Latest / The Spiritual Shitshow Podcast / Embracing Authentic Joy: Transforming Self-Care with Playfulness and Celebration with Julie Nguyen

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Embracing Authentic Joy: Transforming Self-Care with Playfulness and Celebration with Julie Nguyen · The Spiritual Shitshow Podcast

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Spiritual Shit Show, the podcast where we dive into the mess and magic of becoming your most authentic self.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: I'm your host, julie Nguyen, your soul guide and intuitive channel, here to help you navigate the twists and turns of life's most profound questions.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Today, we're talking about a topic that's both deeply personal and universal the spiritual journey.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: What is it, why does it call to us and how do we know if we're on it?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: If you've ever felt like there's more to life than what meets the eye, or that you're searching for something deeper, this episode is for you.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: So grab your cup of tea, get comfy and let's dive in.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to another episode of Spiritual Shit Show.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: I'm Julie Nguyen, your soul guide, intuitive channel and biggest cheerleader for living authentically and joyfully.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for being here, and I really do hope that this podcast offers you an opportunity to be able to see your own light, and together may we continue to thrive and expand into infinite possibilities that we can get out of our own way and truly live the life that just feels the most desirable and full.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Today we're flipping the script on self care, and we're exploring a side of it that we often overlook, which is joy and fun.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Self-care just isn't about bubble baths and meditations and finding peace, but it's really about increasing our ability to tolerate joy, to tolerate more good stuff happening in our lives.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: This is where the magic of a yes day comes in.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: I just gave myself my first yes day a couple days ago.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I can't wait to share with you what I did, but also what I learned in doing that, and I'm inviting you to really think about how you can begin to incorporate more joy, more fun, more play, more silliness into your life.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: So let's dive into why joy is a non-negotiable part of self-care and how saying yes to yourself can transform your life.
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: So first, I want us to rethink self-care and remember that self-care is not a chore.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: It's not this list of things that we have to do every day, like exercise or eat healthy and meditate and journal.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: And while these things are important every day like exercise or eat healthy and meditate and journal and while these things are important, they can sometimes feel like another responsibility and or we feel guilt or shame about ourselves if we don't do them.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: That's not self-care.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: True, self-care is about nourishing your soul, and one of the most nourishing things you can do is embrace joy and fun and happiness.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: For me, fun is a word that keeps coming into my life.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: I was in a meditation gosh it was probably a couple years ago and I saw all these people walking across in one straight line, and so I asked the guides like why are you showing me this?
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: And they're like this is you.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: This is all the incarnations of you.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: These are all the versions that have come here to experience life.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Many, many, many, many lives have you lived?
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: And I said, okay, well, why are you showing me this?
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: And this beautiful woman with this white lace dress and a white lace umbrella stepped out and she put her hand on her hip and she said we're showing you all of these so you can remember why you keep coming back.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: And I said well, why do I keep coming back?
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: And she said to have fun.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Fast forward, probably about four years later it was my dad's birthday and seven months after he passed away, and so I was honoring him.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: And when my dad lived with me, when I was a caretaker for him, we would go for walks.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: My dad loved to walk, and so I went for a walk, where we usually would walk around the neighborhood, and I felt my dad next to me and I said Is that you?
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: And he said yeah, it is.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: And I said Thank you for being here, it is.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: And I said thank you for being here and he said look, julie, if I knew then what I know now, I would have lived my life so differently.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: He said life is literally one big party.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: You're meant to have fun, so don't take things so seriously and take a chance, jump out of the plane, ride the motorcycle, have fun.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: Life is literally one big party.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: So say yes.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: And then he disappeared and, due to my early life story, I moved out of my house and moved to a completely different state Three days after my high school graduation, to a completely different state.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: Three days after my high school graduation I kind of catapulted really quickly into adulthood and needing to work and be responsible and all the adult things.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: By the time I was 21, I opened up my very first business and I think by the time I was 23 or 24, I opened up a second location.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: By the time I was 26, I was full force, working seven days a week, with my life really revolving around the business and everything that needed to happen within the business for us to thrive.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: And you know, in my career too, I was exhausted all the time, because who can work seven days a week?
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: But if you know anything about dance studio owners, they tend to work seven days a week, 365 days a year.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: So that was my.
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: So that was the first part of my life.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: I was a dance studio owner and I was working all the time and as fulfilling as it was, it didn't really leave a lot of space for joy and fun in my external world, because it was just really working all the time.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: The only spaces that I did allow myself to feel and experience joy was when I was teaching the little kids.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: That was my space to experience joy.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: But other than that in my life outside of work there wasn't a lot of practical self-care opportunities, fun, adventure, vacation.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: And now that I am not in that space, I'm really aware of how important it is to really follow my dad's advice and to see life as just one big party, to have fun and to be in joy.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: Joy is healing and when we incorporate joy into our routines we release stress, we boost our mood, we open ourselves up to greater creativity and connection, and I feel like when I am in a state of authentic joy.
