Journey toward Joy
Hi, I’m Lianne Joy. Yes, it’s true — Joy is my middle name. But I only started actively using it once I committed to embodying a richer, deeper, truer meaning of joy beyond the 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 and desires of others, I naturally excelled at conforming to 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 high school.
I chose areas of study in college that conformed to my perception of family expectations and made logical résumé-building sense, rather than the creative passions (dancing, writing, acting) I secretly fantasized about.
In my twenties, I continued to easily excel and was rapidly promoted in the corporate world of Manhattan advertising (clients like Columbia House, AT&T, and Citibank), and eventually in magazine publishing (e.g., 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, and the like.
In my thirties, 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 I was pretty damn good at it.
My life certainly looked good on paper. Seemingly perfect.
Any wonderings about genuine pleasure, 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 on the inside, I was “happy.”
Until I wasn’t.
If any part of that story feels familiar — the sense that life looks good on paper but something deeper inside you is restless or unsatisfied — you’re not alone.
The Call
Inside of my job success, a rebelliousness was emerging.
I started to feel micromanaged 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, and a positive pap smear).
This was my body and soul screaming for me to pay attention.
These were some of the signs 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, New Mexico.
The relief I felt when I made that 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 firsthand what it’s like to live in that “good on paper” world — and what it takes to unplug from that reality and make the 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 into ones that honor my sovereignty and unique needs.
• I went from performance-focused dissociated sex to mind-blowing, embodied, and 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 wholehearted living, I’ve had to excavate my shadow, get real with my emotions, and sometimes make inconvenient and 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 teenage son reminds me daily!).
Life continues to provide 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 capacity to keep doing so.
I have a creative, sensual, abundant life with genuine community that sees and loves me, a conscious connection to nature and the divine, and consistent access to tools of self-care and truth-knowing that nobody can take away from me — no matter what is happening on the outside or in the world.
I want this for others, too.
Today, my work is about helping people reconnect with their bodies, their truth, their pleasure, and the unique path their soul is asking them to live.
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.
28+ years of Astrology study
27+ years of participation in Shamanic Ceremonies
32+ years of Transcendental Meditation
I’m grateful for all of these psychological, shamanic, and life-skill trainings, and for how each contributed breadcrumbs along my labyrinthine path.
It’s my calling and honor to share the synthesis of these tools and experiences to help others discover their own breadcrumbs — and their own unique path.
If you feel the call to live more honestly, more fully, and more joyfully, I would be honored to walk alongside you for part of that journey.
