Stories of Inspiring Joy

Michelle Layer Rahal

Michelle Layer Rahal is a published educational consultant and former news radio journalist with degrees in Theater Arts and Education. Most recently, she served as the youth and family ministry director of her church before devoting herself full-time to writing for God’s kingdom purposes. The Indie-award winning author of Straining Forward is passionate about spiritual formation and publishes a regular blog on providence and perseverance. Michelle lives in the Washington, DC area with her fun-loving husband, Greg.

In today’s episode Michelle shares her journey writing her book “Straining Forward”, and sharing Minh Phuong Towner’s story of hope and healing. When Minh spoke at Michelle’s church one Sunday morning, Michelle knew she had to tell her story. Michelle was drawn to Minh’s spirit. Despite her difficult childhood, she exuded joy. But how? Michelle had never written a book before, but her nervousness soon gave way to curiosity and excitement. It took 10 years to complete the manuscript for “Straining Forward”, and while the journey was long and difficult, it was filled with joy. As Michelle shares, she is forever changed for having taken this long and difficult journey with Minh Phuong Towner through abuse, torture, escape, poverty, neglect, and eventually redemption.

To learn more and connect with Michelle, visit her website at www.KeepStrainingForward.com or follow her on Instagram @michellerahalauthor and Facebook @KeepStrainingForward. Paperback and audiobook copies of her book, Straining Forward, can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold.

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Dmitria Burby

Dmitria Burby is an author and healer that helps people reconnect with their spirit. Helping them to see the parts of themselves that have been lost or forgotten on the way to building their life. She is passionate about people rediscovering the vibrancy of life that comes when you are able to feel whole and connected in your life.

In today’s episode Dmitria shares her passion to help others access joy and happiness within whatever world they’ve created for themselves. She believes this is our purpose, to live the best life we can and experience the joy and wonder available to all of us. Dmitria wasn’t always full of joy and happiness. She learned from a young age that if you worked hard, eventually happiness would come. But beyond that, she learned that working hard was how she showed her value and worth to others, it was how she was appreciated and felt loved. Over time, she based her self-worth on what she could produce for other people. Despite having everything she should have to make her happy, Dmitria realized she wasn’t happy, she wasn’t present and connecting with others the way that she wanted to, she was exhausted, constantly busy, and uninspired. Dmitria’s realization that she wasn’t happy triggered an inner journey to discover her joy and happiness. While it took her a long time to get back in touch with her feelings, once Dmitria was able to hear her own inner voice again she noticed the little ways she was experiencing joy in her life, and ultimately unlocked an entire world of joy. She knew she needed to share this with the world.

To learn more and connect with Dmitria visit her website luminancehealing.com where she posts weekly on her blog about the latest lessons she’s learned or been reminded of and on Instagram @luminancehealing and you can find her books here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Nancy Davis Kho

Nancy Davis Kho is a writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Adirondack Life, The Rumpus, The Toast, and numerous anthologies including Listen To Your Mother: What She Said Then, What We’re Saying Now (Putnam.) She’s been recognized as a Voice of the Year in the Humor Category by BlogHer and was the inaugural champion of Oakland’s Literary Death Match. Her book THE THANK-YOU PROJECT: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time was published by Running Press in December 2019. 

In this today's new episode Nancy shares the story behind her new book, The Thank-You Project. It’s the story of the year that she wrote thank-you letters to 50 people, places, and pastimes that had shaped her, inspired her, and helped her become the person she was. The list of recipients included family and friends, of course, but soon expanded to teachers, bosses, mentors, authors, cities, hobbies and even a handful of ex-boyfriends and former friends. It was a totally unexpected way to find more peace during what turned out to be a trying and turbulent time, and continues to yield benefits years down the road. Nancy’s story will remind you of the beautiful connection between gratitude and happiness, and  give you practical and reassuring guidance to start your very own Thank-You Project.

To connect with Nancy and her work visit her website www.DavisKho.com where you can get to the Midlife Mixtape blog and the Midlife Mixtape Podcast (available on all podcast platforms.) and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Tawn Williams

Tawn Wiliams is the Founder of Bloom Healing Arts Academy. Tawn is a relationship specialist and intuitive healer with a passion for connecting heart-led instructors with anyone seeking healing from past traumas, spiritual alignment, and a deeper sense of purpose. Bloom partners with organizations worldwide to offer employee support resources and services, including retreat planning, virtual and on-site master classes for employees, executive coaching and more. Through corporate consulting services, Bloom works with human resources teams to create authentic employee wellness experiences.

