Meet Suzanne McGaughey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Suzanne McGaughey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Suzanne below.

Hi Suzanne, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

When I was a young child, I grew up in a lot of dysfunction. My father passed away when I was only 7 years old, his passing really hit me hard. I wasn’t very good at expressing myself verbally, so I started writing as young as nine years old. I wrote a poem at school that was published in the local newspaper. I started journaling and writing down my feelings which always seemed to come out story style. I had so many feelings inside me and needed an outlet to get them out. Writing was my outlet.

As I started to get older I made two promises to myself, first – I would continue to write with the dream that one day I would be an excellent writer who could write stories that help others in some way. I had a dream that through my writings I would be able to help others who may be going through a tough time but didn’t feel like they could trust anyone to talk to, or were unable to open up verbally. I wanted to be a positive influence and encourage others to get through their tough times and become the best version of themselves that they could be. That’s what I was working for. Second – I knew that I would always work in a job that helped others. I followed through on that by getting a job in special education. Ultimately, I ended up working in the behavior field for over 25 years. Working in that field allowed me to help a lot of kids that either had special needs or were struggling with emotional difficulties. I didn’t look at work as work, I viewed it as a passion and a journey to help whom ever I could, live a more positive life.

Recently I retired from working in a school district. I started doing my own private behavior consulting and advocacy work. I also continue to write. I am currently working on a compilation of social stories for elementary aged students. I recently published a book on Tinnitus which is available on Amazon. It’s entitled, “Life With Tinnitus – Learning to take your life back.” In that book I discuss how to better manage living with tinnitus, as well as many tips and strategies to decrease anxiety, learn calming techniques, supplements and more. I wrote it not as a technical book, but as a companion someone can use along their tinnitus journey. I was diagnosed over two years ago with tinnitus. It was a huge struggle in the beginning. I had difficulty being positive for the first few months but then I decided to practice what I preach. I had to find ways to conquer my fears, face my diagnosis head on and do all that I could to live a more positive, productive life. Again, I found myself wanting to help others. I started making videos and writing about my tinnitus. Many people reached out to me with questions and needed support because they had also been diagnosed with tinnitus. It was then I decided that writing a short book with tips and strategies could really be a good way to help others. I knew I had another purpose, this time it was to help others that were struggling with their own diagnosis of tinnitus, hyperacusis and sudden hearing loss.

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?

Having recently published my book, “Life With Tinnitus” I am currently working on creating a support group for people with tinnitus, hyperacusis and sudden sensorial hearing loss. When I was first diagnosed I found that my own greatest support was just being able to talk with others who were going through the same thing I was. I want to pay it forward. I want to create a safe space where people can join in on a weekly meeting or feel free to reach out whenever they are sad, frustrated or just wanting to talk about living with tinnitus. Often, when I post on social media I make it clear that I always have an ear to listen if someone needs a friend to talk to about living with tinnitus. It makes me feel good to be able to help others who are struggling. I’ll often share a telephone call or video chat with complete stranger who asks to talk with me about symptoms or support. Those strangers often become friends. I’m very careful and mindful of scams and cyber creeps. As a rule of thumb and for safety, I always check things out before I accept a call. You always have to be careful on social media.

Currently, I am working on another book that will be sort of a companion book for the tinnitus book I recently published. This book is more about finding your calm, creating inner-peace and developing. your self-esteem. One major thing I learned throughout my life time is that mindset really is everything, It is not just a cliche’ or a fad to be practicing a positive mindset, it really is a way of life. If you can learn how to allow your positive thoughts to outweigh your negative thoughts, then you are headed in a wonderful direction. I admit it is not always easy, but it is worth it. Having worked in the behavior support field for so many years I learned a lot of fact based strategies and techniques that are really helpful in training yourself to have a positive mindset. I learned various strategies and techniques on how to calm your mind and calm your soul. Strategies on how to find that inner calm and peace that so many of us crave. It brings me such joy to be able to share those strategies with others and teach them how to have their own success in claiming that inner-calm. As a matter of fact, my next book is called, “Claiming Your Calm”. I am planning to publish and launch by the end of this year.

