322 episodes

Jump Start Your Joy is a podcast by Paula Jenkins, a business coach and podcast producer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 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 lead to joy in your life, the world, and other people's lives.

Jump Start Your Joy Paula Jenkins

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 45 Ratings

Jump Start Your Joy is a podcast by Paula Jenkins, a business coach and podcast producer living in the San Francisco Bay Area. 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 lead to joy in your life, the world, and other people's lives.

    5 Ways to Find More Comfort and Joy (Season 7 Wrap Up)

    5 Ways to Find More Comfort and Joy (Season 7 Wrap Up)

    This week's episode is the finale of season seven where I've been talking all about intentional comfort and how to bring more comfort and ease into your everyday life.
    If you have not yet listened to the episode where I did the countdown of the top 10 most downloaded episodes, you can tune in here.
    1. Choose comfort, and build it into our lives.  I think we are looking for a way to wind down and a way to hold space for the things that we've done and to take a breather. It may be that the world feels heavy, and that you need a break. Mirror what you choose to do with what the seasons do. Winter is a time of darkness and quiet and solitude. And so I think comfort and joy are bookends for each other, but I think they also go hand in hand.
    2. See it as riding the wave. If youcan ride the wave of whateverdifficult thing you're facing, and intentionally schedule in comfort, you will be in a better place. It can be helpful to know that this current situation is temporary, and ride it out. And, you can get through it by clinging to that intentional comfort that we are setting up for yourself.
    3. Everything is cyclical. Hard times, good times. Comforting times, overwhelming times. It's all cyclical.  Knowing that there is a season for each thing that sometimes will be easier. Sometimes it'll be harder. And knowing this can maybe help you find comfort in one that the season will change just like if you ride out the wave. But in two, that, that this is part of the bigger plan and pattern.
    4. Learn to live an "Untethered Life," as inspired by the book by Michael A Singer. The really big takeaway for me with that book is that you can start to question some of the patterns and habits that you recognize that you have after you spent some time looking at them. Because comfort can come from getting to know yourself instead of fighting whatever comes up and ruminating on whatever comes up.
    5. Joy and happiness is comforting. Make time for whatever it is that makes you happy. Let go of the expectations and the pressure of day-to-day life that's telling us what we "should" do or want. Learning to let yourself be in the present moment, without feeling the need to document for social media or feel the pressure to share every detail with anyone else.
    Resources:
    Season 7 Countdown (finale pt 1)
    Audible version of "Untethered life" by Michael A Singer (affiliate)
    Join me for a Virtual Labyrinth walk (free) on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 1pm PST | 4pm EST
    Love the show, and want to show your support?
    Buy me a cup of coffee, and I'll give you a shout out on the next episode.
    Subscribe to my YouTube channel
     

    • 15 min
    Become A Wonder Seeker by Adding More Wonder, Magic, and Joy to Your Life with Andrea Scher

    Become A Wonder Seeker by Adding More Wonder, Magic, and Joy to Your Life with Andrea Scher

    Andrea Scher has thrilled and inspired others for nearly twenty years through her award-winning blog Superhero Journal, her international workshops, her Creative Superheroes podcast, and her joyful e-courses. In this episode, we discuss Andrea’s new book, Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy Today, and how and she describes why this is the perfect time to tune into the small things that bring you joy.
    Read the full show notes on my website. Click here.
    In this episode, Andrea and I talk about:
    Why Andrea was inspired to write her book to inspire others to add more wonder and magic to their lives What a Wonder Seeker actually is and how wonder relates to joy Becoming braver and more resilient as you pivot your attention towards wonder and joy How Wonder Seekers create comfort by being open-hearted and cultivating a spirit of kindness and love  Some of the exercises in Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy Today and why 144 is her personal favorite  How Andrea sets intentions and the magic the practice can bring How to move past the rigid routines of the last 18 months and embrace the magic and wonder your world has to offer Andrea’s e-courses, retreats, and creative workshops, and how to find out more about her  Three ways Andrea recommends to jump-start joy in your life, in the world, or other people’s lives? Resources
    Preorder Andrea Scher's book: Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy
    Get your free gift from Andrea after purchasing Wonder Seeker here
    Andrea Scher's Superhero Life
    Andrea Scher on Instagram
    Other books and resources we mention in this episode
    The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Wisdom, and Love: Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson
    Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson
    Camera Obscura in San Francisco

    • 46 min
    Three Ways to Reconnect with Intentional Comfort as Inspired by the Art of Gathering

    Three Ways to Reconnect with Intentional Comfort as Inspired by the Art of Gathering

