Joy as a Discipline

Sandy Joy Weston shares her transformative approach to mindset shifting through movement, words, and laughter in just 1-3 minutes daily. Drawing from her challenging childhood in the projects and experience with her mother's mental health struggles, Sandy reveals how her belief in "five angels" and daily practices helped her overcome obstacles and create lasting joy.

• Sandy grew up in the projects with a mother who spent time in mental institutions, but maintained an innate belief that something greater was watching over her
• Movement, words, and laughter form Sandy's daily 1-3 minute practice to shift energy and mindset
• Journaling by hand creates a stronger mind-body connection and makes you 40% more likely to achieve written goals
• Honest acknowledgment of all emotions, including negative ones, is essential before shifting to more empowering thoughts
• Joy can be a competitive advantage in business and life
• Sandy created the "Philly Street Line Dance" that transformed the city's wellness initiatives
• "Prop Up Tuesday" highlights and celebrates individuals to create more positive workplace cultures
• Shifting your own energy and mindset can change interactions, even when other people don't change

If you'd like to connect with Sandy Joy Weston, visit her website at SandyJoyWeston.com or find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook under Sandy Joy Weston, M.Ed.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Is Your Way In Your Way
• 2:04 Sandy's Journey from Projects to Purpose
• 9:55 Movement, Words, Laughter: Daily Mindset Practice
• 17:05 Journaling and Handwriting: Mind-Body Connection
• 24:00 Unlocking Potential by Shifting Energy
• 29:55 Powerful Mindset vs. Positive Thinking
• 41:55 Philly Street Line Dance and Prop Up Tuesday

Transcript

Cassandra: 0:25

Good day out there to all of my listeners and I'd like to welcome you to Is your Way In your Way podcast, and I am your host and my name is Cassandra Crawley-Mayo. And, for some of those new listeners out there, the name of my book is Is your Way In your Way, so you can really remember the podcast name and the book. Well, I would like to. I'm going to do something a little little different. This podcast is for women that's ready to stop self-sabotaging, or, I'm going to say, to mitigate those limiting beliefs that's preventing you from living your best life on your terms. So what I'm doing is start living the life as God has called you to live. And also, today is an episode is a soul shifting conversation with Sandy Joy Weston, and when you get to meet her, you're wondering is Joy really her middle name? Because she brings so much joy. I think that's fascinating. She is an internationally celebrated podcaster, mindset reset coach and a wellness pioneer.

Cassandra: 1:42

Now, if you've ever felt blocked by your own routines or limited by beliefs you carry, this episode is going to spark something in you. We talk about joy as a discipline, how to reset your headspace daily and what happens when you stop being in your own way, and we talk about topics related to self-improvement, self-development. It also enables you to do a little self-reflection as well, and I'm not always prayerful that something will be said or done or something that's going to give you an aha moment and you will start becoming unstuck and say you know what? I have a made up mind. I'm going to do what I've always wanted to do, if it's writing a book, if it's, if it's being an entrepreneur and getting out of toxic relationship, forgiving somebody, whatever. So I'm certainly believe this is this is the one for you. Okay, so I'm going to bring on our, our guests, and her name is Sandy Joy Weston. Hey, sandy.

Sandy: 2:51

Hello Cassandra, thank you for that intro, I love it.

Cassandra: 2:56

Absolutely, girl. I am just super excited to tell my listeners I have studied, I say Sandy, to prepare myself for this interview today. And boy, her energy, my goodness, it just penetrates through the screen. So if you're having a down day, I think she's going to spruce you up today, and so I am really, really looking forward to this. And also, we're going to dig into how positivity is more than a vibe, it is a practice, right? What I'm going to do, as many of my listeners know, I'm going to read her bio so that author and a trailers dance team to leading national wellness movements, sandy's mission is clear to shift the world's energy, one joyful moment at a time. Through her global platform, sjw Productions, sandy Joy Weston and podcasts like let's Keep it Real and Positive Power Lady, she uplifts others with tools for resetting the mind, celebrating the body and embracing life with a purpose and a power. Wow, hey, sandy. Hey, listen. How did your early experience shape your health and wellness philosophy? What was going on in those early earlier days for you in that backstory?

Sandy: 5:04

Well, let me take, you know, my entire life. I've always believed that there was something bigger than me watching out for me. My entire life, like I was born, coming in like, yeah, I may not have it going on right now, but don't worry, loving me and going to look out for me. I always felt, no matter how bad for things were, I always have this feeling like, yeah, I'm good. Like if I'd gotten a dispute, an argument or broke up with a boyfriend, whatever, I was sad, but like I guess he's loving me, I'm good. You know, I I had this feeling always. I don't know why I just had this feeling and I also felt I had these five angels watching out for me, since since, okay, and I would say, I don't know why you're worried about me I got five angels and they laugh a lot. Oh, it got to the point that even Cassandra people would ask to borrow my angels. Realistic, can I borrow the angel, right? Yeah, I don't know why I felt that way but as long as I can remember, I felt that way and I grew up in the projects and that was rough.

