Just Joanna's Thoughts

I always enjoy reading President Monson's talk on "An Attitude of Gratitude." It is always wonderful to take a step back and focus on everything that we are grateful and blessed to have. My husband and I always make it a point to ensure that our children say what they are thankful for in their prayers. I've noticed that it is hard to think of all of our blessings when we are distracted with worldly things. I saw this past week how overwhelmed I have been. We went on a family trip to Orlando, and in the process of packing, I became extremely overwhelmed with everything that I needed to get done. Luckily, my husband was able to step in and ask what other things needed to be handled. I was so grateful for his question. I cracked at the moment of despair, but then I got down on my knees and prayed during the moment of packing. I took a moment to thank my Heavenly Father for my children, our blessings, and to be able to go on a trip. I asked for help to prepare for our

I had a hard time focusing this week. Over the weekend, I celebrated July 4th with family. I indulged in extra treats and a hamburger and hot dog. The next day  I began to have a full-on Fibromyalgia Attack. The feeling of helplessness and tiredness has been unreal. I cannot describe how weak and helpless I feel. It made me reflect on how my clients feel before I come and help them sort everything. My brain has had me "down in the dumps." I have been experiencing the lows that one can feel when they are in pain. Chronic pain throws me into a dark mindset. It is hard when I cannot control how my body feels. I like to be in charge, busy, and in control. I found the video clip "A New Breed of Entrepreneur," incredibly interesting, mainly since he discussed smallpox and no pandemic being greater. I think we have experienced a similar amount of deaths due to Covid-19. His stories of going door-to-door for months on end sounded familiar. It made me stop and think whet

Last Saturday was an emotional day for me. My husband made some implications about my business that made me emotional. He was in the wrong and not in a good mood that day. But, it took me down a deep dark hole. As I left for my client meeting, I teared up and sobbed the whole thirty-minute drive. I had a lot of scenarios run through my head of how to handle the situation. The first five were not enjoyable. But, I began to pray and to calm down. I asked for help and guidance to get through this small rough patch. Immediately, my new motto came to my mind, "If it doesn't matter in 1000 years, it doesn't need to matter more than ten minutes." I spent more than ten minutes. But, I know that this particular spat will not matter in ten years. I arrived at my client's home, dried my tears, and set to work. I was there for three hours. I used that time to meditate during my sorting progress. I began to brainstorm business ideas, and think of honest ways to tell my

I enjoyed this week's materials quite a bit. I have noticed in my entrepreneurial journey that my emotions and moods fluctuate daily. Sometimes, I have a tremendous high and feel on top of the world. Other days, I think that I am not doing enough and that my business will diminish. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had in another week to tackle those potential weaknesses. It gave me a game plan for my business and how to stay focused. I will be the first to admit that my emotional fingerprint the past few years has changed. A lot of those changes are hormone-related to my thyroid. My thyroid takes a big nosedive after the birth of a child. It then takes at least three years to get everything back on track. It is so easy to feel defeated. It is easy to give up on something, and I believe that is part of 'the challenge' that Elder Oaks eludes to in his talk, "The Challenge to Become." I keep an Attitude/Gratitude journal and encourage my clients to do the

This week's topic on Disciple Leadership was not a new topic for me. I learned about Disciple Leadership in my Lifeskills Class while attending PathwayConnect. The interesting part is the reflection I had on that week versus this week. During my first class in PathwayConnect, I was nervous and extremely sleep deprived. In my Life Skills Class, I had just recently delivered a baby. I began to attend classes when I was two weeks postpartum. It took a lot of scheduling and prep work to ensure that I got all of my assignments done. I specifically remember reading the talk by Bednar about being Disciples of Christ. I remember promising myself that I would follow the words that Bednar spoke in his address. Flash forward to the present day. When I saw the title to Bednar's address, I immediately had thoughts of the beginning of my college career. So, I began to reflect on my current status. I am not nearly as sleep-deprived, and I have an 18-month-old instead of a newborn. I still

Many people are unaware that I suffer from Fibromyalgia and Hashimotos. These are obstacles that cause challenges for me every day. Some days are better than most. I do take medication for my fibromyalgia, but it doesn't always touch the pain. I developed fibro after the birth of my fourth child, almost 18 months ago. For the first three months, I thought I was just miserable from recovery and sleep deprivation. But I felt awful, and the pain enhanced my irritability from sleep deprivation. I did not act like a nice person sometimes. After a long, hard day of being home with my children, I remember that I began to sob during my nightly shower. I reflected on my day and the terrible self-talk I had with myself. I was at the point where if I bent over to pick up my baby that it caused me pain. I could not even hold my baby on one side without being in pain. With a newborn, a person has to pick up, hold, and feed baby all day and night. My body felt wrecked. I prayed to my Heavenly