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#175 | Making The Best of What Is: Navigating Cancer While On A Mission To Impact 1,000,000 Children Ft. Patricia Rust

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Join us for an uplifting and heartfelt episode as we welcome the extraordinary Patricia Rust, an Emmy Award-winning writer whose talents have enchanted children and Hollywood alike. Patricia shares the profound impact her parents had on her creative journey and how their love for nature and life fueled her passion for storytelling. Despite the challenges presented by her cancer diagnosis, Patricia's spirit remains unyielding. She discusses how her resilience is fueled by the openness and creativity of young minds, which inspires her to continue crafting captivating tales such as her bestseller, "The King of Skiddly-Doo."

Patricia offers an honest reflection on her battle with cancer, revealing how it has transformed her perspective and emboldened her to embrace life's moments with gratitude and serenity. Her insights on cherishing meaningful relationships and not sweating the small stuff are profound reminders of the strength found in human connection and the healing power of storytelling. As Patricia encourages us to live with love and kindness, she leaves us with a beacon of hope, inspiring listeners to approach life with courage and positivity, learning something new each day while spreading joy and compassion.

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Speaker 1:

Patricia, you've lived and led this amazing life that's taken you all over the world. You've had best-selling children's books. You have a deep passion for our children. You are filled with joy. You also are facing a difficult period in your life right now and you've unfortunately received a cancer diagnosis and are living through cancer treatments. Cancer treatments talk about how cancer has impacted you and how you choose to remain so joyous despite being impacted by something that has no finite ending point.

Speaker 2:

It's the sort of thing when you get a diagnosis of that magnitude, you're just ready to go back to bed and pull the sheets over your head. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Win Today Podcast, a weekly tool intentionally crafted to help people enhance performance, feel inspired and conquer life. Our commitment is that you will learn from some of the most disciplined, heartwarming and inspiring people on the globe, in addition to receiving a piece of a winning playbook from myself or a renowned expert in their field. My name is Ryan Cass and I am your host, and it is my purpose in this world to inspire people to establish a foundation for sustained success by developing systems that will enable you to accomplish your goals, break systemic trends of adversity and chart a desirable course for life. Thank you so much for tuning in. Please help us achieve our vision of becoming one of the top podcasts in the world by subscribing to the show, sharing it with somebody who you believe will benefit from it and leaving a review.

Speaker 1:

Let's connect with our guest. Smiling is incredibly important and our guest today has been known for years for encouraging people and inspiring people to smile. We have the beautiful Patricia Rust with us, who is no stranger to Hollywood and getting in front of the camera. Most importantly, she is focused on inspiring the next generation, loves to give back to our youth, has authored multiple children's books and she has also captivated audiences all over the world, as she is an Emmy Award winning show writer. Patricia, welcome to the show. So glad to have you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for having me, ryan. I'm so delighted to be here, especially after learning that you just ran well 43 hours in a row 43 hours, 150 miles, and thank you.

Speaker 1:

That was to provide to families that have a loved one battling cancer. I just released a podcast episode on that episode 173, that details my 150-mile ultramarathon journey that Patricia and I just talked about off-air. Enough about me, but I appreciate you bringing that up, patricia. What I love about you is your spirit and again I brought up that it's important for us to smile and when you speak to Patricia, folks it's tough not to smile and you see her face and her joy and we're going to hear about some of the tough stuff that she's been through and just how she's approaching that and I believe that you're going to continue to smile and just be in awe of this amazing woman. Patricia, where I like to start is I mentioned at the beginning. You know from a young age you're no stranger to the camera and being in front of a lot of people. You've been a part of the Ivory Soap Girls, the Budweiser Girls, the plays, the comedies. The red carpet is no stranger to you. But aside from that, what makes you so joyous about life?

Speaker 2:

Well, when I was a child, I came from a very loving, very loving household and family, and my mother was an exceptional human being, as was my father.

Speaker 1:

And what was the influence that they had on you? I remember, when we previously spoke, you alluded to having great parents and that they influenced you to really go down the path that you did, and it was both your mother and father that were encouraging you to get in front of the camera, to start showcasing your smile and being as joyous as you are. So what was the? What was the specific influence that they had? How would they encourage you to pursue your dreams and ultimately end up in this life that you have today?

