Pocketful of Mojo
Pocketful of Mojo
Balance: Myth or Secret Sauce?
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Have you ever felt like balancing personal and professional life is an impossible juggling act? Join me, Steph, your Mojo Maven and emotional Sherpa, as we challenge the notion of balance and explore what it truly means to align your body, mind, and spirit. Drawing from my personal journey, I share how embracing the mantra "I am aligning my body, mind, and spirit in balance" has transformed my approach to happiness and intention. Together, we'll navigate through the essential tools in my self-love first aid kit, delve into the complexities of shifting from a productivity-obsessed mindset to one that champions presence and gratitude, and redefine how we perceive and achieve balance.
In a compelling narrative, we reflect on the grace needed during challenging times, from starting a new business to committing to personal health goals. Through insightful critiques and thought-provoking discussions, we unpack the often elusive nature of balance with humor and practicality. Hear an inspiring story from Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, on creating a life you don't need to escape from, and discover the joy in celebrating small victories. Whether it's finding harmony in your daily routine or embracing the quirks of everyday life, this episode of Pocketful of Mojo offers valuable insights and practical advice to help you cultivate unshakable confidence and self-worth.
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Welcome to Pocketful of Mojo, where you're, you and I'm, steph, and we tune in here to tap into some mojo. Well, what do you mean? What's mojo? Well, what do you mean? What's mojo, mojo, is that feeling of unshakable confidence, booming self-worth, like you're an unstoppable force of nature, and I'm here to show you how to have that feeling every single day. You see, I think I've cracked the code to being happy. I'm happy all the freaking time, like every day and most of the day, possibly to an annoying degree. But hey, I wasn't always this way. And not to flex, but I've had breakdowns on multiple continents and in two languages. But by paying attention and living with more intention, and living with more intention, I've curated a self-love first aid kit full of amazing tools that help me out of life's more sticky and stressful situations, and do so with grace and self-care. And I'm not here to gatekeep. In fact, I'm on a mission to help you tap into your best stuff and remember that you have everything you need to live your life on your own terms. So settle in. We're here for some positive change. So let's dig in to where your mojo meets the road.
Speaker 1:In today's episode, I'm going to review our mantra for the week, and then we're going to dig into today's main topic, which is balance myth or secret sauce and plot twist. We are taking it on the road once again and shaking things up. So you stick around and I'm going to make sure that you're glad that you did. Let's get started with today's mantra and get tuned in, tapped in and turned on. Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the 33rd episode of Pocketful of Mojo. I'm Steph, I'm your Mojo Maven, your emotional Sherpa, and I'm so glad that you're here. I'm here to reflect your awesomeness back to you. So let's settle in.
Speaker 1:Let's start by digging into today's mantra, which is I am aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance. I am Making sure that, as we root ourselves in this mantra, we're tapping in and dropping into the. I am to affirm and shift our thinking. As we root ourselves in this mantra, we're tapping in and dropping into the. I am to affirm and shift our thinking. As we begin to believe this to be true, even if in this particular moment we are not, then that's okay. This is part of the rewiring that helps us get our actions into alignment with our desires. This cracks open the part of our brain that starts to problem solve and generate thoughts and ideas around how to achieve this goal of aligning our mind, body and spirit in perfect balance. It starts here. Thoughts become things. I am aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance.
Speaker 1:This trinity of mind, body, spirit are the anchors through which we're going to be creating that alignment, as you set out on your quest for alignment, finding the balance component means that your thoughts, goals and actions touch on each one of these parts of your life. For example, if every waking moment of your day is sitting at a desk and producing deliverables, you're exercising your brain. But what about your body and your spirit? If all you do is shred at the gym and count your calories every day, you may not be feeding your mind and your soul, taking all that hard physical work still leaving you feeling incomplete. Nourishing each of these anchors mindfully and in alignment with your goals is how balance is truly realized. I'm aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance. Balance allows for flow. Balance, balance allows for flow. When you build a life based in balance and your life is well rounded, you will have built a life that you don't need to escape from. No more waiting for Friday or counting down the minutes to your next vacation. So don't get so busy making a living that you forget to have a life, because tomorrow is not promised. Weird shit happens all the time. So when our spirit is rooted in gratitude for today, our mind is intentionally focused on the magic of now and we are poised to move forward with intention and purpose, allowing life to flow and get you the pleasure of living a life with more ease and, best of all, joy.
