15: Danielle x JoDee Curtis

We’re wrapping up our "Journal Your Way to Clarity'' series with an examination of purpose, which can feel like a very heavy weight for many of us. You are not alone if you’ve struggled with questions like, "What am I supposed to do with my life?" or "How do I make my life meaningful?" 

As a therapist, I've observed that people often struggle with defining their purpose because it's not just about a career or a role—it's about the totality of our experiences and values. And purpose evolves as our lives change, so the same questions arise during different life stages. 

Journaling about past jobs, relationships, hobbies, and the things that “light us up” can uncover common threads and values that help us visualize our purpose. But purpose is also about how others see us. Asking people you trust for their perspectives can provide valuable understanding of the impact you have on those around you.

So I invite you to participate in the exercises discussed in this episode. You might just find that you are the best gift you unwrapped this holiday season. 

Thank you for listening! I'm looking forward to all that we will explore together in 2024!

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

It’s not essential that you use The Treasured Journal for the exercises discussed in the “Journal Your Way to Clarity” series. A plain pad of paper will do. But, the questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal will help you examine important themes in your life so that you can gain the type of clarity that comes from meaningful self-reflection.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 

I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable. 

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

Family. The dynamics can be so very complex. As we dive into the next-to-last life theme in our series from The Treasured Journal, we look at how structured communication exercises can uncover new perspectives and deepen interactions with family. 

We also explore the importance of curiosity. A shared history can create a trap that leaves you feeling like there is nothing new to know, nothing new to learn. But, setting your assumptions aside and digging a little deeper can have tremendous rewards. 

To foster this curiosity, our journaling exercise encourages you to adopt a mindset of "not knowing." This frees you to reflect on diverse expressions of love that you have received and helps you understand how you, in turn, express love to others. 

Thank you for listening to the latest episode of the “Journal Your Way to Clarity" series. Be sure to tune in next time when we finish up the series with ways to use journaling to identify your purpose. 

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

It’s not essential that you use The Treasured Journal for these exercises. A plain pad of paper will do. But, the questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal—along with this series of podcasts—will help you examine the important themes in your life  so that you can gain the type of clarity that comes from meaningful self-reflection.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 

I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable. 

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

 

Sex is the focus of Part 5 in our “Journaling Your Way to Clarity” series, which follows the seven life themes from The Treasured Journal:  career, relationships, money, love, sex, family, and purpose.

Because sex is such a broad topic, we'll narrow the scope to our relationship with pleasure and give special emphasis to the idea of worthiness. Do you believe you are worthy and deserving of the experiences you want to have? 

Sex is an especially good topic for journaling because an honest, raw examination of worthiness requires an open and vulnerable conversation between you and you.

As a lead-in to our discussion, I share the joy that I found when I put down the self-help books and work-related reading and instead took up a fictional journey where the details fly off the page and the characters come to life in my mind. I’m not reading the words so much as watching the story unfold!

I also give a quick update on Life with Lucas. David and I are starting to find a rhythm, but these early days as the mother in a four-person family have been challenging, surprising, and joyful! 

As you can see, pleasure can take many forms. I hope you’ll join me for the guided writing exercises in this episode so that you can find the pleasure that you deserve.

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

You don’t have to use The Treasured Journal for these exercises. A plain pad of paper will do. But, the questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal—along with this series of podcasts—will help you examine the important themes in your life so that you can gain the type of clarity that comes from meaningful self-reflection.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 

I greatly appreciate your support and engagement in the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable. 

Thank you for listening!

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

 

Hello! If you’ve been following along you know that I’ve been away having and taking care of our new baby boy. I am so excited to be back in front of the microphone again bringing you fresh, new content. In a future episode, I will share more on our unexpected but welcome pregnancy, the labor and delivery, and the unexpected but welcome challenges that arise in caring for two young children instead of only one! 

Until then, we’re continuing the “Journal Your Way to Clarity” series with the next theme: love. Our focus is on self-love and its impact on relationships. So, we start off with this beautiful quote that I pulled from The Treasured Journal:

“How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you.” - Rupi Kaur

I invite you to think about or write about this thought-provoking prompt: "If I loved myself more fully, I would..." 

Journaling can be mightily effective because it allows us to be free and honest. We don’t have to perform for others. We’re not obligated to play a role. We can think and consider and be who we truly are and how we truly feel. This makes journaling an unparalleled tool for self-reflection and insight.

So I encourage you to join in on the exercises in this series. And be sure to check out the next episode in the series when we explore the topic of sex and its interconnectedness with various aspects of our lives.  

