Category Archives: Self-help

author, Christianity, God, Jesus Christ, life, musings, Self-help

Be Knocking Off the Big Chunks

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Overwhelm? Have you ever felt it?

Our family has lived the last few years in overwhelm with a plethora of multi-faceted situations

Death of multiple family members and then grief.

Moving.

Full on jobs.

Changing jobs.

Boys growing up and the adjustment that takes.

Health issues.

And now here I sit today miraculous typing on my computer about what shifted for me.

No longer overwhelmed.

No longer feeling that my life is overwhelming.

Here is what changed:

I knocked off some “big chunks” in my life.

First and foremost, prayer, the bible, thoughts about God and weekly church services became a priority.

Second, I cleaned up my sleep hygiene. My phone went into the bathroom. I started a wind-down time before bed and I only brought my book and Sexy Neck to bed with me. (I wrote about this back in February.)

Third, I started moving. I have a good friend that is a physiotherapist that says “motion is lotion”. I really do believe that by simply walking, I helped myself move in a positive direction. It also have me time to think and ponder my life. In February, I started off with walking for 30 minutes per day. I added on cycling in May and my husband and I started a 30 minuted 3 times per week boot camp two weeks ago. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. This big chunk hasn’t been easy. You can see where I was at a few months ago here. I am proud to say I have been again walking around in a tank top this summer and feeling confident (and safe!) to be me.

Lastly, I am sure you have read this before, but part of my journey on this earth has been to be a “human being” rather than a “human doing”. I once got a trophy from my book club for being an “Actionator”. Yes, I make things happen and relaxation is not my strong suit! haha. My last big chunk has been to really notice things and attentively listen to what people are saying, especially the boys. This has been huge for me. I have felt calmer and more peaceful simply by looking and listening.

(Sidenote: One random other thing that didn’t fit into any of my four points that helped me a ton was I decluttered my front entry. You know that part of the house that everyone sees when they come to the door? Mel Robbins in a podcast about decluttering mentioned this and it has been a GAME CHANGER! Weird, but true. So satisfying!)

Spiritual life.

Sleep hygiene.

Movement.

Immersed in the world around me.

Those were my four big chunks that helped me shift so that I can now focus on the little chunks (work/life balance, emotional health, decluttering my home, meeting up with friends, fixing a watch battery that has been sitting on my dresser for years, organizing neighbourhood block parties… plus jumping into a new job on August 1st.)

What chunks would you like to knock off to start your healing journey?

Have a wonderful Wednesday and love what you do.

xoxo Joanna

author, Grief, health & fitness, life, Self-help, teaching, Wordsmith

Be Restarting Your Health Journey – vroom vroom

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I can count on my left hand those that know that in 2019, before Steve’s mom died, that I was training for an Ironman triathlon. My goal was to swim almost 4 kilometres (2.5 miles), bike 180 kilometres (112 miles) and finish it all off with a Run/walk a marathon (42 kms and 26 miles.). I gave up on that dream when she died and we spent every few weekends in Vancouver for a few months. 

I can count on no hands nor fingers those that know the depth of my physical and mental health struggles the last three years. Here’s the honest truth on what the big picture looked like for me:

🔆 Two summers of not wanting to get out of bed even when the sun streamed in my window. 

💪🏻 Two plus years of sheer willpower and “push” to get off my butt to exercise, which has been a first for me in my entire life. 

🧥700 days of hiding under extra-large clothing, even in 30 degree Celsius weather. 

🙈 700 days of hiding, to be honest. Not wanting to see people, run into people I know or even reach out to friends. 

🙏🏻Tried two different counsellors, neither were a good fit. (or is it “neither was”? hahha)

😩Reached out to no one nor shared with anyone the depth of the pit I felt that I had dug for myself. 

👀The heaviest weight I have ever been in my life, even more than my three pregnancies or after my mom died. (This sure doesn’t feel good!) 

And why I am writing about this now and what changed for me? 

Did I lose weight? Finally found a professional counsellor I could trust?  Started seeing other human beings, outside my work, on a regular basis? None of these things happened for me!  

