Daily Inspiration: Meet Jeanne Enstad

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanne Enstad. 

Hi Jeanne, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Raised on a small family farm in Northwest Ohio, I learned hard work, respect, and a love for life. Being a stubborn German workaholic, I also learned to do everything myself, which is good but can be not-so-good! It was considered in our family to be weak if we ask for help. I was the tomboy, starting my days at 4 am milking cows with my dad and grandpa. After graduation with a 2 yr. Assoc degree, I taught Christian Preschool. A few years later, I worked as a 4-H Program Director at OSU Extension. My passion for teaching and working with children became my ultimate goal. Unfortunately, life as we know it can make a sudden turn. One night while presiding over our local school board meeting, I felt pain going down my left arm. Being an avid runner, expecting to run a marathon in a few months, thinking I was invincible, I ignored it. But a few weeks later, I soon realized how unrealistic I’ve been as I’m carted into the operating room for open heart surgery. At 37 years old, what was supposed to be my first ever marathon turned out to be my first trip to the operating room to save my life. 

My no big deal turned out to be two open heart surgeries within 4 hours, a massive stroke, collapsed left lung with an amazing trip to Heaven. I went from running 10 (7 minutes) miles a night to learning to walk and talk again. I wish I could say it ended there, but it didn’t. Six months later, I continued with my third open-heart surgery, plus numerous smaller surgeries such as my gallbladder removed, hiatal hernia, etc. along with many illnesses. 

Within the next thirty years, I endured five open-heart surgeries, ovarian cancer, Lyme disease, breast cancer, gangrene in both legs numerous times with possible amputation, and a head-on car accident with a semi which put me back in the wheelchair and then walker, but also my second visit to Heaven. And then, with most of my body parts replaced, I had a massive heart attack with pneumonia. 

I never allowed my trials to prevent me from having a positive attitude and the energy to continue to help others and maintain the spirit to move forward. During these years, I also went through a divorce, job and financial loss, loneliness, medical mistakes, severe pain, etc. I continued to work as a program director for a senior center and then as the center director for Ford Motor Family Service and Learning Center. I continue to use my experiences to help others through theirs. Some days it’s difficult through the pain but keeping focused on helping others is my constant goal. Regardless of what life throws us, we must keep a positive attitude and not play the victim. Live for today, and enjoy what you do because we never know if we’ll have a tomorrow. We never know how strong we are until a situation arises. 

My first book, “A Journey of Hope to Heaven and Back,” was born in 2018. I traveled for the first time, doing numerous book signings, speaking events, podcast interviews, a few TV and National radio interviews, with winning the Christian Author Award in Atlanta. And now, my second book, “The Final Score,” is expected to be published in a few months. 

Through my business, ‘One Journey,’ I do motivational speaking, two-minute videos each day to inspire others, TV, radio, and podcast interviews while coaching others to discover their gifts/talents to live their best life. Soon to be released, a video/workbook- teaching key elements and steps to achieving your goals by establishing milestones, with the tools and resources to predict obstacles and evaluate the process. Understanding and clarifying your’ why, vision, values, and mission’ will guide you toward a life worth living. A possible movie is also in the works. 

My passion is being a builder of our future generation that transcends ways of working for the well-being of people worldwide. I aim to work with young adults to discover their talents and their ‘why’ in life and guide them to become amazing adults. To work in our created gifts is like being on vacation every day of our life. We are created to embrace something bigger by supporting and elevating those around us. We’re all in pursuit of happiness. Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note, and today is the only cash on hand. 

I am an author, speaker, and teacher helping young adults clarify their purpose, create better processes, or publish their brand stories, all while experiencing joy in their pursuit. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My health has been both an obstacle and challenge through 30 years of always being taken down. But through perseverance and a positive attitude, I continue helping others live their best life. This year was my goal to finally run that race again, but through hip surgery and a tear in my left knee, I had to once more readjust my goal for one more year. My challenge is to run that first race of 30 years ago at the Columbus 5k, in 2023, except now with a broken, tarnished body, but one of many more life experiences. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Motivational speaker, educator & life coach, possibly directing a movie through my story, podcast, 2-minute life tips through social media. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
It’s essential to have an attitude of perseverance of never giving up, stay positive in the worst of times, even though severe pain. We need faith to believe we can do it, faith in our God that He will do what we can’t, and be thankful for where we are to move forward with new knowledge through experiences of our trials and circumstances. Be an overcomer, be willing to take the “I” out of life and replace it with “what can I do to help someone else?” 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanne.enstad.1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneEnstad
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JeanneEnstad
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5_0_ZqZDtZ58U_rV51yt-g