Advertise on podcast: Transformative Journeys - to Growth and Resilience

Send us Fan Mail There’s some weirdly… deeply human… shit that starts happening in our brains, bodies, and nervous systems while we're waiting in uncertainty. Our brains are constantly trying to anticipate what's going to happen next. and most of the time, that's incredibly useful. It helps us to do many everyday tasks without even having to really think about them. But then... Something involving a level of uncertainty happens - and our brain wants to know, "what next?!"  And if there's no answer... we start predicting. Badly. Spectacularly badly. Here's a teaser from next week's full episode, where we'll be talking about that. Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys    🎵 Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail There’s emotional intelligence… And then there’s being so damn good at reading the room, anticipating everyone else’s reactions, adjusting your words, managing the tension, and keeping the peace that you start wondering: Wait… when did everyone else’s emotional state become my responsibility? In this episode we're digging into the sometimes-blurry line between emotional intelligence and emotional hyper-vigilance - and what happens when being perceptive, compassionate, and “good with people” quietly turns into walking on eggshells. Because recognizing someone else’s emotions is part of emotional intelligence. Automatically assuming it’s your job to fix them? That’s something else. We’ll explore why some of us become exceptionally good at scanning the emotional temperature of a room, how our nervous system can learn to associate conflict with threat, and why appeasing, adapting, and smoothing things over can sometimes look a whole lot like emotional intelligence from the outside. But this isn’t a “f**k everybody else’s feelings” conversation either. Emotional intelligence also means being willing to recognize when our own words or behaviour have contributed to someone else’s hurt - and having enough self-awareness to listen, take accountability, apologize, or repair when something genuinely belongs to us. The challenge is learning to tell the difference. Mentioned in this episode Brené Brown — Dare to Lead Johanna references Brown’s discussion of how emotions are experienced physically in our bodies — part of why we call them “feelings.” Melani Sanders Referenced for her gloriously blunt take on reaching the stage of life where some of our give-a-f***s appear to have left the building. Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys    🎵 Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail Are you really emotionally intelligent… or have you just become exceptionally good at monitoring everyone else’s emotions? Here’s a teaser for next week’s episode, where we’ll be questioning the line between reading the room and automatically assuming it’s our job to manage what everyone else is feeling. Because caring about someone’s emotions isn’t the same as taking ownership of them - and someone else’s discomfort doesn’t automatically mean we’ve done something wrong. 🎧 The full episode of Emotional Intelligence… When You’re Done Walking on Eggshells drops next Monday. Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys    Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail What if some of the things you believe about yourself aren’t actually facts? What if they’re conclusions you made years - or even decades - ago, based on experiences, circumstances, or something somebody said… and then quietly filed away as truth? In this episode of Transformative Journeys, I’m building on our last conversation about discomfort, predictive processing, and our brain’s tendency to mistake unfamiliar for unsafe. Because if our brains use past experiences to predict what might happen next, there’s another question worth asking: How accurate are the files they’re using? Human memory isn’t a perfect recording of what happened. Memories can be reconstructed, updated and reshaped over time. Details fade. Meaning changes. And sometimes a complicated experience gets reduced to one simple conclusion about who we are. For me, one of those conclusions began with four words from my dad when I was a teenager: “You never finish anything.” I carried that sentence for more than forty years. And while writing this episode, I started looking at the evidence I had quietly edited out of that story - including all the things I had finished, the things I had consistently shown up for, the opportunities I hadn't been able to pursue, and the circumstances surrounding the things I eventually stopped doing. We’ll explore how repeated thoughts and experiences can reinforce familiar patterns through Hebbian learning, why the past can sometimes look better in the rear-view mirror through rosy retrospection, and why our brains may choose known discomfort over the uncertainty of something new. I also share another sentence from my past that became much bigger in my mind than the words that were actually spoken - and how sometimes we don’t just edit the memory. We edit ourselves because of what we decided the memory meant. This isn’t about blaming the people in our past. It isn’t about blaming ourselves. And it definitely isn’t about blowing up our lives because a podcast told us our memories might be unreliable. It’s about curiosity. About reopening an old file and looking at all the evidence — including the evidence that may never have made it into the folder. So maybe the question isn’t: “Is the story I’ve been telling myself wrong?” Maybe it’s simply: “Is it actually complete?” Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys

