"The longest journey we take as human beings is th "The longest journey we take as human beings is the eighteen inches from our head to our heart." - Unknown
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If we look around its so easy to see the disconnection - from nature, from each other, from ourselves.
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We live in a society that is increasingly focused on "me, me, me," yet, when we take the journey from our head to our heart, the irony is, our heart is so often saying "you, you, you - how can I serve you?"  Meaning, how can I serve those around me?
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I had an incredible conversation with Dr. Keith Campbell on a book he wrote called "The New Science of Narcissism."  This man literally started the national conversation around narcissism years ago, and in our podcast interview (Ep. 64), we chat:
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+ The traits of narcissistic personality disorder
+ The ramifications of flippantly calling someone a narcissist
+ How social media can be dangerous when it comes to culture- wide narcissistic tendencies
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The beauty here is: we can turn this around.  We can actively take care of ourselves and still serve others.  We can choose to both love ourselves AND love the people around us to our fullest capacity.
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<3 What's your favorite way to show someone you love them?  
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I have several ways that I love, but my favorite recently has been with a thoughtful gift.  - To show and say "I see you and I love you and I appreciate you."
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(Bandana/mask is the Ayzosh and bag is the Miramar - both from @parkerclayintl.  Code: PC-JACLYN20 will get you 20% off or you can swipe the link in my stories.  These are the most beautiful bags for the most beautiful cause).
I left L.A. yesterday. I was there for an import I left L.A. yesterday. 

I was there for an important meeting and I want to unravel several of the really cool things I’m discovering, and please, ask me your questions. We are on the self-discovery journey together. 

+ as of tomorrow, I will have meditated 100 days straight. It’s no accident that some of the biggest shifts in my life have happened in the last 100 days.

+ we do not have to heal and grow alone. I used to think it was a solo journey, it’s not. It’s a solo decision to walk in the direction of healing and growth but teachers present themselves and if we are wise, we accept their help.

+ growth doesn’t have to be incremental. We can take quantum leaps and achieve well beyond the obvious. This requires a dramatic mindset shift, but these quantum leaps are available to all of us. 

This healing, this growth - it’s the foundation of emotional freedom which translates into creating the life one dreams of. I’m watching it unfold before my eyes and simultaneously thinking “this is the truth I have been seeking. It’s been here all along.”

Easter is the day in which Jesus rose 🌹- we are invited to do the same. 

You can book a Sacred Space one-on-one call with me via the link in my bio. You don’t have to wait or walk alone. 

