Jump Start Your Joy

Intuition can give you powerful information about what you want and what brings you joy, but too often we ignore it. What can you learn from intuition, and what can you discover from getting curious about what annoys you?  Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle

It’s so exciting to have Heather Chauvin back for a second time on the podcast! She has just released her brand new book, “Dying to be a Good Mother” and I was delighted that she reached out to connect again. Our interview is all about her journey with what she learned about self care after being diagnosed with cancer, and how 2020 has changed so much for so many of us.  As a former social worker, and mom of three boys Heather was juggling  family, health and happiness, and in doing so putting her own well being last on her priority list. And then, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer just one year after the birth of her youngest son. That’s when she took a hard look own self care, and how to place a priority on her own health, happiness and wellbeing. In battling through chemo, illness, and recovery she realized it was time to start living, not just for her family but for herself. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start

During the pandemic, it's been hard to find our joy. In this episode, I share how to change your perspective when the horizon shifts, and how to find joy in the messy middle. Also learn about how to craft an "easy week" to bring more joy to your life.   Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle

In this interview, I’m delighted to be joined by life coach Mackenzie Eason. She is a love and relationship coach who specializes in helping her clients break free from toxic dynamics, develop emotional mastery, clear up communication, reclaim their power, and cultivate unshakable self love. In other words, she’s the most amazing person to have on to talk about how we look at love, how we can learn to love ourselves, and how we can talk about Valentine’s Day in a very different way. In this episode we are talking all about how to love yourself first, and looking at how COVID and shelter in place has taken a toll on existing relationships. Kenzie and I met through life coach training, and it’s a real treat to have her on the show. She fully embodies joy and love and she’s one of the most genuine and lovely people you’ll ever meet. I love that she’s dedicated her work to helping womxn through the breakups, and that she holds space for them to find transformation and joy on the other side of those hard times. I’

Barron Steffen is a Siddha Yoga practitioner, a big band crooner, and a widower. He is also the author of the book, “The Final Gift of the Beloved: Her Disappearance - 13 Days,” where he shares the story of the death of his wife Dr. Seana Lowe Steffen and the 13 days that follow. It is a joy to speak with him, and it is an honor to have him share his journey of saying goodbye to the love of his life, and the peace and joy that came with that journey. Barron now focuses his life’s work on “The Yoga of Mindset,” a program that helps children and other people to give them the “tools necessary to live harmoniously among our thoughts,” and spread the art of mindfulness. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle  

How do we welcome in a new year, after 2020 was full of so many difficult things? In this first interview of 2021, I'm so delighted to be joined by the five podcasters behind "The Best Parts Podcast:" Louise Neil, Nikki Baker Wulf, Laura Lively, Sara Doell, and Kim Romain. Their philosophy is that all parts of our lives are the best parts. I know that there is a really big desire to slam the door on 2020, and call it a dumpster fire. Instead, I want to focus on what is going on for each of us as we enter into a new year That said, there's something that's really juicy about the middle of all of this, because: One: I don't think all the problems that we've come up with and seen in 2020 are just going to end. We've already seen that that isn't true. Two: Much of the turmoil that's been put into motion across the board is also going to stay in play.  Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Way

In this episode, we’ll be looking at how to bring joy into your life, even when it’s hard. Many of us are sitting in the midst of extremes right now: feeling isolated and wishing for connection, being overwhelmed and wishing for calm. We are sad over the current situation of the world, and also want to feel joy. In this episode I’ll share how you can integrate these things in your life, by looking for the “and.” Finding Joy in The Messy Middle  When we get into a place like the pandemic, and things have been difficult for a sustained amount of time, finding joy becomes a practice. And, it becomes more important than ever before. One way of doing this is to make sure that you become mindful of adding joy into your day, and scheduling in time (or taking the time) to do something that helps to connect you to joy each day.  Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website. Purchase my book, Jump Start Your Joy: Heart-Centered Ways to Find Joy in The Messy Middle

I could not be more excited to share this week’s interview with John McEuen of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. John is one of the most celebrated and best known banjo players in the world, and has had a long and exciting career in music. It was amazing to get to speak with him about his book, “The Life I’ve Picked,” his early days at the magic shop in Disneyland (where he became friends with Steve Martin), and about being the first American musical group to tour Russia in 1977.  I also loved getting to hear about John’s creative process, and how much he delights in creating music to share with others. You can hear the joy in his voice as he talks about his experiences. Plus, he talks about “bone records” which made to bootleg music into Russia in the 70s, and that is not something you are gonna hear on any other podcast today. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website.

In this interview, I’m joined by Lan Cao and Harlan Margaret Van Cao, who are the mother and daughter team who have written the beautiful duet memoir, “Family in Six Tones: A Refugee Mother, an American Daughter.” Lan Cao immigrated to the United States in 1975, after the end of the Vietnam War. She raised her daughter, Harlan, in the US. In their beautiful memoir, they both share about their journey in growing up. In this interview, we talk about: Lan and Harlan’s experiences growing up The importance of the role of both of their fathers in their lives How they wrote a duet memoir as mother and daughter The relationships between mothers and daughters The awkwardness of high school Dealing with isolation and the longing to belong Vietnam, the war, and what it was like to move to the US as a Vietnamese immigrant Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website.

