In this interview excerpt, Malamir shares his personal journey from being a highly active, able‑bodied athlete to living with a severe chronic condition that limits his mobility and causes dizziness. Drawing on his lived experience, he offers practical advice for anyone facing a new disability or chronic illness. He emphasizes the painful but necessary process of recognizing and releasing friends or family members who cannot support the new reality, attributing this to societal ableism. He encourages listeners to seek out online communities—especially those aligned with personal interests—to build new supportive relationships. Additionally, Malamir stresses the importance of maintaining a positive mindset by identifying at least one good or gratitude‑worthy moment each day and recording it, a practice he uses on his phone. The segment ends with the host prompting Malamir to share upcoming endeavors and social‑media contacts, underscoring the invitation for continued engagement.
That's deep right there. That's heavy. So, Malamere, I appreciate you coming on the show today. I just got one more question for you and then we call it a wrap. Finally, what advice do you have for people who are facing a new disability or chronic illness?
Oh yeah. And as someone who has been dealing with a very recent, you know, the most recent of the issues I've been dealing with has been just over a year. And for context, I'm someone who previously I was, you know, I was passable as, you know, as able-bodied in that, you know, you would look at me and I would look able-bodied. You know, I was running marathons and I was hiking up mountains and I was kayaking and canoeing and walking and doing yoga and heavy weightlifting. You know, I used to squat 255 and deadlift, you know, close to 300. And now I feel like I'm actually about to fall over. Like, as soon as we're done here, I'm gonna have to go lie down for the rest of the day. And I can't walk for more than 60 seconds, and I can't do it without a cane. And, and I have very severe dizziness. There are most days I can't read even. Um, and you know, it's, it's, you know, such a big difference. And so for people who are going through something new, just based on my own lived experience, the advice I would have is, and some of it may be painful, which is when you go through something new, after a little while, there will be loved ones and friends who you really thought that you had, you know, amazing relationships and friendships with, but some people will not be up for it. And it's, you know, even if it's not, even if it's not you know, ill-intentioned. A lot of people are not comfortable. It's, it's, you know, it's the inherent ableism that we have in society. And so even if they're not aware of it, there will be people who will be uncomfortable, who will fall out of your life. The advice is let them go. As much as that it's painful, let yourself grieve, allow yourself to grieve, but let them go, okay? Because you're making space for other people who will be there and Also, there are online communities. There are lots of online communities. And you know, whether it's in an area of interest, like if you have, you know, a hobby or something that you're interested in, find an online community on it and create new friendships that way. And also remain as much as you can, look for something every day that is a good thing. Okay. Because mindset is going to be so, so important. And this isn't about pretending that, you know, oh, everything is wonderful and amazing. It's both, right? Both acknowledge the difficulty that you're going through while also still looking for the good, because there is still good in your life. Look for one good thing every day and just make a little note of it. Um, you know, I have a, a list going on on my phone that every day I'm, I'm, you know, I'm writing down one thing that I'm grateful for, for that day, even if it's something small, even if the tiniest thing that day was, you know, I really enjoyed that cup of tea that I was able to have, and I was able to sit up while having it. Great, write it down. Or maybe it's a bigger thing, but look for something good. So again, let go of the people who are just not going to be able to be there with you through it, and find new communities. And then look for something every day, uh, for which you are grateful, or that is a good thing.
I mean, I totally agree with you on letting people go, whether it's illness or things that you're pursuing in life, people will fall off from you. And, and, you know, people, like you said, people who you thought and you loved and cherished, that you thought would be there, they, they, they, they tend to be far away from you when you going through some things. So I truly agree with you on that one. So, Malamir, is there anything else that you would like to share with us? Any endeavors that you have on the, on the horizons that we can look forward to? And where can we follow you at? On social media?
Absolutely. So on social media, you can, you can look me up on LinkedIn. I'm on LinkedIn and I post whenever I'm able. And these days it's— I post much less frequently than I used to just because it is, it is challenging for me these days. But when I'm able, I am posting on all the topics related to career and leadership and navigating those kinds of systemic realities. I talk a lot about that on LinkedIn, but I also have my website, acornandburdock.ca. I have a blog with literally hundreds and hundreds of posts on empowerment and self-healing and spiritual development, as well as career and leadership things. And then people can check out all the, you know, the tarot-related stuff I have up there as well. Those are the two best ways. And, you know, and also, thank you so much for having me.
