June 17, 2025 • 25 mins
Are you ready to stop chasing joy and start creating it, right now?
I get it. After years of pouring your heart into being a mom and putting everyone else first, choosing yourself feels uncomfortable—even a little guilty.
You're doing all the things, running businesses, raising families, building dreams, and navigating transitions, but when was the last time you paused to ask how you actually want to feel this season? So many midlife moms feel stuck, unsure of their purpose and longing to rediscover their spark. In this episode, I'm sharing a powerful, creative tool that will help you design a life that feels good and cultivate a joyful midlife.
✔️ Discover why creating a monthly mood board practice is different from a vision board and how it can become a powerful, transformative tool for sustainable transformation.
✔️ Learn how to tap into your sensory self and find micro joys that will guide you to the life you're truly meant to live.
✔️ Hear my philosophical statement on why joy isn't a reward for productivity, but rather the fuel you need to feel fulfilled, confident, and excited about life again.
You don't have to earn joy or wait until everything is perfect. You are allowed to start creating that joy each month right now, even in the midst of messy things. This is your invitation to reclaim your confidence, find purpose in midlife, and build a life you're excited about. Press play and let's start creating your most vibrant chapter yet!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Don’t forget to subscribe, drop a comment and leave a review!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Rise to Shine podcast with Noel Custis where
we ignite the spark to discover your favorite self.
It is time to get real ladies. Hello friends and welcome to the
Rise to Shine podcast. I am your host Noel Custis and I
(00:21):
am so excited to be here with you today and I have some really
exciting news. I just found out that this
podcast, we as a collective havenow become a podcast in the top
10% globally. I am so excited and I owe all of
(00:42):
you such a huge thank you because it is you.
But TuneIn, you guys are the ones that are subscribing.
You're the ones sharing it with others.
So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I needed to celebrate with you this morning.
And I'm drinking coffee. So here's a little cheers, a
little coffee. Cheers.
(01:03):
And just wanted to say that before we started our recording.
I love you guys and Are you ready for today's episode?
It's going to be a good one. I know I say that all the time,
but I really feel like we are here to add so much value, but
also to go deeper and to really start to spark transformation,
(01:28):
start to spark a life that you love and continue giving you
stories and tools that help you do that.
So today's episode is going to be fun.
I I am going to start by asking you this question.
When was the last time you askedyourself how you actually want
(01:50):
to feel this season? Not what needs to get done or
who needs you next, and not whatis on the schedule, but you.
What do you want this summer to feel like?
(02:11):
What do you want it to feel likein your body?
In your energy? What do you want it to feel like
in your days? Because I don't know, summer has
this magical way of shifting things.
And for some of us it becomes maybe a slower rhythm.
(02:32):
For others, it is a total pivot because maybe your kids are at
home. There's new routines because the
routine is very different when you have kids, whether you stay
home with them or not, the routines change and there's a
different type of juggling than during the different seasons.
(02:56):
And no matter what our summer looks like, one thing is always
true about that is I always feellike it is a time that we can
reset. And I talked to so many women,
especially those that are my clients or in the glow up
(03:16):
school, just women that are in my world who are doing all of
the things. As a matter of fact, I feel like
that is the energy we draw into this podcast.
It's all of you women doing all of the things.
You're the ones that are runningthe businesses.
You're the ones raising the families, building dreams,
navigating transitions. And yet what I'm finding is that
(03:42):
the majority of you don't pause to check in and ask, is this
even the energy that I want to live in?
Because what we do is we just keep living and we don't ask
ourselves, is this the energy that I really want to be living
(04:02):
in? So today we're going to dive
into something fun, a little creative, but something that I'm
going to tell you is really, really powerful.
And I know this is going to sound cliche, but it's how to
design A life that feels like sunshine.
Now, we're not going to be overhauling all of the things,
(04:28):
but what we are going to be doing is we're going to be
choosing joy on purpose and we're going to do that through a
few different things. We're going to do that through
mood boards, and I can't wait toshare with you about these.
We're going to do it through micro moments and the permission
to play because what I want you to do is I want you to feel like
(04:54):
this summer is different and I want to kind of just tell you
where this all started. So the idea of creating a
monthly mood board honestly camefrom another coach that I
absolutely adore. Her energy just like radiates
this creativity and clarity. She's just really awesome.
