Journey toward Joy

Hi, I’m Lianne Joy.  Yes, its true that “Joy is my middle name”!  But I only started actively using it as I embraced the commitment to embody a richer, deeper, truer meaning of Joy beyond the outer shell and expectation of appearing that way.

A life that checked all the boxes

As an empath and someone who knew how to be a chameleon to meet the expectations & desires of others, I naturally excelled at conforming to the cultural norms throughout my life.   

As a child, I was that smiley “nice pretty girl” who got A grades and was voted “most cheerful” and “most school spirit” in my high school.   

I chose areas of study in college that conformed to my perception of family expectations & made logical resume-building sense, rather than the creative passions (dancing, writing, acting) I secretly fantasized about.

In my 20’s, I continued to easily excel and was rapidly promoted in the corporate world of Manhattan advertising (clients like Columbia House, AT&T & Citibank) and eventually in magazine publishing (eg Cosmopolitan).  

I also knew how to “work it” in my personal and dating life and my calendar was full of social outings, dates, glamorous parties, etc.

In my 30s, I got married and had a child.    

All the '“things” I was supposed to do.

I knew how to put my round peg in the square hole and was pretty damn good at it.

My life certainly looked good on paper. Seemingly “perfect”.

Any wonderings about genuine pleasure or more authentic ways to live or bigger ways to serve were squelched by guilt that I had first world problems and “should” be satisfied.

And as long as I continued to define happiness by how I appeared from the outside rather than how I truly felt from the inside, I was “happy”.    

Till I wasn’t.

The Call

Inside of my job success, there was a rebelliousness emerging.  I started to feel micro-managed and bullied by my job.  I hated being told where I had to be and when.   I didn’t like having my creative ideas squelched by a large bureaucracy. One could say I had “authority issues”.

I know now that the more accurate term for people like me is “entrepreneurial”.   

I was also having intense emotional experiences (crying in the ladies room at work almost daily; outrageous moodiness in my relationships, all-around dread) and physical symptoms (acne, debilitating anxiety attacks, a positive pap smear).

This was my body and soul screaming for me to pay attention.

These were some of the signs that were forcing me to see that I wasn’t living in full integrity with my soul’s purpose and personal values. It was time to graduate from this conditioned bubble and turn toward my soul’s true longings.

Once this intention was sparked, I started noticing positive signs and synchronicities around me, and I finally found the courage to listen and take action.   I resigned from my lucrative job, gave away almost everything I owned and hauled my adrenal-depleted ass to Santa Fe NM.

The relief I felt when I made this decision was indescribable.   And I still feel the tickle of adventure, aliveness and liberation to this very day.  No regrets.

Living Off The Page

I know first-hand what it’s like to live in that “good on paper” world and what it takes to unplug from that “reality” and make that courageous leap into the unknown.

What I have found on the other side is an overall sense of freedom, permission (self-granted!), flexibility, compassion (for myself and others) and authentic JOY.

• I went from a soul sucking corporate job to a flexible career where I make my own hours and live on purpose.

• I went from bending over backwards to make things work in my dating life to effortlessly attracting partners who see, respect and cherish the real me.

• I’ve transformed unfulfilling relationships to ones that honor my sovereignty and unique needs

• I went from performance-focused disassociated sex to mind-blowing, embodied & connected  sex.

• I went from being highly sensitive to criticism and self-deprecating to being resilient with a spacious compassionate inner voice and genuine self-esteem.

• I went from living a cookie-cutter life full of “shoulds” to a self-designed life full of passion and play

Inside of this awakening toward whole-hearted living I’ve had to excavate my shadow, get real with my emotions and sometimes make some inconvenient & unpopular choices.   I still do.

I’ve learned that this is the worthwhile cost of admission for a free and soulful life.

And the journey has been as exhilarating as the results thus far.  

Sure I have my days and I am certainly not perfect (My 14 year old reminds me daily!). Obviously life continues to give opportunities to practice and grow. My soul wouldn’t have it any other way. But after walking through the fire, my human self now has the capacities to keep doing so.

I have a creative, sensual, abundant life with genuine community that sees & loves me, a conscious connection to nature & the divine, consistent access to tools of self-care and truth-knowing that nobody can take away from me no matter what’s happening on the outside or in the world.  

I want this for others too.

Following The Breadcrumbs

There is no replacement for the rubber-meets-the-road trials and inner work that has shaped my heroine’s journey.  Every relationship, job and life experience has helped catalyze or hone my natural gifts as a space-holder, empath, relater, intuitive, and advisor.  And, as I’ve dipped my toe in many transformational waters, here are a few credentials I've also picked up along the way:

• MA in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Cultural Leadership

• Graduate Certificate in Creative Arts Therapy 

• Graduate Certificate in Human Sexuality

• Training in Somatica Method of Sex & Relationship Coaching 

• Advanced Shamanic Healing Practitioner trained through The Power Path and continuing apprenticeships

• Reiki 1, Reiki 2 and Master Reiki Attunements

• Associate Polarity Practitioner (energy healing) Certification

• Aromatic Alchemy Training

• Certified DansKinetics (dance/yoga based on chakras) Instructor

• Certified TranceDance Facilitator

• One of Joe Vitale's (aka "The Secret") ten Miracle Coaches mentoring clients worldwide on the law of attraction.

• 25+ years of Astrology study 

• 24+ years of participation in Shamanic Ceremonies

• 32+ years of Transcendental Meditation

I’m grateful for all these psychological, shamanic and life-skill credentials and how each contributed significant breadcrumbs on my labyrinthine path. It’s my calling and honor to share the synthesis of these tools and life experiences to help others find their own breadcrumbs and unique path.