Four things did changed for me and they all involved random conversations with other people when I stepped outside my four walls. The message I am going to share with my stories is simple: If you relate to any of the six points I wrote down above, don’t wait 700 days to reach outside of your four walls. Right now, listen to a podcast, text someone, go for a walk, ask your neighbour for an egg or simply reach out to another human being in any way that feels good for you. 

The four things that finally helped me make some really HUGE personal shifts took place over a six month period of time. 

First, I have always been someone who listens to podcasts when they do laundry or when I drive or go for a long solo walks. In October, I was introduced to a podcast that began THE shift. Mel Robbins, your twice weekly podcasts have been something that have given me so many tips, moved me to take some small steps and gave me the shovel that started my dig out of my mental and physical hole. Your life journey is powerful and I am grateful that you share with us all. I gave your ideas a try.

Second, in October, I was at my lowest point of this two plus year journey. I was in Vancouver and a friend knew I was in town. We went for a walk and she shared about an App that helped her with her eating habits and overall health. I gave it a try. 

Third, in April, Steve and I were out for our evening walk and we ran into some neighbours.  They shared that they were doing a “Couch to 5km” walk/run program that was simple and tailored to what you want to do. (This was humbling to consider as four years ago, I would run 20 kilometres for fun on a weekend!) I humbled myself and gave it a try. 

Lastly, at the end of April, I was at a teacher’s conference and three of my colleagues were sitting around a table. Suddenly, one of them shrieked about a job that was available at our school and said, “You would be amazing at that!”.  They immediately called over my boss and she wholeheartedly agreed.  I decided to apply. 

In all of these instances, I was showing up in the world as my unhealthiest, unhappiest, down in the lowest point in the second most challenging spot in my life.  (My mom’s death was and is still number one!) 

But, I just showed up and walked. 

I showed up and walked some more. 

And I simply did my job to the best of my ability! 

Now, things are shifting in radical and profound ways (more on that in a later post!). 

Be you. 

Exactly where you are. 

Show up, how and when you can. 

Reach outside those four walls around yours. 

And watch things unfold. 

Let my life be a testimony that there is always hope. 

The best is truly YET to come for me, Sexy Neck and our boys. 

And the best is YET to come for you too! 

Strap yourself in folks for what is to come and love what you do! 

Xoxo Joanna 

blogger, Grief, life, love, Self-help

Be Leaning Into Pain and Moving Towards Pleasure

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I have had quite a few lessons in life where I have had to lean into pain. How about you? Any pain coursing through your body and mind these days?

As a 15 year old, I had a very close friend who decided to hangout with older friends that partied, smoked and drank. I had to literally walk away from her as we discovered we no longer had anything in common as I pursued my athletic goals and knew that health was my future. It’s painful to lose people who you have been friends with you for years.

As a 21 year old, I was injured in my third year of university volleyball. Right after I hoisted the cup as the captain of my university team declaring we were the best team in Canada, I had to make a choice. I made a very painful decision to retire from volleyball after deciding not to do a surgery with a questionable outcome.

As a 39 year old, I grieved deeply as we moved from Vernon to Kelowna. I said goodbye to my parents living ten minutes away. We lost the routine of preschool pick-up seeing friends who had known us since before we had kids and having the beautiful Vernon Music School and the “Peanut” park just down the road. No longer could we drive 25 minutes up the hill to be at both world class downhill and cross country skiing.

Now in 2023, I am watching quite a few people in pain around me right now: Dealing with deaths, or divorces or illnesses or poor choices by those around them or …. just plain and simple pain.

What I want to say friends is: LEAN IN! Lean fully into the pain. I don’t believe that ignoring it, drinking it away, binge watching netflix or not fully acknowledging pain helps us as human beings in any way. Denial and distraction don’t really help us move through the pain. These two D’s help us get stuck!

Right now, we are personally having to lean into some pain, some uncomfortableness and a lot of uncertainty. I know that leaning into these feelings will help us move towards pleasure and not make any rash decision based on pain.

Not one single decision based on the pain we have experienced have been good ones.

Lean into the pain, then seek the pleasure and run towards it.

Sit against that wall in the darkness and feel that pain going through your body and then know the sunshine of pleasure will be just around the corner.

I have experienced it.

I know it.

I choose it!

Lean into the pain.

Feel it.

Soak in it.

Feel.

Deal.

Heal.

Then you will be able to truly make a decision based out of pleasure and not pain with the added bonus that you won’t make any rash or “bad” decision based on that pain alone, like we have done in the past!

Now, go have an epic Thursday and love what you do!

xoxo Joanna

Aging, blogger, Boys, Christianity, dreams, Education, Family, Goals, God, homeschooling, humour, Jesus Christ, life, love, men, mom of boys, Parenting, radical sabbatical, school, Self-help, teaching, Wordsmith

Be July of 2022

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What happened after the “Radical Sabbatical in Europe” Joanna? I have been asked this question many, many times in the last 2.5 years. November, 2019 feels like a few months ago. So much has changed, hasn’t it? I wonder what has changed for you?

First, before we get into the newspaper headings from our lives, I want to send you a big hug with my eyes with the few more well-earned wrinkles around them. HUUUUUUG!

Second, here’s a few highlights since November of 2019 (and WordPress cut off my blog because I had used up all my storage!):

  • We are now on year three of our Radical Sabbatical and we are calling it “Best of Both Worlds”. After living at the ski hill for TWO, yes count them TWO University school years, we moved back to the city in May of 2021. We have been living here in the city and commuting on weekends to the ski hill, hence “Best of Both Worlds”.
  • The home learning life continues. We are going into year four of learning outside of a physical school setting and I truly wish that I had done it when the boys were younger. The boys are thriving and finding their true passions. The boys and I work together, as a team, each morning on specific learning mostly related to writing, numbers, French, Social Studies and Science. Afternoons are full of outside time, art, music, making things in the garage, hanging out with neighbours, classes and activities. It truly is a richer life than I could have ever expected. (Future blog post coming on the pitfalls and blessings of this type of learning!)
  • Sexy Neck has changed jobs! He moved back to the city where our house is to be one of the leaders in charge of a large 400+ student International Program. Coming from a program he led with 100+ students, this move has been a huge shift for him and our family. Yes, we are still happily married and we celebrated 25 years in May. WOOP WOOP!
  • In the spring of 2020, I was getting asked many questions about home learning and as a teacher, I felt called to head back into a school to help other families. Next year, will be my third year working with Heritage Christian Online School (HCOS), working with 15+ families per year (@40 students). I guide each student’s learning, meet with them, suggest resources and report on each child’s learning twice per year. I have done this job previously in 2015-2017 and I feel a real “calling” to be with this school, at this time, working with my exceptional, lovely, amazing, fellow home learning families.
  • Another questions I often get asked, are you still with Isagenix? Yes, yes, yes, yes. I am a lifer and we enjoy the #isalife every single day. My life sharing Isagenix looks a bit different now, as it fits in the corners of my days behind my faith, family, friends and teaching, BUT I will always be passionate about health, helping people with their goals and guiding people on how to use the Isagenix products. After doing 12 events in 5 years, I don’t see many events in my future, but one thing I have realized in these last years is that I truly love one-on-one contact with other human beings. At the events, I would have preferred to be stacking chairs or helping people register or wiping down sinks in the bathrooms that speaking or standing on a stage. I love these products and the people it has brought into my life. If you are one of those people that has asked me about Isagenix in the last 8 years, I am truly blessed that you asked, trusted me and shared your health journey with me. Yup, I am truly a lifer.
  • “The boys” are now going into grades 6, 8, and 10 in September. I cannot honestly even explain the growth that they have had the last 2.5 years. Our oldest is now taller than me! Our middle guy is going for his blackbelt in Taekwondo and our youngest is thoroughly enveloped in learning about Policing and being a Conversation Officer. They are such fun kids to hangout with too! More coming on “The boys” soon.
  • December of 2020, we introduced Winter, a goldendoodle, into our family of five. Winnie is truly each of the boys’ first love and they shower her with attention, walks, cuddles and lots of time together while they learn at home. (If anyone remembers our labrador, Summer, the name will make perfect sense!)

