Unashamed Joy: When Your Dreams Become Your Reality

What if you didn't have to choose between your dreams? What if you could pursue all of them—unapologetically? Fresh off a joy-filled production week, Nyomi shares the story of bringing back the original Chicago cast 10 years later, working 15-hour days fueled by gratitude, and almost getting lost in the "Hollywood set" mindset before being reminded of her other calling by Dr. Will's text. This is about having multiple dreams. Multiple callings. Multiple joys. And not apologizing for any of it. In This Episode:

• Full circle moments: Original cast returning after 10+ years
• The Four Agreements booklet setting the tone on set
• Working 15-hour days guided by joy
• Two dreams running simultaneously: production + coaching
• Dr. Will's Saturday text as a loving reminder
• Almost getting lost in one dream and forgetting the other
• The tension: Which joy do I choose?
• Why your joy doesn't need justification
• The guilt we carry about feeling good
• "Making my dream a reality"—Nyomi's childhood motto
• Gratitude as the foundation of joy
• Both/and, not either/or
• 5 reflection questions on unashamed joy

Key Takeaway: You don't have to choose between your dreams. It's not either/or. It's both/and. Your joy doesn't need justification. You get to have all of it—unapologetically.

Week 3 Focus: Unashamed Joy - Pleasure Without Guilt Reflection Questions:

1. What brings me joy that I've been apologizing for?
2. Where am I operating from either/or instead of both/and?
3. What would my life look like if I pursued all my dreams unapologetically?
4. What guilt am I carrying about my joy?
5. What is one joyful practice I can add to my daily life this week?

Connect with Nyomi:

• Website: AskNyomi.com
• Instagram: @AskNyomi @TheSeasonofSelfLovePodcast
• (Tell me: What joy are you ready to stop apologizing for?)
• Tune in: Ask Nyomi Bridging the Gap - Thursdays

Next Episode: Action Wednesday - The Joy Audit (identifying blocks + adding joyful practices) Episode Hashtags: #SeasonOfSelfLove #ReclaimedAndUnashamed #MindsetMonday #UnashamedJoy #JoyWithoutGuilt #PursueAllYourDreams #BothAnd #MakingDreamsReality #FullCircleMoments

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"Thank you for spending this time with me on The Season of Self Love. Remember, self-love isn't selfish – it's sacred. You are worthy of the love you so freely give to others.

If today's episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs this reminder. And don't forget to rate and review the show – it helps us reach more beautiful souls.

Connect with me on Instagram @TheRealNyomiBanks and @TheSeasonofSelfLovePodcast
visit theseasonofselflovecom for resources and our downloadable workbook.

Want to be a guest on The Season of Self Love? Send Nyomi Banks a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/171967138753618818df2d7f3

Until Monday – keep choosing YOU.
This is your girl, the goddess Nyomi Banks. Stay in your season."

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

What if you didn't have to choose between your dreams? What if you could pursue all of them unapologetically? What if joy didn't need justification? What if pleasure didn't require permission? But this week I've lived in joy. Full circle joy. Multiple dreams coming true all at once. And I'm not apologizing for any of it. Well, hey, my beautiful people. Welcome to the Season of Self Love Podcast. It's your girl guy, it's Nami Banks, and I am so glad that you are here with me here on this Mindset Monday. And y'all, I am coming fresh off one of the most joy-filled weeks of my life. We just rap production, long days, 15-hour days, and more. Exhausting, challenging, and absolutely filled with joy. Because this week I got some, I got to see dreams become reality. Not just my dreams, but our dreams, my partner's dreams, dreams that we've been building for years. Dreams that started in Chicago with a small group of friends and a vision. Dreams that are now becoming a series of movement and legacy. And this week I also got reminded by my other dreams, my coaching work, my podcast, my true work of sharing stories and helping people heal. And here's what I realized: that I don't have to choose, that I don't have to apologize, that I can have joy in all of it. So this week we're talking about unashamed joy, joy without guilt, pleasure without justification, pursuing your dreams, all of them, without apologizing to anyone. So let me welcome you properly to the show. Welcome to the Season of Self-Love Podcast, the season of healing intentionally. I am your host, Naomi Banks, and I am so glad that you are here. This season we are slowing down to go deeper. Every Monday and Wednesday, we're creating a space of intentional healing, authentic conversations, and the kind of self-love that transform from the inside out. This podcast is brought to you by Axe Naomi and Elevate Me Self-Discovery, where we believe that loving yourself intentionally is a foundation of true transformation. So whether you're on your own journey of rebirth, navigating life transitions, or simply choosing yourself, this is your safe space. So get comfy, grab your favorite beverage, and let's heal together intentionally because you deserve to embrace that beautiful person that you are. Now let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

