Hey, joyful humans!

Thank you so much for being here.

Let things be easy.

Let things be fun.

It's a reminder worth repeating because, as Oscar Wilde is credited with saying, "Life is too short to be taken seriously."

For me, I've been guilty of taking parts of my life so seriously that I've sucked the fun out of them. As a result, I feel metaphorically and physically frozen, like when Stu and Drew Lou Who come back to Whoville after seeing the Grinch (with no help from this wild cold snap we've been having here.)

But, after I finally dropped my too-high expectations and gave myself room to BREATHE, I was able to shake the ice off and become more open to joy.

If you find yourself in need of ease and joy, in any season of your life, here's what helped me:

Let things be fun. How can you get out of your head and into the joyful, fun present? You could walk outside, dance to your favourite song, or play with your dog. Physically doing something to get out of your mind is, in my opinion, the fastest and most effective way to bring yourself back into the present.

Let things be easy. How can you make things easier to achieve? You could set a 10-minute timer to do the thing. You could set up an automation if it's a tech thing. Or maybe, it's dropping those expectations of perfection and breaking down your BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) into even smaller chunks to help take some damn pressure off yourself.

Because it's in these small tweaks and moments that we can flip the script from being our worst enemy to our biggest ally.

Life doesn't have to be hard. I repeat this time and time again because it's true. Plus, you're often more effective and aligned when you let things flow and be more manageable.

When you're in the flow and enjoying the ride, rather than feeling stuck in place, your joy will arrive that much sooner.

Let's work together this year!

If you have big dreams for your health and wellness in 2025, let's see if we can create magic together.

Joyful Movement Club IRL Classes

• ​Join us this Monday for an hour of IRL exercise movement, laughs, and good music! All bodies and experience levels are welcome. Buy four passes and save!

Let's bring our best foot forward.

• Want to work on yourself at your own pace? My self-paced mini-course Reset & Restore is perfect for folks who want fast, actionable steps to create a solid foundation for their health and mindset journey. We cover mindset strategies, habit development, creating a joyful movement routine, and how to make life more fun! Plus, it includes ten workout videos and the opportunity to work with me to help keep you accountable.

Let's become fitness besties while we achieve YOUR goals!

• My friends, there's no better time than NOW to work on your 2025 fitness goals. Let's work together to. build your strength, feel less pain in your muscles, and get excited to move your body again. I'm looking for three 1:1 clients to work with for free so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Fill out this form to start today - and don't worry, it doesn't tie you down to anything; it just lets me know you're interested in taking this next step.

Song of the Week

i - Kendrick Lamar

Once I heard this song during the end credits of Captain America: Brave New World, it was an immediate add to Song of the Week!! Enjoy! (Also, I'm STILL not over the Super Bowl LIX Half-Time Show!)

i Kendrick Lamar PREVIEW   ​

Find this song and all the others on the ​Joyful Beats playlist​ on Spotify!

Video of the Week

​Let's Move in 2025 - Joyful Movement Club​

Let's move together IRL at the Joyful Movement Club every Monday night. In this video, I shared more about what it involves and the joy it'll bring you!

While you're at it, follow me on Instagram!​

Good News Wednesday

Check out the good news around the world! In our fast-paced world, it’s important to remember “the helpers.”

• By using incentives rather than banning, Norway is on track to be the first country to erase petrol and diesel engine cars!​
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• Meet the Heavenly Avalanche Rescue Dogs - a team of canines at Heavenly Mountain Resort in Utah trained to help humans if an avalanche occurs.
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• The snow leopard population in Kazakhstan has rebounded to near-historic levels, thanks to an implemented snow leopard conservation project with the United Nations Development Program.
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• For the first time, Iceland’s government consists of more women than men!
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• Nearly 60 countries have now strengthened their access to abortion care!​
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• Talk about a cute solution to a scary problem. Ella Casano invented a stuffed animal IV bag that shows its cute face on the front, but on the back, it shows the medical staff how much fluid is left. Her invention aims to help children feel less scared when experiencing transfusions in the hospital.
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• Belgium is the first EU country to ban the sales of disposable vapes!​
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• New York employers now must offer paid medical leave to pregnant workers so they can attend prenatal medical appointments.
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• ​Meet 12-year-old Rebecca Young - she invented a solar-powered heated sleeping bag to help those experiencing homelessness stay warm.
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• A new rule in the US has removed medical debt from credit reports. This can potentially affect millions of people accessing things contingent on a credit report, like a credit card, car, or mortgage.

Book of the Week

​The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green​

In anticipation of John's upcoming non-fiction release, Everything is Tuberculosis, I picked this one up. While I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it (as I've read all his other books, read his brother Hank's first novel, and regularly watch their YouTube channel), but it was the right season in my life to read it. It felt like a cozy visit inside his brain after developing a one-way internet friendship via watching his YouTube videos for the past 15 years. I learned a lot reading as well and the topics are random enough but super interesting that anyone can enjoy it - no YouTube watching required.

Book Synopsis

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale--from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar. Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity.
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John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this masterful collection. The Anthropocene Reviewed is an open-hearted exploration of the paths we forge and an unironic celebration of falling in love with the world.

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In gratitude and thanks,