Have you, like me, found yourself saying a lot recently: “I can’t wait!”? Whether this statement comes from a place of wonderful excitement or a really tough moment of frustration, the reality of and pace of life often leaves us in seasons of waiting. It’s inevitable! In this episode, I'm chatting about how taking the ACTION of hoping, you can create a MINDSET of greater joy and peace. If you find yourself currently waiting for something, tune in to learn why waiting well is less about the thing you’re waiting for and more about what happens in you and in your relationship with God and with others in the process.  Tune in to this episode to ensure you don’t miss the treasure right where you are. Don’t miss the joy in the waiting. www.mattiejackson.net  

Do you feel like you’re floundering in the wake of a hard loss? Or are you crushing it, thriving by cultural metrics, and yet don’t feel happy? Well, we have just the counselor for you! And I do mean licensed professional counselor, writer, and podcaster, Laura Williams.  Laura’s practice specializes in developmental and relational trauma (yes, we will learn what that means here), and her ultimate goal with all her clients and listeners is: “to help you heal the wounds that keep you from yourself.” Heck. Yes. We talk about the things that most often keep us from freedom as adults, and she offers clinical, spiritual, and incredibly practical strategies to find and begin processing our trauma points. Some key takeaways from Laura: Everyone has trauma; it’s simply “a place of wounding where a need wasn’t met.” You have the power to “reparent” yourself through the childhood wounds that limit you as an adult. How connecting back with the little kid in you (your “inner child”) can be the most practical and doable way to chase small joys! Humor is a critical element of enduring hardship and chasing joy in grief. (LOVE THIS) The bottom line is: the you God individually and purposefully made you to be has likely gotten masked by a lifetime of experiences, traumatic or not. Laura’s passion is to help you dig up and dust off the best (i.e. most free and most joyful!) parts of yourself that life has covered up. Because don’t you want to re-meet the little you God has always intended adult you to be? Follow Laura here:  https://www.instagram.com/laurawilliamslpc/ For full notes visit:  https://www.mattiejackson.net/in-joy-life

At some (well, unfortunately, many points) in life, we all hit a roadblock, a dead end, or maybe have the rug of a really good thing pulled out from under us. Seasons end, relationships break, or for whatever reason, plans must change.   This week’s guest has struggled through, faced head on, and finally embraced what she calls, “the art of the pivot.”   Mary Hollis Huddleston has been forced to pivot both professionally (as an entrepreneur, influencer, and author) and personally (as a full-time working mom of 2) at many points in her life. And according to her, when we have the courage and tools and faith to be flexible with our future, God often steps in with even better plans than we had planned for ourselves.   What Mary teaches us: Why the art of the pivot can yield fruit from failure. Balance is not actually attainable; prioritizing well is. Adult friendships are a necessity for joy and flourishing (especially for women). Bonus! Great inside tips on stress-free hosting/entertaining.   The bottom line is, Mary actually does do it all. With a hugely successful event rental business, entertaining Instagram platform, her second novel on the way, and a hubby and two kids at home, even she reminds us: “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at the same time.”   Her energy is inspiring, her fervor for life contagious, and her why-not-try attitude has brought her huge success across the event industry and beyond.   But how did all this purpose and these projects come to be? By embracing the art of the pivot.   Keep up with Mary: @mrssouthernsocial (link https://www.instagram.com/mrssouthernsocial/) Please Be Seated (link https://pleasebeseated.com/)  Books (link https://mrssouthernsocial.com/without-a-hitch-coming-dec-2021/)

A question I’ve been asking a lot lately is not just how can I seek after joy, but also what are some everyday enemies of it?  And one of these enemies I’ve been thinking, reading, and talking a lot about recently is: hurry. If you’re honest, when is the last time you went through an entire week or day without feeling hurried or rushed? And is this crazed pace of life you’re living, the chronic hurriedness of your heart, stealing your joy?  Tune in to this episode as I dive into: How to lessen hurry and to experience more joy, The unusual word of the year I chose - and why it's harder than I thought it'd be, and Intentional steps I'm taking to become more present everyday What if joy is somewhere right in front of you? Don’t you want to savor it too? For full notes, head to: www.mattiejackson.net

Sometimes as we see news, social media, shoot, just life being life -- joy feels impossible, at best, and maybe even inconsiderate, at worst. How can I continue on hoping and happy when so much evil and loss and heartbreak is happening around me or to me? Scott Sauls, senior pastor of my church here in Nashville, has faced his share of personal hurts and regrets (the opening words to his latest book are him saying, “You suck,” to himself). He’s walked through his own suffering with anxiety and depression as well as pastored his congregation, family, and friends for nearly 3 decades.The good news Scott has to offer? Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen – the title of his latest book. His whole message to readers and listeners is, as its subtitle reads, how God redeems regret, hurt, and fear in the making of better humans. The bad stuff that happens is always raw material for God to bring forth the best stuff in us, if we let him.Some key points from Scott: Why gentleness in conflict speaks pretty loudly these days. How shame and regret can bring us into richer relationship with God. The power of beholding and abiding. How to live fully in a tragic place. Part of why I love Scott is he’s not afraid to tell the truth about all that sucks in this life. But that honest lament is always followed by joyful defiance, inexhaustible hope, and the reminder that our best days are never behind us; they’re always ahead of us. Follow Scott here: https://www.instagram.com/scottsauls/