Hey Friends

Have you ever wanted to do something, but fear kept you pushing it back...and back...and back, until what was once a little worry had grown ten feet tall?

For me, that was podcasting—and anything that might involve the slightest bit of editing or talking on camera. What makes this super strange is that I majored in Mass Communications at LSU, where I also hosted, produced, and edited campus television shows...from 1999-2001.

That timeframe was the problem. Technology looks A LOT different now. Tools have changed, platforms multiplied, and the fact that my sweet young nieces can do this stuff in their sleep made it all the more terrifying.

The story I told myself was that as long as I didn't try, I never had to know how 'bad' I was at it, or how much I'd forgotten.

I internalized the belief I was a failure before I even pressed record.

Here's what I'm learning, though...I don't expect perfection out of people, and the people that matter won't expect it from me.

As for technology? It's actually gotten easier in the last 25 years. And the bits I still have to learn, well, the quirks and missteps in life make us relatable, right?

For the record: I recorded the trailer for The Joyful Rebel Podcast 4 times...3 of them with the microphone facing the wrong direction. Recording number 4, however, came out pretty decent. I'm proud of myself.

👈🏻Even if my platform's AI keeps punking me by only pulling the Most Ridiculous still shots for promotion. Ah, yes. Photos like this one will really bring in the listeners and viewers, yes?? 😂

In this note:

• Sticky note reminders & creative inspiration
• Yummy indulgences & funny doppelgängers
• Messy starts, helpful tools, & a special gift below

This Week's Joy Sparks

• Giving me life...

As a woman who has worn the label "Extra" with pride, it has been a revelation how life-giving it can be to sit—or go for a walk—and simply be.

Not overthink everything happened yesterday...or plan every moment of tomorrow...but pause, focus on my breathing, and listen inward. I'm a work-in-progress, so I do have a Sticky Note with the word PAUSE as a reminder, but I've never regretted a single instance of taking a break to sink into the moment and be present. It helps me see beauty and feel gratitude daily.

• Making me say "oh wow"...

I've been OBSESSED with Ted talks lately. There are so many good ones, but as a former fangirl of Ethan Hawke, my teenage heart particularly loved this one he gave on creativity. And while this isn't a Ted Talk, I love this one on the importance of boredom by Arthur C. Brooks.

• Making me happy dance...

I call myself a Texan, and I love living in Houston, but y'all, I will ALWAYS be a New Orleans girl, so it's no surprise my favorite lip balm celebrates everything about my hometown. Fleurty Girl is a local chain of stores back home, and along with so many other fun and awesome things, they have the most delicious smelling lip balms! Warm beignet is my favorite, followed closely by Praline, but my daughters love Ponchatoula Strawberry, too. Seriously? I don't think it's possible to go wrong.

Not sponsored. Just delightful.

What I'm Learning Lately...

Confidence and courage are both created and strengthened in the small, quiet, everyday choices we make.

The more I practice what I've learned—what I continue to learn as I share tools with clients, and talk about things on my podcast and in my writing—the more I realize we never "arrive" at this place where we're all good, you know? No more growth needed. Got that on lock ;)

That's why I love having tools. Whenever I'm tempted to slip into old habits and patterns, having internal resources give me something to grab onto in the moment.

Here's one I call The Whisper Check.

When I'm in a situation where I need to identify true courage vs a fear-based action, I ask myself:

"Does this choice feel like pressure—or permission?"

Fear shouts. Courage whispers. Alignment frees.

A Sprinkle of Heartwork

After I figured out the microphone problem with the podcast trailer, I was so excited that I sat down and recorded several episodes over the next few days. I felt so alive and buzzing on adrenaline because I finally did the thing I'd been fearing.

So, Sweet Sister, I thought I'd invite you to consider asking yourself the following question—in a journal, in your thoughts, in a reply to this email:

What's one thing I've been postponing, not because I don't want it...but because I'm afraid of how I'll feel if I try?

Real talk? Fear has kept me from a lot in my life, although I did an excellent job of hiding that from myself by reframing it as wisdom or distracting myself with other things. But I've been afraid of failure. Afraid of not failing and then having to make a bigger choice on the other end of success. Afraid of feeling awkward, exposed, rusty, judged, other. Afraid of proving an old story true.

These days, I use my power of reframing for good, flipping ideas I've held for years on their heads. An example of that is another question I'd like to invite you to consider, an idea I've discovered to be true in my life:

What if courage doesn't come before the trying—

What if it's created by the trying?

No action needed. No big leaps or three-step plans required. Just notice what comes up. Awareness is where courage usually sneaks in first.

Real Life, Unfiltered

We've been binging New Girl lately. Somehow, I'm the only one in my family who hasn't seen every single episode. Y'all, the amount of times I've looked over at my husband to find him already smirking at me after Jessica Day does or says something is almost as funny as the show itself. She is 100% my spirit-television-character.

Also, I've decided to run with the AI punking me—and my natural flair for making the silliest of faces and verbal reactions to filming mistakes—by sharing them each week. Because life is just too short not to laugh, right?

Permission Slips & Radiance Statements -

On my podcast, I like to end each show with a string of Permission Slips—not because you need permission, but as a reminder that you already have it. I thought I'd include the same here, along with an exclusive Radiance Statement, which is my take on affirmations. I hope they bless you this week.

You're allowed to begin before you feel ready.

You're allowed to fail forward, to practice imperfection—and find joy doing it.

You're allowed to let joy be visible—not managed

and You're allowed to learn in public, to be new at something, and allowed to do things messy.

I Have the Courage to be Unique.

P.S. - If you have a couple minutes, the trailer for The Joyful Rebel Podcast is up on YouTube (and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts).

Also, as a special thank you for joining me on this journey, and being here at the beginning of this new chapter, I'm including a small gift just for you—a short inventory to help you notice the stories you may be living inside without realizing it: The Hidden Stories Inventory - Rachel Harris.pdf

With Joy,

Rachel