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: I'm happier, I'm prettier, I'm brighter, I'm more magnetic, I'm able to really draw into me really cool conversations and random synchronicities.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: My day is just better, way better, when I'm not taking life so seriously.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: I also think joy is an act of rebellion in a world that glorifies overwork and productivity.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: In the first half of my career and I was overworked and busy all the time and just producing, producing, producing and working, working, working I did wear my busyness like a badge of honor.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: I felt like I deserved then success because I am the hardest worker in the room.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: But what I quickly learned is for every goal that I achieved and for every successful moment, I was too tired to even enjoy it.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Joy brings balance, joy brings fun, joy brings clarity and, again, most importantly I think, joy brings authenticity.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: Joy also breaks the burnout cycle.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: Hustling and grinding without breaks leads to exhaustion.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: Trust me, I know, but joyful activities they re-energize you, they remind you that life isn't just about work and obligations and being exhausted all the time.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: I personally would love to feel more joy and more fun in my day over, feeling so tired and burnt out that I can't even connect with life anymore.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: So I want to ask you, how often do you intentionally prioritize joy and fun in your day-to-day life, or do you just plan it for the weekends?
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: Or do you plan it just for that vacation that you allow yourself to take once a year?
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: Joy brings a light to the eye, it opens up the heart.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: It helps you to expand the arms out and to find gratitude for self, for this life, for others.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: It helps you to manifest more of what the universe wants to bring you magical experiences.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: And if that's a little bit too woo for you, I want you just to know that being playful, bringing in more joy, having more fun, boosts your mental health.
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: It allows you to release endorphins, it lowers cortisol levels, it improves your resilience, problem-solving skills and overall mental clarity.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: It lessens your stress load, which we all know is not so helpful for our health.
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: And when we prioritize joy and fun so helpful for our health and when we prioritize joy and fun, we are sending a very powerful message to ourself that I am worthy of happiness.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: I'm going to say that again I am worthy of happiness, I am worthy of love, I am worthy of living an incredible, love-filled, adventurous life.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: Okay, so I shared with you the first half of my life super successful working all the time, second half of my life, doing a lot of inner spiritual work, healing, traveling, adventure work, healing, traveling, adventure and now practicing really connecting to joy and fun and learning how to design my life from where I am now.
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: It's taken a lot of grit and work and tears and experiences and all of it is teaching me how to be strong in myself, to trust myself.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: I was thinking the other day I was like, damn, I really do think life starts at 40.
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: For me, 45.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: My early 40s were kind of shit, to be honest, but I feel like life is beginning at 45 for me and that feels really incredible.
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: And in this practice of really allowing myself to deepen joy, fun, authenticity, connecting to my inner strength, knowing that who I am now, at 45, like my life is beginning now.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: One of the practices that I gave myself last week and I'm going to continue to give myself I gave myself a yes day and let me tell you it was so fun.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: And while I was practicing my yes day, I was also thinking like how many women really give themselves this time, this opportunity, to say you know what?
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: What is it that I want to do right now?
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: What sounds the most fun, what sounds the most nourishing?
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: For me, a yes day is a day that is dedicated to yourself.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: It's a day that you say yes to your desires, to the things that bring you joy, again, the things that are the most nourishing for your soul.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: It's about giving yourself full permission to have fun, without guilt or second guessing.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: It's about allowing yourself to cultivate a really incredible practice of placing your hands over your heart and saying what is it that I need now?
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: What sounds the most fun where I'm not settling?
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: So my yes day went like this I woke up Wow, what sounds the most nourishing right now?
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: What do I want to do?
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: I want to go have some coffee.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: Fantastic, I'm going to manifest the best cup of coffee.
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: Surprise, surprise, some really incredible creamer is in my refrigerator that I didn't know that we had, and I was like damn, I just manifested the best cup of coffee.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: This is great.
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: Now what do I want to do?
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: I'm going to sit and I'm going to really enjoy the taste of this coffee.
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: Okay, great, now what?
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: All right.
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: Now I want to stretch, fantastic Stretch.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: Okay, now what?
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: All right.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: I'm going to take a shower.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: I'm going to do my hair.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: I'm going to get ready, and then I think I want to go out.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Wonderful.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: Then I went and got acupuncture.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: When I came out of acupuncture I put my hands over my heart.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, so what is going to bring the next joy, the most joy?
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Now I heard of this organic burger place that's in Boulder and so it's about a 30 minute drive, and I was like but that burger sounds delicious.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: So, yes, I am driving 30 minutes for this burger.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Get to the parking lot.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: All right, what sounds the best?
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: Do I want to take it to go and drive home and eat at home, or do I want to eat it here?
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: No, I want to eat it here.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: All right, great, go in.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: Have an amazing conversation with the guy behind the counter talking all kinds of like spirituality and coaching things, getting my burger do a little dance at the table.