Speaker 1:I am aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance, and this is a process. It takes time, intention and awareness. It also means taking action, or maybe it means that you take less action. We live in a very busy and results-based society where we feel like we have to prove our worth through our work and our output. This can lead to living on rinse and repeat, but it's a trap. Often these standards of productivity aren't even real and it's what we think we're supposed to be doing. But let me tell you from experience when we do less, no one's going to come and stop you. No one's going to crack the whip and make you do more If doing less is the breath you need to take so that you can step back and evaluate what really needs to be on your plate, then you're already on the path to balance. Then you're already on the path to balance. I am aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance.
Speaker 1:If the idea of balance seems like the holy grail to you, like super mysterious and possibly a myth, then think of it like well-roundedness. Getting up, going to work, coming home exhausted, is a routine that I know. I lived for far too long. My ambitions were narrow and my goals only revolved around work. Coming home exhausted is a routine that I know. I lived for far too long. My ambitions were narrow and my goals only revolved around work, and I had nothing else going on in my life and, as a result, I felt depressed, unfulfilled and exhausted. How could I have room for more? And I loved my job, so how could it be that bad? But there was no balance. We need more than one ingredient in the soup of life, and nowhere did we sign a contract saying that our employer would get our best stuff during our best years for about 50% of our life. So think about what good balance looks like for you. What does that mean? Where in your life can you add a bit of flexibility and let in a little bit more joy, intentional movement, spiritual connection or just connecting with yourself and keeping your mind tuned in to what truly serves you. I am aligning my body, mind and spirit in balance. Okay, that was a lot to digest.
Speaker 1:So, on that note, we're going to be taking today's main topic on a field trip. Yes, so the last couple episodes we've done on the road where I'm driving and I just riff a bit on the main topic. But in today's very special episode I take you with me on my favorite ritual breakfast with my bestie. That's right, my very first guest is none other than Leanne Ryan Mojo, supporter from day one. I've known Leanne for a very long time and she's an incredible human, wonderful friend, successful entrepreneur who opened her own clothing boutique. Must have pockets link in the show notes.
Speaker 1:Yes, this is a shameless plug because it's like every woman's dream store and, like I've mentioned in previous episodes, our morning breakfasts are cheaper than therapy and always full of insight. Leanne was in my corner when I was at my lowest point and a shell of a human being, and has been by my side to witness my transformation over the last few years. I'm so grateful for her. So when we went out for breakfast, we miked up and dove into the topic of balance. So the good news is is today's episode has a fun twist, along with some great insights. The bad news is halfway through recording her mic stopped working, so I've been able to capture some juicy bits of our convo and I'm excited to share it with you today. So let's take this conversation over to the Pancake House, and I'll meet you back here in the studio when it's time to pay the check, without further ado. Here's Steph and Leanne do breakfast. Mojo Styles four, three, two, one go go okay, we're gonna record agapulamojo, not road trip.
Speaker 1:We've evolved to field trip edition, so we're out for breakfast. We're out for breakfast, pocketful of mojo out for breakfast edition.
Speaker 2:We love this. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be healthy or not healthy. That's where the decision is right now. How do you want to feel today? Oh, that's a good point. I've got a golf later, so maybe I need to be healthier some soup and salad. Not exactly, geez, it's hard. Oh, they do a frittata this is a big menu.
Speaker 1:I wonder how much some of this stuff gets ordered like. When was the last time someone came here for a hot hamburger sandwich and why can't I just have crepes? Why does it have to have a medley of things on it?
Speaker 2:Because that probably makes it more attractive.
Speaker 1:Oh, I just want a crepe, A single crepe please One crepe yeah. That's a little good.
Speaker 2:Here we go.
Speaker 1:Oh, and we're still recording Hooray Hooray, because I went through all the settings yesterday because, as I think I told you the first time I tried to do this, I recorded like a solid, amazing 25 minutes just walking around my neighborhood, yeah, and it recorded like eight seconds of it.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, so we're on that path, we are good.
Speaker 1:We've passed the eight second mark.
Speaker 2:Lovely, it's an official success Past the eight second mark.