All right, my beautiful souls, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I want you just to pause with me for a moment. I want you to put both feet on the floor. I want you to place both of your hands onto your heart and take a deep breath in and slowly release. This is life. This is joy. This is yours. And I want you to say quietly to yourself, and I want you to repeat after me, I am worth joy. I am worthy of joy. Now inhale. Exhale. Now say quietly to yourself.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

I release guilt for feeling good. I release the need to justify my pleasure. I release apologizing for my dreams. I welcome joy. I welcome all of it. I welcome the fullness of my life. Now one more breath in. Release. Now say, My joy is mine. My dreams are mine. And I am unashamed. And when you are ready, gently open your eyes. Alright, my beautiful people. If you are new here to the season of self-love, again, this is something that we do every episode just to help round us before we get into the topic ahead. Alright, so let me tell you about the past week. Um, and let me tell you about the joy. This week we were in production, filming, creating, and bringing our vision to life. And it was a long, it was long days, 15-hour days, and sometimes more. And my body was exhausted, my mind was racing, but my heart, my heart was so full. Because this week we brought back actors and friends who started with us over 20 years ago back in Chicago. And some of the original casts from the movie of the series that we're doing right now, the sequel to the movie, the series we're doing right now. We brought back the people who believed in the vision when it was just a dream, when it was just a script, when it was just hope. And now it's come to life as a series. They're part of the bigger story that we're building, they are part of the legacy, this legacy. So when I tell you that it was full circle moment, I mean it. I remember it was a moment that we were sitting and we were doing um the, and I'm gonna just give a little a piece of it. We were doing a um a shootout scene in um in the bar area, and I was looking over to two of um the co-stars in the original um movie of Call in the Game. And uh I remember looking over, and two of the actors um started off with us over 20 years ago, as I said before, but they were when we were doing you know short films, and I remember writing my very first short film, and I casted um them two, and also another loved one that was not there on set. And I remember having a moment there that I I felt a little guilt that they wasn't there to share this with us because they've been with us through it all. I mean, we've all been together, but we've haven't been together, all four of us on set. Well, let's say all five of us haven't been on set since the shooting of the movie. And the shooting of the movie was I had to say over, wow, maybe 16, 7, 17 years ago. And so we haven't all been together in over 17 years. Um, all five of us together. And it was, it was, it was so, it was, it was a full circle moment because I remember sitting um speaking to my partner, my husband, and say, you know, having this dream of moving to LA and you know, with our production company and having all these scripts that we both have written. He'd written some, I've written some, and and saying what we had wanted to do, and we wanted to change lives and and be able to do the things that we do with our stories, um, and be creative and and and just do these things and looking over and seeing those faces that started off and trusted us with their gifts and new faces. And it was just so full circle in that moment. But then I'm not gonna lie, there was a part of guilt that I felt too that there were a few faces that were not there to share in that moment, but for whatever reason. But in that moment when I stood on that set, when I looked around and I saw those faces, and I've known that it's been over decades, but those faces have been with me through the journey and they knew it. And those faces that said yes when we had nothing. Those faces say yes when we had nothing but a vision and a prayer. It was so many things that God has shown me throughout this past week. It was so many things that were revealed to me this past week. There were people that dropped out. Um it was uh there were last minute casting um that was done. When I say last minute cast, I mean one of the lead actresses we had to cast three days before shooting. Um amazing young lady um we found. Um we had to fly her in um from LA, never acted before, but she came in and she she did an amazing job for someone who has never acting before. Um we had someone that was on crew um came in and and and um they left um at the at the last hour, a few days before, um, because they got a job. Um I'm assuming that was paying them more. And um, you know, so we had to, you know, we we pulled it together. You know, the thing is is that we we always worked with a small crew. But I think what held close to me is that when we we looked at the people that showed up for for this production for us during this week, there were a lot of people that left their jobs during this week, and they showed up because they believed in the project. And at the end of it, we had given them, we had given them the news that our show had got picked up. And they didn't know that coming in. And so those that showed up even when they thought we had nothing, they are gonna be the ones who are gonna benefit at the end because they didn't