Sandy: 6:28

But the tougher part was my mom spent a lot of her life in mental institutions. I didn't have a strong foundation at home and I also didn't get a lot of support from the school systems because they didn't give me that much time. They were thinking, listen, be grateful to graduate high school, that that'll be great, you know just. And I wanted bigger things. There was so much turmoil going on in my house and my dad a good man, but really couldn't stand up to my mom and I mean she was battling along the demons. I understand, they just didn't know what to do with my family. But because of me and my belief in God, who I call Neil, me and God, because we're on a first-term basis, neil, and my wife.

Sandy: 7:22

I just had this feeling I was going to be okay and I was fortunate enough that I had five young people in the projects. They were teenagers older than me. I moved to the projects when I was nine. That looked out for me. I mean, they were into all kinds of things, but they had hope in me. They wouldn't let me do it, they wouldn't let me drink, they didn't want me to be a prostitute, they didn't let me even wear. I mean, they were like listen, we're counting on you to get out of here. It was great. And then I'm like dance teacher. Uh, I was fortunate. My uncle paid for my dance lessons and that's what kept me going my dance.

Sandy: 8:01

So, I was very, very fortunate that I got a scholarship for dance because of financial need. Yeah, help me out of the projects. So my way of living and my whole belief about joy being my competitive edge is I saw what it did for me, since I was very little, when things were not that great and I could see beyond what was right in front of me, and tapping into some power that was bigger than me. That brought this joy out in me to get to where I wanted to go, and I always felt I had to spread it to so many people. Because why was I so fortunate?

Sandy: 8:43

How did not everybody know about this? How could they not know about this? Like everybody can tap into their sense of being, whatever your belief, whatever your is, you know this universal love that's out there peace, love and joy, which I believe we all innately have. You get into it too. So I had to do whatever I could, in whatever way. Yeah, and my middle name really is joy. I know, isn't that amazing, those angels. I had a rough time with my mom, but she did give me my middle name, joy.

Cassandra: 9:15

Yes, she did Wow, and you know what that takes me back, which I want to talk about our title, and the title is Shift your Mindset in One to Three Minutes a day using movement, words and laughter.

Cassandra: 9:34

I love that. So what inspired you? I know you said it was an innate thing. You danced, you believed in joy. You had Neil beside you, Neil within you, Neil all around you. You have the five angels and all of that, which I think is fascinating. So, and also, how, how did you set yourself up for success, Like right now, your wellness? Uh, you got a positive mindset. You shipped it. Um, is that because of Neil and the angels or because you know a lot of people listening probably like, wow, she had a kind of a tough childhood, but she's. Her mindset was always positive.

Sandy: 10:31

So all right, let's back up a little bit. So I think it's a combination.

Cassandra: 10:40

Okay.

Sandy: 10:41

I think that I fell on a system that worked for me at a very young age to drown out all the craziness going on in my home and this, and people could say whether you made it up or not. I truly believed I had five angels looking out for me and there was nobody going to talk me out of it and that I was going to be loved no matter what happened and there was a way out. Now I could have been born with that pippy skippy attitude, but all I know is you weren't talking me out of that. There were really bad days and really tough days, but this is when I say movement, words and laughter. I did not call it movement, words and laughter to way, way long ago in life because I was very fortunate Another long story to own and operate health and wellness centers. That's what I did for over 30 years and meet the most amazing people and coach and train the most amazing people, and everyone was always like why are you always getting results? And I was like, well, I'm playing with their, their brains, their mindset.

Sandy: 11:46

But since I can remember, I would dance around for even a minute. I would just, and I still do today. So I used movement to take my level up to the you know a notch. Put on my favorite tune, I'd move around, not even for a minute, and then I think, one word of how I wanted to show up that day. So as a kid it was way different. Now I'm like, oh, I'm gonna show up and today's gonna be fun, and I close my eyes and I knew, or today it's going to be filled with joy or confidence or peace, and then I put the word down. I can remember doing this since that time I was nine. All right, so now I got my word and my movement and then I'd be silly and I'd make fun of everything and I would laugh. I did this all the time to what was right in front of me and to visualize where I wanted to go.