With so much love, 
Jaclyn
I appreciate a curated feed and photo, but this is I appreciate a curated feed and photo, but this is the real me.  It's raw.  It's sunset after a work day.  I'm taking a hike and releasing the to-list hangover that sometimes seeps into my evening hours.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Moments like these are my transition moments.  They are the moments that help me center - that bring be back to my aliveness.  I've been thinking about what makes me feel alive a lot lately and I've realized what it is: serving others.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And with that, I've decided, after looking at the impact my podcast, Self Discovery, is making to offer one-on-one coaching.  I don't have a secret methodology.  I don't have a 10 step program.  But what I do have is a lot of life experience.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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My offerings are rooted in self-worth, because in my experience, every "obstacle" I have faced - in entrepreneurship, in relationships, in my health, in my bank account - has been clearly tied to feelings of self doubt, low self esteem, unworthiness, fear, and an attitude of "WTF am I doing with my life?!?!?!"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you are struggling, if you are ready to welcome in a new era, and if you are willing to let go of the bs self-limiting beliefs holding you back, then shoot me a text and let's get this conversation started: 480-531-6858.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yeah, that's really my number, and yeah, I'm really on the other end of the line.  You will have to agree to opt-in, but I promise I will be the person you are speaking to.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This world needs you in your you-est form - that's one of the many gorgeous reasons you are here.  And if you need help stepping into that kind of life-altering, soul singing, powerful self-worth, I am one text message away.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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With So Much Love,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jaclyn
I took my dogs for a hike yesterday, and Pippin, m I took my dogs for a hike yesterday, and Pippin, my 4.5 pound Yorkie is a pill on long walks.  She thinks she is the leader of the pack.  She “muscles” her way around and keeps her nose to the ground like a hound on a scent.  The problem is, her intensity, at times, makes her completely unaware of where she is heading.  And yesterday, my dog Tumnus, (who is about 4x the size of Pip) somehow got a few feet ahead of her and was lifting his leg and peeing on a big rock.  This is not unusual, but what was unusual was that Pippin in all her intensity did not see Tumnus peeing and walked STRAIGHT THROUGH the stream.  Across her whole left side was a line of fresh Tumnus proof of what had just happened.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This reminded me of how we are as humans.  We get so intense, so focused, that we forget to look up and around.  This looking up and around allows us to take stock of our lives.  I mentioned that I hired a healer.  She is an intuitive acupuncturist that can read energy.  She said to me, “Jaclyn, you must stop doing, doing, doing, and practice just being.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Just being.  I have been practicing it this past week and it has allowed me to take an aerial view of my life.  I realize that so many of the things that I worry about have very little importance. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being alive is important, and if we are caught up in the intensity of living, it’s really hard to feel alive.  In a world where shootings (Atlanta, Boulder) are common place, this concept of being is even more important.  Life is PRECIOUS.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This is my open prayer for the families of the victims lost in these shootings.  Join me if you feel led… I pray that these families feel enveloped by love and a deep knowing that they will one day be reunited with their precious loved ones.  And that in this time of grief, they would allow themselves the space to just be.  And like Johnnyswim sings “if it’s fragile and it shatters, let it matter, let it matter.”
The last two weeks have been transformative. Yes, The last two weeks have been transformative.  Yes, this is a @parkerclayintl post because I love their bags SO much, but this is also a post about the power of taking a breath.
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The last two weeks I haven't posted much.  Not because I was actively taking a break, but because I was totally and completely immersed in my life.
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I hired a healer (so much more on this), I hired a coach (so much more on this), my family came and visited from the midwest.
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And I've been falling in love with my life all over again.
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I read recently that if you want to ignite change in your life, then you have to run as fast as you can into the fire (before you can talk yourself out of it), because there is nothing like fear to bring your bs limiting beliefs to the surface.
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This is so true.  This is so, so true.
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So cheers to letting go of what holds us back, cheers to kick a$$ bags from @parkerclayintl that serve such an amazing purpose, and cheers to Monday even if it feels like Monday!
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Code: PC-JACLYN20 for 20% off this super handy and versatile Padaro bag. (I'll link in my stories, too). In addition, all clothing today is from @everlane.  I'll link similar items in stories, as well!
The importance of following your intuition (tips f The importance of following your intuition (tips for tuning in below):

Have you ever had a feeling so strong that your body reacts physically?  Or an inkling about someone before you meet them?  Or a gentle nudge that you should show up somewhere for some unknown reason?

This is intuition.  It is my belief that it’s actually universal intelligence channeling through you sending you a message.

In our fast paced, over stimulating culture though, it can be really hard to tune out the noise and tune in to this inner voice - this gut feeling.

For me, that’s when I turn to:
💙yoga
💙meditation
💙journaling
💙long walks
💙carving out moments of complete silence with no distraction (I have to put the phone away)
💙allowing energy to move through me instead of stopping it and trying to figure out what it is and how it works

Tuning in and listening to your intuition is vital, but you know what requires even more courage?  Acting on it.  Doing what it is nudging you to do.

Examples of what intuition has clearly led me to:
💯winning an international singing competition
💯meeting my now husband
💯moving to the West
💯finding the podcast guest on today’s episode

And you know what @okoliving ’s founder’s intuition led her to?  Starting this unlikely but so timely and beautifully intentional company.  Lindsay let her intuition lead the way through doubt, obstacles, and naysayers into a space where she is leading the way in ethical, eco-friendly, and safe yoga products.

Listen to our inspired conversation (episode 61) now streaming everywhere.

👉🏼👉🏽👉🏿And then leave us a comment! Did you know that many traditional sticky yoga mats emit toxic gases? I had NO IDEA!  And what did you learn from this episode with Lindsay?
We have to own our distractions. This is VITAL if We have to own our distractions.  This is VITAL if we want to own our day. (Actions steps below)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Do we open Instagram right after we wake up?  Do we flip on the TV as soon as we get home?  Do we get caught up in drama at the office?  Do we get sucked into family matters that have nothing to do with us?  Do we allow ourselves to be victims of clickbait when have an open hour to work on our dreams?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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According to Stoic philosophy, owning what we are giving our mental energy to is a vital component of having autonomy over our lives.  Or in other, more personalized, words: are you living your life or is your life living you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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⛵️ Easy action steps for plugging the distraction holes:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. plan out "you" time - for self care, for working on your dreams, for accomplishing what you need to, etc. throughout the week (put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. put your phone on airplane mode or put your phone on silent in another room⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. have written out what you want to accomplish during that time⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. set a timer⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
5. take a breath⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
6. do the work⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Here's the thing, and I'm gearing up to go DEEP on this subject: chronically allowing distraction into our lives is a self worth issue.  We are saying to the Almighty: My time is not valuable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💎 truth check: YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE BECAUSE YOU ARE VALUABLE.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We just have to start acting like it.  A great question to ask ourselves during the day is: would a person who values themselves spend time doing this?  If not, act accordingly.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋 What's one distraction, that if you decreased or eliminated it, would give you back super valuable time to work toward your dreams and desires?  Let's encourage each other in the comments below.  Chances are, if you are experiencing that distraction, someone else is too!
Do you take risks? And what really are risks? Is Do you take risks?