leave us high and dry like that. Um but that is what was revealed to us of who will be there when you have nothing, when they when they trust and they believe in your vision. You know what I mean? And in that for me, that felt joy, that felt beautiful, that felt amazing. And I wanted to come back and share that with you all because this month is all about being unashamed in every part of your being, in holding space for yourself. Um, before I left, before I you know went to work and I took the week off of podcasting and everything, um, I was going to do a pre-record of the show. And I said, no, I want to make sure that when I come back on Monday, that I had an authentic uh experience to share with the listeners, that I want to make sure that I was giving them the real of everything. And that when I came back, that I wanted to share what that joy felt like for me, and that it wasn't um something that I'm I'm just giving them what I think it's gonna be, but what it really was in all of it, and you know, um it felt deep, it felt overwhelming, but also my joy, I am unashamed of it. My journey has been an amazing journey, it's been a complicated journey, um, it's been an orthodox journey, um, but it's been my journey, and because of this, this would make it that much more real, unique and special. Because when I was a little girl, I used to always say, making my dreams a reality. That used to be my motto. I don't remember, I I don't remember exactly how old I was when I used to say this and making my dreams a reality, but that's all that I used to say. And this past week, I made my my dream was a reality, and I believe I shared this week before last on Axe Naomi when I was sitting on live and I remembered watching all of the response that people were speaking and saying, and just you know, everybody um, you know, talking and giving their input, you know, on this beautiful topic about heartbreak. And um that's something that I always love to do. That's that's what my calling has always been is to help and serve others, you know. That is what my calling has always been from working at DCFS to being a teen parent counseling to even now being a life coach and also here being the content that I do here um as well. So it's always been in me to do this, to do this, and so in so many ways, I was like, wow, my my dream of everything that I wanted to do in life is a reality, has come full circle. Everything in life is here, is here, it's come full circle, and I got to live it all. And I'm living it. I'm saying I got to live it like I'm I'm never living it again, but I'm living it right now in this moment. Now, let me, I want to share something with you all too about last week. So remember, I had told you all that I was creating something for my production and that I created this little six-page spiral booklet with my version of the four agreements for our set. And all I'm and I'm so glad that I was able to um do that. I made a little bat, little bags with candles in it, and you know, a t-shirt, and you know, this, and I gave them the little booklet. And I was so um, I was so happy that uh majority of them knew what the you know what the book was about, the four agreements was about, and they were so happy and they understood exactly what it was. And I, you know, gave them a little um a little tablet that they can write on, actually had my mom help me out with it. Um she was she felt so you know great that she was able to be a part of it, you know, that we, you know, we sat down with that and she, you know, wrote her little you know thing on it and you know, did that. And so she was a part of this as well. And um, I saw a few of them on set with their little you know, green little thing, and they're writing their notes in there and stuff like that. And it was really good. It was really good to see that definitely setting the tone on what the set was gonna be like all week. And but also it was like a reminder of how we're gonna communicate, on how we lead, on how we're gonna show up for each other. Was it challenging? Yes, yes, it was, but production is always challenging, always challenging, long hours, creative decisions, coordinating dozens of people, managing energies, and staying on schedule. You know, there were times that I had to, you know, get everybody together and sit down and remind them about the four agreements. At one point, it was a running joke for a moment. It was like, oh my God, we can't say anything, you know, but we all came together and we finished this project and amazing in four or five days. You know, we did something, we did two episodes in five shots, two episodes in five days with two with two fight scenes and a shooting scene with stunts and all of that stuff. And so, and some of these people, it was the first time them acting, and they showed up and they gave us their all. Wow, it was amazing to see. It truly was, it was amazing to see. And I was there with smiles on my face, with a migrant out of this world, but it was just amazing to feel, to see, and to sit in it. And I saw I saw everything just happening in front of me, like, yeah, this is this is what this is. This is what this is. This is what this is, this is what that that feeling of joy is. That's this, this other side of that joy. I love doing things for people, I love inspiring, encouraging people. That's a part of my joy, but also the flip side of my joy was this right here. Being able to create something that I love, being able to see the words that we written on the paper come out