Speaker 1:Lovely, it's an official success. Love, it All right. And yeah, we can talk about everything and everything as long as we talk about balance for a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well. So, speaking of balance, so Sing it sister, sing it sister. So I finally went and ordered my contacts and you know, the stupid thing is is like it's been way too long, like way, way, way too long, and in the end it cost me the appointment.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then $45 for the contacts that I chose. And how much of your time? Not as much as I would have thought. So, like the funny thing was, is that?
Speaker 1:how much time did you spend thinking about how much you weren't doing it?
Speaker 2:oh, all the time, all the time. But I think what it was is I thought I was because of the business, all that stuff. The thought I was saving money and in the end let's say it's about $200. Okay, not nothing, not nothing. But at the same time I took to the grocery store. I thought I was saving money and in the end let's say it's about $200. Okay, not nothing, not nothing. But at the same time, but a trip to the grocery store, a trip to the grocery store A date night out.
Speaker 1:Date night out.
Speaker 2:I am worth far more than that. A cute new dress with pockets Cute new dress with pockets $200 can look like a lot of things. It can so balance. How good does it feel?
Speaker 1:now that you did it, it feels so good.
Speaker 2:I feel like a normal human. But again, it's just so ridiculous that it took me that long. It shouldn't take me this long. And what are we going to do next time? We are going to remind ourselves of this situation?
Speaker 1:Work, yes, because one of the things that I know we talked about doing and I know I did it is that I made a list of, like what are the? What are my self-directed yeah?
Speaker 1:and then I was like okay, twice a year I go to Thermaea. Yeah, every four months I get my nails done, yeah. And then I like I plan it out. And then, so that my future self doesn't have any excuses, I'm like no, this is the commitment I made to myself, just like all my other commitments, like, so, it's like dentist haircut, which I'm overdue for Me too.
Speaker 2:You know, actually I'm a little behind on and I was gonna. I just have to like search my inbox and I was going to. I just have to like search my inbox, as I told my massage therapist. I'm like I said, the way to get me is send me the reminder emails Like when's the last time, Because then there's always the link on check my schedule here, so I just have to Google search or not Google search this inbox, search and.
Speaker 1:I'll find it, but yeah, okay, that's a great thing, that's a and I'll find it, but yeah, okay, that's a great thing.
Speaker 2:That's a great thing, it is. It is so Cause I've.
Speaker 1:I've come to the point where, like when I see those things on my to do list that are like for my own good, that it's so easy to talk myself out of yeah, cause there's quote unquote more important things that I should be doing. Yeah of yeah, because there's quote-unquote more important things that I should be doing. Yeah, that should work. Then, yeah, yes, can I please have the four by four and a special request instead?
Speaker 2:of hash browns. Can I get fruit? Thank you very much, appreciate it, and I'm gonna do the frata, the garden veggie frittata, and I would like it with rye toast. Thanks, nice, thank you. So this is the funny thing about balance. I've given myself the grace and I don't know if you can use the term grace when it's almost a year old, but I've given myself the grace. I know I've given myself the grace of like I've started a business. I can just sleep in every day and then work and whatever.
Speaker 1:Are you throwing shade right now?
Speaker 2:If I'm throwing shade at anybody inside myself just in the sense that I Like, I can't use the excuse anymore that work is too busy that I can't take care of myself, right? So I haven't been getting that, because that's not sustainable. It's not sustainable, it's not healthy.
Speaker 1:And if I want, yeah, if you want anything to be sustainable, you got to take care of the rest.
Speaker 2:Exactly, but Balance, balance. So I, so you're killing it in the self-care game.
Speaker 1:You've got all this amazing awareness. You're taking action.
Speaker 2:It feels good. More please, more please. So I'm going to. I had told myself that I wasn't going to join a gym, but I'm going to join a gym. Well, so hubby is going to the gym, so I'm going to join the same gym. Nice, and because he speaks volumes about it, and so I want to, I think it'll be a good level of accountability, because I'm the type of person that needs accountability I love everything about this.
Speaker 2:Well, I know I haven't joined it yet, so there's a little bit of accountability, but it's out there in the ether.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's out there in the ether and time doesn't matter. It's going to turn into whatever makes the most sense for you. But this is great for your marriage. Yeah, it's great for accountability.
Speaker 2:It's great for your health, yeah, which is great for all the other things, all the things.
Speaker 1:Oh, I know, so it's good.