Speaker 2:

First, of all, I think that there was so much nature. We were surrounded by nature and my mother was an artist, so we would go out in the yard and identify plants and animals and that was such a joyous part of our day and plants are very good at things, kind of like two-year-olds, they can. They can get away with a lot and uh, their, their life as we see it. Well, they're. They're just remarkable. It's such fun, aren't they?

Speaker 1:

yeah, so so what I'm hearing is your, your mom had you guys outside a lot and, yes, that really got you, we'll say, motivated and feeling free-spir, and really that was your introduction, if you will, to embracing life and being outside, appreciating the environment, spending time with people, and now, looking back on it, it sounds like that was also one of the big drivers for doing what you do now. So you've been on Hollywood, you've been on Broadway, your films have been shared all over the world. You keep coming back to the children and wanting to influence them and play a unique role in their lives. So what is it about the kids that just gets your heart jumping.

Speaker 2:

Kids are so magic to me magical. Kids are so magic to me magical, and I love writing for children because their minds are like giant sponges and when you write for children they're receptive. They just don't do pish posh, put it in the trosh.

Speaker 1:

I like that.

Speaker 2:

Right, I just I love children because they're so open and and they're just so free. And the minute you mention a poem, they want to jump in and make a poem with the adults. They're more like oh, do we have to? Please don't tell us we have to make a poem. They want to jump in and make a poem where the adults. They're more like oh, do we have to? Please don't tell us we have to make a poem. I'm like, but you can make the very best ones isn't it so interesting with children?

Speaker 1:

you mentioned that children, will you know, want to make a rhyming poem all day long and it's the coolest thing in the world, yet the adults will hesitate. It's so interesting, like I feel, like, as you're saying, that it made me think back to my childhood. But then now, observing kids like and and you mentioned that that time period in life is so special and and I I'm sure it would be amazing if we could explain to every kid in the world like, hey, embrace these years, because eventually you're going to be an adult, a lot of these things might not be cool to you anymore. I wish that there was a way to kind of trap and maybe not trap, but for this particular instance I'll say trap some of the childhood beliefs and mannerisms that eventually go away.

Speaker 1:

For instance, you see kids at the beach. It could be December, it could be Christmas Day and a young child will go running into the water, sprinting into the water, like it's the most fun thing in the world, and they're not holding themselves back like, oh man, it might be cold, they have no fear and they just go for it. And then we grow up and we become a little more conditioned and you'll see the adult on Christmas Day become a little more conditioned. And you'll see the adult on Christmas day Like I'm not getting in that water, that's freezing, that's bad, but the kid doesn't have those beliefs yet. So it's interesting.

Speaker 1:

I wish that there was a way to maybe condition kids like hey, this, these, these, some of these behaviors you have now. Hold hold on to those, because this is beautiful, imagine going through life completely judgment-free and free of fear. And I feel like it's those things that get adopted around our childhood, by being around other people or by certain experiences, that we then adopt fear and we adopt certain things that take us away from those joyous moments that we once had or make it a little more difficult to create them. What do you think?

Speaker 2:

I think that's spot on. I really do, because the children are so open and they want to try everything. It's like if you put a platter of cookies out oh, they've tried the chocolate chip, but they're not worried about their diet? That's for sure. They want to try everything new that they haven't tried. Well, they like the chocolate chip, so we'll revisit that. Well, now we'll try this other new one, that's a chocolate macadamia nut cookie. So they're receptive. They're receptive. And adults kind of get stuck in ruts sometimes, don't you see?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. So I could see how I'm asking these, partially asking these questions to see, like, all right, like tell me more about this fixation towards the youth. And you mentioned there like, okay, the youth will be more receptive to what you're putting out there and they probably see your work as like just it's fun, it speaks to them, it encourages them to have fun themselves. Talk about your books and your work with our children, and what are your books intended to do for them? What do you want them to gain by reading? Even your most recent one? I Wish I had a Tail.