(05:14):
And I met her in person and thenI was following her, still
continue to follow her. And I noticed that she made this
a monthly practice out of, you know, putting together these
mood boards. Now, I want to tell you that a
mood board is different than a vision board with, you know, all
of your big goals and timelines.OK.
(05:36):
So a lot of us do that maybe at the beginning of a year, right?
This is more about a vibe. It's more about a feeling.
And what I loved, it was a way of being that she wanted to step
into that month specifically. And I'm going to be honest with
(05:59):
you, at first I was like, this might just be a lot of fluff
and, you know, pretty. And I mean, you know, I love a
good aesthetic. Like I love, love, love all the
pretty things. But my To Do List was long.
And this felt kind of like it was just going to be a luxury
that I didn't really have time for because I know how much I've
(06:21):
put into vision boards at the beginning of the year and things
like that. But I kept watching her and
something inside of me was like,just try it.
Just try it and see anyway, no matter what I what's the worst
that can happen? So I did, and I sat down with
some different images that I found on Pinterest and on Canva.
(06:47):
Of course, you know, I'm a quotegirl, so I loved collecting some
quotes. But what I really loved is I
started kind of collecting colors, like what was my vibe?
What was my feeling for the month?
I even started to tap into some music and I asked myself, what
do I want this month to feel like?
(07:10):
OK, so different, little bit different than what do I just
want it to look like? I didn't want it to really be
all around what I wanted to achieve or how many boxes can I
check, but I wanted this to really, I wanted to like embody
(07:32):
how I was going to feel in my body.
How did I want to feel in my business?
How did I want to feel at home and in my relationships?
That's what I really tapped into.
And when I did that, something shifted and I started showing up
a little bit differently. I started to feel a little bit
(07:52):
more grounded, a little bit moreintentional, and I realized that
my days weren't just happening to me, but that I was starting
to create something on purpose. So after doing this for the last
few months, I knew that there was something to it.
(08:14):
I was like, this isn't just a cute little fluffy thing to do,
it really started to become a powerful practice and I actually
looked forward to it at the beginning of each month and I
was like, OK, my glow girls needthis.
So this month we have introducedit into the school as a digital
interactive workshop and we're creating mood boards together
(08:38):
for the month. And yes, is it fun?
It is fun, but I want to share with you, it's also really
transformational. And here's the biggest
difference between this and a typical vision board.
Vision boards are often about like someday, you know, sometime
(08:59):
this year, big dreams, the long term goals.
But the mood boards, this is what I love.
They're about right now. How do I want to feel this
month? What's the energy I want to call
in today for this month? And so it's kind of like setting
this whole feeling vibe. I know that's like the thing
(09:20):
everyone says now it's a vibe, but it really is.
And then what we're doing is we're starting to align it with
our intentions. And then you start to align it
with yourself care, your calendar.
And then here's what's really cool, your boundaries and all of
the other things start to match it.
So it's, I feel like it's going to be one of my favorite things
(09:44):
to add to the Globe School. And I truly believe that whether
or not you're a journaler or maybe a visual person or someone
who just wants to feel more in control of your energy, this
practice will meet you where it's at and it will become what
it needs to be for you. And what I wish more women
(10:06):
believed is that you don't have to burn joy.
You don't have to hustle your way to it or, you know, prove
that you're worthy of it or waituntil everything is perfect to
allow it. You're allowed to start creating
(10:28):
that joy each month right now, even if you're in the middle of
messy things, even if there are things that you don't even have
figured out yet, this is still apractice that you can implement.
Because I think what ends up happening a lot with women is
(10:50):
that we have internalized this belief that joy is only a reward
for productivity. Like, let me get through this
week and then I'll do it. Or once the kids are settled in,
then I can do it. Or after I do this thing, I'll
finally be able to rest and I'llfinally be able to get to that
(11:12):
little mood board that you're talking about.
But what if joy wasn't a reward?What if it was the fuel for you?
That's what this whole mood board practice started to open
up for me. It invited me in to stop chasing
(11:34):
and start creating things. And here is honestly, this is
the best part. I started to tap into what
lights me up because I hear so many women going.