Speaker 2:Heart exploding, heart exploding, so yeah, so now it's just a matter of and this coffee is only a little bit terrible. It was nearly as bad as it usually is. Nope, yep, yep, it'll work.
Speaker 1:If this didn't make it on. I originally did not order a coffee, and then I was coffeed while wearing a coffee, coffee, coffee sweatshirt, so the coffee had a lot to live up to which is true, this is not a lot, but it is good, it is coffee, it is coffee.
Speaker 2:And going back to your last week's episode about routine, I think the whole routine and balance thing kind of goes hand in hand. Yes, and I definitely. When you were talking about what's the difference between like a good routine and bad routine, I totally think that, like a bad routine, let's just call it what it is, because it is a rut, yeah, so I think that's where and you're doing it for the sake- of doing it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I hope I called out the like. What the fuck did you think was going to happen when you're forcing yourself, you're tapping into all this resistant energy? Yeah, you thought something good was going to come from that I think, is.
Speaker 2:I think what it is is that we get into maybe let's say we get into habits, yes, as the, as the top of the pinnacle, and then the habit can either become a routine or it can become a rut, yep, and then it's just you know where where do we want that to become? So, like I said, for me, going back to, like, the whole idea of joining a gym was or I shouldn't say, the idea of giving myself the grace to sleep in, was less about that and more about just the habit of sleeping in that's turned into a rut right versus serving you anymore isn't serving anymore, which, in the end as well, when it comes to balance, there is no balance.
Speaker 1:It was just yeah ditch, completely in the ditch, so yeah, so so, yeah, in like digging into this topic, I've discovered like a lot of really good perspectives and points of view on it and and the thing that inspired this episode is actually you and your response to my script. When I was when I refer to balance, and you were editing my script for my presentation and you had a very powerful reaction to balance. You're like balance is bullshit, like this shouldn't be, the goal doesn't exist, and I like it really got my attention and it really rattled around my head and I was like, ooh, there's juicy stuff there, true, and so, thank you, you're welcome. Little did I know, because I remember and I can see it clear as day in my terrible memory meeting the CEO, howard Schultz, of Starbucks Coffee in my store on Broadway in Dunmore oh, I didn't know that and asking him the question like what do you do for work-life balance? You asked him that I sure did. I looked him dead in the eyes and that was my question.
Speaker 2:And what did you say? I was?
Speaker 1:like, your success is obviously everything that it is. Yeah, and I said but your values are super clear. And I was so starstruck I couldn't even cobble together what his answer was for you right now, but it was something along the lines of like when you're aligned with your passions, it's all just life. Oh, I love that, right, so you're not. You're living a life where you're not waiting for friday at five yes, because your work is so terrible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're not dying for the vacation because and counting down the days and minutes and seconds because your everyday life is awful, yeah, or putting all your eggs in the basket that, like my next job, will make me ham yeah like that would agree risky business, yeah, but I it's really really complex, you know yeah, balance, moderation, flexibility, adaptability, like I I really all the same word, really really like I think about diets and I I've always been vehemently opposed to anything that's like all in or all out, I agree, like cutting out X ingredient, cutting out Y ingredient, because when we think balance, we think of a physical scale.
Speaker 1:Right when I want this balance to be balanced, I have to have 50 on one side and 50 on the other. These numerical, quantifiable, mathematical numbers are the same, yeah, and so when we try to apply that to our life, two puzzle pieces from different puzzles, like, yes, it and so giving ourselves that grace to your point, like that flexibility, that um, yeah, joining a gym is not an automatic sign up, that you're gonna go there every day and shred like that's, you know it's not all or nothing, no, um, well, and you get to decide.
Speaker 2:I get to decide, but this was so. I haven't figured out my right amount to go yet, but I like what you said the other day with routine, with pilates, like you can miss one day but you can't miss two.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but this was even good. Yeah, like giving myself a little bit of wiggle room yeah and then.
Speaker 2:But there was also, um, something I heard from another podcast where they had set themselves a goal and they said like, and I think this is why we don't break things down enough for ourselves is in terms of goals and what's achievable, but their goal was to um, go to their gym. That they chose um 50 times, I think, was. So it was within a year, okay so, and 50 times in a year is once a week. Yep, she's already, uh well, towards that goal. So she's like you know she's feeling good about it at this stage for the year. But so why, if you were to just tell somebody, oh well, I go to the gym once a week, somebody'd be like, really like, once a week. You can't take it up and all thank you, thank you so much. Uh, I you also. At the moment, I think I'm okay, just need that little side. Oh, the man, yeah, thanks. So my friends and I have a saying.