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you for that. If I stood up, you'd see that I had a tail on the tail end of my body. In Hawaiian they say tail. It's such a merry word, it's a fun word, it's a happy word, and I think that sometimes that can be just such a wonderful, joyous, fun thing to attach.

Speaker 1:

Now your most recent book. I Wish I had a Tail. There's some really cool rhymes in there. It's fun. It's got a unique cover to it Talk about that and I love how your work has now reached over 100,000 youth. That's amazing and it's my wish. Word should mean something carry a strong meaning and that will last in perpetuity.

Speaker 2:

And I love that about Walt, because if you're going to go to all that trouble of writing and and illustrating and you're going to make something that is going to last, try to think of it that way, and then you, you're, you, you're paving the way for something to become a classic. Well, the first children's book after I'd been with disney for writing films and writing television. I really worked hard to keep that spirit alive and he was just, I think, a genius I can't think of anything beside that word and uh, people want to modernize him and his school of thought. But I say whatever moves you, uh, just get it, let it flow, let it out, let it do its thing. And anyone could do that. You could just sit down under a tree on a Sunday morning.

Speaker 1:

I love Disney. He's definitely one of our visionaries across the globe, so he was a big influence on you. How did you go about, or what was your process rather, for conceptualizing all of the different characters that are in the book? Did you hear from the children and what they loved most? How did how did the pages talk about how the pages came to life?

Speaker 2:

Because that's one thing that.

Speaker 1:

Disney would do Disney. I was talking to my girlfriend about Disney this morning. Disney doesn't sell amusement parks or products. Disney sells magic. Disney sells an experience. Disney sells your imagination. So talk through that process of page by page, and looking through and and making this book come to life as as it was inspired by disney yes, and you have to wonder sometimes where, where does Walt Disney get his inspiration and how does he keep it alive and flowing and moving?

Speaker 2:

And like anyone, I'm sure he had his days where he had to say to himself Walt, yes, walt, I'm listening. Walt, I think we're going to have to play with that mouse a little bit more, like I think he needs to wear a cap, he needs a cap. One little mouse wouldn't look cute with a cap, but not too girly of a cap. He just has to look like a seafaring mouse on a boat. Well, I can't sing or I might regale you with more song.

Speaker 2:

So if Mickey Mouse can tell a story, poorly sung or in whatever medium a book, a song, an animated film there's all different ways to tell a story and they're all very effective. It's like whatever works, just get the story out there. And sometimes I think I have stories inside of me that are just itching to get out. They just got to be told, they have to be told, and they are looking for a way for them to get out and get it on paper and sketch it, and at least it has a tale. I mean it might be three quarters of a page of a story and then, when you go back over it, you could give it some life.

Speaker 1:

So it sounds like each page came to life through stories that you've had in your back pocket or just your. Your your imagineering, to use a Disney term, your imagineering, and that's how these pages came to life, and that's now the magic that these kids get to experience With. With your work, Patricia, do you have a dream right now that you're working towards or that you wish that this book itself would achieve, or what is your vision for the impact that you may have on the youth in this world?

Speaker 2:

I think it all begins with education In my books, and I use a lot of in all my books, like the King of Skiddly-Doo was my first book that was a hit, and the King of Skiddly-Doo, which became a bestseller. I mean, I'm so thrilled I have to pinch myself when I think about it. But the king has to learn to read, write and spell in order to save his kingdom. It's so simple, but simple, I think, is always best so simple, but simple, I think, is always best.

Speaker 1:

Patricia, you've lived and led this amazing life that's taken you all over the world. You've had best-selling children's books. You have a deep passion for our children. You are filled with joy. Filled with joy. You also are facing a difficult period in your life right now and you've unfortunately received a cancer diagnosis and are living through cancer treatments. Talk about how cancer has impacted you and how you choose to remain so joyous, despite being impacted by something that has no finite ending point.

Speaker 2:

It's a sort of thing when you get a diagnosis of that magnitude, you're just ready to go back to bed and pull the sheets over your head and say, oh, wake me when this dream is over. And then when you reawaken you're like like I think that was a bad dream, let's just go back to sleep and wake it, wake me up when it's over. Okay, and that's kind of the way you think of it, because I'm a good person, I do good things for everyone, every, every chance I get, and you just can't really believe that anything bad could happen to you. So you start making charts and I want to do this, I want to do that. And you make bucket lists and you want to make sure you do this, this, this and this. And you want to make sure you do this, this, this and this. And then you try to make peace with yourself. I think having a peaceful heart is so important Because if we're taken prematurely, first of all we think why?