of somebody else's mouth and and just be, you know, just come full circle. And the crew, wow, the crew, man, friendship that over 20 years is just it was amazing. It was amazing for us to stand, you know, shoulder to shoulder, building this amazing work. It really was. It really was. Um, but we got through it, we got through it all. One of the and and I'm gonna share some things. One of the cast members, new cast members, um, his wife was 30 weeks pregnant. She was very ill. Um he was a very uh he was a very um important cast member for the cast. And the morning of he he called and said, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to make it. My wife is 30 months pregnant, she's very sick, and we don't have a uh a sitter. And um, and you know, you know, Mike said, he said, well, you know what? He said, um, he said, you have to take care of family first. He said, we'll we'll we'll work something out. We'll we'll figure it out. He said, but you take care of family first. You know, once he hung up the phone, he looked at me, he said, What we gonna do? I said, Well, you know what? We just gonna have to figure it out. He said, Well, I said, we we gotta see what this means. What does this mean? And we went to set and you know, we worked around, some other things happened, and it was just we worked our plan, and next thing you know, a few hours later, the actor came to set and he was like, I couldn't not not come to set. He said, after I heard this man tell me family comes first, he said, This is a space that I wanted to be in. He said, If a if a person tells me that family is first, and this person is is telling me that I still have a job here, but just to concentrate on my family first, and then when I'm done with my family to come in, he said, that is a that's a company, that's a person who I want to work for. That's a person who I want to work for. And he said, and yeah, I'm I'm here for you all whenever, whatever you need. And when he came in, he came in and did his his best, his best. And then we had another young man that came in, second time acting. He said he did an amazing job, amazing job. Very crucial to the to set, very, oh my god. And then his second day of shooting, he called at midnight. He was in an emergency room. Uh, he had food poisoning. His set was his supposed to be um a fight scene where he was running and fighting and stuff like that, and he didn't have the energy to do it. And, you know, he was told the amazing director, my partner, Mike, he said, he said, you know what, you have to take care of yourself. We're gonna figure something out over here on this end. I want you to take care of yourself and um and let me know, keep us posted on what to do, you know, and and you know, we'll we'll figure something out. We'll figure, we'll figure something out and just keep me posted. And the Way that he worked it out the next day. The young man, you know, text and called in and said, You know, I could I could come in tomorrow, I'll I'll feel better, and came in and gave us this all, you know, and it was just so amazing, you know, how it all worked out. Um when you're creating an atmosphere where people can be safe, when you're creating an authentic experience and you allowing truly, when I say this, when you allowing God to just use the work that you do, um, and you put God first in it, things will really come out right. I I remember having a conversation with my daughter in a car, and and she was like, You all not nervous about this, you know, people not showing up and stuff like this. And I said, Well, there's something that we're supposed to learn from this. Um, and I said, And all of this is happening for a reason, and it did. Um, there was something going on with another one of the castmates that we were aware of. We were privy with the information, but everyone else wasn't privy with the information with. And those things that was happening needed to happen so everything can fall into place. And I know you're like, really, Naomi, you speaking in code. Yes, I'm speaking in code like that because I don't want to give anybody's private information out, but it happened for a reason, and it needed to happen to make everyone feel comfortable and keep their private situation where that was going on with them okay, if that makes sense. So, in that sense, we had to sit in it and allow God to guide the way that this production was happening. And literally, I sat and watched how this was happening in real time and was like, wow, this is what's happening, this is what happened. And even with some of the um the attitudes and energy that was happening on set, instead of me getting mad, I had to look at it, look at the reflections through them and say, okay, what is it that I need to see for myself in this? Or, you know, or look at that. These were all learning experiences from me from certain people and things. Not only was it for awareness in the reveal, but also it was for me of a learning experience. And people say, How are you doing that? I man, the thing is, I get to do that now. I get to do that without reacting, you know, crazy or funny, or or I I get to I get to choose on how to allow that person to affect me. Why react in a way that's gonna take away my joy when I know that it's not per it's not uh a personal attack on me? This person could be nervous, this person could have so many other different things going on with them. So when I say that I was truly in joy the whole entire week and in gratitude the whole entire week, I was in pain with