I don't know what to do. I don't, you know, I'm feeling
frustrated, I'm feeling tired, I'm feeling overwhelmed.
And we forget to start to think about what is lighting you up
(11:59):
and what isn't lighting you up. And so this becomes a little
strategic, but it doesn't have to be in an achievement driven
way. It becomes more of a sensory
way. I hope that's making sense.
(12:19):
And, and here's the thing too, I, I just want to prop this up
with this. I am not an artist like I if you
give me a sketchbook and expect anything magical to happen, not
probably going to happen. Like my kids used to laugh as I
was the teacher and I would haveto draw on the board.
I was like, oh boy, I love the directed draw activities, let me
(12:40):
tell you. But this, this is how I get to
tap into my creative space without feeling all of this
pressure. No one is grading it.
It's not about being good at it.It's about capturing a feeling,
that vibe. And it's that frequency that I
really, really, really am striving to live in.
(13:04):
So it's things like the music, the color palettes, the way
sunlight hits my morning coffee,like when I'm sitting in my
office. I love the sunlight that comes
in and I love to drink my coffeeand cozy up to a journal.
I love when I get to like think about the coziness and the
(13:25):
texture of a cozy sweatshirt. We're heading to the beach this
summer and I got to tell you, I'm like already dreaming of
cuddling up in my sweatshirts atnight.
But then I also love like the sparkle of and I'm, if you're
watching this, you see that likethe sparkle of my earrings.
I love statement earrings or theplaylist that I use before I get
(13:50):
on a big meeting. All of these little pleasures,
the things that light me up started to become intentional
choices that actually supported the way I wanted to feel.
And guess what? That my friends, that's play.
(14:15):
That's creativity. That is what the embodiment
means. When we allow ourselves to play
with beauty, with color, with expression, we're actually, and
hear me out here. What I'm finding is we're
(14:37):
actually regulating our nervous systems when we're doing this.
We're saying to ourselves, you're safe here.
You deserve to feel good. You deserve to feel joy.
And for me, you know, you guys know that I'm in this whole glow
up era and that's been a huge part of my glow up.
(15:00):
And again, it's always a work inprogress.
I'm still working at it. I'm still supporting others, but
now I'm doing it with more joy in my day.
And that joy has literally changed everything.
So if no one has told you lately, you're allowed to design
(15:22):
A life that feels good. Not someday.
Starting right now in this season.
And that's why I was so excited to get this episode out here at
the beginning of the summer. And if you're not listening to
it at the beginning of the summer, maybe you're hearing a
replay somewhere down the line. Start now.
(15:42):
Anyways, it's OK because most ofus have spent all these years
setting goals based on what we should want, right?
But what if instead of chasing those outcomes, we started
feeling into who we were becoming?
That again is where the magic starts to happen with the mood
(16:04):
boards. Again, I just want to keep
saying it's not about what you're going to accomplish.
It's about the energy you want to embody the frequency you want
to live in the version of yourself that feels true to you.
And maybe this month it you wantto be really, really aligned
with softness. Maybe that's the feel that
(16:27):
you're vibing for right now. Or maybe you're like, you know
what, this month I want to go with the whole vibe of being
bold. So whatever is calling you in
that is what or that you're calling in, whatever it is that
you're feeling, go with that energy.
(16:47):
And when I start, so I've done this for the last few months and
when I start, I always consider,you know, those questions like,
and for me, I'm a journaler. So I'll ask myself things like,
what is the vibe right now? What do I need more of?
You know, sometimes it's peace. Maybe it's the opposite of that.
(17:08):
Maybe it's connection or ease ormovement.
Maybe it's luxury. I'm really just feeling this
vibe of luxury. Or maybe I am just feeling this
vibe of play. Remember, there isn't a wrong
answer. And that's what I love.
And then from there, what I do is I start to pull those images.
(17:28):
I start to pull those quotes andthe colors and the textures.
And then what I do is I start tocurate this visual affirmation
of the woman I'm becoming this month.
And you start to notice how yourdays begin to align with that
(17:48):
board. You start choosing like a
certain kind of vibey music. You start to choose a certain
type of clothing to wear and maybe even the food you eat or
the conversations that you're having.
Because it's not manifesting by just sitting and wishing for
things, right? It's embodying things first and
(18:11):
then watching your life start tocatch up to that.