Speaker 2:

What is that all about? Don't they know how many books I had of me, how many children's series there are hanging out of my sleeves and in my brain? You know, I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I have a thousand things going on up here and I want to see them all.

Speaker 2:

And today I was cataloging some things and I just I said that's not me, it's just not me, I'm not ready, and that's not me, it's just not me, I'm not ready, and that's just pretty pretty much how it goes. And then someone wrote on Instagram you know, patricia's done so much for us in the world. Just write in tribute to her, how you feel personally, to her, how you feel personally, and it doesn't matter if it's like, you know, two seconds or tribute to your wife, or it was just beautiful. So a lot of people who don't read clearly thought it was my birthday or a work thing or who knows, but anyway, it was so darling and so sweet to have done that. And all of a sudden I went this is a good idea. We should be doing this all the time, yeah, with our friends and just letting them know how much they matter yeah, that's just one little example.

Speaker 1:

That's beautiful, you know, and and I can imagine I can only imagine, patricia what it would be like to receive the news, and I wouldn't blame someone one bit if, after hearing that, that they want to go home and throw the sheet over their head and say there's no way, this is real, wake me up when it's over. This can't happen to me, and you mentioned that. All right, this is time to make the bucket lists and time to embrace, or continue embracing, this amazing life that we do get to live, life that we do get to live. What has this? Keep go, go a little, go a little bit longer. We spoke previously and one thing you were saying it kind of started making tears come up in my eyes that I asked what would you tell people or what advice would you give to people? You tell people, or what advice would you give to people about how to live a great life, knowing what you know now and facing the conditions that you're facing now?

Speaker 2:

the first thing I would tell people is that there's a saying don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff. In the end it's all small stuff. And then when you put all that, it's like tiddlywinks or I never played tiddlywinks, I don't know why that came to mind but pencil, pencil, pencil. You put them in a stack or whatever you happen to come up with. But it's if it's when you put all those things together that it starts to become an enormous pile of things that we allow to take over our lives. And it's so needless to allow that to happen when it's just not necessary happen when it's just not necessary.

Speaker 1:

And what are things that definitely don't allow big things or small things to become big things, because they're really just small things, so let's not amplify them, is what I heard. And how about living day to day? And how about living day to day when you were bringing this up on our last conversation and the teardrops started coming? No-transcript. What else comes to mind? What would you add there?

Speaker 2:

Inhale life, Just inhale life. It's so beautiful, it's so joyous. I mean, I saw two squirrels today. I think they may have been mating and we're so ill-informed in the people world, the animals you know. They're just so beautiful and everything they're doing is so amazing to watch. I wanted to give them their freedom and their privacy. And then someone said well, Patricia, of course they need their privacy and they need to have their alone time. As you might say, yes, they definitely need their alone time. That's a good way of looking at it. They need their privacy.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, they need to go find a room at the Squirrel Hotel. Yeah, but you know it's. I love that you mentioned there. Just enjoy nature and listen to the birds sing. These are all things that we may take for granted until maybe it is that we find out, like there's a good chance you might not be able to hear the birds sing and the squirrels run tomorrow. Are there things that, given your diagnosis that do you? Does this bring up thoughts that you wish you didn't have? For instance, like what if tomorrow I'm not here anymore? Or things that you wouldn't want to come up in your mind but they do? And if so, what do you combat them with? How do you counteract them?

Speaker 1:

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Speaker 1:

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Speaker 2:

That's a tough question, Ryan.

Speaker 1:

Well, I don't know what it's like and I figure I can imagine maybe, if I, if, if I'm in your shoes, I may think about, and maybe this doesn't come up at all. So maybe there is no answer. But I think or wonder, as an outsider, would I ever think about? Could tomorrow be the last day? And technically that's a possibility for all of us? But it may ring more true with this diagnosis and I'm thinking, man, I wouldn't want to think about that. I would want to think about, I would counteract that with probably looking at my bucket list and looking at how can I go and knock off this thing off my list, or all right, that thought came up. Well, now I'm going to go look at the birds and the squirrels once more. Are you following me?