Writing excites me. It gives me a feeling of fulfillment and happiness, especially if something I write helps someone in even a small way. I truly have had a life long passion for it. Previously, I wrote for a few magazines. The last magazine I wrote for ended up closing during the Covid pandemic. I wrote for that magazine for about eight years, doing celebrity interviews as well as writing a column based on positive living. I was sad when the magazine closed but I knew I would continue my writing passion. I once interviewed a top Hollywood writer and show-runner who told me, “you have excellent writing skills, keep at it. I thought I would have to do a lot of corrections for you but I could only find one mistake. You captured me very well.” He also gave me some great advice on how to overcome writers block and how to keep my passion alive. I remember being a nervous wreck when I had to interview him. I thought for sure he was going to pick me apart piece by piece and tell me that my writing had a ton of corrections, but he didn’t. He was a very nice, down to earth man who taught me a lot just in our hour long conversation. Who knows, I may start doing some script writing down the road. I did take some classes for that. You just have to keep reaching for those dreams and goals. Never give up on your passion and purpose. You can take a break if and when you need it, but then get right back to it and keep your dreams alive.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think the most important thing for anyone is having confidence in yourself. We often develop fear of doing new things because we are afraid of failure, ridicule or just not having the confidence in ourselves to do what we really want. I used to always have a lot of fears but then I learned from a famous quote, “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind, be led by the dreams in your heart.” _ Roy T. Bennett. That quote lit a fire in me. I started to learn to face my fears and just try. If I failed, I’d try again until I obtained the goal I was reaching for. I’d say to others who are starting a writing journey or any other dream they want to pursue, remember, if you never fail you never really learn. All of life is a lesson; it’s up to us how we utilize those lessons we learn.

Secondly, be a good listener. When you listen to others, listen with empathy, compassion and a desire to understand. Sometimes people get caught up in talking and forget to listen. I learned that I needed to listen to learn. Sometimes when we are still, we hear and learn the most.

Never make snap judgements. No matter what job you are doing, dream you are following or journey you are on, do your research. Check your facts and remember that no question is a dumb question. Never feel like you can not ask a question. It’s o.k if you don’t understand something or if you simply want to know more about something. Never feel less than, because you aren’t sure about something. Learn to ask questions. It’s alright to make mistakes. When we make mistakes, that’s when we learn the most. We might even make the same mistake more than once, but once we learn the lesson, we stop making that mistake. That is how you learn and grow.

When I was diagnosed with tinnitus and decided to write a book about it, I did a lot of research, listening and learning before I felt confident in writing a book and sharing it with others. If you remember these three skills mentioned above, then you will have a good start towards obtaining your own dreams and goals.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Writing a book can be very overwhelming. Living with tinnitus can also be very overwhelming. I had to learn how to step back, take a breath and calm myself down. I do this by practicing mindfulness, meditation, going for a walk and going to the gym. I’m an avid gym rat. I am in the gym weight lifting and doing cardio 4-5 times a week. When I’m not in the gym I am out walking. Grounding yourself in nature is a natural mood booster. The next time you feel overwhelmed go for a walk. Clear your mind and try to just pay attention to the sounds of nature. You might hear birds chirping, water running, trees blowing in the wind. You can also pause for minute, look around and allow your brain to observe the beauty of the nature around you.

When I’m not outside and I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed I practice Vipassana meditation. You can find really good videos on YouTube or on line somewhere. Personally, I like Vipassana because it teaches you to go inward, to be one with your breath. Learning proper breathing techniques is very beneficial in teaching yourself how to calm down.

Lastly, it’s o.k to take a break from something that is causing you to feel overwhelmed. Find something to do that relaxes you and brings you peace. For me, living with tinnitus means I have constant ringing in my ears. One of the biggest strategies for that is to use sound therapy. I do have a sound machine but I find that when I am overwhelmed or over stimulated, I just sit in a room in total silence. Even though my ears – brain are still ringing, I learned to put the noise in the background and focus on my breathing. Doing that calms me right down. Once I’m calm, I feel recharged and ready to get back to doing what I was doing before I became overwhelmed. Remember, feeling overwhelmed is just a feeling, you can get past it. As with any obstacles in life, acknowledge it, understand it and move past it. Believe in yourself and your ability to keep striving towards your dreams. Never give up on you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @suemcaughey
• Facebook: Suzanne Mc Gaughey
• Twitter: @suze612
• Other: Linktr.ee
  https://linktr.ee/sue.mcgaughey

Image Credits

S. McGaughey