Finding Joy

What do you do when the unthinkable happens and life as you knew it simply vanishes? Dani Elm's answer is not what you might expect – and it just might change the way you see your own struggles. In this deeply moving episode, Leona sits down with Dani Elm, author of Our Last Steps, who shares the story of losing her daughter Darcy in a devastating car accident that also left Dani with a serious spinal injury. From the rehabilitation centre to the surrogacy journey, Dani's story is a masterclass in what it looks like to carry grief and gratitude at the same time – and to keep building a life of meaning anyway. In this episode, we explore: (00:42) Who was Darcy? A little girl who lit up every room she walked into (03:04) The night everything changed: the accident that took Darcy and changed Dani's life forever (08:17) Waking up against the odds: what it means to survive when survival itself was unlikely (12:04) How do you piece together a meaningful life after unimaginable loss? (14:53) Giving back as a way of honouring Darcy: the charities carrying her memory forward (23:28) 1,764 painted pebbles and counting: the story of the Swanage Minion hunt (26:48) "Don't give up": what those three words really mean when life feels unbearable (30:49) How Dani still experiences connection with Darcy, from forever beds to cages of butterflies (35:32) The surrogacy journey and the hope of becoming parents once more Connect with Dani Elm: Visit Dani’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DinkyDani Read Dani’s Book ‘Our Last Steps’: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1919511814 Links Mentioned: 2wish: https://2wish.org.uk/ Swanage Carnival: https://swanagecarnival.com/ Connect with Finding Joy: Website: https://www.leonadevinne.com and https://devillepartners.com Subscribe for weekly emails: https://ghl.devillepartners.com/widget/form/Dvb9FUenar3xybDTFeww The JOY Journey https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyspot Finding Your Joy Spot Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991707583 CULTIVATE MORE JOY IN YOUR LIFE - Join 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 If something in this episode resonated, this is your next step. Get 30% off as a Finding Joy listener: https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page

Most of us are running on autopilot – adult software on childhood algorithms – missing the version of ourselves that's waiting to emerge. In this episode, Leona unpacks the research-backed framework of clarity, confidence, and courage as the essential map to intentional living. You'll discover why creativity and joy require space and ease, and learn how to recognise when you're "hustling for your worth" instead of living in alignment with what truly matters. In this episode, we explore: (00:56) Why intentional living starts with protected, uninterrupted time (02:30) What it means to be "outrageously you" – and why it matters (05:03) How joy feels when you're finally in alignment with your purpose (06:19) When pursuing what matters becomes dread instead of delight (08:18) Why we hustle for our worth and stuff down our feelings (10:22) How space and ease are non-negotiable for creative living (13:26) What you're aching for when you imagine living more intentionally (15:13) Why intentional living is a practice, not a destination 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 If something in this episode resonated, this is your next step. Get 30% off as a Finding Joy listener: https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Connect with Finding Joy: Website: https://www.leonadevinne.com and https://devillepartners.com Subscribe for weekly emails: https://ghl.devillepartners.com/widget/form/Dvb9FUenar3xybDTFeww The JOY Journey https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyspot Finding Your Joy Spot Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991707583