This episode’s interview is with Marsha Flowers of Five Blessings Candles in Leavenworth, Kansas. She’s been an entrepreneur for years, making candles and creating “Happiness in a Flicker” with unique scents and joyful names. She has had both a brick and mortar version of her business, and she is now all online. Marsha and I talk about: Her earliest sparks of joy: playing as the candlemaker How she and her sister started making candles and began their entrepreneurial  Why Marsha left the business for a bit, and why she’s back Going from brick and mortar to online sales (and why that’s great during COVID) The magic that’s happened along the way to discovering the pieces that have made her business work Ways to make the holidays feel a little merrier this year, even during COVID Her favorite scents and how she makes and names them Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website.

The author of “You Were Not Born to Suffer,” Blake Bauer and Paula talk about the themes of initiation, struggle, and hardship as a path to knowing yourself and finding your purpose wove through the conversation and finding joy in the messy middle. In this episode, Blake and I talk about: Early joys of falling in love His “initiation” into adulthood in high school, when he was arrested for a DUI and was deep into addiction and drug use. How he found his way back to his own purpose and center after a rough time in his teen years Getting curious about your interests, and giving yourself permission to follow them What to do when you feel that your energy, blood, or emotions are stuck Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for Newsletter on my website.

This week’s podcast is a new solocast all about the courage and joy … and I also share some of my favorite things that might not seem to all match at first glance. Princess Diaries, Battlestar Galactica, and Brené Brown ?!?! Well, they all have a thing or two to say about courage, about facing our fears, and about being vulnerable and embracing joy. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website.

This week, Molly McGlynn Knoderer joins me on the podcast. Molly is the co-founder of Legacy Concierge Services in Northern California. She also recently published a chapter in her first book, “Awakening and Deepening to Truth.” She has deep experience as an entrepreneur, and has followed her own curiosity and passion in her career in elder services after graduating from UC Davis. In the last year, she also wrote about her own journey and truth and so many powerful things to say about the writing process, and how to overcome shame that was present in her life and in so many of our lives. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website. In this episode we talk about: Molly reflects on her work with elderly people and families who are looking for elder care for people they love. The importance of being part of a team, even when you’re not on a “winning” team.  Curiosity of trying things out, like when she shared what she wanted to do and

In this episode, Megan Gallagher joins me to talk about anxiety, and how to navigate it. After living with intense panic attacks (up to 20 a day) and anxiety as a teenager, Megan made it her life mission to inspire teenagers and parents on how to deal with anxiety in today's modern world by speaking at countless middle schools and high schools about her story.  Megan has written an amazing book, and she's a two time TED Talk giver. Today, she is a resource and inspiration for so many teenagers navigating the world of mental health.  I'm really excited to have her join me on the show. Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website.  

In this episode of Jump Start Your Joy podcast, I’m delighted to be sharing an interview with Dr. Jeff Spiess. Author of the book, “Dying with Ease: A Compassionate Guide for Making Wiser End-of-Life Decisions,” Dr. Spiess was an oncologist, and later a hospice physician. He spent his medical career working with people were facing serious illness and death, and had a lot of experience in how to navigate both for all who are involved.   I’m honored to have Dr. Spiess on the show, and really excited to talk to him about how to find joy now, when we are alive. And, we talk about how to find joy even with the existential knowledge of knowing we are all headed toward death. What do we need to do now, to set ourselves up for more joy while we’re alive? How do we help others who are facing death feel contentment and joy in their time here? What’s it like to hold joy and the reality of our own mortality in the same moment? Get all the show notes and a full transcript at the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things"

In the season 6 opener, I'm looking at the Messy Middle, and how we are living in it right now. What is the Messy Middle? Why is it hard? Why do we long to know the ending, while still needing to lean into this time of transformation? Join me. Read the full show notes on the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website.

Recorded live from the She Podcasts Live Conference, we are sharing the six most joyful things we've seen and heard here - from podcasters doing innovative things, to the community, to the spirit of altruism and inclusion, it's been an amazing conference. Read the full show notes on the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website.

I share my aha moments about how to make lasting change in your life without getting overwhelmed. How can you take what inspires you, and make it work for you?  Episode 219: Flylady Marla Cilley on How Form Habits and Routines to Create More Joy In Your Life Episode 18: Flylady Marla Cilley on Finally Loving Yourself Episode 19: Flylady Marla Cilley on “Finding Joy in Everything You Do” Sign up for the newsletter to receive these episodes in your inbox each week. Mari Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Marla Cilley's Website

How do you find a career that you love, especially when you're working a 9 to 5 that feels soul sucking? Have you decided it's time to make the change? Laura Simms is the expert in helping people find careers that feel like home. In this episode, Laura Simms and I talk about: The kinds of people she works with Marketing during a pandemic The trends she’s seeing in people looking to make a career change now How to make the change: define what you want, and then make a plan to get there Developing Quiet Confidence How to know if you’re ready for a career transition Read the full show notes on the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website.

Oren Jay Sofer is a communication expert and mindfulness teacher at Spirit Rock in Woodacre, California. He recently wrote the book “Say What You Mean: A Nonviolent Approach to Communication,” and I’m delighted to have him as a guest on the podcast. In this look back episode episode, Oren and I talk about: -Mindful communication -That language is an inherited phenomenon -How to stop ruminating over anger when you are upset -The work of Marshall Rosenberg around non-violent communication -Active listening and how to build understanding in communication -His thoughts on how to Jump Start Your Joy: find ways to be kind and generous, attune to beauty, connect to meaning and purpose, and play more Read the full show notes on the website. Sign up for "Three Joyful Things" Newsletter on my website. Resources Say What You Mean: A Nonviolent Approach to Mindful Communication by Oren Jay Sofer (on Amazon) Oren Jay Sofer’s Website Sign up for Oren’s class that starts October 17, 2019 Nonviolent Communication by Mars