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Finding Your Joy Spot is your wee spot of weekly joy—part reflection, part reminder—to come home to yourself.
Hosted by Leona deVinne, leadership coach and guide for wholehearted living, each episode blends soulful storytelling with research-backed tools to help you live a life rooted in real, lasting joy.
This podcast is for anyone ready to embrace who they are wholeheartedly and show up—bravely and unapologetically. Because real joy isn’t something we chase—it’s something we cultivate when we live our lives on purpose.
These short episodes are an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what lights you up.
Whether you're on a walk, making your morning coffee, or stealing a few quiet minutes for yourself—tune in and find your joy spot.
“This podcast is about the bravest work you can do—knowing who you are, owning who you are, and bringing that to the world. It’s about helping you live and lead with clarity, confidence, and courage—without hustling for your worth. And when you do, you land right here…in your Joy Spot. Each episode brings stories and tools to help you Just Own You and lead unapologetically. I’m Leona deVinne—speaker, author, and leadership coach—and I’m glad you’re here.
Welcome back to Finding Your Joy Spot. I’m Leona, and today I want to talk about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately — something I call the Integrity Tax.
Now, if you know me, you know I don’t love paying taxes. I’d rather save my money and spend it on what feels important. And while I understand why we pay them — I’m more than willing to do my part — as a business owner, it can be frustrating to see just how much gets deducted before I actually take anything home.
And that got me thinking… there’s another kind of tax we pay. One that doesn’t show up on our bank statements. One that accrues quietly, day by day, and eventually leaves us drained, resentful, and sometimes even unwell.
I call it the Integrity Tax.
Just yesterday, I caught myself paying it.
I know I’m meant to play a bigger game than I currently am. My next big goal is to have my book published by a well-known publisher. And I know what it will take to make that happen. But instead of leaning into the work, I found myself resisting. I was frustrated, stewing in self-doubt, and choosing smallness when I know better.
That frustration? That self-betrayal? That’s the Integrity Tax.
It’s not a one-time penalty like a speeding ticket. It’s more like financial tax — it accrues over time. You don’t notice it until suddenly the cost is everywhere.
So what do I mean by integrity?
Integrity means whole. Aligned with your values, your words, your actions. Living in congruence.
For me, it comes down to three things:
Clarity: Knowing who you are.
Confidence: Owning who you are.
Courage: Expressing who you are.
The problem is, we’ve all been conditioned to override our inner compass. And every time we do, we add to the tax bill.
Here’s what the research shows us:
Brené Brown found that resentment shows up most when we say yes but wish we’d said no. That’s Integrity Tax.
Gabor Maté reminds us that suppressing our truth takes a toll on our health, our relationships, even our immune system. That’s Integrity Tax.
And this one really hit me: women in intimate relationships who suppress their anger are four times more likely to die than those who express it.
That isn’t just a metaphorical tax. That’s life and death.
I can trace this back in my own life. As a teenager, I compromised my integrity all the time. I wanted to be liked and popular more than I wanted to be true to myself. And while I can laugh about it now, the cost of those patterns still shows up today — in people-pleasing, overextending myself, and avoiding tough conversations.
And I see it in my clients, too. People who take jobs for status or security but find themselves twisting inside to fit a mold that doesn’t align. They ask, “Why doesn’t this bother anyone else?” That’s the Integrity Tax at work.
It shows up at work as disengagement, apathy, or burnout. Researchers are calling this “quiet cracking” — the slow fracture of ignoring our truth until something breaks.
It shows up in our personal lives when we:
Wear the mask of “I’m fine” when we’re not.
Silence ourselves.
Avoid asking for help.
Say yes when we long to say no.
Push beyond the limits of our health.
Every compromise is a withdrawal from our sense of self. Tax, tax, tax.
And let me be honest: even recently, a friend reached out to make plans. I was stretched so thin that instead of replying honestly, I ignored her text. Outside of integrity. Another tax paid. And it felt awful.
So how do we stop?
We get clear, compassionate, and courageous.
Clarity: Who are you at your core? What are your non-negotiable values? How do you define success on your own terms? If you wrote your eulogy today, what would you want said about you? And if you died today, would you be proud of how you lived?
Confidence: Practice self-compassion. How can you embrace the parts of you that were just trying to stay safe? What would you say to a friend in your shoes? Confidence isn’t about perfection — it’s about compassion.
Courage: Where do you need to shift? What can you give yourself permission to say no to? What truth needs your voice? If your values were leading, what would you start doing? What would you stop doing?
The more aligned you are, the less you “owe.” Instead of paying in resentment, burnout, or disconnection, you invest in vitality, freedom, and joy.
So let me ask you:
Where in your life are you paying an Integrity Tax?
And what’s one step you could take this week — in clarity, confidence, or courage — to stop paying it?
Because the world doesn’t need you hedging and hiding. The world needs you — fully, unapologetically, you.
If this resonated, I’d love for you to share it, or join me in one of the spaces where we practice living with integrity together — 🎙️ Outro (anchored + simple):
“Thanks for listening. Remember—when you stop hustling for your worth and live and lead with clarity, confidence, and courage, you’ll always find your Joy Spot. If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend and subscribe so you never miss a conversation. I’m so honoured that together we’re building a brave world-thats Joy!
Until next time, Just own you and bring your magic to the world,