Sandy: 12:38

Now I didn't know why I didn't know the science behind it and I didn't have to take a leap of faith, I just knew it made me feel better. So I was imagine you're doing that as a kid in the dark situations. Then I would go, starting at the age of nine, my brother and I would go visit my mom in the mental institutions. Well, okay, it's a bad, and they weren't the well-funded ones, right? Yeah, I had figured a way to change the mood. So I would throw on my tap shoes. I'd go around, I tell the people, okay, well, they probably needed it. But I'd say you don't need that medicine, just watch me, I'll bring you joy. And I would throw all my tap dance away until they kicked me out. But I saw the very young me in a very extreme setting, how, in that little amount of time, I could shift energy and give them hope and me hope. And so I had to do this somehow my entire life. Now there was no label for it, I just was doing it.

Sandy: 13:44

Years and years later, I'm showing people what I do. I go out on my front porch every morning and I do this. I don't know if I can stand up, but I'll do it seated. I go, I am strong now and I'm dancing. I am love now. I am powerful now. I am strong now and I'm dancing. I am love now. I am powerful. Now. I am filled with joy and abundance. Peace be with you.

Sandy: 14:05

And I do that standing up my front porch. I do that every single day and I know my word for that day. I do my movement. I look at something like a squirrel that makes me laugh and that's how I start every single day and I write down the word and I remember somebody saying to me you know that movement, words and laughter I'm like what they're like? Yeah, and it became movement, words and laughter. I'm like, what are you talking about? And I was thinking years ago well, everybody must have their system. They do every day before they go out in the world. I realized they don't. Sometimes it's hit or miss. So my goal, starting even back when people didn't journal, was to get people to realize it's not complicated and it's not time consuming, it's just every day making an effort, whether it's one to three minutes a day, to get in that mindset. And what are you going to do to shift it? You might not be doing that dance out in your front porch, yeah, yeah, what are you going to?

Cassandra: 15:02

do wow. So listen, do you wake up and journal like you talked?

Sandy: 15:08

just said something about journaling um, wake up first, take a few deep breaths, do a body scan really quickly in a few seconds. Nothing I do is time consuming. I don't even have the power for that and I think of the word Like I do check where I am. So if I'm really anxious then I'm going to say my word is calm because you don't want to go way up here. If I'm feeling good, my word is calm or joy.

Sandy: 15:33

I think about it. I come down the steps, I push the button on the coffee pot, let it brew. I go out on my front porch in Philly I don't care what the weather is, and I do my movement, words and laughter. And then I come in and I journal every day, and it's not something that's longer than others, it's my power statement, my word, my affirmation and what I'm grateful for. And then I send love, peace and joy to people in my family, and then people that I know need it, and then people that are really irritating me. I mean, they always have conversations about that. Oh, yeah, yeah, okay, right, and I do that every day. Not long, it really doesn't take long. And then the coffee's Right, and I do that every day. Not long, it really doesn't take long. And then the coffee's done and I go get my coffee.

Cassandra: 16:24

Wow Listen. What value do you see in journaling? It sounds like it's valuable to you. What value would you share with my listeners about that journaling?

Sandy: 16:37

I'm so glad you asked, cassandra, because when I first was doing it, uh-huh, it was a rough road. Nobody wanted to do it, and I remember I gathered what I called the powers to be. I gathered all these scientists in my office at my health club in center city, all these scientists in my office at my health club in center city, and I was fortunate enough I was right near university of Pennsylvania so I could get all these signs. So I had neuroscientists, exercise physiologists, I had nutritionists, I had sports psychologists, I had gurus, I had spiritual leaders and they helped me come up with creating a journal to see would it really make a difference in someone's life If they journaled five minutes? It was a prompted journal and there was some research saying that you're 40% more likely to reach your goals if you write it down. But we wanted to put it to the test. We really wanted to get it out there, so we spent after they got done arguing. I really wanted to get it out there, so we spent after they got done arguing. We came up with a five-minute journal that would prompt you, like it was supposed to be prompting you, so you were not just running it yourself and I put it out to people and in one year, only one person did it. And I was like devastated, because these were highly motivated people. Yeah, devastated because these were highly motivated people.

Sandy: 17:57

And my professor said well, sandy, no one's going to spend five minutes a day doing something to improve their life unless they already believe it's going to work. I'm like what? Why didn't you tell me that, find out on your own. And he said make it a minute to three minutes, and they'll do it, because now, whether they believe it or not, it's worth the effort. And then what will? Because now, whether they believe it or not, it's worth the effort. And then what will happen is, once they see it working for 30 days, go into the next and the next and next. And that's why it's one to three minutes.

Sandy: 18:29

But there's a couple reasons. One it does. The one thing it absolutely does do is it keeps you focused on what you're going after. When you see it, when you write it, you reflect on it, what you're going after, what you want to achieve, you're more likely to go, oh, at the end of the day oh, I wanted to do this. Oh, my word was joy. I wasn't really coming from joy. You are seeing it. So, no matter what you think and you're more likely to 40% of you write it down, you know to get what you're going after, no matter what. No one can argue that you're writing it down and you're reflecting morning and then the next day Am I staying focused on what I really want?