In today’s episode Tawn shares her journey finding her voice. Growing up Tawn was full of emotion, she was feeling everything. For a little girl with hope in her eyes and a heart so deep it hurt, she now knows that her tears were a symbol of something else - a manifestation of what was going on inside of her. From feeling like she didn’t belong, to having her first child at a young age, Tawn has always been determined to prove to herself and others that she could overcome anything. Her innate ability to connect others, create collaborative environments, and passion for people led her to starting Bloom. Once Tawn dove into her own spiritual practice, she knew this was the direction she wanted to move in. While in meditation she received a clear message -online and more people. Tawn said yes to the task, and two months into planning the pandemic hit. She ran fast towards her passion and purpose, and today as a black and women owned business Tawn and Bloom are breaking down barriers and representing diverse backgrounds in the wellness space. Normalizing the importance of whole mind, body and spirit wellness for all. As Tawn shares, for the little girl who was told to be quiet, who was told to sit down and to stop feeling so much, creating and sharing Bloom was the breaking of chains. She’s found her joy, place, and passion.

To learn more and connect with Tawn visit her website www.bloomhealingarts.co on Instagram @Bloom.Academy @ClassicTawn and via email hello@bloomhealingarts.co

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Jennie Marie Battistin and Jasmine Nicole

Jennie Marie Battistin and Jasmine Marie are the co-founders of Vividly Confident, body positive and self-love coaching. Jennie Marie is a mother, licensed Marriage Family Therapist, author, speaker, mindfulness instructor and author, entrepreneur, trauma specialist, and intimacy coach. Jasmine is a daughter, former child actor, life coach, body image counselor, HAES provider, mindfulness practitioner, and intimacy coordinator.

A mother-daughter duo themselves, Jennie Marie uses her experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist, while Jasmine serves as a life coach and body image counselor, to focus on helping people heal, energize and become aware of their inner and outer strengths. With coaching tips that promote body-positive images, their goal is to help those accept the person they see in the mirror, and move forward to where they want to be. 

 In today’s episode, Jennie Marie and Jasmine share their mission to help mothers and daughters increase their body positivity, self-love, and confidence, so that they can build stronger inner generational relationships between mothers, daughters, and the whole family. Jennie Marie and Jasmine share where their coaching practice began, the journey of love they’ve been on, and how body positivity is an extension of self-love. For both Jennie Marie and Jasmine, through their work they’re aiming to empower others to develop inner confidence that is meaningful and impacts our daily lives by shifting our inner dialogue and reclaiming the joy in our lives. As they both share, their hope is to cultivate greater self-love, build confidence, and spread the joy of their mother-daughter relationship to yours.

To connect with Jennie Marie and Jasmine visit their website https://vividlyconfident.com and on Instagram @vividlyconfident and Facebook @vividlyconfident

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Haley Cole

Haley Cole is a spiritual coach, mentor and podcaster and in this week’s new episode Haley shares her spiritual journey. From the age of eight years old, Haley has been on a spiritual journey. As her parents embarked on this journey, so did Haley and her siblings, and as Haley shares in today's new episode it was truly wonderful and amazing to have these experiences together.

After going through a period of deep spiritual and personal development, Haley realized it was time to share what she’s learned with the world. She knew she wanted to help others along their spiritual path, and she knew she wanted to be a resource for others and as a result she launched her blog and podcast as a result. Today, Haley’s goal is to help people realize just how magical they are by utilizing tools such as meditation, energy healing, intuition, and so much more. Haley’s a firm believer that all of the answers and abilities are already within us, we just have to unlock them. As Haley so courageously and beautifully shares, it’s worth it to commit yourself to being the person that you see, even if that person feels far away. Always know and remember that you are love and you are loved, and that you deserve everything good in the world.

To connect with Haley visit her website www.shinewithhaley.com  and on Instagram @iamhaleycole and her podcast is called The Shine Bright Podcast

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Ananda Murari

Ananda Murari left college in Flagstaff, Az at age 20 to live at a yoga monastery in Denver Colorado for 5 years. Graduating the ashrama he felt strengthened internally and clear about what he wanted to do in the world. He finished his degree in psychology and got certified in transformative communication as well. He and his wife now live in Michigan and he has built a career supporting people around the globe as they learn to build a sacred container for their own life. Ananda believes in everyone's personal story and is passionate about helping people write the best one possible.

In today’s episode Ananda shares his journey through music connecting with the divine and himself. In the 5th grade, Ananda decided that he wanted to learn how to play the drums, and music became such a large part of who he is. It’s this relationship with music that has guided him, and from an early age he became fascinated by creativity and music, and its power to speak to our human experience and to the longing of the soul. As Ananda’s relationship with creativity, music, and the great artists like Bob Marley and Bob Dylan continued to grow, he was inspired to start writing and creating music himself. This led him on an existential journey, and he felt a deep connection playing music in these sacred places. He knew he needed to express himself beyond the template the world had given him, and he embarked on a journey of self-discovery. In his sophomore year of college he made the decision to dive into his spirituality, bought a bus ticket to Chicago, and ultimately settling into a monastery in Denver, Colorado where he lived, learned, taught, cook, and connected with the purpose of his life. Ananda’s journey tapping into his purpose to serve, support and uplift others will remind you of the joy of pursuing your soul’s purpose.