migraines too, and tiresome, but I was. And it was like there was nothing that would truly shake it. Nothing. So when I'm guided by gratitude, when I'm guided by joy, when I'm guided by love, when I'm guided by God, it was so many things that was just being created. So many things that was truly created. Because here is what I know when you are operating from joy, when you are doing work that lights you up, you can push through the exhaustion. Remember when I recorded last week, I hadn't slept in over 24, almost 48 hours. Remember that. Remember that? The thing is, you can navigate the challenges, you can lead with clarity and purpose. That's the power of joy. That's what's unashamed joy, that's what it gives you. That's what it gives you. Now let's talk about the two joys, the two dreams running simultaneously. Now, this is where it gets interesting because this week wasn't just about the production. This week I also got some amazing news. I got some amazing news about my elevate me self-discovering, and that is my life coaching work, my self-love work, the work that I love to do. This right here, the season of self-love acts, Naomi, this is a part of it. So I had two dreams running at the same time, two callings, two joys. One on one hand, I'm on set, producing, directing, creating the series with my partner, making a Hollywood dream come true, building this legacy, telling these stories. And on the other hand, I'm building Elevate Me Self-Discovery. I'm coaching, I'm creating content, I'm helping people heal and grow and love themselves. And all week I had these long 15 hours days on set. And honestly, I didn't have time to attend to my coaching life, I didn't have time to attend to my wellness work. I was so deep in production mode, in the creative, in the vision, in the set. And then on Saturday, I got a text from Dr. Will. And if you guys are new here, like who was Dr. Will? Dr. Will, he is my co-host that used to be with me on Mindset Mondays. Um, he, you know, he knew I was busy, so he called, you know, text me to check on me just to say hi, just to make sure that I was okay. And that text, that was a text, a reminder to give me a gentle nudge, a loving check-in. There are so many things that's happening with me, and I love it, and I sit enjoy. So, what I tell you that is amazing news that's happening for Elevate Me Self-Discovery. I will share that news within the next few weeks. But I see things growing, but this is something that I asked for. This is something that I set at my at my altar and I pray for, and I told I told God that I will be able to handle it all. Just guide me, and I will be able to handle it all. But the human nature of me also felt guilt about it. But when Dr. Will texts me to just ask me if I was okay, and then I had another dear friend of mine that checked on me as well and said, You good? She said, I know I'm proud of you. I see what you're doing. I'm I'm yeah. And that meant, yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I am. But I'm not gonna lie, I almost got stuck in that Hollywood set. I I did. I was I was on my way to the next thing. I almost got lost. I was actually writing, started writing the next episode, started writing the next movie. I was already in production and I like totally forgot. I'm I'm laughing right now because I was in there. I was synced. I was already got episodes um five, six, and seven written already in my head, ready to go. And when I woke up Saturday morning to the, I woke up to the text with Dr. Will, and I said, Oh yeah. And and I want I want I want to make sure y'all understand it was like, oh yeah, that it was like you still got more work to do. You got other work to do. So I want to make sure that you don't get lost, you don't get lost in just that, that this work is is is uh um an ecosystem of things, that this is just a part of the work that you're doing, and that you still, so it was good to know that, but also what it did is let me know that you can have them both. You can have your writing and your directing and your acting with you know with your production company there. But then you could also have your work with your podcast and your coaching and your mission on sharing your stories and helping the people heal. You can do both work. So here's the tension, and this is what I want to talk about today. As I mentioned before, there was a moment, just a moment, that I felt that I had to choose. Like I couldn't have both. Like pursuing Hollywood dream meant abandoning the coaching dream. Like being on set meant neglecting the podcast, like making movies meant that I wasn't being a real coach. And let me tell you where that came from. That came from guilt, that came from this idea that I have to stay in one lane, that I have to be one thing, that joy is in one area. That the joy in one area means that I'm neglecting another area. But here's the truth: that's a lie. I don't have to choose. I have joy in all of it. The production work that brings me joy. Telling stories, creating with my partner, making our shared dream come true. That's joy. The coaching work that brings me joy, helping people heal, creating content, sharing my journey, that's joy. The podcast, that brings me joy. This right here, talking to you, sharing my story, being vulnerable, being real, that's joy. All of it is mine, and all of it is valid, and all of it matters. And I don't have to apologize for any of it. For any of it. So let's talk about unashamed joy, pleasure without justification. So I want to talk