Sandy: 19:13

The second thing is for many it's also a way to get a lot of their feelings and emotions out. So these are prompt journals that I'm giving. But then a lot of people will journal and write feelings and emotions to get it out of their body, because they're all healthy, you're not joyful all the time, you're angry, you're upset. So how are you getting it out? Some people go to therapist, talk to a close friend, hug a tree. Another way to get it out and work through things is to write it down and get it out of your body and then, in addition, you're more likely to reach your goals because you are writing it down and there is a body mind connection when your brain sees you writing it down and I'm a problem in writing it, not typing it.

Cassandra: 20:01

OK, writing, not typing. Now why would you handwrite opposed to typing what's what's?

Sandy: 20:10

that about you think you know. I know there's been a lot of studies done on the benefits of handwriting besides typing it, and I don't want to quote it. I could get back to you on that. I remember them, the benefits, but I know it is different when you're sitting there in your own handwriting and writing it versus it just seems so cold to me when you're typing it, think about it. It yeah.

Cassandra: 20:36

Yeah.

Sandy: 20:37

Without knowing the research and studies. I know it feels different when I'm handwriting a card versus typing a letter.

Cassandra: 20:44

Right, right, because today it's decided we don't handwrite, we don't send cards. Everything's on the computer, everything's social media. You know, if a thank you card, you send a thank you, a thank you card on the internet, you know.

Sandy: 20:59

I have thank you cards. I'm sending two more out today. I'm known to handwrite and send cards.

Cassandra: 21:04

Wow, yeah, it means something it does. It's so impactful because if I get a handwritten note, I'm like, wow, they thought enough about me to take the time. You know it's not superficial enough about me to take the time. You know it's not superficial, you know it's like. It's not like, okay, they did this, my computer spits it out you send them a note, spits it out. It's not automatic, it's not automated, it's real, you know.

Cassandra: 21:30

And it makes me think about, um, I was just sharing with someone else that my therapist asked me one day did I like myself? And I looked at her. I'm like, huh, it sure took you a long time to figure it out. I'm like, well, I never really. She says so this is what I want you to do. I want you to write it out. I want to write, want you to write out. What is it about you that you like? No typing, no editing, just write. And, man, you know, when I started doing that, it was amazing because, you know, we all think of the negative. We think like, well, I don't know, they say 80,000 thoughts a day, and you know, and 70 to 80% are negative, you know. So when I wrote, I'm like, wow, I do have some great qualities, you know, because we're so busy thinking about the negative, so I don't know the science behind it either, but I know it works for me and it works for you.

Sandy: 22:30

Yeah, and so many people. Once they do it, they're like, wow, there is a huge difference. And listen, whatever way you're journaling it's good. So if it works for you, the electronic it's better than not. But even just a little bit of writing.

Cassandra: 23:06

Right right Now. I've read somewhere where you help people unlock their potential. How do you do that? Like my listeners, you know a lot of them are stuck. There's certain things they want to do but they're not doing it. How do you help people unlock their potential?

Sandy: 23:28

So for me it's different in how I see them before I meet with them. So, for example, interesting, I find out about them. You know you do like a discovery call, whatever. Find out, you know why they want to meet with me, for example. You know what is it that they want to do. And then I really do.

Sandy: 23:56

I spend some time visualizing them where they want to be. So I hold space for them. When they can't hold that space or they're not capable of seeing, so many people did that for me. They saw something in me before I could see it. We all need that. We all need it.

Sandy: 24:16

That's going to say at times, but all the time, yeah, that's true, you know, when you say you can't get out of your way to get out, we all have that. You know, we all need it. That's going to say at times, but all the time, yeah, that's true. You know, when you say you can't get out of your way to get out, we, we, we all have that. Right, it's a matter of what degree.

Sandy: 24:26

And so I'll see them where they want to go and I hold that space and I do a lot of my own energy work on visualizing. How am I supposed to help them on visualizing. How am I supposed to help them? Why am I here? Why am I in their life? How am I supposed to serve them? And then when I meet them, it's really not what they're saying. I can feel their energy of where they are and if they really believe what they're saying or if they are doubting it, and so from that I start a little bit in working on debunking some of the beliefs that they didn't even know they have about a certain situation.