Send us Fan Mail What if something you’ve believed about yourself for years isn’t actually the whole story? Our memories aren’t perfect recordings. What if they’re sometimes reconstructed - edited, updated, and can be influenced by what we’ve learned and experienced since. So what happens when our brains use those imperfect files to help predict what we should do next? In the next episode of Transformative Journeys, I’m opening a couple of my own old files - including one I’ve been carrying for more than 40 years - and asking a surprisingly uncomfortable question: What evidence about ourselves might we be ignoring because it doesn’t match the story we’ve already filed? The full episode drops Monday.   Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys    Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt your heart racing before a presentation... talked yourself out of applying for a job... avoided a difficult conversation... or convinced yourself that feeling uncomfortable meant you probably shouldn't do something? What if your discomfort isn't always trying to stop you... What if it's trying to introduce you to something new? In this episode of Transformative Journeys, we're exploring why our brains are hardwired to avoid uncertainty, how our nervous system can mistake unfamiliar experiences for danger, and why understanding what's happening inside our heads can completely change the way we approach fear, growth, and change. Along the way, you'll meet my newest attic-dwelling friend... Hyper-vigilance Harry - a tiny, wildly over-protective hedgehog who just happens to live in my amygdala and still thinks we're trying to avoid sabre-toothed tigers. We'll also wander down a fascinating neuroscience rabbit hole into predictive processing, explore why excitement and anxiety often feel almost identical in our bodies, and talk about why some of the biggest transformations in our lives begin with one surprisingly familiar feeling: Discomfort. If you've ever wondered whether your brain has been putting a grizzly bear costume on a perfectly harmless bunny rabbit... This conversation is for you. Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys    Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail What if that racing heart, those butterflies, or that sudden urge to back away aren't always telling you to STOP? Sometimes our brains are remarkably good at mistaking unfamiliar for unsafe - setting off the fire alarm when someone has simply burned the toast. Next Monday, we're talking about comfort zones, predictive processing, why our brains sometimes react so strongly to doing something different… and one tiny, overprotective hedgehog named Hyper-vigilance Harry, whose software is approximately 200,000 years out of date. 🎧 Full episode drops next Monday. Maybe discomfort isn't always a stop sign. Maybe sometimes… it's worth getting curious about what the message actually means.

Send us Fan Mail We spend so much time chasing perfection... but have you ever stopped to wonder why? In this episode, Johanna explores the strange paradox of perfection, why our brains compare us to people we don't even know, and how ancient survival instincts still influence the way we see ourselves today. From anthropology and neuroscience to social media, Kintsugi, and the stories we quietly tell ourselves in the mirror, this conversation isn't about pretending every flaw is beautiful. It's about becoming curious enough to question the labels we've been carrying around for years. Because maybe the greatest flaw isn't our imperfections... Maybe it's how we've learned to see them.  Mentioned in this episode      •Episode: The Comparison Trap       •Japanese art of Kintsugi       •Ancient belonging, anthropology, and the neuroscience of comparison  Connect with me 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca/  📸 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/transformativejourneys.johanna/  🎥 Enhanced video version:  https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys  ☕ Support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys  🎵 Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail What if the flaw… isn't actually the flaw? We know social media is curated. We know we're seeing carefully selected pieces of other people's lives. And yet, before we even realize it's happening, our brains start keeping score. So why do we still compare ourselves? And what about all those labels we've quietly attached to ourselves over the years? Too loud. Too quiet. Too emotional. Too much. Not successful enough. Not attractive enough. Not enough. In the next episode of Transformative Journeys, we're taking a more critical look at comparison, perfection, and the things we've learned to call "flaws." Because maybe the greatest flaw isn't our imperfections. Maybe it's the story we've been telling ourselves about them. 🎧 Perfect Is a Terrible Place to Live: The Paradox of Perfection — coming Monday.

