A Magical Life: Health, Wealth, and Weight Loss

Labels In Life with Vanessa Antonakopoulos

January 19, 2022 Vanessa Antonakopoulos Season 1 Episode 89
A Magical Life: Health, Wealth, and Weight Loss
Labels In Life with Vanessa Antonakopoulos
A Magical Life: Health, Wealth, and Weight Loss +
Help us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.
Starting at $3/month
Support
Show Notes Transcript

Today I'll have a chat with Vanessa Antonakopoulos, a carer for one of my sons.  Vanessa was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32 and has dealt with many labels throughout her life.

When assigned labels, it's very common to adopt those labels as part of your identity.  This can get in the way of trusting yourself with decisions about your life and health.

Connect with Magic:

A Magical Life Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amagicallifepodcast/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholisticnaturalhealth/

Online: https://wholisticnaturalhealth.com.au

A Subito Media production

Support the show

Connect with Magic:
A Magical Life Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amagicallifepodcast/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholisticnaturalhealth/
Online: https://wholisticnaturalhealth.com.au
A Subito Media production

Magic Barclay:

Welcome back to a magical life. I'm your host magic Barclay. And today we're talking about labels in life. We all get given them. Sometimes we live by them. They affect every facet of our life. So today that's what we're going to discuss in depth. And I'm joined by my dear friend, Vanessa antenna. And she's actually very skilled at many things, but she's carer for one of my sons. And we're having a discussion probably about 10 minutes ago, about how labels in your life are applied to you sometimes. Make or break you. And so we're just going to have a Frank discussion about that today, and I'm sure that every one of you will get something out of this, whether it's some education, whether it's a light bulb moment, whether it's some cleansing that you need for yourself, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll get something out of today's talk. Welcome, Vanessa.

Vanessa:

Hi magic.

Magic Barclay:

Pleasure now we were just having this discussion about labels. So for the listeners, let's recap the conversation we were having.

Vanessa:

Yes, not a problem. So I was reflecting on through my life and my journey, all the different, I'd say experiences that I've gone through, which has groaned me a lot now in my life. However, at the time it was very confronting and I felt like. There was labels put on me from my experiences that I allowed to hold me back, moving forward in creating my life, the way that I see it now. And. There's good and bad there. There's always good and bad on both sides of when you have a label attached to, from experiences in your life, the timeframe of how long you allow that label to hold you back, you feel very stuck and isolated from society. I would say

Magic Barclay:

totally. Listeners many of us, obviously we talk about health here and I'm just going to say this. Now, many of us live by labels. You're told that, you know, you're in menopause or you're told that you have a disability, or you're told that you have auto-immune, they're all just labels that don't change the person that you are. It's basically just a way for the medical fraternity to put you in a box. And Vanessa, I know that you've had your own health label. Let's discuss that one.

Vanessa:

Yeah, definitely. So I was diagnosed with breast cancer, hormonal breast cancer at 32 years of age. That is where I learned a lot that labeled. You know, I allowed it to just really hold me back. And in that whole cycle of the medical experience that I had to do things a certain way, I couldn't look outside the box in a well-being holistic way that I would have rather gone at the time.

Magic Barclay:

Listeners back in episode 10, we spoke to another friend of mine, Sophie Woodcock. And that episode was called it's only cancer. And that's because we're talking about this label. Not only do you have. The medical label attached to you, but you have the stigma of it as well for NESA. What did you find with your cancer diagnosis?

Vanessa:

I found that it was the whole focus. There was so much fear attached to it by my family. By the medical people, all involved that I didn't have time on my side. Didn't know if I was going to keep living my life. They were not concerned about me being able to have children later on in life because I might not survive. So let's just throw all this medical stuff at her and not allow her to have time to look at a second option. A third option.

Magic Barclay:

Thanks for that. Now let's discuss labels in childhood. So, you know, as kids were labeled throughout our childhood, it's where the fussy baby or the finicky eater or the lazy child or the naughty child. Vanessa, what was your experience with labels when you were younger?

Vanessa:

When I was younger. I'd say my label was that I was mischievous and naughty.

Magic Barclay:

And how did that affect the direction of your life?

Vanessa:

That I wouldn't listen to direction.

Magic Barclay:

So oftentimes when we're young listeners say, were told where the fussy. Hear that enough times you actually become the label. So, you know, you go through teenage years, you get into young adulthood and you think, well, I've never tried these foods. I've never tried these vegetables. I've never done this. Why are because I'm a fussy eater, but there's actually no truthful basis to that. It's just because you may have refused one thing when you were four years old or five years old, and you would given that label and then you kept getting, given that label. And when you hear this stuff often enough, it becomes a bit like Stockholm syndrome. You become the label you become categorized. And for, for want of a better word diagnosed. As the fussy eater. So Vanessa, what were some other labels that you had to deal with when you were growing up?