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: The burger is delicious.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: I'm like, damn, I am living my best life right now.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Burger's done.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: I am happy and fed, especially since I just came off of a cleanse.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: I haven't really had any real like sturdy food in my system.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: I was so happy, all right.
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: So now what?
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: Hmm, I'm going to go for a hike.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: It feels nice out, great, go for a walk, now.
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: What?
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Now, what is it that I want to do?
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: You get the gist right.
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: This was my yes day, and the really cool thing is, at the end of my yes day, I went and did volunteer work at my father's old memory care, and that's how I finished my yes day.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: But the entire day was even when I took myself shopping.
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: I was already at the mall and I was like I don't really like this mall, though.
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: I kind of want to go somewhere else.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: And so I could catch myself talking to myself like Julie, well, you're already here, park your car, go shopping.
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: And I was like, yeah, but that this place isn't in the highest resonance for my happiness and my joy.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: But this other place I love.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: I love shopping at this other place.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: It's a little bit out of the way, but I'm in my yes day, so I'm going there instead.
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: So I could see myself talking myself into wanting to make choices that were just more logical and not truly aligned with what is going to bring me the most joy.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: So this mall that I'm already at, or this other place that actually brings me joy, go to the other place that brings you joy.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Now, is it a little self-indulgent, and can we do this every single day?
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: No, but if you give yourself a yes day, it just allows you to really strengthen your ability to be in full alignment with what is dancing in your heart.
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: A spontaneous adventure feels fun.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: Enjoying nature by myself was incredible Going and getting my nails done and having a really cool conversation with another lady that was in there.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: It was fun, and if I wasn't in a state of joy or fun, I wouldn't be open to receiving the love and the joy and the fun from others either.
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: I am putting it into my practice and I'm giving myself a yes day.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: I'm going to start with once a month and I am incorporating into my daily life the practice of asking myself and what is it that I need right now?
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: What sounds the most nourishing?
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: What sounds fun?
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: If you can't give yourself a full day, a full yes day, then just start small.
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: Maybe just start by doing that Like what sounds the most nourishing right now?
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: What do I need in this moment?
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: How can I give myself exactly what I need in this moment?
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: Can I carve out 10 minutes where I am allowing myself to experience joy and then notice how that uplifts your energy, or schedule it.
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: Schedule a half day if you're a super busy mama, and then protect that time fiercely.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: Gift it to yourself.
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: This time is for me and my joy and my happiness.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: And again, follow your intuition.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: What sounds fun right now and then trust that answer.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: And if it seems silly or unexpected, then follow that yes and just see, see what happens, see what shows up.
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: I am always a firm believer in who you surround yourself with is key in life.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: So making sure that you're surrounding yourself with joyful people, spend time with friends who make you laugh and inspire you to be your most carefree self, where you can practice being your authentic self, where you feel safe in resonance with others All good stuff.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: And then I want you to celebrate your joy.
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Every time you say yes to yourself, I want you to celebrate it.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: Gratitude amplifies joy.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: I can see in my own life when I am orienting around joy and allowing my authentic spirit to be present.
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: It does have a ripple effect when you prioritize joy.
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: It's not just about you.
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: It radiates out into relationships, environments, communities.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: It really is a light that lights other people up.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: It is important Joyful people inspire others to embrace their own happiness and you become a beacon of light in a world that needs it.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: It's important for us to remember that our joy is a gift and it is not a selfish indulgence, especially if you're a mom.
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: When you gift yourself joyful experiences, we are teaching our children how to treat themselves with loving, kindness, value and self-worth.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: Joy and fun are not extras.
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: They are essential parts of self-care, and today, while we're listening to the podcast, I want you to think about how often do I allow myself to be in a state of joy and to have fun?
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: I also want you to get that calendar out and plan your yes day.
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: I want you to remember that, placing your hands lovingly over your heart many, many times during the day and asking yourself what is it that I need now?
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: What sounds nourishing?
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: What can I give myself now?
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: This could be you know what I need to get up from my desk and I need to go get a delicious cup of coffee or tea.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: Or you know what?
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: I just need to go outside for 10 minutes and look at the sky and breathe.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: Or you know what I want to call my friend who I haven't talked to in a really, really long time.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: I'm going to prioritize that today.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: How can you say yes to yourself more often, yes to your soul, yes to your joy, yes to your fun, yes to allowing the authentic essence, your spirit, to be here, radiating out, experiencing life, freedom, freedom, freedom.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs a little bit more joy or encouragement to be more of their authentic self and in their authentic light and joy and fun and silliness in life.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: Don't forget to subscribe to the Spiritual Shit Show for more soulful, playful conversations.
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: Until next time, keep saying yes to yourself.
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: I want to hear all about your yes days.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: I'm giving you so much love and wishing you so much joy.
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: You.