And again, not about perfection.Your mood board can be messy, it
can be very minimal. It can be simple, it can be
really vibrant. It can be poetic.
The point is, is that you're notimpressing anyone.
(18:32):
It's a check in with you by yourself, who you're becoming
and how you can anchor into thatenergy right now.
And here's something that I really, really, really want you
to hear because someone said this to me not too long ago.
Joy isn't extra and it isn't a luxury and it's not a bonus.
(19:00):
I actually started using Choose Joy many years ago.
And if you've known me for any length of time, you know that
joy is my favorite word. I mean, on Instagram, I go by
Joyful Noel, and it has been this guiding light for me
through so many chapters. But even with that word being
(19:24):
close to my heart, I noticed howeasy it was to downplay joy.
Because sometimes we start to think it's selfish to center it.
We think it's something we have to wait for it.
Like I said earlier, we have to wait until after the work is
done. Then we'll make space for joy.
(19:46):
But here's what I've learned in my own glow up journey.
Joy isn't something we earn, it's something we actually can
follow. Because when I follow joy,
that's when I start to find the clarity.
When I listen to what's lightingme up, even in the small, subtle
ways, I get closer to who I really AM.
(20:09):
And that's why I started to track joy.
Just like those little moments. I call them those microjoys.
It's kind of like the God's wink.
It's the laugh that I didn't expect to have that moment.
It's the feeling after I, you know, go to the gym and I'm like
complaining that I have to go tothe gym.
(20:31):
And then it's the micro joy of how I feel after or the moments
that I actually look into the mirror and I'm like, hey, I
actually really like how my hairlooks today.
I actually feel good today. Or here's an example.
I was laughing. My daughter was driving to her
(20:54):
college course that she was taking this last weekend and I,
she put on her Instagram, she's like the first 45 seconds of
this song just hits and it's only 7:00 AM.
And I was like, that's what it is.
It's a song that just hits rightthere in the car for you, like
(21:14):
unexpected micro joys. He's become everything.
Because if you can follow the trail of what feels joyful, even
just one tiny spark, it's going to lead you to a life that
you're meant to live. Not the one that we were
(21:35):
conditioned to build, not the one that you've outgrown, but
the one that's waiting for you right now.
So listen to it. When this gal was talking about
joy, She's like, joy is not the dessert.
It's part of the recipe. And you don't need the
permission to choose it. But just in case you've been
(21:56):
waiting for it, here it is. Here's what I want you to ask
yourself today and maybe even journal on it or speak it into a
voice note on your phone. What do I want this season to
feel like? Not what you want to accomplish,
not what needs fixing right now,but simply what's the energy you
(22:18):
want to live in right now. And then just start small.
Create your own mood board. It can be digital.
I love to use Canva. I also grab things from
Pinterest. It you can even just get on your
phone and save some images. Maybe there's some things that
come up that you love. Or if you want to go old school,
(22:38):
print some photos, print some quotes, maybe put some textures
on a board. I used to do them on a poster
board. Well the vision boards I did,
but you don't. My point is is you don't need to
overthink it. Just let it be yours.
Let it guide you and have fun with it.
(23:00):
See what it is that your vibe isthis month.
And of course, if you do create 1, you have to show it to me.
I mean, you don't have to show it publicly.
I would love for you to tag me on Instagram at Joyful Noel so I
can cheer you on and see what you're calling in this season
and we can light up the feed with all these joy filled energy
boards. But if you're like, I really
(23:23):
don't want the world to see this.
And of course, I will not share your names, but you can just
share it with me privately. And of course, if you're craving
more of this, if you want to explore joy and confidence and
your nervous system healing, if you want to do the identity work
and soulful growth in a space that's made for real women in
(23:45):
real life, come join us in the Glow Up School.
You guys. We are going to be doing this
mood board practice together every single month.
And we're not going to just be talking about growth.
We actually live it and it's designed to meet you where you
are, whether you're just beginning on your glow up
(24:05):
journey or stepping into your boldest chapter.
So I want to just encourage you go make something beautiful
today, even if it's just the beginning of a feeling.
And then, of course, if this episode sparked something in you
again, I would love to see you in the glow up school.