And what really are risks?  Is it jumping out of a plane?  Moving across the country?  Getting married?  Making that phone call?  DM-ing that person you admire to share the kind of value you or your product could offer them?  Making what feels like a vulnerable post on Instagram?

I know this much, my beautiful friends: progress, momentum, forward movement, success - they ALL require risk.

And @missamandasellers is sharing with us some of the risks she’s taken.  And boy oh boy have some of them paid off!  And some of them, she admits, haven’t.  However, she is still standing and growing and thriving and inspiring the rest of us to act on our own potential.

Risks, rejection, self worth, and self healing with Miss Amanda Sellers - episode 60 is up NOW!  Links in stories and in BIO.

✌🏼✌🏽✌🏿✌🏾What’s one risk you’ve taken that’s really paid off?  Let’s encourage one another!

p.s. neck scarf is from @parkerclayintl and has a built in and removable face mask.  I’ll link in my stories and code: PC-JACLYN20 will give you 20% off. :)
How do you know if you're stressed? Is this a dum How do you know if you're stressed?  Is this a dumb question?  I'm spilling some tea right here.  This is NOT a dumb question.  Recently, I've been SUPER focused on taking back the reigns of my life.  The beauty of my Hashimoto's diagnosis last August is that it's forced me to make some big changes because my health LITERALLY depends on it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I started with getting on the right medication dosage, then focused on dietary changes, and then stress management.  I probably should've STARTED with stress management.  Here's why:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I was so stressed all the time that I didn't know what not being stressed felt like.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That's why last week I shared a post on lowering cortisol because stress causes cortisol spikes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So here's the tea and these things are KEY if you want to lower your stress/take your life back:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 put your phone away (I do no phone after 7PM, and I also keep my phone in my purse for the majority of the work day). The phone is constant stimulation and constant cortisol spikes for me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 prioritizing your dreams.  Creating space and taking action on what I want to accomplish FIRST rather then tending to everyone and their needs and THEN doing what I need to do.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 take f-ing care of yourself.  Sleep.  Rest.  Time for books and just f-ing thinking.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 boundaries... with literally everyone.  What do I need today to be healthy and move my dreams forward? ... if you don't fit into that, I love you, but I'm worthy of my focus and attention.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 morning meditation⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 mindful eating/not multi-tasking⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 time spent doing things that fill me up - like spending quality time with my man.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For years, I had this list flipped upside down.  I was my priority only after I had made everyone else my priority.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋Success/progress/healing requires boundaries and stress management. Your thoughts?🦋
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Self Help, Uncategorized, Wellness · November 25, 2019

What do we do when paid therapy is out of reach?

The dark night was upon me.  It had descended and was now surrounding me on all four sides.  My normally sunny disposition was out of grasp and I felt a sense of disillusionment in its absence.  I felt betrayed – as though the world of color I had always imagined turned out to be 50 shades of non-sexy gray.

To see the world this way, through the lens of depression, felt desolate.  I had been sad before.  I had even experienced bouts of depression, but this felt wholly different.  This time felt deeper and darker, like I was carrying the sorrow in the very marrow of my bones.  

In the past, I had out-smarted my pain.  I had done therapy and read books and got so busy that I forgot about those pieces of me that had been so damaged – those fractured bits that I put right back into place as if they were task ready.  Operating like this, like a machine with the red lights flashing, finally caught up with me.  And like so many things that aren’t cared for and tended to, my mind and my heart and body said “no more.”

I felt like they went on strike and forgot to tell me.  As though each part of what makes me whole was in another part of the planet altogether.  Pulling them back in felt like it would require a strength that I knew I could not muster – the strength of an army of elephants with the cunning of a herd of cats.