It is so good to be back! Thank you for listening!

RESOURCES and MENTIONS

Rupi Kaur - https://rupikaur.com/

The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer - https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-books/

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer - https://stepheniemeyer.com/midnight-sun-2020/

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - https://sarahjmaas.com/books/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-series/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses 

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Whether you use The Treasured Journal or a plain pad of paper, journaling can help you see yourself, and your situation, more clearly. If you opt for the journal, you'll get useful questions, prompts, and sentence starters that perfectly complement the concepts discussed in this series. 

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 

I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable. 

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

They say that “money makes the world go round” because it’s necessary to meet our basic needs. But another truth lurks within financial transactions:  money carries with it a tremendous amount of emotional weight.

Our upbringing and our experiences with money shape our perspective and perception of its worth. So it’s useful to examine how money influences our moods and behavior, our relationships, and even our own sense of self.

Toward the end of the episode, use the thought exercises to better understand how money makes you feel—both as a giver and a receiver. I recommend that you combine these exercises with journaling, especially if money is having an adverse effect on your well-being.

For journaling, a plain pad of paper will do. But, if you want a guided journaling experience, get The Treasured Journal, which includes questions, prompts, and sentence stems that will help you open up and get your thoughts flowing. 

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Thank you for listening. This special series is designed to help you clarify how your life is shaped by your career, relationships, love, sex, money, family, and purpose. 

If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback helps me increase the value of the program for you and makes it easier for other listeners to find us.

This episode originally aired as #120 on March 20, 2023.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

Hello! Grab a warm beverage and settle in. We’re continuing our discussion of relationships as part of the Journal Your Way to Clarity series. Relationships can cover a lot of territory. But, for now, I want to focus on two specific concepts:  (1) how relationships are like mirrors, and (2) the relationship fear loop.

The complexities of relationships can be confusing and maddening and difficult to sort given the intense emotions attached to the people in our lives. But I have found that journaling can help us learn to advocate for our needs, create space when necessary, and navigate challenging conversations with a new sense of confidence and self-awareness. This is why I recommend journaling to almost everyone!

Whether you use The Treasured Journal or simply a plain pad of paper, journaling can help you see yourself, and your situation, more clearly. If you opt for the journal, you'll get useful questions, prompts, and sentence starters that perfectly complement the concepts discussed in this series. 

Click for THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Thank you for listening. This episode originally aired as #117 on February 6, 2023.

I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

 

Welcome to the next installment in the Journal Your Way to Clarity series. This is the first of a two-part look at relationships, a topic that tends to dominate our thoughts and conversations. 

Whether it's the heartache, frustration, or anger that we feel toward a partner or someone else in our lives, these emotions usually reveal the need for work that looks inward, not outward. 

The desire to be seen and heard—to connect with others on a meaningful level—is universal. But achieving that type of connection hinges on our ability to define what "being there" truly means. 

So, when journaling about relationships, I encourage you to start with the following prompts: 

What do I really feel?

What do I really want?

How can I satisfy that for myself with some small action?

For this series of exercises, you don’t have to use The Treasured Journal—a plain pad of paper will do. But if you do use the journal, you can take advantage of questions, prompts, and sentence stems to move past the blank page and gain the type of clarity that comes from meaningful self-reflection.

Pick up THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Thank you for listening. This episode originally aired as #116 on January 30, 2023.

Thank you for being part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. I appreciate your support and engagement. Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you'd like to share. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback is invaluable. 

BOOKS I’M READING (visit your local bookseller or library):

Spare by Prince Harry - https://www.amazon.com/Spare-Prince-Harry-Duke-Sussex/dp/0593593804

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté, MD with Daniel Maté - https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Normal-Illness-Healing-Culture/dp/0593083881

Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy - https://www.goodinside.com/book/

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

 

Hello! Well, a lot has happened since we last connected. Let me bring you up to date.

In January of this year, I decided to devote a series of podcast episodes to the seven life themes found in The Treasured Journal:  career, relationships, money, love, sex, family, and purpose. I recorded and published episodes on three of the seven themes and invited listeners to journal along with me. 

The ideas and questions discussed in each podcast supplied listeners with guided exercises that helped them go deeper and explore the themes further. The “Journal Your Way to Clarity” series was going well, and then… I found out I was pregnant!

