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Jump Start Your Joy

Inspired by the quote “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day (Henri Nouwen),” this lively show looks at the inspiration, intention, and action that you can take to have for a positive mental outlook, even in hard times and improbable situations.
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Sep 9, 2022

Season 7 was all about "Intentional Comfort." This episode shares the top ten most downloaded and beloved episodes from season 7. 

They are:

10. Emma Loewe, author of Return to Nature

Listen to the original episode

Buy the book

9. 5 Tips to Bring More Mindfulness to You Everyday

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8. Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth on Finding a Mardi Gras State of Mind

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Buy their best of album.

7. Heather Hall, Author of Step Up and Stand Out: 20 Tips for Aspiring Introverted Leaders

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Buy the book

6. Jenn Oglesbee: Intentional Comfort and Joy in the Midst of Grief

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5. Stasia Savasuk: Wearing Your Word of the Year

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4. 10 Things to Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Life and Work

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3. Finding Your Heart's Second Home

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2. William J. Peters, Author of At Heaven's Door

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Buy the book

1. Scott Leftwich, owner of "Weiners and Losers," and 80s arcade, Airbnb and band member.

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Resources

Brene Brown's "Living Our Values" Exercise

Love the show, and what to show your support?

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Subscribe to my YouTube channel

 

Aug 5, 2022

Creativity and joy are closely related. If you're feeling stuck, and need some inspiration on how to tap into creativity - Marion Abrams of Grounded Content and I have 8 ideas for you to jumpstart your creativity and joy.

Here they are:

1. Just do the thing. Starting is the hardest part.

2. Double down on what you've been doing. Recommit to it. 

3. Take yourself on an "artist's date. " (as inspired by Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way)

4. Revisit the source of your inspiration. What started you on your creative journey? Spend time with that, and DO some of it. 

5. If you're creating something and have data that can inform you as to what has done the best (on your blog, podcast, social media), spend some time looking at what past episodes or posts have done the best. Go back and look at what some of your favorite past work has been, and take inspiration from that.

6. Take a break or a breather.

7. What has been the favorite thing you've created for your show / blog / art? What did you love about it, or love about creating it? Use your past favorite work as inspiration for what comes next.

8. Go pro, as inspired by Steven Pressfield's "War of Art." Sometimes, you are not going to love your art or the thing you create. And, that's when you need to go back to it and do the work.

Bonus: try "Morning Pages" as an exercise, (Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way)

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Resources:

Podcasting and Content Creator Insights / Our YouTube Show

Marion's site and Grounded Content

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

The Art of War by Steven Pressfield

Big Magic by Liz Gilbert

Love the show, and what to show your support?

Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.

 

Jul 29, 2022

The weighty-ness of the past two years means we're all working through difficult things. Joy is as important now as ever before. Joy gives you room for "overflow" which allows you to be more present & available for the things that matter most.

In this episode, I'm sharing:

1. a quote that made me rethink the role of joy in the world, and why we must keep choosing it.

2. How the current news cycle, and use of fear by many politicians and mass media keeps us stuck in feeling like we can't do anything but stay plugged in to the fire hose of fear that they create.

3. Why and how joy is important: taking time for joy-filled things like concerts, writing, creative outlets, and other things means you build overflow.

4. How overflow allows you to do more of the important things you love. And how that can change the world.

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Resources:

Episode with Sonya Renee Taylor

Support "The Body is Not an Apology"

Support "ARD (Anti-Racism Daily) Newsletter"

Find & Subscribe to The Newsworthy (a daily news podcast)

Love the show, and what to show your support?

Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.

 

Jun 16, 2022

Mindfulness is a great way to find more joy and center yourself. In this time of transition, when things feel difficult, it's great to have a few easy, go-to mindfulness tools. 

The five are:

1. Notice your emotions, and share them with someone else.

2. Breathe, as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh. I share his practice of inhaling, exhaling, and smiling.