For the first time ever, I felt like recovery was beyond me.  I barely recognized myself.  I didn’t want to admit I was depressed – that I had all the symptoms – yet I knew that depression had come for an extended visit and already unpacked it’s bags and placed it’s toothbrush at the sink.

I needed help – this I did recognize.  I knew I couldn’t keep going on like this without addressing the misalignment in my soul.  I committed to seeing a therapist.  I asked a friend for recommendations.  I researched my local options and read reviews and readied myself to make an appointment.  Then I called my insurance company – the one my husband and I paid $700 a month to as independently employed people, and was told that no therapy would be covered until we met our $7000 deductible for the year toward which we had made zero progress.

I remember hanging up the phone feeling enraged.  How could a system be so backward?  What were people supposed to do when they needed help?  And I am privileged.  Seriously privileged as far as the rest of the world goes and still, I couldn’t afford therapy without putting it on a credit card and going several thousand dollars into debt.  

This had been an extremely difficult year financially for both my husband and me as our businesses were both in the terrible two toddler stage.  Everything was still wobbly and trying to find its footing.  The rage built as I thought about people less privileged than me needing help even more than me and being farther from getting it than I was.  None of this felt right.  It felt fraudulent.  What were we paying $700 a month for?

The train had left the building and ended up right back where it had started.  Each part of me still felt miles away, but I knew I couldn’t sit and wait for their return.  I had to learn to lasso them home on my own… but how?

I racked my brain.  I went back into the depths of my experiences and searched for a time where I felt freedom and joy.  What was I doing when I was in that place?  What actions was I taking to cultivate those feelings?
And I remembered how I felt when I read “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron for the first time.  I felt seen in a way that I had never felt seen before and huge part of that was through an exercise that Julia calls “Morning Pages” – which are simply 3 pages of your stream of consciousness when you wake up in the morning.

Desperate, I bought myself a cheap journal and started writing.  The words poured out page after page after page.  At one point I wrote 18 pages in one sitting.  I couldn’t stop.  The dam opened and all of these feelings were fighting their way onto the parchment.  As if putting them to ink finally validated them.

The author, Joan Didion, said something like “I have to write so I can figure out how I feel” and that is exactly what I did.  I wrote and wrote and wrote so that I could feel again.  I had been running from and intellectualizing and categorizing my pain and my experiences for so long.  So long.  I thought I had been addressing and dealing with them but I forgot about the most important component of healing… feeling.

I was afraid of the pain, like so many of us are, so I never fully allowed myself to feel it.  Well, I did long ago, at 18, for a short period of time, but the pain hurt so bad I didn’t think I could bear it so I shut off all sense of feeling.  I didn’t cry for a year because I couldn’t.  I was so out of touch.  So far from that priceless and vulnerable part of my humanity that I was willing to trade it for pennies.  

For a life free from pain is not a life but an illusion – a mirage in the desert that will always and forever be out of reach.

Jaclyn Steele

I had progressed since that tender age of 18, but my pain became something I challenged myself with instead of something I held tenderly.  How could I outsmart it?  Self help it?  Understand and categorize it?  Intellectualize it?  I wasn’t yet brave enough to feel it.  And I now understand why… because when you start to feel it, the shadow side, the fear living in us, whispers softly in our ears that “this will be the end of us.”  That this black wave of emotional will take us down and hold us there until there is no breath or life left in our lungs.

But because I was so desperate and so helpless I couldn’t hold the wave back this time.  I was powerless against it and you know what I learned?  That the darkness isn’t so dark after all.  All that pain had clogged the arteries of my life and that dark wave was the medicine that cleared it out.
And the words that I wrote on all those pages were the salve to my psychological wounds.  That pain, that fear, that trauma… it just wanted to be validated.  It wanted someone to finally admit that it was real and that it mattered and that it happened to me.

I didn’t know it then, but that journal was the template for my book and my song, Didn’t Break Me.  I wrote and wrote and wrote and found that there were several common denominators that I kept returning to that made me feel whole again, even if just momentarily.  They were the actions lassoing all those sacred parts of me and placing them tenderly, shined and repaired, back into one place.

And because I know what if feels like to be unable to afford therapy in our broken system, I want to share my story and healing journey with you, in the hope that it will be a loving roadmap that leads you back to yourself.  You’re beautiful, worthy, good-enough-just-as-you-are self.

My sweet little ebook is completely free.  And so is the song that I wrote that goes with it along with several other life-affirming freebies.  