Somehow, the excitement of the pregnancy, the need to make room for a fourth human in our house, and all the other planning activities commandeered my brain. So now, in October, after giving birth to our sweet baby boy and taking time off to focus on my family, I am ready to re-engage with the podcast and the “Journal Your Way to Clarity” series.

I am so excited to be back and can’t wait to get in front of the microphone again! To level set, I’m going to start by replaying the episodes that were published previously and then I’ll be back with fresh content for the remaining themes. 

In Part 1 of the series, I focus on career. People tend to have a lot of unconscious bias, complicated feelings, and self-identity wrapped up in their careers. So it’s worth examining through journaling how we perceive its value and its effect on us.

Journaling is one of the most powerful tools we have for gaining clarity and understanding. Whether you’re experienced at journaling or brand new to it, I encourage you to take advantage of these guided exercises to explore the seven themes in your life.  

You can get a copy of THE TREASURED JOURNAL here: https://danielleireland.com/journal

It’s not essential that you use The Treasured Journal for these exercises—a plain pad of paper and pen will do. But, along with this series of podcasts, the questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal will help you move past the blank page and gain the type of clarity that comes from meaningful self-reflection.

Thank you for listening to the Don’t Cut Your Own Bangs podcast. This episode originally aired as #115 on January 23, 2023.

BOOKS MENTIONED

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté, MD with Daniel Maté - https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Normal-Illness-Healing-Culture/dp/0593083881

Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey - https://thenapministry.com

Spare by Prince Harry - https://www.amazon.com/Spare-Prince-Harry-Duke-Sussex/dp/0593593804

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

Even with all of the progress we’ve made in our attitudes toward mental health and therapy, many people still find it hard to admit that they need help. And often, if they do ask for help, they’ve waited far too long. 

Granted, therapy is not the only modality for emotional healing. Talking with friends, exercise, travel, and dozens of other things can help the healing process. But, only therapy is therapy. 

Most of us look long and hard for reasons to avoid therapy. But, ultimately, THINKING about starting therapy is way harder than ACTUALLY starting therapy, and it’s because of these three myths. 

1 - Something is wrong with me. (Not true.)

2 - I have failed. (Again, not true.)

3 - I have to know why I want it to start it. (No, you don’t.)

Feeling the need to suck it up, to swallow our pain, to push through the hard times on our own is not only unnecessary, it also can be quite harmful. 

If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, don’t wait until the walls are crashing down around you. Taking that first step is easier than you think. If starting therapy seems scary and disempowering, consider this—therapy can be whatever you want it to be. 

Thank you for listening. 

++++++++++++

For me and many others, journaling has been a life-changing practice. Sometimes you can grab a pen and any sheet of paper and the thoughts flow easily. But if you’re feeling blocked and having trouble finding the clarity you need, consider using the Treasured Journal. The Treasured Journal includes questions, prompts, and sentence stems to help you organize your thoughts and feelings. Get the journal and its companion meditation guide at the link below.

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you want to share. I would love to hear from you! If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback helps me increase the value of this program and makes it easier for others to find us. 

This episode originally aired as #111 on November 7, 2022.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW

Lauren Rieker, RDN, is a registered dietitian and owner/manager of Collaborative Counseling & Nutrition, an outpatient nutrition and body image counseling center in Indianapolis. I talk with Lauren about her own history with food, exercise, and health—and how it led her to pursue an approach to eating disorders, body image, and intuitive eating that emphasizes compassion, mindfulness, and holistic treatment.

This is not a typical discussion about our bodies and food-related struggles. In today’s environment, virtually all women are affected by pervasive messaging—and often misinformation—about body weight, size, and shape. So, I hope you will join us as Lauren shares her experience and perspective on these and related topics: intuitive eating, eating disorders versus disordered eating, conventional diet culture and health outcomes, trusting our bodies, and combining therapy services and nutrition for healthy living.

Thank you for listening!

CONNECT WITH LAUREN

Website: Collab-counseling.com 

Instagram: @laurenrieker.rd

++++++++++++++++++

For me and many others, journaling has been a life-changing practice. Sometimes you can grab a pen and any sheet of paper and the thoughts flow easily. But if you’re feeling blocked and having trouble finding the clarity you need, consider using the Treasured Journal. The Treasured Journal includes questions, prompts, and sentence stems to help you organize your thoughts and feelings. Get the journal and its companion meditation guide at the link below.

THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal

Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you want to share. I would love to hear from you! If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback helps me increase the value of this program and makes it easier for others to find us. 

This episode originally aired as #109 on October 17, 2022.

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE

Website: danielleireland.com

Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW

Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW