly proud of you. You are doing an amazing job and you deserve every bit the appreciation in every form you get. Love and care.

    • Beautiful Zeph – you’ve been there for me from Day One when we “met” through this remarkable blogosphere. You are my soul sister. You’ve done nothing but be there for me with plenty of encouragement. I’m deeply grateful to you! I’ve also been amazed at how much you’ve grown over the past year; I’ve been inspired by your risk taking and the fact that you never gave up when facing challenges, and your blog has been an incredible testimony to that.

      Sending you lots of love, smiles, joy, peace and hope. You are the BEST!

      xxooxxxoooxxxoooxx always, Dyane

    • Hey there, you Fiery, Fantastic Friend! I’ll always been grateful to you for making me laugh via your awesome blog – for turning me on to the evils of the Big Brother/Big Sister Sugar Barons (and other entities!) and for just being super cool. I love reading your posts so much – I know your goal isn’t primarily to make us laugh, but I often find myself giggling reading one of your posts and I can’t tell you how priceless that is to me

      I love having you as a reader – I’m lucky and I’ll continue to sing your praises in future posts! Keep ’em coming!

      lots of love,
      Dy “Sugar Addict” Harwood

      p.s. I’m workin’ on lowing my sugar; MAN, it’s hard. I still scream when I read virtually any food label and see that the manufacturers deliberately leave out the daily % of sugar on it – OMG – these people are truly Satan Spawn!!!!!!!

      p.p.s. When I think of the “Fed Up” documentary’s subject Maggie, the 12 year-old, 200+ pound girl sobbing to the camera because of her obesity, I wish the greedy sugar industry & sugar industry-related/govt. people – it’s hard to believe they ARE people— all lived in her body!

      • OMG!!! That little girl broke my heart!!!! I just wanted to take her in my arms and hold her!!! She was so adorable and precious!!!!

        And THANK YOU for the praise!!! You are so kind and wonderful!!!!!!! I really, really appreciate it! ❤ ❤ ❤

        I am still working at being sugar-free too, it is HARD!! But my body thanks me 😉

    • Thank you so much, Kitt Unfortunately Lucy Pup is less impressed with the article, and the very moment when you texted me whilst walking your “challenging” dogs this a.m. (YAY to that! 😉 I had Lucy in the car with me.

      We were at a popular Scotts Valley drive-through coffee kiosk where I was treating myself to a small celebratory mocha. Well, Lucy went all “CUJO” on the staff and on me.

      Last month our dog trainer Heather of “Clear Mind Canine” advised me to get a crate for Lucy to use in the car since she’s a reactive dog, and Heather was right. I should have gotten one already, but I procrastinated and I paid the price for that today.

      So….whenI was parked at the kiosk while waiting for them to make my mocha, Lucy leapt on my lap, honked on the horn three time, and lunged out the window a few times when I tried to get my mocha without it spilling all over me. (Amazingly I got it without spilling it!) Yvonne the kiosk owner had a look of horror on her face. The five fancy cars behind us had a show to watch – we were their morning entertainment. It was bad. No one was injured, except my pride.

      None of it is Lucy’s fault – I should have left her at home. Duh.

    • Many thanks, dear Write Into the Light! Have been loving your blog illustrations – they are fantastic! I also enjoy following your Facebook feed. I admire your tenacious spirit, your sense of humor and your relevant topics! I’m so happy to be connected with you!

      your fan,
      Dyane 😉

    • Hey there Amanda – thanks so much for your endorsement! 🙂 Yay! I want you to have a happy surprise (or happy non-surprise, or better yet – both a surprise and an expected blessing!) very, very soon!!! I look forward to reading about these joyful events-to-be on your wonderful blog!!!

      take good care, my dear, and thanks again for brightening up my afternoon! XO Dy

    • Thanks so much, lovely Karen!!!

      By the way, I just started following you on Twitter and I noticed you also follow the author/artist SARK! I love her. I’ve interviewed SARK twice for freelance articles! I also had an amazing “art afternoon” in Big Sur with only 20 other people – that was before she became super-famous!

      Her books have been such an inspiration and comfort to me for over 20 years! You can call her Inspiration Line where she leaves messages usually 3 minutes or so long, and you can just hang up or leave her a message! Sometimes she even calls you back. It’s 415-546-EPIC (3742)

  14. Congratulations! “sharing her vulnerabilities and truths on living with bipolar disorder…” That is not an easy thing to do, but it is such an inspiration to others!

    • Supermommyoftwins, you rock as usual with *true* understanding and compassion!

      I’ve lost friends and had several family relationships damaged due to this illness. Sharing helps me find a community among kindred spirits (like you!) who have walked in my shoes.

      You continue to amaze me with your strength and perservation – please know that you’re in my thoughts.

      p.s. I love reading your blog! :))) I tweet your posts so that others will learn from your wisdom, your cool format (i.e. end quotes) and remarkable story!

    • Thank you so much, Glenn! I got too excited when this article was published and I shared it probably a million times on Facebook….but I’m hoping that friends & acquaintances understand how significant it is for me to have such a wonderful review! :))) I never thought it would happen! I appreciate your lovely support as always – your comments never fail to light up my days!

  18. Fandabbydousey. Well done Dyane. Vindication via endorsement is just wonderful isn’t it! And btw, you must be exhausted writing all the personalised comments back. Go you!

    • You are a sweetie! Yep, I’m certainly enjoying being recognized for something positive instead of being associated with yucky stuff – it’s heady stuff, and I could get used to it!

      While yes, it takes a lot of energy to write back everyone, it’s worth it as replying gives me a sense of feeling more connected to you guys & gals . Recently I’ve made an effort to cut back on writing lengthy responses so that I don’t burn out, and I’ve been more fatigued lately so I’m doing that. However, sometimes I get on a roll (like now! 😉 and it’s hard to only write one or two sentences or just 2 words, i.e. “thank you!”.

      I’ve seen blogs where each post received hundreds of comments. If I were that uber-popular blogger, I couldn’t imagine reading so many comments, let alone responding to them, and not being stressed out about it. I wouldn’t want that kind of success. I have a few regular readers who comment (anywhere between 5 & 10) and that’s plenty.

      I’m so glad to be following your blog and if I don’t write super-long comments (or only just “like” certain posts) I know you’ll understand.

      Take care & thanks for your encouragement!!!! xoxo Dyane

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