(24:27):
All right friends, well until next time, keep rising, keep
shining and know the best is right here waiting for you today
and I cannot wait to hear about or see some of those mood
boards. I hope this has inspired you
today to take flight and do something creative.
(24:48):
Have fun. If you have any questions, reach
out. And until next time by my
friends. Thanks for joining me here
today. Your presence means the world to
me. If you enjoyed what you heard,
please consider leaving a ratingand review.
And don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an
episode. Head to the show notes and let's
connect. Rise to Shine Co is ready to
(25:10):
support you in coaching, collaboration, light tips, or
even a coffee chat. Until next time, keep shining my
friends.
Welcome to the Rise to Shine podcast with Noel Custis where
we ignite the spark to discover your favorite self.
It is time to get real ladies. Hello friends and welcome to the
Rise to Shine podcast. I am your host Noel Custis and I
(00:21):
am so excited to be here with you today and I have some really
exciting news. I just found out that this
podcast, we as a collective havenow become a podcast in the top
10% globally. I am so excited and I owe all of
(00:42):
you such a huge thank you because it is you.
But TuneIn, you guys are the ones that are subscribing.
You're the ones sharing it with others.
So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I needed to celebrate with you this morning.
And I'm drinking coffee. So here's a little cheers, a
little coffee. Cheers.
(01:03):
And just wanted to say that before we started our recording.
I love you guys and Are you ready for today's episode?
It's going to be a good one. I know I say that all the time,
but I really feel like we are here to add so much value, but
also to go deeper and to really start to spark transformation,
(01:28):
start to spark a life that you love and continue giving you
stories and tools that help you do that.
So today's episode is going to be fun.
I I am going to start by asking you this question.
When was the last time you askedyourself how you actually want
(01:50):
to feel this season? Not what needs to get done or
who needs you next, and not whatis on the schedule, but you.
What do you want this summer to feel like?
(02:11):
What do you want it to feel likein your body?
In your energy? What do you want it to feel like
in your days? Because I don't know, summer has
this magical way of shifting things.
And for some of us it becomes maybe a slower rhythm.
(02:32):
For others, it is a total pivot because maybe your kids are at
home. There's new routines because the
routine is very different when you have kids, whether you stay
home with them or not, the routines change and there's a
different type of juggling than during the different seasons.
(02:56):
And no matter what our summer looks like, one thing is always
true about that is I always feellike it is a time that we can
reset. And I talked to so many women,
especially those that are my clients or in the glow up
(03:16):
school, just women that are in my world who are doing all of
the things. As a matter of fact, I feel like
that is the energy we draw into this podcast.
It's all of you women doing all of the things.
You're the ones that are runningthe businesses.
You're the ones raising the families, building dreams,
navigating transitions. And yet what I'm finding is that
(03:42):
the majority of you don't pause to check in and ask, is this
even the energy that I want to live in?
Because what we do is we just keep living and we don't ask
ourselves, is this the energy that I really want to be living
(04:02):
in? So today we're going to dive
into something fun, a little creative, but something that I'm
going to tell you is really, really powerful.
And I know this is going to sound cliche, but it's how to
design A life that feels like sunshine.
Now, we're not going to be overhauling all of the things,
(04:28):
but what we are going to be doing is we're going to be
choosing joy on purpose and we're going to do that through a
few different things. We're going to do that through
mood boards, and I can't wait toshare with you about these.
We're going to do it through micro moments and the permission
to play because what I want you to do is I want you to feel like
(04:54):
this summer is different and I want to kind of just tell you
where this all started. So the idea of creating a
monthly mood board honestly camefrom another coach that I
absolutely adore. Her energy just like radiates
this creativity and clarity. She's just really awesome.
(05:14):
And I met her in person and thenI was following her, still
continue to follow her. And I noticed that she made this
a monthly practice out of, you know, putting together these
mood boards. Now, I want to tell you that a
mood board is different than a vision board with, you know, all
of your big goals and timelines.OK.
(05:36):
So a lot of us do that maybe at the beginning of a year, right?
This is more about a vibe. It's more about a feeling.
And what I loved, it was a way of being that she wanted to step
into that month specifically. And I'm going to be honest with
(05:59):
you, at first I was like, this might just be a lot of fluff
and, you know, pretty. And I mean, you know, I love a
good aesthetic. Like I love, love, love all the
pretty things. But my To Do List was long.