To learn more and connect with Ananda visit his website www.WholePerson.Life and on Instagram @wholeperson.life and his LinkTree here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Daniel Javor

Daniel Javor has always been an entrepreneur at heart, starting at the young age of 13 as an eBay Powerseller. He’s run multiple companies including a thriving digital marketing agency. Daniel now focuses his time on his micro private equity investment company JavaBlue.

In today’s episode Daniel shares his story becoming an entrepreneur and an online and offline investor, and his fascination with the internet from an early age. It all started when he was 10 years old, when he would sell his old toys, books, and video games on eBay. He realized the opportunity it created, and he started to buy his friends trading cards and flipping them online. Daniel was hooked, and so began his passion and a series of online ventures. Daniel reflects on the biggest mistake he made early on, his biggest breakthrough, his passion for building and creating, and the joy he finds in building businesses. Daniel’s reflects on the next phase of his life, and his desire to master the other areas in his life other than business, will remind you that life is about finding your passions and purpose and pursuing them.

To learn more and connect with Daniel visit his website https://danieljavor.com or on Linkedin

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Dana Lord Lewis

Dana Lord Lewis is a maverick thought-leader in the realm of energetics. As a leading authority on energy and manifestation, Dana’s mission is to help her students to achieve the truest desires of their souls, through her unique framework to understand and change energy patterns.

In today’s episode Dana shares her journey through life. Dana grew up with two loving parents, and as she got older she recognized that there were certain expectations placed on her and her sister. Over time, her father’s approval became important to her and eventually shaped many of her decisions. Dana went to law school, became a lawyer, and eventually practiced at a law firm in New York. While at the law firm, Dana felt very out of place yet compelled to play a role that she felt she respected and needed in order to be seen as a professional and taken seriously. There was no room for creativity or expansive thought, and Dana realized that this wasn’t her truest nature. This experience was eye opening because there were real moments where she could feel her soul crying out to her, knowing that this wasn’t her long-term direction or path. After three and a half years, Dana knew it was time to move on. She started by moving into an entrepreneurial space, and then over time she moved into pursuing her passion. Through sharing her story, Dana hopes it will inspire you to keep on your path of finding your alignment and listening to your soul’s messaging.

To learn more and connect with Dana visit her website www.energythink.com and on Instagram @energy_think and keep an eye out for her launch of the Cadre!

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.

Marci Brockmann

Marci Brockmann, Author, Artist, Podcaster, Educator & Founder of Marci Brockmann International helps people find inspiration to heal from trauma, find their resilience as they learn to trust the whispers of their hearts to live fully in their authenticity and find the love and meaning they desire. Her books, podcast, and art, provide inspiration, education, and insightful approaches. Journaling for more than 38 years became the basis of her two books. Permission to Land: Searching for Love, Home & Belonging (memoir) and Permission to Land: Personal Transformation Through Writing (guided journal workbook). She founded the wellness and empowerment Facebook Community Permission to Heal Safe to Fly. Its mission is to empower people through a commitment to personal healing and joyful, meaningful life.Out of this grew her podcast Permission to Heal, which is about sharing inspiring stories and giving ourselves the permission we need to heal, love ourselves, and build amazing lives. 

In today’s episode Marci shares her story giving herself permission, and her journey turning her 36 years of journals into a memoir, her painting hobby into a business, and her love of human connection into storytelling into a hit podcast. Growing up, Marci took it upon herself to be the peacemaker as she tried to navigate her mother’s bi-polar disorder and their rocky relationship which affected her self-concept, her life choices, and all of her relationships. Everything Marci did was affected by the skewed way she looked at the world and her place in it. Marci thought she had to be the peacemaker with everyone and her worthiness was directly tied to her ability to make other people happy, but it was to the detriment of her own needs and feelings. Marci turned to journaling writing, writing poetry and drawing and painting to vent and process her emotions, experiences, and inner monologue. It became her salvation. Through the years, Marci has found great joy in her connection to others, and sharing art with the world. Writing her memoir deepened her feelings of closure, love and forgiveness. Marci is a firm believer that sharing our stories inspires each of us, fosters deep human connections, and is the birthplace of empathy.

To learn more and connect with Marci check out her website https://marcibrockmann.com Facebook @marcibrockmannartist Twitter @marcibrockmann Instagram @marcibrockmann27 LinkedIn here and YouTube here you can find her memoir Permission to Land: Searching for Love, Home & Belonging here and her Podcast Permission to Heal here

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.

*Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Stories of Inspiring Joy.