Sandy: 25:10

For example, there's three main areas of your life. Any given time you want to up level, three main areas. It's going to be love relationships, body, your health or money career. Let's just break it down to three. I like to keep it simple. What was the third one? Uh, money career. Okay, I don't have love relationships, right? How do you have money career? Even time, they could be all three, but there's always going to be one. You want to up one, right? So, no matter who you are, if they pick that area, like what area would you like to start focusing on, the other areas will come along anyhow, when they really think about, like you did that exercise, which I love that your therapist had you do.

Cassandra: 26:00

Yeah.

Sandy: 26:01

If you didn't have negative chatter. I don't even like to say stuck, but taking over for now you have what you wanted.

Sandy: 26:09

That's just as simple as it is. So I allow them to that space to feel really good about who they are like, not judge it. It Like it's okay. You have these thoughts. They're not good, they're not bad, they're not right and they're not wrong. Are they serving you, cassandra? And if not, then we want to gradually shift them. And it's got to be gradual because if you're going to have lost lasting impact, you have to see success. And then you go, ooh, okay, I can do that.

Sandy: 26:37

And then the next step and the next step and finally you're resetting and retraining your brain to believe more of the thoughts that serve you well versus the thoughts that don't serve you well. Forget positive, good, bad, ugly, whatever. And I know when we stay stuck. But I look at it differently. I'm like, okay, right now there's something in your life that there's too many patterns.

Sandy: 27:02

The way you've been thinking about it, whether it's something from your life, external or internal, those stories are repeating, and they're repeating so much that you can't get out of your way to be able to see that possibility. But you got to allow them to feel so safe and secure that it's okay that you had these thoughts about yourself and, like you said, I don't know the percentages and they keep changing it, but we do have a lot of negative chatter and once you admit that and you can see it and writing it down, I I have them write the whole thing stream of another way because it's stream of consciousness, and get it out. And then I have them put a big X through it and saying okay because now what?

Sandy: 27:50

And then I shift to what do you believe? And you do small things. Well, I do believe. Okay, I thought I was too old, but you know what things? Well, I do believe. Okay, I thought I was too old, but you know what? I've done that before. I've had so many successes in that, yeah. Yeah, I might be older than most people, but I have a lot more wisdom and I start getting to think about what they do believe until we can get over. Yeah, like, even if you can get over to 51%.

Cassandra: 28:20

Right, believe it or not? Yes, yeah, yeah, do you have them write it or you all just talk through it? Oh, I write, we write, okay.

Sandy: 28:29

Okay, they go homework assignments. I'm like I don't want to say that, but they all have journals, whether it's my journal or their journal.

Cassandra: 28:36

Yeah.

Sandy: 28:37

They're all writing it down and then I don't do anything. That's time consuming because most of them are very busy people. They have a lot on their plate and then we talk about it and there's times they're like sandy true confession I didn't okay, that's okay, but they're paying for it, so they want to do it. They want to get the most out of it, and then they write it down, and then we review it, and it's good for them too, because then they can say, oh my yeah.

Cassandra: 29:07

Yeah, yeah.

Sandy: 29:10

Why you make me do this and I go. You'll see, You're going to have to just talk to me. You'll see.

Cassandra: 29:15

So listen. So what role do you believe a positive mindset plays in individuals overcoming those self-imposed barriers? Let me say it again, yeah, say it one more time what role does a positive mindset play in overcoming self-imposed barriers?

Sandy: 29:40

Okay, do you mind if I shift it a little bit? No, go ahead. Okay, let's look at it, because I know you don't want I don't want people to feel like you need to be. This is really so important for me to people understand this. Okay, having a powerful mindset means you're coming from peace, love and joy more than you're coming from thoughts that don't serve you well. Even if you didn't look at like positive and negative, neatly your spirit is peace, love and joy. A powerful mindset is tapping into that more than they're tapping into thoughts and beliefs that don't serve them well.

Sandy: 30:29

That's good Right and beliefs that don't serve them well, that's good, right, and I'm just shifting a little because I can tell you from my clients and most of them have achieved a lot but what they don't want. I'll tell you what they say to me all the time. They don't want to one day feel great because they landed that big deal, and then, when they don't have that big deal, they don't feel great, like banging around like a ping pong. They want to happen to life more. They want to feel that innate peace, love and joy. They want to show up with it more and not like the, which we all want.

Sandy: 31:03

The external situations affect us so much. It will affect us, yeah. So look at it more like you embrace all your emotions and not even look at them like positive. They don't serve, like anger, frustration. They all serve you well. It's just what are you going to do with them?

Sandy: 31:21

It's more about being honest with yourself. Nobody else be your dog, could be your therapist, could be a tree, but you at least have to be honest with yourself about how you really feel about a situation. Once you're really honest about yourself, about what you feel, then you can shift it to thoughts that will serve you well, because then you're going to be like, okay, it's not bad that I'm angry, I feel hatred, I feel jealousy, but is that going to get me where I want to go? No, so I'm going to allow myself not to get stuck in there so that I can shift out of those emotions quicker. So there aren't those barriers for me to get where I want to go.