You can get them all right here: https://jaclynsteele.com.pages.ontraport.net/didntbreakmebundle

You are not alone, my dear.  You are not broken.  You are brilliant… even if you don’t know it yet.


Light, Love, & Peace,

JACLYN STEELE

p.s. Disclaimer: I am not a therapist and am not suggesting in any way, shape, or form that therapy is unnecessary.  I simply do not want anyone to feel helpless if they are in a position where they cannot currently afford it.

In: Self Help, Uncategorized, Wellness · Tagged: depression, emotional trauma, healing

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Dear Self: Just be.
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I have never, ever done this before.

Comments

  1. Ashley Jenkins says

    November 26, 2019 at 3:50 pm

    I love this so much! As both a fellow advocate for mental health and a professional working for a private mental healthcare practice, this post is 100% accurate. It hurts my heart on such a deep level that our healthcare system is as screwed up as it is. Just yesterday, I had someone ask me what resources there were for people in a similar situation to what you wrote about, and tears welled in my eyes when I couldn’t give them hope because…there really isn’t any good and reasonable answer for many, many people. It’s so awful.

    On a personal level, this year I also tried to take the plunge into therapy for anxiety/depression. I put a couple months of sessions on a credit card and quickly realized that was not a long-term solution. I talked to a friend and found out that I could get an unlimited amount of sessions every month at a fitness studio for the same cost as just ONE 50-minute session of therapy. It blew my mind. Now I’m able to be healthier, I found a new community of friends/motivators, and the endorphin rush after a good workout is always a great feeling. Not saying it’s for everyone or a cure-all, but I’m glad that like you, I was able to find a work-around for such a terrible situation.

    Love and allll the hugs- Ash

    Reply
    • jsteele says

      November 26, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      You are a queen! Not only are you so loving and compassionate toward others, but you’re also do the amazingly hard work of taking care of yourself. I’m SO glad that you found an alternative. I think we have to advocate for ourselves and refuse to give up. Things will change, but for now, we are dealt a difficult hand. I’m proud of us for not giving in and doing something about how we were feeling. I love you friend. I’m so grateful for you. I wish we lived closer! <3

      Reply
  2. Maureen O'Hare says

    November 26, 2019 at 7:13 pm

    Jaclyn,

    I read your post with a pain in my heart and a tear in my eye. I also work in the healthcare industry and, when I needed mental health/medical consultation, I had to turn over every stone. A couple of suggestions: contact NAMI (Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness) and your church – most churches have resources and/or pastors who are equip with counseling skills. Also, are there any universities around you – they have resources. It is difficult and painful but seek a third party. I’m sending my love and extra hugs. Remember, “You are BRILLIANT”!

    Reply
    • jsteele says

      November 27, 2019 at 9:14 pm

      Maureen,

      I hate that you know how all of this feels but I know that you do. I am astounded by your strength and fortitude. You are one bada$$ woman in my book. Thank you so much for sending these resources. I’m glad you sent them publicly on my post because they will be available for everyone to see. You are such a gift and you have a heart the size of Texas. Thank you Maureen. <3 YOU are brilliant!

      I love you and Happy Thanksgiving!
      Jaclyn

      Reply
  3. Luciano says

    November 29, 2019 at 8:49 pm

    Dear JACLYN, I met you 5 years ago when you did a show at ,,Athens Live Wire”…, poetry and music…,I was surprised by your music,but also by your beautiful Angel…So since then…,no more Jaclyn, same time I watch your picture…Was a miracle to find a Em from you…, and you ask your friends for…help. I do believe Dracula works hard to depress you…, un Angel who has all the qualities…So first idea: 1] RETURN TO GOD….Pray yourself and find a Greek Church in your town[Nashville ??] ,a good priest,go confess,pray, take the holly communion..Eventually you play for a church….2] Spend more time in park…,connecting with energyes of Univers…3] Musicotherapy: Mozart,Bach,Verdi,..4] Natural medicine:S-adenosylmethionine,5-hydroxytryptophan, St.John’s wort,FISH OIL,B vitamins[B3+..],DHA,…You can find this supplements in special shops….Will be good…,if a therapist will coordinate….Only the best,the most,the holly,…, Luciano.

    Reply

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I have never, ever done this before.

I'm Jaclyn. Writer. Podcaster. Songstress. Wander-luster. Clean beauty convert & conscious fashionista. I've never met a nude lipstick or personal development section I didn't like.