3. Observe (or spend time in) Nature. As discussed in my previous episode with Emma Loewe, author of Return to Nature, nature has restorative properties for humans. When you feel stressed, take a moment to look out your window or take a break for a walk if you have the time.

4. Meditate, using a visual or guided meditation.

5. Spend time walking a labyrinth, either by physically walking a labyrinth or using a hand labyrinth.

Resources:

Emma Loewe on Jump Start Your Joy

Insight Timer (Sarah Blondin) - for guided meditations

Insight Timer (my channel: Paula Jenkins) - for guided meditations

World Labyrinth Locator to walk a labyrinth

Veriditas, a non profit that offers courses on about labyrinths

Kennolyn Camp

 

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Love the show, and what to show your support?

Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.

Jan 25, 2022

Marion Abrams of Grounded Content joins the show and we're talking all things content creation, with a special lens around pocasts.

I know so many of you that listen, have some sort of entrepreneurial pursuit where you are creating content week over week or on a regular basis. And some of those past episodes about content creation and creativity have been the most downloaded here on JSYJ. 

Good content all comes back to purpose. What is your mission and why are you creating this thing? This applies to whatever it is that you are making if you are an entrepreneur, whether that be social media, videos, blog posts or written work, etc. It all comes down to your filter and purpose, and offering up something that other people want to engage with.

What is a podcast? Is it the same as a video on YouTube? Is it another word for interview? 

How do you approach editing a podcast or other content? What do you need to know about crafting something for an audience?

What about publishing options? (specific to podcasting - where do you publish, why you need a podcast host and more)

And, how do you grow your podcast or following? What are the best methods?  

Be sure and check out part one of this episode over on Grounded Content. 

Resources

Read the full episode notes on my site.

Join me for a Quarterly Podcast Planning Session on February 4th, or sign up for a mini VIP day to launch or optimize your show. 

Love the show, and what to show your support?

Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.

Sep 24, 2021

Welcome to Jump Start Your Joy's Top 10 of Season One. As I round out the 6th Season of the podcast, I found myself wanting to take a look back at how the show started. Season One was magical, and memorable in so many ways.

You can read the full episode notes on my website.

Here's the sampling of who you'll hear in this episode:

1. Kathleen Davies, from Episode 1. She is a preaching pastor in Houston Texas, and my former room mate at Yale Divinity School.

2. Matthew Wood, Senior Sound Editor at Skywalker Sound and the voice of General Grievous in the Star Wars universe. Matt and I attended grade school together, and he shares how George Lucas chose him for the General Grievous role. He was on Episode 3.

3. Molly Larkin, a life coach, and registered nurse. We discussed Loving Kindness in Episode 10.

4. Liz Ross, advertising agency veteran and past president of Periscope agency in Minneapolis. We talked about leadership and putting people first in Episode 21.

5. Lexi Koch, a life coach and farmer. We talked about the courage it takes to be vulnerable in life. She was on Episode 35.

6. Holly Becker is the powerhouse behind the blog Decor8, and founder of "Blogging Your Way." She came on to talk about how to find your voice, and joined me Episode 36.

7. Jennifer Lee is the author of "Right Brain Business Plan," and a great business coach. She was on Episode 38 and we talked about how to build a sustainable creative business.

8. Sharon Aldeguer is a body builder and an IT professional. She had a brain tumor removed, and suffered nerve damage during the surgery. She joined me to talk about hope in Episode 45.

9. Flylady Marla Cilley has a successful website and helps people reign in the chaos of their homes. She joined me for Episode 46, and we talked about how habits and routines can help you find more joy in life.

10. Danny Wood of New Kids on the Block, and founder of Remember Betty was my guest on Episode 20. He had released a new album "Look at Me," which benefitted his nonprofit which supports breast cancer patients. He shared about losing his mother, Betty, to breast cancer and his family, and the fans. 