And this felt kind of like it was just going to be a luxury
that I didn't really have time for because I know how much I've
(06:21):
put into vision boards at the beginning of the year and things
like that. But I kept watching her and
something inside of me was like,just try it.
Just try it and see anyway, no matter what I what's the worst
that can happen? So I did, and I sat down with
some different images that I found on Pinterest and on Canva.
(06:47):
Of course, you know, I'm a quotegirl, so I loved collecting some
quotes. But what I really loved is I
started kind of collecting colors, like what was my vibe?
What was my feeling for the month?
I even started to tap into some music and I asked myself, what
do I want this month to feel like?
(07:10):
OK, so different, little bit different than what do I just
want it to look like? I didn't want it to really be
all around what I wanted to achieve or how many boxes can I
check, but I wanted this to really, I wanted to like embody
(07:32):
how I was going to feel in my body.
How did I want to feel in my business?
How did I want to feel at home and in my relationships?
That's what I really tapped into.
And when I did that, something shifted and I started showing up
a little bit differently. I started to feel a little bit
(07:52):
more grounded, a little bit moreintentional, and I realized that
my days weren't just happening to me, but that I was starting
to create something on purpose. So after doing this for the last
few months, I knew that there was something to it.
(08:14):
I was like, this isn't just a cute little fluffy thing to do,
it really started to become a powerful practice and I actually
looked forward to it at the beginning of each month and I
was like, OK, my glow girls needthis.
So this month we have introducedit into the school as a digital
interactive workshop and we're creating mood boards together
(08:38):
for the month. And yes, is it fun?
It is fun, but I want to share with you, it's also really
transformational. And here's the biggest
difference between this and a typical vision board.
Vision boards are often about like someday, you know, sometime
(08:59):
this year, big dreams, the long term goals.
But the mood boards, this is what I love.
They're about right now. How do I want to feel this
month? What's the energy I want to call
in today for this month? And so it's kind of like setting
this whole feeling vibe. I know that's like the thing
(09:20):
everyone says now it's a vibe, but it really is.
And then what we're doing is we're starting to align it with
our intentions. And then you start to align it
with yourself care, your calendar.
And then here's what's really cool, your boundaries and all of
the other things start to match it.
So it's, I feel like it's going to be one of my favorite things
(09:44):
to add to the Globe School. And I truly believe that whether
or not you're a journaler or maybe a visual person or someone
who just wants to feel more in control of your energy, this
practice will meet you where it's at and it will become what
it needs to be for you. And what I wish more women
(10:06):
believed is that you don't have to burn joy.
You don't have to hustle your way to it or, you know, prove
that you're worthy of it or waituntil everything is perfect to
allow it. You're allowed to start creating
(10:28):
that joy each month right now, even if you're in the middle of
messy things, even if there are things that you don't even have
figured out yet, this is still apractice that you can implement.
Because I think what ends up happening a lot with women is
(10:50):
that we have internalized this belief that joy is only a reward
for productivity. Like, let me get through this
week and then I'll do it. Or once the kids are settled in,
then I can do it. Or after I do this thing, I'll
finally be able to rest and I'llfinally be able to get to that
(11:12):
little mood board that you're talking about.
But what if joy wasn't a reward?What if it was the fuel for you?
That's what this whole mood board practice started to open
up for me. It invited me in to stop chasing
(11:34):
and start creating things. And here is honestly, this is
the best part. I started to tap into what
lights me up because I hear so many women going.
I don't know what to do. I don't, you know, I'm feeling
frustrated, I'm feeling tired, I'm feeling overwhelmed.
And we forget to start to think about what is lighting you up
(11:59):
and what isn't lighting you up. And so this becomes a little
strategic, but it doesn't have to be in an achievement driven
way. It becomes more of a sensory
way. I hope that's making sense.
(12:19):
And, and here's the thing too, I, I just want to prop this up
with this. I am not an artist like I if you
give me a sketchbook and expect anything magical to happen, not
probably going to happen. Like my kids used to laugh as I
was the teacher and I would haveto draw on the board.