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"The longest journey we take as human beings is th "The longest journey we take as human beings is the eighteen inches from our head to our heart." - Unknown
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If we look around its so easy to see the disconnection - from nature, from each other, from ourselves.
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We live in a society that is increasingly focused on "me, me, me," yet, when we take the journey from our head to our heart, the irony is, our heart is so often saying "you, you, you - how can I serve you?"  Meaning, how can I serve those around me?
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I had an incredible conversation with Dr. Keith Campbell on a book he wrote called "The New Science of Narcissism."  This man literally started the national conversation around narcissism years ago, and in our podcast interview (Ep. 64), we chat:
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+ The traits of narcissistic personality disorder
+ The ramifications of flippantly calling someone a narcissist
+ How social media can be dangerous when it comes to culture- wide narcissistic tendencies
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The beauty here is: we can turn this around.  We can actively take care of ourselves and still serve others.  We can choose to both love ourselves AND love the people around us to our fullest capacity.
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<3 What's your favorite way to show someone you love them?  
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I have several ways that I love, but my favorite recently has been with a thoughtful gift.  - To show and say "I see you and I love you and I appreciate you."
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(Bandana/mask is the Ayzosh and bag is the Miramar - both from @parkerclayintl.  Code: PC-JACLYN20 will get you 20% off or you can swipe the link in my stories.  These are the most beautiful bags for the most beautiful cause).
I left L.A. yesterday. I was there for an import I left L.A. yesterday. 

I was there for an important meeting and I want to unravel several of the really cool things I’m discovering, and please, ask me your questions. We are on the self-discovery journey together. 

+ as of tomorrow, I will have meditated 100 days straight. It’s no accident that some of the biggest shifts in my life have happened in the last 100 days.

+ we do not have to heal and grow alone. I used to think it was a solo journey, it’s not. It’s a solo decision to walk in the direction of healing and growth but teachers present themselves and if we are wise, we accept their help.

+ growth doesn’t have to be incremental. We can take quantum leaps and achieve well beyond the obvious. This requires a dramatic mindset shift, but these quantum leaps are available to all of us. 

This healing, this growth - it’s the foundation of emotional freedom which translates into creating the life one dreams of. I’m watching it unfold before my eyes and simultaneously thinking “this is the truth I have been seeking. It’s been here all along.”

Easter is the day in which Jesus rose 🌹- we are invited to do the same. 

You can book a Sacred Space one-on-one call with me via the link in my bio. You don’t have to wait or walk alone. 

