To be honest, when the idea first came knocking at my door I said no.

Well, I said “not now”.

I felt like I was getting distracted again. I felt like the little kid inside of me just wanted to go an “play” and so the big kid said “go do your work first”.

It wasn’t until one day when the idea tapped again – louder, harder, more persistently – I realised it was precisely the work I must do. It was precisely the point. Because when I give the little kid inside of me the reigns actually everything in my life feels a whole lot more FUN, joyful, and it even flows more easefully.

So I said yes.

Because I wanted to.

Not because I should. Or it was the right thing for business.

Just because I wanted to.

And because I knew that the message mattered. That the conversation mattered. That when I even thought about the idea my heart started racing. That when I started to talk about it out loud I got emotional and wanted to cry.

Tears of relief. Tears of YES. Tears of – this matters.

Do you know that old song, might even be a church song, that goes “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”? I have such fond memories of this song, and an even deeper connection to it after we chanted it at a yoga retreat a few years ago.

It reminds me that no matter what kind of a day I’m having, I know that there’s light and joy and fun inside of me – and even more importantly, that it’s okay to let it SHINE.

I work with lots of busy, high-achieving women who for some reason or another are at this transition point, figuring out the next phase of life. Maybe they want to start a family. Or they’ve just broken up with a partner. Or they want to change careers.

Time and time again they come to me and I immediately see the bigness of their hearts. Their incredible warmth. The love that they ooze. But they’re holding back on themselves. They’re worried about getting things “right” and making sure they’re pleasing everyone else.

And, they’re busy.

There’s no “time” to focus on themselves. Let alone stop and take a breath!

I believe what they’re really doing is holding on super tight to “busy” as a way to feel in control. Because if they’re busy, they don’t have to feel that deep sense of stress, exhaustion, or disconnection that’s been nagging at them.

But really, if we’re holding back on feeling our deep sense of pain, we’re also holding back on feeling our deep sense of JOY. There’s a full spectrum of life, the moment we can release that control and know that it’s okay.

And that’s what I want to do. I want to remind people that often our deep sense of joy can lead us back ourselves. It’s in our joy, our fun, our PLEASURE that we come alive again.

So, that’s what I’m here for. Remind you of the JOY that already exists within you and help you to keep choosing it time and time again.

And I want to do that through STORY.

So that’s why I started a podcast.

It’s called Let It Shine. And I want it to help you remember that light that’s always been inside of you. To know that actually you already have all that you need.

To create a life that lights you up. To feel joyful. To pursue your dreams.

And, also, to know that things like busy, and deadlines, and relationship challenges, and confrontations with your boss – they’re all part of life. It’s okay to feel all the feels and still achieve all that you want.

Season 1 officially launched this week and runs for the next ten weeks.

You can tune in anywhere you listen to podcasts, or go straight to: daniellebrooker.com/podcast. 

On Mondays you’ll hear inspiring stories from people in my life who I believe are consciously creating joy in their lives. And on Thursdays I’m sharing mini solo episodes with tips, strategies and practical advice for navigating those stuck moments and stoking the joy in your own life.

I simply can’t wait for you to tune in.