I was like, oh boy, I love the directed draw activities, let me
(12:40):
tell you. But this, this is how I get to
tap into my creative space without feeling all of this
pressure. No one is grading it.
It's not about being good at it.It's about capturing a feeling,
that vibe. And it's that frequency that I
really, really, really am striving to live in.
(13:04):
So it's things like the music, the color palettes, the way
sunlight hits my morning coffee,like when I'm sitting in my
office. I love the sunlight that comes
in and I love to drink my coffeeand cozy up to a journal.
I love when I get to like think about the coziness and the
(13:25):
texture of a cozy sweatshirt. We're heading to the beach this
summer and I got to tell you, I'm like already dreaming of
cuddling up in my sweatshirts atnight.
But then I also love like the sparkle of and I'm, if you're
watching this, you see that likethe sparkle of my earrings.
I love statement earrings or theplaylist that I use before I get
(13:50):
on a big meeting. All of these little pleasures,
the things that light me up started to become intentional
choices that actually supported the way I wanted to feel.
And guess what? That my friends, that's play.
(14:15):
That's creativity. That is what the embodiment
means. When we allow ourselves to play
with beauty, with color, with expression, we're actually, and
hear me out here. What I'm finding is we're
(14:37):
actually regulating our nervous systems when we're doing this.
We're saying to ourselves, you're safe here.
You deserve to feel good. You deserve to feel joy.
And for me, you know, you guys know that I'm in this whole glow
up era and that's been a huge part of my glow up.
(15:00):
And again, it's always a work inprogress.
I'm still working at it. I'm still supporting others, but
now I'm doing it with more joy in my day.
And that joy has literally changed everything.
So if no one has told you lately, you're allowed to design
(15:22):
A life that feels good. Not someday.
Starting right now in this season.
And that's why I was so excited to get this episode out here at
the beginning of the summer. And if you're not listening to
it at the beginning of the summer, maybe you're hearing a
replay somewhere down the line. Start now.
(15:42):
Anyways, it's OK because most ofus have spent all these years
setting goals based on what we should want, right?
But what if instead of chasing those outcomes, we started
feeling into who we were becoming?
That again is where the magic starts to happen with the mood
(16:04):
boards. Again, I just want to keep
saying it's not about what you're going to accomplish.
It's about the energy you want to embody the frequency you want
to live in the version of yourself that feels true to you.
And maybe this month it you wantto be really, really aligned
with softness. Maybe that's the feel that
(16:27):
you're vibing for right now. Or maybe you're like, you know
what, this month I want to go with the whole vibe of being
bold. So whatever is calling you in
that is what or that you're calling in, whatever it is that
you're feeling, go with that energy.
(16:47):
And when I start, so I've done this for the last few months and
when I start, I always consider,you know, those questions like,
and for me, I'm a journaler. So I'll ask myself things like,
what is the vibe right now? What do I need more of?
You know, sometimes it's peace. Maybe it's the opposite of that.
(17:08):
Maybe it's connection or ease ormovement.
Maybe it's luxury. I'm really just feeling this
vibe of luxury. Or maybe I am just feeling this
vibe of play. Remember, there isn't a wrong
answer. And that's what I love.
And then from there, what I do is I start to pull those images.
(17:28):
I start to pull those quotes andthe colors and the textures.
And then what I do is I start tocurate this visual affirmation
of the woman I'm becoming this month.
And you start to notice how yourdays begin to align with that
(17:48):
board. You start choosing like a
certain kind of vibey music. You start to choose a certain
type of clothing to wear and maybe even the food you eat or
the conversations that you're having.
Because it's not manifesting by just sitting and wishing for
things, right? It's embodying things first and
(18:11):
then watching your life start tocatch up to that.
And again, not about perfection.Your mood board can be messy, it
can be very minimal. It can be simple, it can be
really vibrant. It can be poetic.
The point is, is that you're notimpressing anyone.
(18:32):
It's a check in with you by yourself, who you're becoming
and how you can anchor into thatenergy right now.
And here's something that I really, really, really want you
to hear because someone said this to me not too long ago.
Joy isn't extra and it isn't a luxury and it's not a bonus.
(19:00):
I actually started using Choose Joy many years ago.