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Jun 24, 2021

A lot of people are talking about FOMO, especially as the US is opening back up after the pandemic. As everything and everyone starts to come out of quarantine and shelter in place, and we are feeling safer about being in public, it seems that a lot of people are feeling he push to rush back into life, and, rush back to returning to life at the same pace we'd all been keeping in the end of 2019 (if not faster). And, many people are layering this return to "normal" with an urgency to catch up for "lost" time, or, trying to cram in more during this time because we fear what's to come after losing so much over the past 16 months. Because 2020 was a total sh*tshow, it's reasonable to be cautious and concerned, but I think it's amping up our anxiety.

In this episode I'm sharing about how it's OK to slow down, and it's also totally OK to Opt Out during this transition time. Maybe you realized that you like a slower pace of life while you were in quarantine. Maybe you discovered you needed more quiet time for yourself. And now that invitations are going out about social gatherings, and people getting together you might feel like you "should" go (and not really want to). 

I want to give you full permission to do a couple of things:

1. Take stock in what you really want to do. If you're craving alone time, don't feel like you need to go to an event, or go do anything. Opting out is an option.

2. Notice where you feel like things are "too much." We've all just been through a lot, and our brains and nervous systems have been on high alert for over a year. We've been living in a time where even basic tasks were not as safe as usual, and it will take time to re-acclimate. If it feels like you've done enough today as far as socializing or going out in public goes, let it be enough. Opting out of doing more, or doing anything, is an option.

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Resources

Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most by Greg McKeown

There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing by Adam Grant in the NY Times

Make Some Noise by Andrea Owen

Get it Done: The Email Course by Alexandra Franzen

 

Jun 16, 2020

Inspired by the Erica Cordea's presentation at She Podcasts Live, in this episode I'm reflecting on how you can use the inspiration, intention, and action framework to embrace Imperfect Allyship and the work of dismantling racism.

Read the full show notes on the website.

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Here are the actions I will take (to begin):

1. Show up in "imperfect ally-ship"
Learn more about this from Erica Cordea at Pause on the Play  or tune into Erica on Amy Porterfield's Online Marketing Made Easy podcast. 

2. Keep working, and doing the work, while acknowledging that "The line of progress is never straight."
You can read more about this, which is in Martin Luther King, Jr's "Where do we go from here?"

3. Be mindful of intent AND Impact
Jamie Utt talks about this on Everyday Feminism 

4. Provide feedback to other allies in a way that the person can hear it.
When sharing feedback with other white allies; insight from Kathryn Britton in Positive Psychology News. 

5. Honor that "the hidden work is the heart work is the hard work." Doing the work doesn't need to be done real-time or publicly. Doing the work means I will share learnings and resources.
Read about this quote from Ashlee Eiland on Instagram.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Erica Cordea Pause on the Play

Rachel Cargle The Great Unlearn Patreon

Trudi LeBron 

Nicole Cardoza's Anti-Racism Daily Newsletter

Layla Saad: Good Ancestor Podcast and Me and White Supremacy

 

Dec 10, 2019

Jennifer Louden is a coach, author, and all around delightful powerhouse of self care, and I’m delighted to have her on the show to talk about her upcoming book: Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next. Considered a pioneer in the self care movement, Jennifer wrote her first book, The Woman’s Comfort Book, in 2005. I really enjoyed talking to Jennifer, and it was an honor to have her on the show.

Jennifer Louden and I talk about:
-How masterminds and coaches can help shed light on things that you can’t see for yourself
-Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next
-Using what bothers you as an invitation to dig deeper and create transformation
-Rock bottom as a place to transform from
-Why we need to normalize that life has hard parts to it, and struggle
-Taking action is the key transforming
-Living a human scale life - one that honors your need for boundaries and care instead of being focused on hustle
-Why “faster” and “hacking” and “hustle” don’t equate to “better” and why we need to set kind goals for ourselves
-“Net joy” and how to keep it as a compass for your life
-Change and growth are not linear
-How Wonder can help you get your bother on
-Grit without compassion is just grind

Resources
Jennifer Louden’s website
The Life Organizer: A Woman’s Guide to a Mindful Year by Jennifer Louden on Amazon
Pre-Order Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next by Jennifer Louden on Amazon

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May 28, 2019

Podcasting is a great way to get your voice, mission, or story out there, and it's changed my life completely. In this week's episode I'm sharing 10+ reasons you should start a show of your own if you're a life coach, doctor, or healer.

