319: Katie Russell Newland - Slumps Are Meant to be Broken

DREAM. THINK. DO.

Katie Russell Newland is a writer and sports enthusiast based in Austin, Texas. She has a PhD in language and literacy from the University of Texas. She’s a survivor of both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and melanoma… and I’m grateful to say… she’s fully in remission.

Now… in 2018, Katie took an epic adventure and walked out a life-long dream. She traveled over 30,000 miles to visit 30 Major-League-Baseball parks in a single season to honor her late mother. And this all culminated in her taking the mound at Wrigley Field... home of her absolute favorite baseball team of all time… to throw out the first pitch of a Chicago Cubs game! How cool is THAT? Now… Katie has a brand new that chronicles this incredible journey called, “A Season with Mom.” It’s a true story of love, loss, baseball AND a dream that really did come true. I can’t wait to talk with Katie about it… so let’s get to this!

RESOURCES:

Katie’s Website: https://www.katierussellnewland.com/

Katie’s Book on Amazon.

KATIE’S DOCUMENTARY:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Dig this one? Here are some other DREAM THINK DO Episodes we think you’d like:

Time to Dream Together: www.mitchmatthews.com/311

Permission to Dream (Again): www.mitchmatthews.com/309

Rob Harsh - How to Live in the Moment: www.mitchmatthews.com/157

THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!

That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let’s do this!

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Welcome to 319
• 2:20 Don’t forget to download the Dream Together App
• 3:23 Get to know Katie
• 5:03 How Katie’s dream journey began
• 7:56 When Katie gained the courage pressuring her dream
• 10:07 What you can learn from the game of baseball
• 14:02 Tips for sticking to your dreams
• 19:01 Katie’s first pitch story
• 22:53 The feeling that Katie hopes her readers feel
• 25:06 Katie’s advice for dreamers who are scared to move forward
• 25:51 Mitch’s closing thoughts

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

Some Key Concepts from the Interview:

1. Dreams don’t have timetables.

Even if it takes thirty years, like it did for Katie, or one hundred eight (like it did for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series), dreams really can come true. It starts with finding a way to do what you love.

2. Dreams often fade over time, losing the brilliance of their original inspiration.

We’ve all experienced it, even rationalized it. Circumstances change, nudging you to give up. You age, take on family responsibilities, face health concerns, lose loved ones before their time.

As a result, dreams get written off.

But maybe they don’t have to be. Maybe there’s a way of reimagining them. When Katie’s mom died, she thought their shared dream of visiting all thirty Major League Baseball ballparks died too. Six years later, she took a journey of a lifetime, proving our thirty-year-old dream was still alive.

3. Baseball reminds us that we can fail often and still be a Hall of Famer.

One bad game doesn’t determine our identity, and one losing season doesn’t define our career. We need to know that in challenging moments, the potential for redemption remains. After all, baseball is the game of perpetual chances. Katie hopes her story sends the message that while you might be down now, it’s never too late to stage a rally or a comeback. Trust that every wrong turn, every challenging moment is leading you to exactly where you need to be.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out from Katie’s story! I can’t wait to hear from you!