Magnetic Microdose: When Life Lets You Be the Mirror for Someone Else

“If it’s a HAVE TO, it’s from the ego.”That line became the thread for a conversation about judgment, self-permission, and those moments when we realize how often we minimize what we really want.In this short episode, Lena shares:How growing up being called “too much” can make us shrink our desires.Why the have to’s and shoulds are rarely your true voice.How one honest text exchange turned into a reminder that your desires aren’t wrong—your conditioning just made them feel that way.And a story from her life: a moment of unexpected connection during a breast-biopsy procedure, when two women realized they were both living the same truth—just at different times.You’ll leave this microdose reflecting on two things:When have you lived through something hard, only to meet someone later who’s going through the same thing—and realized you were meant to be their mirror?Where are you still saying “I have to” or “I should,” when the real answer is simply “I want to” or “I don’t”?Because your soul never speaks in have to’s.It speaks in truth.Get all the goodness over at home base: trustinjoy.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

In this Magnetic Microdose, Lena shares a truth most mothers won’t say out loud: the kind of overgiving that looks like love. The kind wrapped in protection, in attunement, in being the safe parent—until it quietly erases you.She explores how guilt disguises itself as responsibility, why boundaries with our children can feel harder than any other kind, and the moment she realized she was still putting her kids first to her own detriment.This is for every woman learning that boundaries aren’t abandonment—they’re safety, clarity, and love.Listen if you’re ready to:* Release the guilt that comes with choosing yourself* Redefine what it means to be a “good mom”* Remember that self-honoring is love, too This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

In this Magnetic Microdose, I’m exploring the subtle—but powerful—ways our environments speak to us. From a tense tennis lesson to the energy in three different grocery stores, I share how each space, conversation, and interaction gave my body clues long before my mind could name them.This episode is a gentle invitation to notice how you feel—on your walks, in your errands, in your texts, in the silence. Because even when the big things feel out of your control, you still get to choose what supports your nervous system. You still get to choose you.Let this be a reminder:Your feelings are data. Your body is the compass. Your environment matters. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

We hesitate to love because we know it won’t last. The puppy that grows old, the friendship that shifts, the romance that fades, the people we lose. But focusing on the ending erases all the joy in the living. In this week’s Magnetic Microdose, I reflect on why the length of love isn’t what matters — it’s the fact that we got to feel it at all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

We think joy should feel simple: hobbies that light us up, people who make us laugh, experiences that bring ease. And sometimes it does. But the deeper truth? Real joy often feels risky. It asks us to step into the unknown, to trust what feels too big or too good. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

Some people won’t be happy for you.You’ll feel it in their words, their tone, or the silence where support should be.Lately I found myself shrugging it off with one word: unfortunate. At first it felt like acceptance. But on a walk, I realized that word was carrying something heavier: grief.In this Magnetic Microdose, I share how I’m shifting from brushing things off to actually feeling them — because you can’t heal what you don’t feel.So when people can’t celebrate you, here’s what to do instead.✨ What word have you been using that might actually be holding more emotion than you realized?Catch more like this here: trustinjoy.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

What started as a quiet sunrise on the beach in Waikīkī turned into an encounter I didn’t expect. A man on a two-day bender plopped down beside me and began unloading all his trauma — and it was clear he wasn’t going to stop.Just when I felt stuck, I mouthed "help me" to a woman nearby. Without hesitation, she jumped in with a simple request — “Can you take my picture?” — and that changed everything. What followed was a genuine conversation, a safe walk back, and a reminder of something powerful: the girl code.This episode is about women choosing to look out for each other, even when they don’t have to. It’s about connection, solidarity, and the unspoken ways we keep each other safe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

In this magnetic microdose, I share the idea that no one is truly self-made. Behind every story of transformation, there’s always one person whose belief, support, or opportunity made the difference.From Walt Disney’s brother Roy, to Sam Walton’s father-in-law, to Albert Einstein’s mentor Max Talmud — each story reveals how a single relationship can shift the entire course of a life.This episode is an invitation to reflect: Who has been that one person in your life? And how might you be that person for someone else?A reminder that one person can change everything.Get in, where you fit in, come say HI here: trustinjoy.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

Dining alone can be intimidating. Hearing my friend's delicious solo dinner experiences at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse, brought me back to saying YES to booking a table for one at a groovy farm to table hotel restaurant.The juicy details on where I went will be shared next week with all you stylish, smart, good energy subscribers. 🌄trustinjoy.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever wanted something for years, only to hesitate when it’s finally within reach? In this episode, I share the story of almost talking myself out of a trip I’d dreamed of—until I saw a card from my late friend. “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”It was the reminder I needed: you can keep finding reasons to wait, or you can say yes to desire and see what unfolds.This is a story about hesitation, courage, and the unexpected joy that comes from choosing yourself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit trustinjoy.substack.com/subscribe