    Intentional Comfort is the theme of this season, and in this episode I'm taking inspiration from Priya Parker's Art of Gathering, and using her 3 rules of gathering to consider new ways to reconnect with what nourishes, fortifies, and supports you.  While her Ted Talk is about how to interact in groups and gatherings in new ways, I find that her rules and thoughts offer insights on how to connect with yourself, and how to determine what is meaningful to you when looking for intentional comfort.
    Here are the basics of what I'm covering:
    Don't leave it to chance
    This is the intentional part of things. If we leave the relationship and connection we have to and with ourselves to chance, it's far too easy to focus on the basics and logistics of life, and ignore time for self care. If you're longing for more time for yourself, or time to do thoughtful, comforting things, schedule that time in.
    Embrace your purpose
    For many of you, especially over the stretch of the pandemic, you may have developed some habits that aren’t really serving you. And, while they likely did serve you for a period of time, now that we’re nearly into the third year of all of this, I think the way we look at comfort and what fortifies us has likely changed. It’s become super apparent that this isn’t about a sprint, this is about a transition. What is the purpose, or meaning, behind setting up time for intentional comfort?
    How can you craft something that supports and nourishes you, as we all work through this transition together?
    What is the purpose of what you want to do, in finding comfort?
    What would meet your needs?
    If you’re looking for an escape, what does that look like given any of your current constraints?
    If you’re looking for peace and quiet, why?
    And if you dig a layer deeper, is there something you feel is missing? 
    Cause good controversy
    Priya says that “human connection is as threatened by unhealthy peace as it is by unhealthy conflict.” And, I’d add that this connection is true for gatherings as it is for the connection you and I have with ourselves. 
    For this, I’d ask yourself what do you need, right now? Drop any sort of “shoulds” or polite answers. You're answering this just for yourself. 
    Some of these answers might be overly simple: a walk, a shower, a drink of water, a meal
    Some of these answers might be more complicated and feel harder to figure out: a feeling of connectedness, quiet time when I’m not needed by anyone else, a day to just bake cookies and connect with the holiday spirit
    How can you do this? It might feel like it involves creating some good controversy, especially if it involves speaking up to divide up housework with your family, to find quiet time, to find time to pursue a hobby, or to interview for a new job. You may need help from other people to do these things. So, dive in and ask yourself what you need and then figure out what kind of help you need from other people in your family.
    The other side of this good controversy could be a totally inside job. It could be that you’ve been sitting with something for a long time that doesn’t feel so great, and in order to find comfort and joy on the other side, you need to work through it. You may need to break through a Story - or something you’re assuming is true but isn’t really true.
    Use "pop up" rules
    Priya suggests this for groups that gather that don’t necessarily share the same background, or are part of the same generation, culture, or rules for etiquette. She says in those situations, you can set up pop up rules to encourage meaningful connection.
    What if you changed your own rules for a bit? What rules could you set for yourself, just for a day or a week, to support yourself?
    An example might be: set a bedtime for yourself for the next week if you are tired.
    Make a rule for yourself that this week, you will slow down and have an afternoon snack and see how that feels.
    Limit your interaction with peo

    • 28 min
    Empaths and Highly Sensitive People with guest Signe Myers Hovem

    Empaths and Highly Sensitive People with guest Signe Myers Hovem

    Signe Myers Hovem is a spiritual counselor, an energy worker, and the author of The Space in Between: An Empaths Field Guide. In this interview on Jump Start Your Joy podcast, we are talking about empaths and highly sensitive people (HSPs).
    If you are a highly sensitive person, or if you have a sense that you may be an empath, then I think you're going to get a lot out of this conversation (which ties so closely to this season's theme of intentional comfort on the podcast). HSPs and empaths notice the energy around people and places and things, and this can be overwhelming to them. The Empath's Field Guide, and this conversation, offers a lot of insight on how to manage your energy, hold space, and work with your gifts.
    In this episode, Signe Myers Hovem talk about:
    What it means to be a functional empath. The difference between empathy versus being an empath. Exploring what it means to identify as a highly sensitive person. The power of our words and what we choose to call things. Minding your energy, and holding space without having your own energy drained. How to set up strong boundaries with people, places, or things if you feel an energetic drain and decide if you want to get involved further. How do we navigate through the space of being an empath or an HSP in everyday life? Resources
    Signe Myers Hovem's website
    The Space in Between: An Empaths Field Guide by Signe Myers Hovem
    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.
    Subscribe to my YouTube channel

    • 44 min
    Top 10 Most Beloved Episodes of Season Seven on Jump Start Your Joy (Finale Part One: A Countdown)

    Top 10 Most Beloved Episodes of Season Seven on Jump Start Your Joy (Finale Part One: A Countdown)