  1. Increases the know / like / trust factor with people quickly
  2. It’s a flexible way to express your creativity and interests
  3. Podcasting establishes you as an expert, and can provide you with a way to explore skill sets if you are coming back into the workforce after having kids)
  4. It’s a hobby that can grow into more (or doesn’t have to)
  5. It sets you up to network like a champ and make connections in an authentic way
  6. Itss fun, and playful, which makes it easier to do
  7. You can naturally grow your network
  8. Learn new skills in your area of interest by asking your questions from experts
  9. It's a media outlet like no other (you're in the same bucket with huge publishers)
  10. A show gives you something to talk about in your marketing, giving you topics to include in newsletters and social media
  11. It’s still a growing market where women are under-represented

 

May 28, 2019

Podcasting is a great way to get your voice, mission, or story out there, and it's changed my life completely. In this week's episode I'm sharing 10+ reasons you should start a show of your own if you're a life coach, doctor, or healer.

  1. Increases the know / like / trust factor with people quickly
  2. It’s a flexible way to express your creativity and interests
  3. Podcasting establishes you as an expert, and can provide you with a way to explore skill sets if you are coming back into the workforce after having kids)
  4. It’s a hobby that can grow into more (or doesn’t have to)
  5. It sets you up to network like a champ and make connections in an authentic way
  6. Itss fun, and playful, which makes it easier to do
  7. You can naturally grow your network
  8. Learn new skills in your area of interest by asking your questions from experts
  9. It's a media outlet like no other (you're in the same bucket with huge publishers)
  10. A show gives you something to talk about in your marketing, giving you topics to include in newsletters and social media
  11. It’s still a growing market where women are under-represented

 

Feb 5, 2019

Gemma Hartley is the author of” Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward,” and I’m thrilled to have her on the podcast to talk about emotional labor. Defined as “the invisible work women do to keep people around them happy,” emotional labor is a topic that doesn’t get talked about a lot, and often takes a toll on women and relationships. I’m excited that Gemma has opened the door for this discussion by addressing the topic, and offering thoughts on ways to move forward.

Resources
Gemma Hartley’s Website
Gemma Hartley’s original article “Women aren’t Nags, we’re just Fed Up” on  Harpers Bazaar

Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward by Gemma Hartley on Amazon

Sep 12, 2018

Joy and Grief are two parts of our human experience. Join Paula as she revisits the most impactful and joyful discussions of Season 3, and learn about mindfulness, making space for joy, and embracing all of your emotions with three important guests.

Jan 23, 2018

Magician and illusionist Vitaly Beckman joins host Paula Jenkins to talk about how he became an illusionist, his time on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us," how he creates new illusions, and how it all ties into creating joy and wonder.

Dec 1, 2017

Risk and vulnerability are two key pieces of following joy and possibility in our lives. Host Paula Jenkins talks about how to find your joy, and the role the courage plays. Also a recap on the NKOTB 2017 Cruise and Donnie Wahlberg's inspiring look at joy.

Aug 8, 2017

Host Paula Jenkins looks back at the lessons learned over two years of podcasting - from creating a plan, to following passion, to learning to trust yourself, she shares all about the lessons of following a creative dream. 

Aug 1, 2017

This week it’s my true pleasure to have Mandy Ford joining me for an interview, where she talks about following your inspiration, doodling, and becoming an illustrator. Mandy is a graphic designer, and she returned to drawing after many years after inspiration struck her in a writing class, and she found herself doodling. This led to her posting her art on Instagram, and landing a licensing deal with Home Goods only 4 months later. 