Send us Fan Mail What if the person you've spent years criticizing... deserves a fair trial instead? We all carry things from our past that occasionally wander into our minds at 2 a.m. Decisions we wish we'd made differently. Relationships that ended badly. Opportunities we didn't take. Words we wish we could take back. But what if the biggest burden isn't what happened? What if it's the story we've continued telling ourselves about what happened? In this episode, Johanna explores the difference between regret, remorse, and shame - and why confusing the three can keep us trapped in years (or decades) of unnecessary self-punishment. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience, she explains why hindsight bias convinces us we "should have known better," how shame rewrites our personal history, and why many of the emotional "refrigerator boxes" we've been carrying around are actually little more than ring-box-sized lessons wrapped in years of self-criticism. This isn't about pretending everything happens for a reason. It isn't about excusing harmful choices. And it certainly isn't about pretending life's "sh*t sandwiches" are actually cake. It's about telling the whole story. Keeping the lesson. Throwing away shame's inaccurate meeting minutes. And writing a love letter to the version of yourself who survived long enough to become who you are today. In this episode: The important difference between regret, remorse, and shame Why shame grows when we keep feeding it The neuroscience of hindsight bias ("I knew it all along") Why our brains rewrite history - and how to challenge that narrative Accountability vs. accepting responsibility for the whole highway Why self-compassion doesn't let us off the hook - it tells the whole story How to shrink emotional "refrigerator boxes" back into ring boxes A practical exercise to begin starving your own demons Free Resources Looking for practical tools to support your own journey? Visit Transformative Journeys for free resilience resources, grief supports, and practical tools to help you navigate life's messier moments. 💜 Essential Resilience Toolkit 💜 Bounce Back Blueprint 💜 Mindfulness Anywhere Toolkit 💜 Essential Grief Toolkit 💜 Insights for Navigating Grief If you'd like to help support the podcast and keep these resources free, you can also buy me a virtual coffee (or contribute to the duct tape fund 😄). ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys  ⚠️ Disclaimer I'm not a therapist, psychologist, or counsellor. I'm simply someone who's spent a lifetime learning through lived experience, a great deal of reading, and many years at the School of Hard Knocks. Everything I share here is intended to educate, encourage reflection, and offer practical tools - not replace professional support when it's needed. Come say hi! Website:  https://www.transformativejourneys.ca YouTube (enhanced podcast episodes): http://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys-Johanna  Podcast music:  "Back Roads" by Will Harrison Licensed through Epidemic Sound.

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever looked back at an earlier version of yourself and wondered, "What was I thinking?" Next week on Transformative Journeys, we're exploring the difference between regret, remorse, and shame - and why our brains are so good at putting our younger selves on trial using information they couldn't possibly have had. We'll also talk about hindsight bias, emotional "refrigerator boxes," the return of the Qualifications Gremlin... and somehow, a shit sandwich. Join me next Monday for a conversation about self-compassion, the stories we tell ourselves, and why maybe it's time to stop feeding the demons.

Send us Fan Mail When I started this podcast, I thought I was creating a space to talk about resilience. I imagined conversations about grief, rebuilding after trauma, boundaries, mindfulness, and the tools that had helped me navigate some of the hardest seasons of my life. What I didn't expect… was that creating the podcast would quietly begin changing me. In this milestone 50th episode - and the launch of Season Two - I take a step back to reflect on the unexpected journey of becoming that has happened alongside the podcast itself. We explore: Why resilience turned out to be a much bigger 'story' than I originally imagined. The episodes I almost didn't publish - and why. Living with Imposter Phenomenon while talking about Imposter Phenomenon. What grief taught me twenty years after losing my son. Why curiosity became one of the most important tools in my own growth. The surprising moment I realized I had quietly become "a podcaster." Why I think we've got the idea of "finding ourselves" completely backwards. How our identity often catches up with our reality long after our lives have already changed. This isn't really an episode about podcasting. It's about permission. Permission to grow. Permission to change. Permission to stop waiting for someone else to tell you that you've earned the right to become who you're already becoming. Because maybe growth isn't about finding yourself at all. Maybe it's about uncovering parts of yourself that have been there all along. If you've been listening since Episode 1 - thank you for taking this journey with me. If this is your first episode... Welcome. I'm really glad you're here. Resources Mentioned 🌐 Website:  https://transformativejourneys.ca 📺 Enhanced video version on YouTube:  Transformative Journeys with Johanna 📷 Instagram:  @transformativejourneys.johanna ☕ If you'd like to help support the podcast:  https://buymeacoffee.com/transformativejourneys 🧰 Free Resources available on my website: Bounce Back Blueprint Essential Resilience Toolkit Mindfulness Anywhere Toolkit Essential Grief Toolkit Insights for Navigating Grief Podcast music: "Back Roads" by Will Harrison, licensed through Epidemic Sound. Transformative Journeys to Growth and Resilience™ © Johanna LeRoux