Sandy: 32:04

But I think the thing is I want people to realize they don't have to push those emotions down, because I do find, with a lot of people that really want to serve and are really good people, the thing that trips them up. They push those emotions down because they think I shouldn't feel them, I shouldn't be angry, I shouldn't be jealous, I shouldn't feel hate. Well, you're not a robot. You know we are human beings. It's okay to feel that way, but the more that you're honest with yourself, at least on what you're feeling, you are going to break down those walls and barriers, because you will get them out in a healthy way For me. I journal, I talk to Neil.

Sandy: 32:50

I talk to my dog and I talk to trees. I go out, go out me and trees. We have great conversations and that gets it all out of my system. So I go through it quicker, even my husband will. Some will know when I'm out in the porch like oh no, she's talking to Neil and sometimes we argue, are you sure? But it's my, and I get it out of my body because your body does keep score, so that you're breaking down those walls, you're breaking down those barriers, so that you can then have more of that innate peace, love and joy, which is where your power really is. I hope that answers your question.

Cassandra: 33:32

I love that. That's awesome. I love that. I like your shift. You put it differently. What makes sense? Because life isn't fair. I remember younger days I used to think, well, I mean, I know, god, I don't understand why I'm going through this, you know. And then I felt, oh, he's beating me up. I didn't have a name. I just said God, he's beating me up because I did this sin yesterday, you know. So I go through all I'm a lot of guilt woman.

Cassandra: 34:10

Yeah, that's right, and I was like right. So you know what you said, I liked, and I just talked to somebody and they said when you resist it, it persists. You know, you suppress it. It's going to keep going. You suppress it, like you said. Yeah, acknowledge it. I love that. So, and and to sustain it motivation and wellness you have to keep doing it. You have to continue to practice it.

Sandy: 34:37

Well, look at it every day. I'm a gardener and if I wait to pick my weeds it's going to be overwhelming, right, it's going to take me forever, but if I go out every day a little bit, I pick the weeds, pick the weeds, the flowers can grow right and I don't strangle my flowers. So every day you do a little, just a few minutes, like even in the morning. You just want to set yourself up for the day because it'll feel better. All you know, no matter how bad the day is, even a crappy day, and crappy things happen and you're right, it's still. You won't stay there as long, right, you just won't because you have this practice in place. You don't have to do mine, but you have something to get you in that more powerful mindset that aligns you with your peace, love and joy. And just that little bit every day and being aware of what you really feel and what your emotions are, it'll help you so that you won't explode. You know what I mean, yeah.

Sandy: 35:42

And have some of those volcanic days, not that they won't happen, because they will, but they'll happen less will, but they'll happen less. And again, I'm not asking for anything. That's time consuming, because I think it's more time consuming to spin around. How about those thoughts that you spin out of control? You get another thought, you get another one, you get nothing done. You're smart. Next thing you know you're spiraling out. Oh my God, she hates me. Blah blah, blah. I can't believe she didn't call me. Why didn't you call me Blah blah, blah? Right, find out. She's on a two-day retreat. You know what I mean. Like, there's all these things.

Cassandra: 36:14

Mm-hmm.

Sandy: 36:14

So if we spin our head out of control. Wouldn't you want to just gradually train your head to think more of a thought that's going to serve you well, Right?

Cassandra: 36:25

Don't get outside to it, that's right. That's right, that's right. And listen as you talk about this one thing I always say these are things you can't do by yourself, because a lot of individuals don't want to put that dirty laundry out. But if you want the help, because we all need it, you know like, oh, I can do this, I don't need the journal, I can think my way, I can positive think blah, blah, blah. My way. I can positive think blah, blah, blah. But we're not here to be alone and get somebody to help you. If it's a therapist, if it's a coach, is it yourself, is it me, somebody out there, because you can't do it alone, and that's it.

Sandy: 37:08

You don't have to put it all over social media, that's for sure, but find somebody you trust, and there's so many different people out there that you're going to find somebody. Some people have that best friend or their husband, but most people it's an, and they need somebody in addition to that.

Cassandra: 37:26

Right.

Sandy: 37:27

Having a skin in the game Right. By the way, most therapists, to keep their license, have to go to therapists a lot of them. We all need someone. I'm sure Everybody needs someone. Whatever it is, coach, minister, I don't care what it is.

Cassandra: 37:43

Right, I like that. You are so correct. I want to talk about. I want to change a little bit. Well, let me ask you this what personal growth have you seen in a client, like just think of two of them and what you know this was then. This is now Based on your practice and you coaching them. What personal growth have you seen as a result of all that you've talked about?