With so much love, 
Jaclyn
I appreciate a curated feed and photo, but this is I appreciate a curated feed and photo, but this is the real me.  It's raw.  It's sunset after a work day.  I'm taking a hike and releasing the to-list hangover that sometimes seeps into my evening hours.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Moments like these are my transition moments.  They are the moments that help me center - that bring be back to my aliveness.  I've been thinking about what makes me feel alive a lot lately and I've realized what it is: serving others.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And with that, I've decided, after looking at the impact my podcast, Self Discovery, is making to offer one-on-one coaching.  I don't have a secret methodology.  I don't have a 10 step program.  But what I do have is a lot of life experience.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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My offerings are rooted in self-worth, because in my experience, every "obstacle" I have faced - in entrepreneurship, in relationships, in my health, in my bank account - has been clearly tied to feelings of self doubt, low self esteem, unworthiness, fear, and an attitude of "WTF am I doing with my life?!?!?!"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you are struggling, if you are ready to welcome in a new era, and if you are willing to let go of the bs self-limiting beliefs holding you back, then shoot me a text and let's get this conversation started: 480-531-6858.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yeah, that's really my number, and yeah, I'm really on the other end of the line.  You will have to agree to opt-in, but I promise I will be the person you are speaking to.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This world needs you in your you-est form - that's one of the many gorgeous reasons you are here.  And if you need help stepping into that kind of life-altering, soul singing, powerful self-worth, I am one text message away.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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With So Much Love,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Jaclyn
I took my dogs for a hike yesterday, and Pippin, m I took my dogs for a hike yesterday, and Pippin, my 4.5 pound Yorkie is a pill on long walks.  She thinks she is the leader of the pack.  She “muscles” her way around and keeps her nose to the ground like a hound on a scent.  The problem is, her intensity, at times, makes her completely unaware of where she is heading.  And yesterday, my dog Tumnus, (who is about 4x the size of Pip) somehow got a few feet ahead of her and was lifting his leg and peeing on a big rock.  This is not unusual, but what was unusual was that Pippin in all her intensity did not see Tumnus peeing and walked STRAIGHT THROUGH the stream.  Across her whole left side was a line of fresh Tumnus proof of what had just happened.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This reminded me of how we are as humans.  We get so intense, so focused, that we forget to look up and around.  This looking up and around allows us to take stock of our lives.  I mentioned that I hired a healer.  She is an intuitive acupuncturist that can read energy.  She said to me, “Jaclyn, you must stop doing, doing, doing, and practice just being.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Just being.  I have been practicing it this past week and it has allowed me to take an aerial view of my life.  I realize that so many of the things that I worry about have very little importance. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being alive is important, and if we are caught up in the intensity of living, it’s really hard to feel alive.  In a world where shootings (Atlanta, Boulder) are common place, this concept of being is even more important.  Life is PRECIOUS.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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This is my open prayer for the families of the victims lost in these shootings.  Join me if you feel led… I pray that these families feel enveloped by love and a deep knowing that they will one day be reunited with their precious loved ones.  And that in this time of grief, they would allow themselves the space to just be.  And like Johnnyswim sings “if it’s fragile and it shatters, let it matter, let it matter.”
The last two weeks have been transformative. Yes, The last two weeks have been transformative.  Yes, this is a @parkerclayintl post because I love their bags SO much, but this is also a post about the power of taking a breath.
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The last two weeks I haven't posted much.  Not because I was actively taking a break, but because I was totally and completely immersed in my life.
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I hired a healer (so much more on this), I hired a coach (so much more on this), my family came and visited from the midwest.
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And I've been falling in love with my life all over again.
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I read recently that if you want to ignite change in your life, then you have to run as fast as you can into the fire (before you can talk yourself out of it), because there is nothing like fear to bring your bs limiting beliefs to the surface.
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This is so true.  This is so, so true.
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So cheers to letting go of what holds us back, cheers to kick a$$ bags from @parkerclayintl that serve such an amazing purpose, and cheers to Monday even if it feels like Monday!
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Code: PC-JACLYN20 for 20% off this super handy and versatile Padaro bag. (I'll link in my stories, too). In addition, all clothing today is from @everlane.  I'll link similar items in stories, as well!
The importance of following your intuition (tips f The importance of following your intuition (tips for tuning in below):

Have you ever had a feeling so strong that your body reacts physically?  Or an inkling about someone before you meet them?  Or a gentle nudge that you should show up somewhere for some unknown reason?

This is intuition.  It is my belief that it’s actually universal intelligence channeling through you sending you a message.

In our fast paced, over stimulating culture though, it can be really hard to tune out the noise and tune in to this inner voice - this gut feeling.

For me, that’s when I turn to:
💙yoga
💙meditation
💙journaling
💙long walks
💙carving out moments of complete silence with no distraction (I have to put the phone away)
💙allowing energy to move through me instead of stopping it and trying to figure out what it is and how it works

Tuning in and listening to your intuition is vital, but you know what requires even more courage?  Acting on it.  Doing what it is nudging you to do.

Examples of what intuition has clearly led me to:
💯winning an international singing competition
💯meeting my now husband
💯moving to the West
💯finding the podcast guest on today’s episode

And you know what @okoliving ’s founder’s intuition led her to?  Starting this unlikely but so timely and beautifully intentional company.  Lindsay let her intuition lead the way through doubt, obstacles, and naysayers into a space where she is leading the way in ethical, eco-friendly, and safe yoga products.

Listen to our inspired conversation (episode 61) now streaming everywhere.

👉🏼👉🏽👉🏿And then leave us a comment! Did you know that many traditional sticky yoga mats emit toxic gases? I had NO IDEA!  And what did you learn from this episode with Lindsay?
We have to own our distractions. This is VITAL if We have to own our distractions.  This is VITAL if we want to own our day. (Actions steps below)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Do we open Instagram right after we wake up?  Do we flip on the TV as soon as we get home?  Do we get caught up in drama at the office?  Do we get sucked into family matters that have nothing to do with us?  Do we allow ourselves to be victims of clickbait when have an open hour to work on our dreams?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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According to Stoic philosophy, owning what we are giving our mental energy to is a vital component of having autonomy over our lives.  Or in other, more personalized, words: are you living your life or is your life living you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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⛵️ Easy action steps for plugging the distraction holes:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. plan out "you" time - for self care, for working on your dreams, for accomplishing what you need to, etc. throughout the week (put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. put your phone on airplane mode or put your phone on silent in another room⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. have written out what you want to accomplish during that time⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. set a timer⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
5. take a breath⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
6. do the work⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Here's the thing, and I'm gearing up to go DEEP on this subject: chronically allowing distraction into our lives is a self worth issue.  We are saying to the Almighty: My time is not valuable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💎 truth check: YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE BECAUSE YOU ARE VALUABLE.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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We just have to start acting like it.  A great question to ask ourselves during the day is: would a person who values themselves spend time doing this?  If not, act accordingly.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋 What's one distraction, that if you decreased or eliminated it, would give you back super valuable time to work toward your dreams and desires?  Let's encourage each other in the comments below.  Chances are, if you are experiencing that distraction, someone else is too!
Do you take risks? And what really are risks? Is Do you take risks?

