Cara Brookins was left emotionally broken when her second abusive marriage ended. She got well by building her own house, which she did after seeing YouTube videos on how to do it.
The mother of four started looking for a new house in 2007 after being forced to sell the Bryant, Arkansas, home she and her soon-to-be ex shared. At the moment, though, anything the computer programmer analyst could afford was too tiny. Brookins too felt obliged to take action to bring her family back together. She admits, “But I had no idea what that should be.”
Brookins, therefore, came up with the idea to build her own house from the ground up. According to Brookins, 45, “If anyone was in our situation, they wouldn’t do this.” “No one else viewed it this way, and now that I think about it, I understand it sounds crazy.”
One acre of property cost Brookins $20,000, and she obtained a building credit for about $150,000. She then started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things like run a gas line, build a wall, lay a foundation, and install plumbing.
Her children, ages 2 to 17, helped her throughout the nine-month construction of the 3,500-square-foot home. At the time, Drew, who was 15 years old, helped Brookins make the preparations. Jada, who was 11 at the time, transported water from a neighbor’s pond using buckets because there was no running water on the property. She then combined the water with 80-pound sacks of concrete to create the mortar for the foundation.
It felt impossible the entire time, according to Brookins, who worked when the kids were in school. After school, Brookins drove her family to the five-mile-away construction site where she worked late into the night on the new house.
YouTube videos previously were vague and provided numerous solutions to a task. Brookins employed a part-time firefighter with building experience for $25 per hour to help with some of the more challenging tasks. She remembers, “He was a step ahead of us in knowledge.”
On March 31, 2009, Brookins and her kids moved into the five-bedroom home. She gave it the name Inkwell Manor in recognition of her desire to become a writer.
In the years afterwards, Brookins has written numerous middle grade and young adult books. She has also written a biography titled Rise: How a House Built a Family, which will be released on January 24.
Building the house helped Brookins emerge from her depression. We were ashamed that our best option was to construct our own shelter, Brookins adds. “We weren’t really proud of it,” In the end, it proved to be the best thing I could have done for myself.
She says, “You can do anything you set your mind to if I, a 110 pound computer programmer, can build a complete house.” Choose one goal and stay with it. Find the big thing you want to do, move slowly in that direction, and take those who also need healing with you. That has a lot of influence.
Addressing Health Issues: The Smith Family’s Wellness Journey
The well-known Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, their kids Jaden and Willow, and Jada’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris were among the Smith family members who recently went on “Red Table Talk” to discuss some health issues they’ve been having. Their sincere conversation illuminates the significance of wellbeing and health, an issue that affects all of us.
Putting Jaden’s health first
Jaden, who is 21 years old, talked about his serious stomach problems in the episode. He emphasized the importance of putting his health first above all else, even if he received backlash after switching to a vegan diet. Anyone who is afraid to ask for help due to concerns about the opinions of others can find encouragement in Jaden’s bravery in sharing his troubles.
Nutritional Modifications for Optimal Health
The family sought advice from prominent specialists Dr. Mark Hyman and nutritionist Mona Sharma in order to address Jaden’s health issues. Dr. Hyman determined that eating the incorrect kinds of food was the root of Jaden’s problems. To treat any inadequacies, he recommended particular dietary adjustments and supplements.
They took action to remove dairy and gluten from Jaden’s diet after it was found that they were making his condition worse. Taking care of his vitamin and omega-3 deficiencies also became critical given his vegetarian diet. Jaden was certain that following these dietary changes would have a major positive impact on his health, enabling him to carry on motivating people.
An Unsettling Event and Required Adjustments
Jaden’s drastic diet back in September had worrying results. He was clearly feeling under the weather, and he freely acknowledged it. His family was quite concerned and took quick action when he was hospitalized in Australia owing to nausea and dizziness.
Inspirational Path to Wellbeing
The Smiths have always been open about their experiences with physical and mental health. Will recently talked about a significant experience he had—having a colonoscopy. A polyp was found and removed during the surgery, highlighting the importance of routine health checkups.
Will underlined that although adopting a healthier lifestyle could be difficult at first, there are priceless long-term advantages. They want to inspire others to take control of their health and promote lifespan and well-being by sharing their own experiences.
The Smith family’s open conversation on “Red Table Talk” demonstrates how proactive they are in addressing health-related issues. By being transparent and sharing their journey to wellness, they hope to encourage everyone to put their health first and lead a long and healthy life.
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