Send us Fan Mail When I first imagined Episode 50, I thought I'd be celebrating a milestone. Instead, I found myself writing about something completely different. Somewhere along the journey of creating this podcast, something unexpected happened... while I was busy making it, it was quietly changing me too. In this teaser, I'm giving you a glimpse of next week's conversation about identity, curiosity, imposter syndrome, the episodes I almost didn't publish, why I think "finding yourself" is complete and utter bullsh*t... and how some of the biggest changes in our lives happen so gradually that we don't notice them until we're looking in the rearview mirror. Pull up a chair with me on Monday for Episode 50: I Thought I Was Just Starting a Podcast... Because sometimes the most meaningful journeys aren't just about what we create... They're about who we become along the way.

Send us Fan Mail A year ago, I thought I was making a podcast about resilience. Turns out... I was making something quite different. Somewhere between the stories, the neuroscience, the laughter, and my own curiosity about why we humans do the things we do, Transformative Journeys quietly became a place to make sense of life's messier moments together. If you're looking for perfect answers or "10 Steps to a Better You"... I'm probably not your person. But if you enjoy thoughtful conversations, honest stories, practical psychology, a little neuroscience, and the occasional not-so-PG sentence... you might just feel at home here. Season Two is a continuation of the journey - but it's also a clearer reflection of what this podcast has become. So grab a coffee. Pull up a chair. I'm really glad you're here.

Send us Fan Mail What if the most important journey you'll ever take isn't about reaching a destination... but about becoming someone you never imagined you could be? As I wrap up the first season of Transformative Journeys, I wanted to do something a little different. Rather than simply replaying favourite episodes, I've woven together four conversations that tell a much bigger story - a story about courage, self-trust, questioning old narratives, and allowing ourselves to grow into new versions of who we are. Together, we'll revisit:    • What it means to take chances before we feel ready.    • Why the stories we've inherited about ourselves deserve to be questioned.    • The uncomfortable, often messy process of unlearning old beliefs.    • And why growth isn't about becoming perfect - it's about allowing ourselves to become. This isn't a "greatest hits" episode. It's a guided tour through the ideas that quietly shaped not only this first season of the podcast... but me as well. If you've listened since Episode One, I hope you'll hear these conversations in a new way. And if you're joining me for the first time, I can't think of a better place to begin. Because the climb isn't really about reaching the summit. It's about who we become along the way. In This Episode You'll discover: Why courage usually comes after we begin - not before. How childhood curiosity slowly becomes adult self-doubt. The hidden power of questioning old stories and limiting beliefs. Why insight alone doesn't create change. The role discomfort plays in meaningful personal growth. How repeated small choices gradually shape who we become. Resources Mentioned Throughout this compilation, we revisit conversations from earlier episodes, including: Taking Chances Rewriting the Stories You Were Told The Art of Unlearning Exposure Therapy in Real Time If this episode resonated... If today's conversation encouraged you to look at your own story a little differently, I'd love it if you would: ⭐ Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. ⭐ Share it with someone who's learning to trust themselves a little more. ⭐ Leave a rating or review—it really helps more people discover these conversations. You can also find me at: 🌐 www.transformativejourneys.ca 📸 Instagram: @transformativejourneys.johanna 🎶 Music: “Back Roads” by Will Harrison, via Epidemic Sound. Disclaimer:  Johanna is not a therapist, psychologist, or medical professional. She is a public health professional, volunteer, speaker, and human being sharing personal experiences, lessons learned, and evidence-informed insights. Please seek qualified professional support when needed.