What if the highest tax you’re paying isn’t financial — but personal? In this episode of Finding Your Joy Spot, Leona introduces the concept of the Integrity Tax: the hidden cost of saying yes when you want to say no, of staying small when you’re called to more, and of silencing your truth.

Drawing on personal stories, Brené Brown’s research on resentment, and Gabor Maté’s insights on health, Leona unpacks how integrity tax accrues quietly — and what it takes to stop paying it.

You’ll discover:

-How integrity shows up through clarity, confidence, and courage.
-The real costs of living out of alignment.
-Practical prompts to help you audit your life and realign with your truth.

Because integrity isn’t about perfection — it’s about alignment. And the more aligned you are, the less you owe.

Please stay connected with Leona, sign up for my weekly emails https://leonadevinne.com/subscribe

Free reflection & resources:

Values Finding Tool: https://leonadevinne.kit.com/keynote

Blog post https://leonadevinne.com/personal-growth/the-integrity-tax/

Just Own You Retreat (Oct 18): https://leonadevinne.com/events/

Self-Compassion Meditation: https://share.transistor.fm/s/504a9ea9

Looking for more Quiet Space? Join The Womb —a monthly reflection circle, Sept 14 at 1 pm MT, a camera-off, no sharing space, simply a time to relax, reflect, reset: https://leonadevinne.kit.com/f7d99ccdac

🎙️ Subscribe to Finding Your Joy Spot on YouTube and your favourite podcast platform for more conversations on clarity, confidence, courage, and joy.

Bury Doubt Before It Buries You

Episode Summary

Doubt has a way of slipping in quietly, convincing you that you’re not ready, not enough, or not the right person for the job. And when we believe it, we start living smaller—bit by bit—until we’re only bringing a fraction of ourselves into the world.

In this episode of Finding Your Joy Spot, Leona shares how she confronted her own self-doubt—literally burying it in her backyard—and why this simple ritual can help you reclaim your voice and power. She dives into how doubt keeps you from living the essence of JOY (Just Own You), what science says about using your own name to shift your inner dialogue, and how intentional action sends a powerful message to your brain that things have changed.

You’ll walk away with a set of powerful journal prompts, a guided reflection to help you rewrite your doubts into truth, and a tangible ritual you can use any time those old voices start to creep back in.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Doubt is one of the most effective jailers of your true self.

  
  

• The role of distanced self-talk (from Ethan Kross’s Chatter) in quieting mental chatter.

  
  

• How small rituals can create big shifts in your mindset.

  
  

• The JOY framework—Just Own You—and why doubt is its biggest obstacle.

  
  

• Seven journal prompts to uncover, challenge, and release your doubts.

Links & Resources Mentioned
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross
Jefferson Fisher Podcast featuring Damon West https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/podcast/damon-west-communication

Connect with Leona

Instagram: @thejoyspot
Website: leonadevinne.com
Get the Book: Finding Your Joy Spot https://www.amazon.ca/Finding-Your-Joy-Spot-Unexpected/dp/0991707583

Join the Finding Your Joy Spot newsletter https://leonadevinne.com/subscribe

Finding Your Joy Spot - Episode: When Finding Your Voice Requires a Shovel

Episode Summary

In this episode, Leona explores why women often silence themselves, play small, or soften their edges in both personal and professional settings. Drawing from evolutionary psychology and her own Lioness Project research, she discusses how our ancient brain wiring still impacts how we show up today—and what we can do about it.

Leona shares practical reflection exercises to help listeners excavate old patterns, heal childhood wounds, and step into their full power with courage and compassion.

Key Topics Discussed

• Why women experience safety differently and how it impacts our behaviour
• The evolutionary wiring that keeps us playing small
• The difference between "pushing through" and doing the deeper excavating work
• How childhood experiences shape our adult patterns
• Practical exercises for healing and integration using Internal Family Systems principles
• Finding joy in courageous acts and making courage contagious

Reflection Exercises

Take these at your own pace—one a day, one a week, or all at once with strong coffee:

1. Stream of consciousness writing: How did a difficult childhood situation impact you? Write for 2-5 minutes without stopping.
2. Pattern recognition: What has that situation imprinted on you? How does it impact you now?
3. Inner child work: Go back to that situation and comfort your younger self. Write from their voice—let them express their fear, sadness, or devastation.
4. Compassionate acknowledgment: How has that moment shaped you? Write a compassionate note to that part of yourself.
5. Strategy awareness: What did you learn from that pattern? What strategies did you develop to avoid feeling that way again?
6. Integration: Welcome your younger self in. Remind them they don't need to keep you small anymore.
7. Honouring: Ask how that younger part wants to be honoured—through play, creativity, or simple pleasures.

Resources Mentioned

Internal Family Systems Research:
IFS Institute

The Lioness Project:
www.thelionessproject.com

Connect with Leona

Website: www.leonadevinne.com

Email: leona@leonadevinne.com

Instagram: @thejoyspot

Facebook: @thejoyspot

Subscribe & Share

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe to Finding Your Joy Spot wherever you listen to podcasts. Share it with someone who might need to hear this message—remember, courage is contagious, and joy shared is always joy squared!

Quote of the Episode

"The digging is about cultivating the soil of our hearts and lives to make room for our truth to grow. And when one has the courage to do that, there's often a spot of joy in those courageous acts."