And what really are risks?  Is it jumping out of a plane?  Moving across the country?  Getting married?  Making that phone call?  DM-ing that person you admire to share the kind of value you or your product could offer them?  Making what feels like a vulnerable post on Instagram?

I know this much, my beautiful friends: progress, momentum, forward movement, success - they ALL require risk.

And @missamandasellers is sharing with us some of the risks she’s taken.  And boy oh boy have some of them paid off!  And some of them, she admits, haven’t.  However, she is still standing and growing and thriving and inspiring the rest of us to act on our own potential.

Risks, rejection, self worth, and self healing with Miss Amanda Sellers - episode 60 is up NOW!  Links in stories and in BIO.

✌🏼✌🏽✌🏿✌🏾What’s one risk you’ve taken that’s really paid off?  Let’s encourage one another!

p.s. neck scarf is from @parkerclayintl and has a built in and removable face mask.  I’ll link in my stories and code: PC-JACLYN20 will give you 20% off. :)
How do you know if you're stressed? Is this a dum How do you know if you're stressed?  Is this a dumb question?  I'm spilling some tea right here.  This is NOT a dumb question.  Recently, I've been SUPER focused on taking back the reigns of my life.  The beauty of my Hashimoto's diagnosis last August is that it's forced me to make some big changes because my health LITERALLY depends on it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I started with getting on the right medication dosage, then focused on dietary changes, and then stress management.  I probably should've STARTED with stress management.  Here's why:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I was so stressed all the time that I didn't know what not being stressed felt like.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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That's why last week I shared a post on lowering cortisol because stress causes cortisol spikes.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So here's the tea and these things are KEY if you want to lower your stress/take your life back:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 put your phone away (I do no phone after 7PM, and I also keep my phone in my purse for the majority of the work day). The phone is constant stimulation and constant cortisol spikes for me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 prioritizing your dreams.  Creating space and taking action on what I want to accomplish FIRST rather then tending to everyone and their needs and THEN doing what I need to do.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 take f-ing care of yourself.  Sleep.  Rest.  Time for books and just f-ing thinking.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 boundaries... with literally everyone.  What do I need today to be healthy and move my dreams forward? ... if you don't fit into that, I love you, but I'm worthy of my focus and attention.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 morning meditation⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 mindful eating/not multi-tasking⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
💙 time spent doing things that fill me up - like spending quality time with my man.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For years, I had this list flipped upside down.  I was my priority only after I had made everyone else my priority.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🦋Success/progress/healing requires boundaries and stress management. Your thoughts?🦋
Want a super quick tip for getting over the obstac Want a super quick tip for getting over the obstacles you face every day?

Be the super hero of your own life.

I got this idea from Andrée Werner, co-founder of Ryze Superfoods, Harvard AND Julliard grad, and… my latest podcast guest.  This brilliant woman and her business partner, Rashad, launched their signature mushroom superfood coffee (which you have heard me mention repeatedly because I love it) in the midst of a pandemic and they are KILLING IT.

As with all entrepreneurial adventures, this ish is hard, but Andrée and Rashad approach obstacles armed with the best question ever: what would a super hero do right now?

And the answer?  It’s ALWAYS “figure it out.”

And really, isn’t that what life is all about?  Being resourceful and resilient and responsible for our own destinies?

I love this lady and her story and this company that she helped create called @ryzesuperfoods.  This episode is an interesting listen if you’re into health and entrepreneurship.  AND if you want to try their INCREDIBLE superfood-packed mushroom coffee, visit the link in their bio and use code: JACLYN at checkout for 15% off your order.

Have you guys tried mushroom coffee yet?  I’m obsessed.  My husband is on it.  My mom is on it.  Several of my friends are on board.  I think it’s the wave of the less caffeinated, more calm future.

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