We recently connected with Meghan Judge and have shared our conversation below.
Meghan , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
After years of dealing with dibilitating panic attacks, multiple losses and faking that I was “just fine” I found myself in the lowest place of my life, I found the strength within to go on. It was almost as if it was a tiny voice in my head telling me I cant give up. I learned as a young girl to fight through my pain, whether it be the loss of my sister at age 2, my father at 13, my best friend at 29 or the may years of emotional abuse by my stepfather my resilience grew from my pain.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I started my podcast, “Judging Meghan”, in October of 2020. I was in an extremely dark place having survived a lifelong of loss trauma and abuse. With the encouragement of my therapist at the time, Dr. Nadine Macaluso, I decided to do something creative. My hope was that by talking about my own struggles with panic attacks and depression, it would help normalize talking about hard things for others that may struggle. Over the years, I have interviewed countless people who have shared their brave stories from surviving abuse, suicide, loss and recounted their determination to go on. My main goal has always been to follow in the footsteps of my Dad, Dr John Judge, whom i lost at age 13. His favorite thing to say was, “Be happy by making others happy.” I have found through my own struggles this statement could not be more true. The happiness and fulfillment I get from doing my weekly podcast is like no other in my life. In many ways, it has helped heal me. It has given me so much purpose and joy.
My podcast spans 160 plus episodes and am proud to say I frequent the top Apple charts in both Health & Fitness and Mental Health Categories. I am fortunate to be in the top 1% of all podcasts re:Listen Notes. I share this as a reminder to everyone that doubts ones abilities to reinvent themselves. When I started the podcast, I remember thinking, “People will make fun of me”, but I listened to my gut and did it anyway. I truly want people to know it is never too late to start over and chase new dreams in life.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1:), It is never too late to start over. We are here for such a short time, always live your life to the fullest. 2:) Don’t be afraid to walk away from relationships that no longer serve you. It is difficult to leave a relationship or a friendship that may be unhealthy, I have found that once I chose to have the strength to walk away, the most amazing new people walked into my life.
3:)Do something kind for someone else, this could be as simple as letting someone go in front of you in line at the grocery store or giving someone a compliment. You never know who is struggling and that one action can turn their whole day around.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
My favorite book is called, “The Wheel of Life” by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. I read this book in my twenties for the first time. It made such and impact on my life, when I know of someone that has experienced a loss, I either tell them to read it or give them a copy. In the book, Ross reiterates the importance of living a life passionately and compassionately. In my own grief journey it has always helped me along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: JudgingMeghan.com
- Instagram: @JudgingMeghan
- Linkedin: @MeghanJudge
- Youtube: @JudgingMeghan
Image Credits
Cover Photo of Podcast credit: Brian Parillo Photography Additional images credit: BellaBasha Photography