Sandy: 38:14

Well, I'll keep their names anonymous. But the personal growth that I've seen is even in one of my clients who has a difficult home situation and they're under a lot of stress with some special needs children, Mm-hmm, and it's a very challenging situation and both parents work full time and they have AIDS, but still in all it can be a really like to even walk in the house. You could be like how they do that. These two people, especially the one I've been working with for a few years, was able to see that she could get stronger and stronger on how she showed up with joy or peace or love, so that even though the child wasn't changing, she could change the situation and change how the encounter was. It wasn't going to be totally gone, Of course there are going to be trying days, but at least bring more what she wanted more joy in the home Right and through her daily practices of what she does every morning and she also works out to keep herself mentally and physically healthy and spiritually, I've seen the transformation and how she was able to flip that whole hassle from a really tough situation.

Sandy: 39:43

Yeah, because she did the work within her, and I've seen that with some of my male clients too, where they're like I can, I'm never going to be able to switch this work environment. It's too toxic and my boss is, this way, the owner and it's the CEO of the company and I can't convince him. I'm like I don't want to change him. Yes, I don't want to change him. We're going to change the way you show up and that is going to change the way they encounter and most people are like whatever.

Sandy: 40:14

But then, I see it and they see it. I'm like they didn't change what's the difference.

Sandy: 40:21

You changed. Wow, here's the deal Good, bad or ugly, the most powerful energy wins, right. So if negative energy is higher, it's going to win, and if it's positive, it's going to win, whatever energy is going to win. So when you take the time which I do when I go into a difficult situation, I spend more time preparing to show up with pure joy in that situation, because I know what I'm going into, so that the energy can come up Right and I'm not going down with their energy Exactly.

Cassandra: 40:58

Exactly. Wow, that's good, that's good. I want to change up a little bit. There are two things that I want to know about. I want you to tell us about the Philly street line.

Sandy: 41:13

Okay, uh-huh, that sounds very entertaining it was so, oh my gosh, that was so fun. So I think it was, though it was a while, like in 2000, 2001,. Philly was voted the fattest city in the country. At the time I had a health club down at 19th and market, right like a few blocks from city hall, and I thought, well, here I am owning this health club. I gotta do something. I have to do something. So I tried to get a meeting um with the mayor. I kind of get a mayor with the mayor. I couldn't get a meeting with the mayor and then he brought in a fitness czar, the wonderful Gwen Foster, who was in health education, and I tried to get a meeting for months with them because I thought I really want to help the city. I thought I really want to make a difference. Not that what they weren't doing was impactful, but I had it to you. So finally, after like three months, I got a meeting with Glenn Foster, who was then their fitness czar, who was going to help with the situation, and I was sitting around with all these people.

Sandy: 42:19

Cassandra and I can still remember it to the day. I didn't have an idea, I didn't know what, but they were sitting and all of a sudden I popped up. I go, I know what'll work. And she's like, uh, miss, weston city means a line dance. And she goes well, I go, yeah, we'd love to dance, we need a line dance and think about it. You want people to move Right, it's initiatives and all these emails it's not going to do it. But they want to laugh, they want to smile, they want to enjoy moving. We can have doing it. We can have seniors doing it. You, we can have people doing it. We can have seniors doing it. You can have people in the hospital, like there's a way I can create the dance. They're never going to do it. So she's like okay, do you have a dance? And I'm like not yet, but give me a week.

Sandy: 43:03

Philly Street Line Dance. Well, what happened next? I had no clue. This dance took off. They even had Leon Huff create music and a song for the Philly, like do the line dance? And I called it line dance after Mayor Street.

Sandy: 43:22

Philly Street line dance. And I was teaching it in schools. The kids were popping and locking it. We had people doing it in hospitals. We had people doing it in senior setters. It was all over. We were doing it on the art museum stand, you name it, we were doing it. And senior setters, it was all over. We were doing it. On the art museum stand, you name it, we were doing it. I closed down Market Street and we had firemen doing it on top of it.

Sandy: 43:44

This line dance, so simple, I mean, it was just something that came from joy, but it brought the city together. They realized everybody can move at some, and I put, you know, some boxing in it, of course, you know, for rocky and everything. And then what took off is that, oh my god, a dream come true. Here I am, at 40 years old. I taught the line dance, which they took up a notch to the 76 dance team, and I performed it with the 76 dance team when I was 40 years old. No one could believe it. There I am, 40 year old, out there doing this, and I almost missed my cue because I was like, oh my God, 24,000 people Hi.

