Ever notice how the moment you let yourself truly want something, shame shows up like an uninvited guest? What feels like selfish desire might actually be your inner wisdom trying to guide you toward the life you're meant to live.
In this episode, Leona explores the "shame slough" – that murky, uncomfortable space between wanting something and actually pursuing it. You'll discover why vulnerability feels so gross, how shame uses the "who do you think you are?" message to keep us small, and the crucial difference between surviving in a straitjacket versus thriving in alignment with what truly matters.
In this episode, we explore:
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00:00) Wanting what you want isn't as simple as it sounds
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01:35) Why "who do you think you are?" hits women extra hard
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02:13) When taking Fridays off becomes an act of courage
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04:21) Patterns that feel like solid ground become straitjackets
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06:21) What happens when shame drives shotgun with vulnerability
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08:34) Why permission is your bridge across the stinky slough
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11:25) How to notice thoughts as data, not danger
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12:40) The difference between "I am bad" and "I did something bad"
The JOY Journey
The JOY Journey is an online space for women ready to reconnect, reset, and grow – at your own pace or alongside a supportive community.
What you get:
- 10 emails each month with simple, research-backed tools
- Guided meditations, journalling prompts, and practical techniques
- Ongoing support designed to help changes actually stick
- Access to a dedicated app with all content anytime
Community option:
- Live sessions twice a month (1 hour)
- Reflect, write, and connect with others on the same path
- Fridays at 11:30 MT
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What is Finding Joy?
Finding Joy is a podcast about what it means to truly live.
Because too many of us are building lives around who we think we should be instead of who we really are.
Hosted by speaker, leadership facilitator, coach, and author Leona deVinne, Finding Joy explores the conversations that help us reconnect with ourselves, find the courage to stop performing, and start living with authenticity, not apology.
Through honest conversations, powerful stories, and practical insights grounded in psychology, neuroscience, leadership, and lived experience, Leona explores what helps us live with greater clarity, confidence, courage, and meaning.
Some episodes feature ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances. Others unpack ideas around identity, resilience, burnout, confidence, boundaries, leadership, relationships and what it takes to create a life that actually feels like your own.
Because joy is not something we chase.
It is often what finds us when we finally own who we are.