Vanessa:

I'd say very sensitive, that I took a lot of things personally. And I would also say struggled with learning. And I remember responses from my mom of all that's okay. I didn't finish school. Anyway, maths was very challenging for me. However, I didn't feel that served me or allowed me to grow. I felt like it allowed me to stay stuck. And I know it was my choice at the time to feel that way, but I felt like that was getting played in my head constantly. I'm an educated, I don't understand maths. I'm not smart enough. And it just grew from there. From a seed into this massive, big plant and tree that are, I won't be able to run my own business. I won't be able to lead people or create things or be artistic because all that was my sister. That was artistic. Not me.

Magic Barclay:

Thanks for being so honest with us now, listeners, the last few episodes I've dropped some hints about what's going on in the world and many people around the world now being labeled as anti-vaxxers or troublemakers or selfish. But many people are being coerced into doing something that maybe they don't want to do so they can keep a job roof over their heads, no matter what's going on. That's a form of labeling. So Vanessa, what's your experience with being labeled in this current pandemic?

Vanessa:

It's been a really challenging experience for me about labeling in that area. I feel like I learned so much about the medical industry when I was given my diagnosis and I really learnt about. About my body and trusting my body and trusting in my intuition and that the more natural and healthy and holistic journey that I've taken with seeing an iridologist and working with magic can working on my mindset and working with other people to cleanse experiences and trauma that has actually allowed. Made a grow a really strong trees, so to speak. That's the best way. I'm quite a visual person. So when this came at me, I was always like, I'm not doing that. I'm not putting anything poisonous in my body. That is going to put my journey off track, especially when I went through something such as breast cancer that doesn't define me, that's allowed me to grow so much. And my immune system is so strong. Why would I take a risk of not being able to live or having a family and all those things.

Magic Barclay:

And none of those. Thoughts make you selfish. None of those thoughts make you less of a person, what we're seeing. And I did discuss it back in Episode 84, about segregation and community. What we're seeing is such a divide because of labeling. So your family members, as I mentioned that. I know different to who they were last year. If you loved them last year, you can love them this year. No matter what the label we need to look in terms of people, we need to look in terms of relationships. We need to look in terms of values and in terms of community, not in terms of labeling now, Vanessa, do you have anything that you'd like to speak to about segregation later?

Vanessa:

Yes. I would say the segregation experience for me, I've actually let a lot of my family go because of the segregation experience. I am a support worker. I've been a support worker for many years, and I've really found that this area. Is my passion. I love people. I love helping people and seeing them grow with their challenges that they've gone through in this time. And for me, Being put in a certain box because of my own choice of my body, that I'm not going to be vaccinated for my own health reasons, I'm not being able to work with certain clients and my family not understanding there's been a massive segregation and for my own wellbeing and mental health, I've had to let a lot of them go.

Magic Barclay:

And isn't that sad listeners, isn't it sad that people have to make decisions to let go of people that have been there all their lives, just to stay healthy mentally or physically. We're really seeing such a divide in humanity. And if there's anything I can educate you on today, it's that label does not make the person. Because on both sides, we're making decisions at the moment on who we can be around who we can't be around. And that's fine everyone to their own, but let's not forget the people that are there. So the families that may have cut some people off or the families or other people have cut off for their own safety, their own mental health. Let's not forget that there's still people. Just because you don't want to see someone doesn't mean you can't reach out to them and you can't be a decent human being, especially if they're your family. Because when I spoke about community being held back in episode 84, I meant that you might not see eye to eye with someone and that's okay. But it doesn't mean you need to shut them out completely. Even if it's just a text message now. Curtis be responsible, be thoughtful, but be caring because they are still people going through their own journey. Don't let the label split you up. Vanessa. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss around labels?

Vanessa Antonakopoulos:

Yeah, I'd say that this segregation and labels that I've gone through, when I reflect back sort of like when you're watching a movie in your watch back at it, or you're watching a live show, that's the best way that I can describe it because I'm quite visual. You reflect back and think, how has this allowed me to grow? Have these experiences allowed me to make. Uh, decision now in this time and stand and feel proud and have that resilience and that confidence. And I have to say from all those experiences that I've gone through, I'm grateful that it's made me a stronger person to know that things are not right. And I get to make my choices for my own body and I can find community and I have found beautiful tribe and community who have become more my family. And I'm happier. I have to say I'm a lot happier.

Magic Barclay:

That's great listeners. Please understand that a label does not define you that our label is just word. Labels don't have feelings. They don't have emotions. They don't have a conscience. They're just words. So please stop going and labeling other people. Stop living your life by labels. You are not your diagnosis. You are not your label. You are a living, breathing, caring, important being, and that's what you need to remember. So listeners coming up soon. We have some fantastic guests. You'll hear me ramble on about some listener questions that are being sent in on Facebook and to my email. But listeners for now, you are not your label. Go forth and create your magical life.