We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Suzy Ryan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Suzy , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I get up daily and say, “Something GREAT will happen to me today, and I will do something GREAT for someone else today.” “I look for the good in the day, knowing no one can steal my joy, and I choose not to give it away to anyone. From the time I was little, God blessed me with an optimistic outlook and a cheerful spirit. Although I suffered from alcoholic parents, God has redeemed it for His good and my benefit. That doesn’t mean my pain growing up was good, but good can come out of it if I allow it. A key component of walking into the joy every day has to offer is choosing to forgive those who hurt me. That doesn’t mean that it is easy, but it is the only way to be free from others’ darkness and have joy.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My debut novel, Saving Summer, was born out of a desire to offer a bridge of hope for my students, encouraging them to see themselves as victors rather than victims. In 2020, I was awarded Valley Middle School’s teacher of the year, but I am now teaching middle school and high school at Carlsbad Seaside Academy.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience, optimism, and benevolence. My advice for folks who are early in their journey regarding how they can best develop or improve on these is to forgive fast and love fiercely. It’s our glory to overlook an offense, but we still need boundaries so others don’t trample us.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
The teachers and coaches in my life believed in me before I believed in myself, and God rescued me by loving me unconditionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suzyryan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzymryan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzy.ryan.50
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@suzbalooze/shorts
Image Credits
Dawn Nicoli