Joy Is More Than a Feeling: The Neuroscience of Joy and Why it Matters What if the reason joy can feel so elusive has less to do with your circumstances and more to do with what your brain has learned to notice? In this episode of Finding Joy, Leona talks with neuroscientist and behavioural psychologist Natasha Sheyenne about the neuroscience of joy and how our brain chemistry influences our emotions, relationships and ability to navigate difficult experiences. Natasha explains the four-part neurochemical “symphony” of joy: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. She explores why the brain naturally pays more attention to threats, how joy can counter this negativity bias and why that matters for emotional regulation and resilience. You’ll also discover how pausing to savour a positive experience for just 15 seconds can begin to strengthen new neural pathways. This research-backed conversation offers a hopeful reminder: joy is not simply something you either have or don’t have. It is a capacity you can intentionally build. In this episode, we explore: What happens in the brain when we experience joy The neurochemicals connected to happiness and social bonding How joy supports emotional regulation and resilience Why the brain tends to focus on threats and negative experiences How neuroplasticity allows us to build new patterns Why savouring a positive experience for a few extra seconds matters The relationship between joy, meaning and resilience Practical ways to strengthen your brain’s capacity for joy Memorable moments “Joy acts as a vital counterweight to negativity bias.”“Joy is more contagious than the flu.” “Savouring joy for just 15 seconds can rewire your brain.” In this episode, we explore: (00:45) What neuroscience actually is and why it changes everything (02:02) The four reasons understanding joy's science matters (03:35) Why joy is more contagious than the flu (07:38) The symphony inside your brain when you feel joy (09:20) The 15-second practice that builds new neural pathways (11:07) How meaning-making unlocks joy even in the darkest moments (14:40) Why joy is one of the most vulnerable emotions we experience (16:44) The "bummer genre" of resilience and its surprising connection to joy (19:52) Micro-wins, oxytocin moments, and how we become agents of joy for others (25:04) Natasha's 2-minute TED Talk: upgrading your brain's operating system Connect with Natasha Sheyenne Visit Natasha’s website Subscribe to her LinkedIn newsletter Listen to the Life Alchemized podcast Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn Follow Natasha on Instagram Watch Natasha on YouTube Natasha’s Books Coming November 2026: The Alchemy of Leadership Even Here There Is a Path: A Mental Health Journey Connect with Finding Joy Subscribe to Leona’s weekly emails Visit Leona deVinne’s website Learn about leadership programs and services at deVille Partners Learn more about The J.O.Y. Journey Follow Leona on Instagram Order Leona’s book, Finding Your Joy Spot CULTIVATE MORE JOY IN YOUR LIFE-Join the JOY Journey The JOY Journey is an online space for people seeking support to find a life that feels like their own—a place for those ready to reconnect, reset, and grow—at their own pace. 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 If something in this episode resonated, this is your next step. Get 30% off as a Finding Joy listener: https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page

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: (00:00) Wanting what you want isn't as simple as it sounds (01:35) Why "who do you think you are?" hits women extra hard (02:13) When taking Fridays off becomes an act of courage (04:21) Patterns that feel like solid ground become straitjackets (06:21) What happens when shame drives shotgun with vulnerability (08:34) Why permission is your bridge across the stinky slough (11:25) How to notice thoughts as data, not danger (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 If something in this episode resonated, this is your next step. Get 30% off as a Finding Joy listener: https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Connect with Finding Joy: Website: https://www.leonadevinne.com and https://devillepartners.com Subscribe for weekly emails: https://ghl.devillepartners.com/widget/form/Dvb9FUenar3xybDTFeww The JOY Journey https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyspot Finding Your Joy Spot Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991707583

Registered dietitian Kristyn Hall reveals why midlife demands we abandon the calorie-counting games of our younger years and embrace a radically different approach to nourishment – one that prioritizes elevation over manipulation. In this conversation, Kristyn introduces her two-bucket framework for supporting women through midlife nutrition challenges, from ending "calorie hoarding" to understanding why our bodies need more fuel, not less, during biological transitions. You'll discover why three consistent meals can stop the 3 p.m. craving wars and how to shift from nutritional math to nutritional grace. In this episode, we explore: (00:53) Why midlife bodies need nourishment for elevation, not manipulation (04:46) How to end the calorie hoarding game that leaves you battling cravings (08:15) Why fiber isn't just about pooping – it's about metabolic health (11:13) The biggest mistake women make: trying to diet through biological transitions (15:29) How self-compassion becomes the foundation for sustainable change (16:48) When intuitive eating works (and when it doesn't) in midlife (20:53) What every woman on GLP-1s needs to know about nutrition (24:11) Simple hydration truths that aren't about carrying gallon jugs (27:42) The 60-second shift from food fear to body joy 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 If something in this episode resonated, this is your next step. Get 30% off as a Finding Joy listener: https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Connect with Finding Joy: Website: https://www.leonadevinne.com and https://devillepartners.com Subscribe for weekly emails: https://ghl.devillepartners.com/widget/form/Dvb9FUenar3xybDTFeww The JOY Journey https://go.leonadevinne.com/the-joy-journey-landing-page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyspot Finding Your Joy Spot Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0991707583