Cassandra: 44:32

I know, oh my gosh, it was great. Yeah, I wanted you to talk about that. Because then the last thing I want to talk about is Prop Up Tuesday, and the reason I do because there are individuals listening and we're talking about joy, peace and love and there's so much negativity. You know, in our workplace, you know everybody's so serious and straight and everything, and I'm hopeful that the ideas that you talk about and I can say this because I used to, you know, be a manager and all of that kind of stuff and I've had no shame in going into work and say, okay, guys, let's do a line dance, and I'm like Cassandra is really crazy. So just to bring some positivity in it. And also we're talking about to overcome some obstacles that we're having to kind of loosen up. So that's why I'm asking you to share that. And then the last thing is crop up Tuesday, maybe somewhere in the workplace or you have a supervisor that has a team. You know I can go crop up Wednesday. Tell us about that.

Sandy: 45:41

Okay, first of all, I have seen even I went down, even the mayor, this mayor. I went and met one of her team members and she was having people start their mornings off with a dance. And it was so fun to see that because just that little thing, think about one little thing. I mean we're not talking, you have to break out in a whole entire dance, but just for movement, the office together and it puts a smile on their face and you're starting the day in a different way. Now, prop Up Tuesday. I just started Prop Up Tuesday.

Sandy: 46:20

Just two weeks ago, I woke up three in the morning. I got this vision. I wanted to connect people. My word of the year is an abundant mindset. When you share with others, it comes back to you. There's enough for everyone.

Sandy: 46:33

And so, with this, I decided on LinkedIn, every Tuesday, here it is I picked a name out of this jar for somebody who somebody nominated. So if you wanted to, even for Prop Up Tuesday, they put a name in. Sometimes they tag them and I put the name in this jar. Like today, I picked a name out and it was them and I put the name in this jar. Like today, I picked a name out and it was so amazing because I get so excited because I don't know who I'm picking, and then I put it on and I say, make sure you give this person love all week long. And it's neat to see how the people are tagging all these different people on linkedin and even if they don't get I don't pick their name out they still feel great being nominated and you can do that in your office.

Sandy: 47:18

The same thing Like just even if you could either put names in a hat and know what makes that person special. It doesn't have to be even the employee of the month, you could have everybody's name in it and when you pick it out you know what makes that person an amazing human. Prop up any. Prop up Friday. Prop up Tuesday, anything. And what I love about it is you're highlighting what makes that person so cool, amazing and unique.

Cassandra: 47:50

That's right, I love that. I love that. I love that. Wow, prop them up, prop them up. I know, prop them up. And some people may say this is so silly, you know, but we need that. I mean, we need some energy, some excitement, some joy, you know. So that's why I wanted you to talk about the line dancing and the prep of Tuesday. I thank you for that.

Sandy: 48:16

Kids, the joy in a child. Think about it. I mean the way they smile and laugh. Okay, we're not going to be as carefree because we know a little too much. But the more you can be childlike, I'm all about it. That doesn't mean you're not a brilliant business person. They're two separate things Exactly. I remember one of my mentors, ed Snyder, who owned the Flyer, said to me Sandy, your best weapon is going to be you're going to be underestimated. I'm like why am I going to be underestimated? Because you're too joyful, your way to be happy and smile. No one's going to think you're a serious businesswoman. I go, that doesn't even make sense, because it does. You have to be like your face and that's what makes you brilliant. I'm like well, that's the dumbest thing I ever heard. But he was right. I would get in so many doors because people didn't see me coming, because I was just too happy and joyful.

Cassandra: 49:17

And then look and some of them didn't want to see like she's too happy for me. I don't want to see her right now.

Sandy: 49:21

So I always say joy is my competitive edge.

Cassandra: 49:24

That's right, a competitive advantage. Wow, sandy. How can my listeners get in touch with you? How can my listeners get in touch with you?

Sandy: 49:33

Very easy. Everything is Sandy Joy Weston. W E S T O N. You can go to my website and fill out the forms there. I'm on LinkedIn, instagram, facebook. Sandy Joy Weston, m E D masters in education. Some people think I'm a doctor. I'm like, not a doctor.

Cassandra: 49:51

Masters in education. Yeah, okay. Well, I just want to thank you for being a guest on my show. This was what I thought it was going to be very energized, and I'm certain we energized individuals and we have some school teachers on here that may start line dancing and Monday morning. That would be great because that would be awesome. Yeah, that would be so. Listen my listeners. I know that something said in this podcast has resonated with you and I ask that you share it and it's also going to be on all platforms. But please share this and when you do, I'd like for you to click subscribe, like, and that would be so appreciative. And let's spread the joy and the peace and the love to individuals, because what you put out there, you'll get it back. And again, sandy Joy Weston, thank you so much. I appreciate you and all my listeners. Like I always say bye for now and God bless you.