Lastly, tonight, I wanted to tell you that I will again be regularly blogging, sharing the journey that I have been on these last few years and also what’s coming. I realized the other night that often we talk about the pregnancy, baby and toddler stage way more than the teenager stage. Who remembers talking about breastfeeding, first foods, which diapers to buy, organic crib mattresses, milestones, toileting and so much more ad nauseam? As our second guy turns 13 this weekend and we are going to have two teenagers in the house, I want to use this energy they are creating by talking ad nauseam about this important stage in children’s lives. Strap yourself in folks, it is going to be a fun ride.

I love you all dearly, back soon! (well at least sooner than 2.5 year. HAH!)

xoxo Joanna

author, Book, Boys, God, Jesus Christ, psychology, Self-help, Wordsmith

Be in Deep Knowing

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In one moment, things can flip from flabbergasted to “aha I get it!”  Today, that shift happened for me. 

All week, I have been praying and setting the intention for ‘depth of insight’ on six things: 

🏠 Our Home 

😘 Sexy Neck, Steve 

⛷ Apex Mountain 

👱🏻‍♂️ My dad 

🥛 My business 

💥 My brand (how I want to show up in the world!) 


Every day I have been writing at the top of my planner these goals for this week.  Today, when I sat with my pen and planner, I realized that I wasn’t searching for depth of insight but more of a deep knowing. I wrote this down: 


Then, in the next moment as I sat with my pen in my hand with my thoughts tumbling around my hamster brain, I decided to draw a lion. I drew this lion and then decided to google what the lion in the bible and spiritual realm represents. Can you guess?  


DEEP KNOWLEDGE! 💥💥💥

Wise

Powerful

Fierce Guardian 

Hearth of God 

Be open to signs and wonders that show you that you are on your path. 

Be open to flipping from flabbergasted in one ‘aha’ moment over words and a lion. 

Be open to staying positive that your personal answers will come. 

Be open to the still small voice that asks you to draw a lion. 

Now, off to sit in this deep knowing with gratitude for this beautiful planner I get to write in every day. Thank you to my beautiful friend Miriam for giving it to me and for the amazing Vancouverite Danielle Laporte for creating this divine gift in my life. 

😘 Joanna k

author, blogger, Book, Grief, positivity, Self-help

Be Having Spongy Strategies

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A little while ago, I went on my facebook live to talk about “standards” and got all us thinking about whose standards we are living by.  Our parents? Our culture? Our teachers or coaches?  Our pastors?   In the video, I also talked about: “What is the standard of being a good person?”.  Being a good person used to be my standard.  Now, my standard is LOVE, giving love. Freely, without barter.  Like these words that I pour out through my feelings and thoughts into this blog.  Giving freely with no expectations of any behaviour. I encourage you to listen to this facebook live and ponder your own personal standards.

After considering my own standard for living life, I became overwhelmed with depth of feeling about what I was dealing with in my daily life. These past weeks have been a deep, cherished growing time.   I work part time as a Physical Education teacher, I run a full time nutrition business that I am very passionate about.  I am loving on an elderly labrador retriever.  Add on to my plate running a VRBO guest house, creating time to write and workout all while pouring love and being present to three beautiful boys, that will give you a small snapshot of daily life.   As my husband has been travelling in Asia the last few weeks, my sponge has gotten more and more full.  I can tell that the sponge has become too full, as one night I yelled at my boys to put on their pajamas.  Really!  Yup, yelling, crying, feeling disgust and not being open are my ways of knowing my sponge is becoming full! Do you know your feelings that arise as your sponge gets saturated? And what the f does one do with those feelings?

Let me give you the privilege to share what I did this past week to make it to the end of the week still upright, continually smiling and still living within my standard.

Every day I move my body.

In some way.  Anyway.  Kitchen dance party or going to the gym.

I find a way.

Laugh.

Find someone who always makes you laugh or listen to something.

Find a way to laugh.

Bath.

Showering helps too!

There is something that is very refreshing and soothing about water.

Even though your sponge is full, find a way to get water moving around your body.

Limit your input.

