Just Joanna's Thoughts

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