Speaker 2:

Yes, and I think it's a very profound way of living life, looking at just a little bit differently. Maybe it's the weekend and you say, hmm, I think that we're going to try things differently this weekend and let's just try it and see this coming Saturday or Sunday or whatever. Just try it.

Speaker 1:

Talk about your bucket list. I think it's a brilliant idea.

Speaker 2:

Talk about your bucket list and what's one thing or a couple things that haven't been crossed off yet, that you're most excited about and focused on checking off? Well, I've partially. The first item that comes to mind would be meeting with Dolly Parton, because I think she's so brilliant with words and personality and it's very tough being away from your spouse and she just sallies forth. You know it's the fourth of july.

Speaker 1:

every day you remind me of dolly parton, and that again similar. You've been in front of the camera for as long as you can remember from your youth years. You all took different paths and that you went down the first modeling route and then into plays, and Dolly Parton went into music. But what an amazing meeting of the minds that that would be if y'all got together together. Patricia, one thing that I would love to hear from you is if you met somebody or encountered somebody that said that they were having a tough time seeing the value in life, what would you tell them? How would you encourage them?

Speaker 2:

I was writing that down because it's such a great question. It's a brilliant question. I think that life is so magical, so beautiful. It would be an absolutely brilliant question for me to be able to pass on to them. Life is so mystical and magical and there's so much to be gleaned from it.

Speaker 1:

Patricia, it's customary on this podcast to end with a rapid fire session, but before we do that, I want people to have the opportunity to keep up with you, purchase your books, learn about how they can get in touch with you, and anything exciting that you may have coming up. So what's the best way to experience all of you and the value that you put out into this world?

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you. That's really a lovely honor. Thank you so much. My website is a long word. It's my name, patricia P-A-T-R-I-C-I-A. We keep going Patricia Rust, r-u-s-t. One more word creative, so it's Patricia Rust, rust, and creative is spelled c-r-e-a-t, i-v-e, so it's patricia rust, creative.

Speaker 1:

at gmail all right dot com and we'll we'll put that in the show notes, we'll put your website there, and that's also where people can buy books. Plus on amazon. Now the rapid fire session. It's one gem, one step, one book and every question that is asked. The amount of time you have to answer it is the amount of time it takes to go up one floor on an elevator because we've got a lunch reservation. We're going up three floors, so we don't have much time on an elevator. Because we've got a lunch reservation. We're going up three floors, so we don't have much time on the elevator. Now the first person walks into the elevator, patricia, and they recognize you. They've read the books, maybe they heard the podcast and they ask Patricia, what's one gem that you have, whether it be a quote or a mantra that you live your life by? That I can live my life by as well.

Speaker 2:

Any number of them, and I think my favorite is from the King of Skiddly-Doo, my first book, which became a bestseller, and it goes, and all that I say, and you must do it. My way is I want to learn one new thing each, and every day Learn one new thing.

Speaker 1:

Next person gets on. Patricia, what's one step that I can take today to take advantage of everything that life has to offer?

Speaker 2:

We talk a lot about love and kindness, so I think that truly, truly, truly love and kindness.

Speaker 1:

Spread love and kindness would be is the one step we take is to spread love and kindness it's on the counter now we've got the book there. Now the last question, and this is the. This is what I find to be the most difficult one for people what is one book besides yours that we should read to improve our lives or live a more genuine life?

Speaker 2:

Well, if it's out of the Patricia Russ library system, I can't help you there, buddy.

Speaker 1:

Everyone always has one.

Speaker 2:

Everyone always offers one.

Speaker 1:

Patricia, it's been. I really appreciate your, your time and your insight and, most importantly, your dedication to the youth and the mindset that you possess around your cancer journey and how you're embracing life journey and how you're embracing life and it's my wish that you serve as a light to so many more people in this world and that people embrace the light that you give off so that they can win today. Thanks so much.

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