In this episode, Mandy and I talk about:
- her early love of collecting rocks, Lisa Frank stickers and Poochie
- how working at a Earlham College, a Quaker seminary has changed her life and shaped her drawing
- how taking a writing class brought her back to her love of drawing
- how she got a licensing deal with Home Goods just four months after she returned to drawing
- what her creative process looks like, now
- her work with Illustrated Faith, creating scrapbooking kits
- her tips for Instagram and finding a community there
- the work she's most proud of to date (spoiler: it's being a mom to her twin boys)
- what harmony looks like for Mandy
- her thoughts on jump starting your joy - taking time to look up and notice the world around you, being kind, and giving freely to people

Read all of the show notes at jumpstartyourjoy.com/episode97

 

Feb 14, 2017

I now see this as an early way of setting a foundation of joy in my life. As I actively sought out, and said yes to the things that were coming from a place of love, I was also choosing joy. I was choosing joy and inviting it further into my life.

And this is what creating a foundation of joy is all about. It’s recognizing that you make a choice to seek out joy, and you make a choice to include joy in your life.

And why is this important?

Because setting up a foundation of joy is setting up a new kind of basis by which you can live your life.

When you’re choosing joy as a foundation, it helps build a solid base for your whole world and your whole reality. It started helping me see things in a new light. Because unlike a standard lens of judging things on being successful or a failure, joy has an application no matter your outcome. You could succeed in your goals and feel joy, but you can also fall short of a goal, and be able to find joy in your life despite the fact that you may not have met your outward facing goal.

Dec 13, 2016

I'm so thrilled to have Danny Williams and Steven Hundal join me for this episode to share all about the play they will be starring in at the Children's Creativity Theater in San Francisco entitled "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)." Danny and Steven are both multi-passionate, renaissance souls. These guys juggle work and families, and are putting on this play to support charities for the holidays. They truly have made a commitment to joyfully uplifting others during the holidays.

Sep 2, 2016

Hi friends! Welcome to Jump Start Your Joy's Top 10 of Season One. Last week, as part one of the season finale, I shared some of the most memorable moments of the last 52 weeks. This week, I'm sharing the most downloaded episodes, and sharing what made them really special. Many of the guests sent an update on "What joy has looked like for them" since we last spoke. The result is a fun, heartfelt, joyful finale to a year that has been life changing for me.

Jul 19, 2016

Cam Adair of Game Quitters joins host Paula Jenkins to talk about how he has dealt with video game addiction in his own life and started a community to support others wanting to live a life of purpose. 

May 31, 2016

Five Ways to Add Joy to Your Life - host Paula Jenkins shares her top five ways to jump start your joy, and talks about various topics such as wellness and self care, love, gratitude, surrounding yourself with good people and following your heart.

May 19, 2016

Cory Huff of The Abundant Artist joins host Paula Jenkins to talk about how to sell art online, acting, the art of storytelling, being a multi-passionate, the inherent creativity of all people, Dungeons and Dragons, and asking inappropriate questions.

May 3, 2016

Lexi Koch joins host Paula Jenkins to talk aboutbeingvulnerable, along with sharing about her own life journeyfromsocial worker, to farm manager and owner, to life coach.

Apr 26, 2016

It's such a pleasure to have Laura Simms join the show this week! Laura is a career Coach and an expert in meaningful work, and she's the creator of the truly amazing "Your Career Homecoming" program that helps women find work that feels like home. I really love Laura's open and easy going nature, and getting to chat with her felt like talking to a friend. She's relatable, down to earth, and the fact that she has changed careers from one that she was truly passionate about (acting), to one that feels more purposeful and rewarding (career coach), really spoke to me. I have an knack for landing plenty of jobs, and love that she helps clients focus on "the why" (the purpose, legacy, contribution, service, impact they're making) before they ever get to thinking about "the what" (abilities, strengths, things you can do), or "the how" (environment, the work pace, your leadership role, how much you're paid) of what that career looks like.

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