For one day this week, I did not check any type of social media.

I purposely stayed in the “real world”, present to what was going on around me.

I found a way to have less input and more me.

Go within.

Pull the curtain back.

Look in the dark corners.

Thank those places that brought out the anger, the tears, the disgust.  Allow them to be.

That’s where I find me.

Hiding in the back, around the corner.  Truly me.

Live through the spongy times.

Fully awake to what you are feeling.

Knowing they will take you to a deep place.

A place to learn, to grow, to create roots to keep you from blowing over in the stormy weather.

A place to create an even larger sponge to deal with what comes your way in life.

A place to feel deeply.  Look deeply.  Be Deep.

Time to rinse out that sponge.

With one deep breath.

With the “spongy strategies” from the gift of grief from my mama.

Move.

Laugh.

Water.

Limit.

Go within.

xoxo Joanna

fun, Goals, mindset, positivity, Self-help, women

Be Creating the “Body Bliss Project”

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I have witnessed throughout my entire life that one moment could change everything…

One conversation.

One phone call.

One parking lot meeting.

One moment in time.

Last week, I had one of those moments.

Sexy Neck and I were discussing my business and all the incredible people that have come into our lives in the last two and a half years.  I talked about all the incredible mentors and leaders I have met, especially all the inspiring women.

Joanna

After my mom died, my most inspiring woman left the earth.  My mama who constantly thought about helping others.  The woman who would show up sweaty at my door asking for water because she has just biked 70 kilometers for a cup of coffee with a friend.  Super Nana who did so many exceptional and thoughtful things for my boys that I couldn’t even begin to list them.  My ever-present friend, volunteer, incredible cook, amazing party thrower and always up for doing something out of the ordinary.  She was my most AMAZING inspiration as a woman.

Until now.

I realized that these inspiring women have flooded my life.

Moms who are present with their families and incredibly in love with their men. Women who swim, cycle, run all for fun.  Ladies who laugh, love and who are exceptionally “light” to be around because they know themselves, are themselves and can completely be themselves.  These are the inspirations that circumvent my life.

And now I have an opportunity that I didn’t see coming.

One phone call from someone that I met early on in my life as an entrepreneur.   A fun-loving, heart-centred Aussie physiotherapist.

She shared a vision for a project.

I asked a few questions.

I knew that this was exactly what I had been waiting for.

A project created by leaders Down Under and the Great White North.

Body.

Mind.

Spirit.

For women.

By women.

Creating personal transformations as a collective unit.

Using the same super food nutrition and intermittent fasting to live out these transformations.

Being a part of a global community of healthy habits in body and mind.

Boosting each other up.

Creating sweaty selfies.

Playing water tag.

Celebrating wins.

Picking each other up.

One day at a time.

90 days in total.

I am so fired up about this project that I can barely sleep tonight.

One team.

Women who will change the world around them.

Through the Body Bliss Project.

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author, Christianity, encouragement, mindset, Self-help

Be Hope 

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Hopelessness is a paralyzingly dis-ease.  I have felt it in the core of my being, the deep down dusty place that seems hard to reach.  Hopeless that circumstances will change.  Hopeless knowing death brings physical disconnection.  Hopeless knowing that I may no longer be the same.  

But, I stand and lie down today knowing that this did-ease called hopelessness can be overcome.  Our circumstance we absolutely cannot control, even though I thought I could, BUT we can control our conclusions about these circumstances.  

One wintery day, only two months after my mom died, I make a conclusion that only great goodness would come from the gift of grief I received from her death. I decided that I would live in a negativity fast and a positivity feast, as Steve and Wendy Backlund describe it.    Guess what happened?  The last three years have been a walk in greatness.  I have found my passion that melds my teaching brain, coaching mindset and mother’s heart.  I have found my meaning and my passion for how I can be a permission for hope no matter your circumstances.   Through great nutrition, an ever growing mindset and being able to learn new truths about myself every day through the circumstances around me, I have found hope and freedom!  

Hope replacing dis-ease.  

Hope in any circumstances.  

Hope overflowing.  

Hope pouring. 

Over me. 

Through me.  

Hope.