And if you've known me for any length of time, you know that
joy is my favorite word. I mean, on Instagram, I go by
Joyful Noel, and it has been this guiding light for me
through so many chapters. But even with that word being
(19:24):
close to my heart, I noticed howeasy it was to downplay joy.
Because sometimes we start to think it's selfish to center it.
We think it's something we have to wait for it.
Like I said earlier, we have to wait until after the work is
done. Then we'll make space for joy.
(19:46):
But here's what I've learned in my own glow up journey.
Joy isn't something we earn, it's something we actually can
follow. Because when I follow joy,
that's when I start to find the clarity.
When I listen to what's lightingme up, even in the small, subtle
ways, I get closer to who I really AM.
(20:09):
And that's why I started to track joy.
Just like those little moments. I call them those microjoys.
It's kind of like the God's wink.
It's the laugh that I didn't expect to have that moment.
It's the feeling after I, you know, go to the gym and I'm like
complaining that I have to go tothe gym.
(20:31):
And then it's the micro joy of how I feel after or the moments
that I actually look into the mirror and I'm like, hey, I
actually really like how my hairlooks today.
I actually feel good today. Or here's an example.
I was laughing. My daughter was driving to her
(20:54):
college course that she was taking this last weekend and I,
she put on her Instagram, she's like the first 45 seconds of
this song just hits and it's only 7:00 AM.
And I was like, that's what it is.
It's a song that just hits rightthere in the car for you, like
(21:14):
unexpected micro joys. He's become everything.
Because if you can follow the trail of what feels joyful, even
just one tiny spark, it's going to lead you to a life that
you're meant to live. Not the one that we were
(21:35):
conditioned to build, not the one that you've outgrown, but
the one that's waiting for you right now.
So listen to it. When this gal was talking about
joy, She's like, joy is not the dessert.
It's part of the recipe. And you don't need the
permission to choose it. But just in case you've been
(21:56):
waiting for it, here it is. Here's what I want you to ask
yourself today and maybe even journal on it or speak it into a
voice note on your phone. What do I want this season to
feel like? Not what you want to accomplish,
not what needs fixing right now,but simply what's the energy you
(22:18):
want to live in right now. And then just start small.
Create your own mood board. It can be digital.
I love to use Canva. I also grab things from
Pinterest. It you can even just get on your
phone and save some images. Maybe there's some things that
come up that you love. Or if you want to go old school,
(22:38):
print some photos, print some quotes, maybe put some textures
on a board. I used to do them on a poster
board. Well the vision boards I did,
but you don't. My point is is you don't need to
overthink it. Just let it be yours.
Let it guide you and have fun with it.
(23:00):
See what it is that your vibe isthis month.
And of course, if you do create 1, you have to show it to me.
I mean, you don't have to show it publicly.
I would love for you to tag me on Instagram at Joyful Noel so I
can cheer you on and see what you're calling in this season
and we can light up the feed with all these joy filled energy
boards. But if you're like, I really
(23:23):
don't want the world to see this.
And of course, I will not share your names, but you can just
share it with me privately. And of course, if you're craving
more of this, if you want to explore joy and confidence and
your nervous system healing, if you want to do the identity work
and soulful growth in a space that's made for real women in
(23:45):
real life, come join us in the Glow Up School.
You guys. We are going to be doing this
mood board practice together every single month.
And we're not going to just be talking about growth.
We actually live it and it's designed to meet you where you
are, whether you're just beginning on your glow up
(24:05):
journey or stepping into your boldest chapter.
So I want to just encourage you go make something beautiful
today, even if it's just the beginning of a feeling.
And then, of course, if this episode sparked something in you
again, I would love to see you in the glow up school.
(24:27):
All right friends, well until next time, keep rising, keep
shining and know the best is right here waiting for you today
and I cannot wait to hear about or see some of those mood
boards. I hope this has inspired you
today to take flight and do something creative.
(24:48):
Have fun. If you have any questions, reach
out. And until next time by my
friends. Thanks for joining me here
today. Your presence means the world to
me. If you enjoyed what you heard,
please consider leaving a ratingand review.
And don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an
episode. Head to the show notes and let's
connect. Rise to Shine Co is ready to
(25:10):
support you in coaching, collaboration, light tips, or
even a coffee chat. Until next time, keep shining my
friends.
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