Speaker 1:When we see someone doing something. That's like I think it came up the first time when we saw someone super cringy on stage in front of a bunch of people, like belting out a song, but like kind of not really well. We just kind of look at each other with our judgy knowing glance We've known each other for 40 years, yes and we just say better than I could do. Yes, that's true. So for the person who's going to the gym once a week and someone who does not go to the gym at all, I say better than I could do better than I could do and it just kind of takes me off my little high horse.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it gives me a chance to like, see the virtue in people. That's a teeny, tiny amount of butter, oh, and it's. Oh, this is one of my pet peeves. It's not very few pet peeves, I don't even put it under the microscope that much, but it's hard.
Speaker 2:You can't. Do you have any butter? That's a little softer for the. I can check.
Speaker 1:It's all in the fridge, right? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, don't, you never know, you can put it under the little heat lamp for you. You don't want to damage your little pancakes, but it makes me to damage your little pancakes, but it's me so many. Anyway, I love the better than I could do. And because it's true, it's so true, because I think that's the problem sometimes is we'll point and judge.
Speaker 1:Well, you don't have to look further than like instagram comment sections to know like that. People are willing to judge for anything.
Speaker 2:Throw all the stones from their glass houses. Yes, agreed.
Speaker 1:You know, let that be a lesson Number one. Don't read the comments. Thank you, oh yeah, that's whipped Nice. Yeah, oh, you're the best. Thank you for standing up for me and my butter. It's the little things really is, yeah I mean, look at the smile on my face right now. I think you can probably hear it too. Exactly, my goodness. Yeah, the tapes is asking.
Speaker 1:I have very few things that like upset me yeah, the patriarchy, and cold butter, really, and double standards those are my top three. Rage makers love that. Oh my god, this has been juicy, tactical, practical, spiritual, delicious. We had hard butter, we had soft butter, we did the whole thing. Amazing, this is going to give me so much editing to do. This is really long. It's over an hour, oh my gosh. Okay, well, I think this is going to wrap up the Pocketful of Mojo Breakfast Edition. Huge thanks to Leanne Ryan, owner, ceo, president of Awesome at Must have Pockets Apparel, available online or in person here in Winnipeg, canada, center of the universe, sending it back to the studio to wrap it up on balance. Come back next time see where we're going to talk about next week's topic. Ciao for now. Oh, wasn't that fun. It was such a great conversation and I'm sad that we didn't get to capture the whole thing, although, having said that, we had over an hour of audio, so this would have been a mega episode.
Speaker 1:Some key takeaways that I want you to take with you today is that you have full permission to redefine what balance is to you. The objective of seeking balance is really just to promote a well-rounded life that has more ingredients than work, sleep and true crime documentaries. Balance is about crafting a life where all of your itches get scratched and you're inspired to move your body, feed your mind and nourish your soul. Now, are these adjustments obvious? Well, maybe not at first, but through the process of rekindling your relationship with yourself, you'll be able to discover what's missing, what no longer serves you, and slowly taking steps to rounding out your agenda, to tick all those boxes. You can do it and I can help. Next week, I'll be offering up a bonus episode where you'll be able to find out all the ways that we can work together to help get you where you want to go.
Speaker 1:I'm working on something really powerful and transformational and I'm so excited to share it with you. It's called the Mojo Method and it's going to change the game. So be sure to check out all the great links in the show notes and, for Pete's sake, I will love you forever if you subscribe to this podcast. Leave a review and bonus points if you share this or any episode with a friend. So remember, life is the balance of holding on and letting go.
Speaker 1:The goal is to balance a life that works with a life that counts. The key is to not prioritize what's on our schedule, but to schedule your priorities and watch the magic happen, because, when it comes to work-life balance, the key to remember is it's all life. The balance has to be within you and it starts here. It starts today. Thank you so much for tuning in this week and be sure to come back next week where we are going to unpack the monster that is confidence. What is it, how do we get it and why is it so important? So until next time, my friends, stay classy, stay kind and remember you are the most important project that you'll ever work on. Keep going. You're doing great. Love you. Ciao for now.