    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
    Listen to the episode
    8. Fred LeBlanc of Cowboy Mouth on Finding a Mardi Gras State of Mind
    Listen to the original episode
    Buy their best of album.
    7. Heather Hall, Author of Step Up and Stand Out: 20 Tips for Aspiring Introverted Leaders
    Listen to the original episode
    Buy the book
    6. Jenn Oglesbee: Intentional Comfort and Joy in the Midst of Grief
    Listen to the original episode
    5. Stasia Savasuk: Wearing Your Word of the Year
    Listen to the original episode
    4. 10 Things to Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Life and Work
    Listen to the original episode
    3. Finding Your Heart's Second Home
    Listen to the original episode
    2. William J. Peters, Author of At Heaven's Door
    Listen to the original episode
    Buy the book
    1. Scott Leftwich, owner of "Weiners and Losers," and 80s arcade, Airbnb and band member.
    Listen to the original episode
    Resources
    Brene Brown's "Living Our Values" Exercise
    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.
    Subscribe to my YouTube channel
     

    • 36 min
    10 Things That Will Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Work and Life (Best of Season 7)

    10 Things That Will Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Work and Life (Best of Season 7)

    Are you looking for ways to define what brings you joy, and identify your passions? In this episode I'm sharing 2 exercises to help figure out what you're passionate about and 10 ways to bring more of that passion to your work and your life.
    Read the full show notes on my website
    Introspection - Using the tools above, or working with a coach, a mentor, or a journal can provide a lot of insight for you. It's also important that you take time to heal any sort of past trauma or issues that might be making it hard for you to define or get in touch with your passions. Just start moving and working on things. Lots of times people think that they need to have everything all figured out before they can take the first step. Instead, think of the first logical step and give it a try. Let your passion stand on it's own. If you're interested in something, give it a try. Sometimes, instead of taking a first step, you may think that you need to have a plan to monetize a hobby, or have an end goal in mind for why you'd begin working on it. Passion and creativity are often most joyful when they are done for the sake of being fun and playful. You don't need an end "result" on the horizon to begin. It's OK to make bold moves. You often learn the most when you try something that is out of your comfort zone. Many people worry that they will "fail" when they try something they haven't done before. What if you removed that idea from the equation, and decided that there was no such thing as failure when it comes to following your passion? It's OK to "go back" to something if your first try doesn't work the way you'd planned. If you are working on building a business, and it doesn't work the way you'd envisioned the first time, it's OK to go back to work that supports you and your family. There's no shame, and nothing lost in continuing your quest as a side hustle, or starting over with a new focus. Notice if you've had "enough." You might discover that something that once brought you joy no longer does. Or, you might realize that you've had enough at a job that isn't serving you, or that you're no longer interested in continuing a hobby or a business that you once enjoyed. This is natural and part of being human. Look for the pivot points. I also call this being "well planned and loosely held," but notice when you see something shifting before your eyes in your plans. Often times, as you begin to build something your focus changes. You can also shift your business or your hobby or your interests to match those changes. Follow what feels right. If you've grown tired of doing something, stop. If something else feels interesting or bring you joy, do that. Resist staying with something just because you "should." The universe will give you opportunities to show you that you can do it. As you begin to grow your hobby or your passion or business, you'll see that the universe will show you that you're very capable of doing something. Looking back, you'll be able to see that you overcame challenges to get to where you are. Stop to celebrate those wins. You grow and change as your interests do, and it's always good to notice that you did something you once thought might be impossible. You'll get more of something when you're ready. This may have to do with manifesting, or with growth. You'll see that once you've got a grasp of how to do something, you'll often be faced with opportunities that allow you to grow. Be intentional about the growth. You might find that old versions of what you thought you wanted resurface. It's OK to say no to things that don't fit you, anymore Sign up to receive the Jump Start Your Joy newsletter
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    Resources

    Resources

    Brene Brown's "Living Our Values" Exercise

    ClaimPodParity List and Website

    Heather Hall, Coach for Introverts

    Interview with Lauren Artress about Labyrinth
    Love the show, and what to show your support?
    Buy me a cup of coffee, and I

    • 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
45 Ratings

45 Ratings

Adeline Olmer ,

Great Recap!

This was such a wonderful way to get a glimps of the top episodes! I loved listening and most importantly I was inspired! Thank you!!!

JenHancock ,

The perfect balance of inspiration + action

Inviting, uplifting, practical, and consistently fascinating curation of topics and guests — this is my favorite podcast! I never want to miss an episode!

deb-coop ,

Consistently inspiring

Paula’s infectious delight is hard to match, and she interviews such engaging and interesting guests. Each episode is inspiring, and they all have actionable ideas to help improve the quality of my life and my small biz.

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