In my life, and in the midst of the hardest moments I have endured, it has been the power of joy that has pulled me out of some very difficult and dark places. Into the light, where fears can be transformed, and our fullest potential can be reached. It has been a catalyst that has led to healing, that I never could imagine could be possible.

When we are feeling low, and defeated, like we want to give up and we lose a sense of meaning and motivation in our lives, we lose hope. This is a difficult space to navigate, we lose our centre and inner anchor that allows us to remember who we are, what we are made of, and what we are capable of when life gets hard.

Hope is important, and it is when I found hope after going through one of the hardest times of my life, that everything changed for me. I want to share this story with you, but first, let’s define joy.

Setbacks are designed to move you; you are supposed to feel uncomfortable.

We get so used to living in our comfort zone. The brain likes the familiar, it is always looking for the safest way to keep you safe. Today I want to ask you, is it familiar for you to feel inspired, alive, and motivated? Is it familiar for you to get out of your comfort zone? Or has it become familiar to feel stuck in fear, lacking willpower and belief in yourself? Does your environment mirror what you are wanting for yourself or are you constantly feeling like nothing is going right for you?

When you are wanting to overcome stress and navigate change, mindset is key.

I believe that every meal is an opportunity to renew ourselves.

Nutrition is the foundation for the health of our brain, hormones, gut health, emotional and physical wellbeing.

When we are going through a time of change, adversity, or high levels of stress in our life, it is particularly important to maximise repair in the mind and body with optimal nutrition.

When we are tired unwell or busy, it can be hard to take the time to prepare a variety of healthy meals.

However, it is a catch 22 as when we eat better, we will feel better, to gain the motivation we need to try new things and to make fresh food that fuels us with the nutrients, we need to reduce inflammation, improve brain and gut health that oversee all the beautiful biochemical processes that help us to feel happier and healthier human beings.

My most frequently asked questions at Bend Like Bamboo on eating better and nutrition:

So how can we maximise your intake of nutrient-dense food to encourage growth and repair?

How do I identify and eliminate inflammatory food and bad food habits to support healing?

How do I do this every day for myself and my family?

Check out this month’s blog

AIs your life going in the direction that aligns with what you really want?

Are you attracting and connecting in loving and fulfilling relationships?

Do you believe that you can make things happen for yourself?

If you said no to any of these questions, then hear me out.

We all want love in our lives, a special person who cares for us and can be by our side in life. We want to feel fulfilled in our lives personally, and professionally we want to get out of our comfort zones so that we can perform at our best, and live our fullest potential.

What we want is not enough. Having a goal is not enough to make it happen. What we believe is what matters.

When we are stressed, we will focus more on the negative, we will over-worry, we are more rigid, unhappy, and unwell. We squeeze out the fun and joy in what we are doing, we over-think and get stuck in our heads in the past or future. When we are stressed we disconnect, we are unkind, we are frustrated and we cannot perform at our best.

When we are having more fun, and when we are believing in ourselves, we can make things happen. We are more flexible in our minds, we are solution-focused, we connect more, and we optimise repair because we are less stressed.

Are you not feeling as confident, motivated, happy, and energised as you’d like to be?

Are you wanting to connect and attract more loving and fulfilling relationships?

Do you get stuck in your head, overthinking / analysing?

Do you sabotage your success unable to make things happen for yourself?

Are you lacking self-belief?

I felt the same way all throughout my teens and 20’s. I wanted so much from my life, I am a go-getter and I go for what I want. I wanted to love, I wanted career success and I wanted to be healthy to enjoy it all. But I kept sabotaging my goals and they never seemed to turn into the reality I was daydreaming about. I was scared, and deep down inside, I didn’t realise that I was blocking these wonderful life experiences, because I didn’t feel worthy of having them. I was also scared of how my relationships and connection to the people I loved would change, should I step into success.

Today's episode, Paul shares his remarkable story of resilience, rediscovery, and determination to pursue his passion for screenwriting.

Despite years of successful work in corporate media and directing commercials, Paul realized his happiness hinged on following his true calling. With courage, he transformed his life, embraced daily writing, and proved that it's never too late to chase your dreams. His story inspires us to persevere, even when faced with self-doubt or setbacks, and to see challenges as stepping stones to success.