Episode 26: Eye of the Tiger with Mark Petruska

Last week Mark Petruska wrote a post Eye of the tiger, thrill of the fight that spoke to me deeply. First of all, who doesn’t love a good anthem to get them going when life is going very well? [Vicki has a great resource for finding personal anthems, see link at the bottom of the post.] Secondly, he writes about going through divorce which is something I can relate to. It’s one thing to know someone is divorced and a completely other thing to feel the effort, courage, and time that it takes to get life rolling back on track (any track) again. And third, I loved learning about how Mark was able to switch careers to being a full-time writer.

So in this episode of the episode we got Mark to come on with Vicki Atkinson and me to talk about personal anthems and resiliency.

Do you have a personal anthem? That song that runs through your head and heart when you face something tough. Think about it as you read this and see what comes up for you.

Mark reads his post, Eye of the tiger, thrill of the fight for us, the story of his divorce, then dating, and finally his career switch to becoming a full-time writer. We uncover how Mark used both an 80’s pop song, Eye of the Tiger by Survivor as well as the character of Rocky to give him a boost when needed through challenging times.

We find out from Mark how blogging helped him find his voice, be vulnerable and get support during hard times, and eventually even led to his now-wife Tara. Mark reveals how the practice helped him find the confidence to pursue a full-time writing career.

Hard times sometimes last for years as we work through major life changes like divorce, so Mark tells us what kept him laughing during the times when life events didn’t seem very funny.

And finally we end talking about optimism and resiliency. Mark ties it all together with the 3 P’s of positive psychology from Martin Seligman.

Okay back to our question about your personal anthem. I didn’t think I had one but “This is my fight song. Take back my life song.” by Rachel Platten came to mind when I posed the question. I have a mantra that I talk about in this episode and Vicki’s reveals her personal anthem. Spoiler alert it’s “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. If you haven’t thought of one, we have a link to a great resource of personal anthem suggestions below.

This is a great episode about using personal anthems through difficult circumstances to keep us motivated and energized to get back up again. We know you’ll love it.

Episode 129: Wish I Was Here with Ilsa Rey – Sharing the Heart of the Matter

Wynne Leon and Vicki Atkinson talk with author Ilsa Rey about her book, Wish I Was Here that will be released on December 23, 2025. The conversation delves into the thrilling narrative where Anna's best friend Isaac invents an invisibility pill and is kidnapped for it. In a desperate attempt to save him, Anna takes the pill herself, leading to a race against time to find him and secure the antidote before she remains invisible forever.Ilsa tells us about her 10 year journey of writing the book as well as all the ways she used rejection and feedback to grow. We talk about writing in the zone as well as the research that goes into great books like Wish I Was Here.TakeawaysAnna's best friend Isaac invents an invisibility pill.Isaac is kidnapped for his invention.Anna takes the invisibility pill to save herself.She has one week to find Isaac and the antidote.Remaining invisible could lead to insanity and death.Anna must follow clues left by Isaac.The story explores themes of friendship and urgency.The narrative is filled with adventure and suspense.The invisibility pill serves as a catalyst for the plot.The stakes are high as Anna races against time.Links for this episode:For show notes and more great inspiration, please see https://sharingtheheartofthematter.comVideo Trailer for "Wish I Was Here": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Py-B0EbMMmEV3QBsxDHxVX4Pfr3d04wy/view?usp=sharingPurchase Wish I Was Here on Black Rose WritingIlsa's blog: Writing and Martial ArtsFrom the Hosts:Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to Episode 26: Eye of the Tiger with Mark Petruska on Anchor