about this unashamed joy, what it actually means. Because I think we've been conditioned to believe that joy needs to be justified, that pleasure needs to have permission, that if you're enjoying yourself too much, that you must be doing something wrong. We've been taught that if you're happy, that you should feel guilty about it, that if you're thriving, that you should tone it down, that if you're pursuing your dreams, that you should make sure everyone else is okay with it first. I'm raising my hand because I am so guilty of it. Even when I was inviting people into my home, as I built my home and I created my home for people to come into my home to be transformed transformed. They walk in one way, but when they leave my home, they leave out another way. And in a short, in a short period, I felt guilty about that because I have created my home like that. I put in my my energy and my spirit and my love and my prayers in each one of my rooms. I set my room up for peace and energy and joy in each one of my rooms. And I felt guilty when I looked at the people's faces, and some of the people's faces, not all. And some of them wasn't too receptive of it, or better yet, they didn't understand what it was. Meaning, am I am I supposed to like this or am I not? No, you're not supposed to do anything, just be in the moment, just enjoy this moment, or whatever you want to do in this moment. Be here in peace. So in that moment, I remember, and it was so funny, remember? Because last week I said, let's take out the the qualifiers, and I'm gonna I'm gonna be honest with y'all. I had a qualifier slip out of my mouth last week and I had to pull it back, and I had to stop myself because I have to continue to show up as my authentic self, and for me, especially as a woman, especially as a black woman, especially as a black woman who has come out of an industry that people tend to want to continue to try to shame you. Especially if I'm doing something that they feel that doesn't fit the script of where they want you to be so for me, I continue to show up and not shrink my joy. But also not this, also to not apologize for your pleasure of your happiness, and not to apologize for your pleasure to justify your happiness and your joy and all of those things. Your joy doesn't need to be justification. Your joy does not have to be apologized. Your joy don't have to explain why you're happy. Your joy don't have to make yourself small so other people feel comfortable with yourself. Your joy don't have to make yourself small so other people feel comfortable with your joy. Your joy is yours, your pleasure is yours, your dreams are yours. I'm gonna say that again. You don't have to make yourself small so other people feel comfortable with your joy. One of my good girlfriends, she has this joy jar, and actually I still have the joy jars that she does, and I hope she brings that back. And her thing is I haven't joy every day. She writes down what makes her, you know, joy, um, what makes her feel joyful, and she will write it down, and she will put that in, you know, into the joy, what makes her feel joy. And I believe that's something that we should all do every day. Write down something that makes you feel joyful and put it in your joy jar and carry that with you every day until it fills up, until it fills up. Because your joy is yours, your pleasure is yours, your dreams are yours, and so you don't have to choose. You get to pursue all of them unapologetically, unapologetically. So let's talk about the guilt that we carry about joy. Because I know some of you are carrying it. You feel guilty for being happy when other people are struggling, you feel guilty for pursuing your dreams when there's so much pain in the world. You feel guilty for enjoying yourself when you should be doing something more productive, or some something more serious, or something more noble. You feel guilty for having multiple dreams, for wanting it all, for not staying in one lane. And let me tell you something: that guilt is not serving you. That guilt is not making the world better, that guilt is just keeping you small. Because here's the truth: your joy doesn't take away from anyone else's. Your happiness doesn't diminish someone else's struggle. It doesn't. Your dreams come true. Coming true don't prevent someone else's dreams from coming true. In fact, your joy, your joy is an offering, your joy is an example, your joy is a permission for other people to pursue their own dreams. So when you live unashamed in your dream, when you pursue your dreams boldly, when you refuse to apologize for feeling good, you're showing others that that is possible, that you're giving them permission to do the same. That's not selfish, that's service. That's not selfish, that's service. So when I talk about making my dreams a reality, my child, my childhood uh motto, this is the thing that I carried with me since I was a little girl. Making my dreams a reality. Again, I don't even remember when I started saying it, but it's been with me my whole life, through every season, through every challenge, through every pivot, in rebirth, in reinvention, making my dreams a reality. Not someone else's dream, not what I'm supposed to do, not what's safe or predictable or was approved by everyone, but my dream, my reality. And this week I got to live it. I'm living it. I got to stand on set with people who I love, creating a story that I believe in, building a legacy with my partner. I got to see the original cast return. I got to witness dreams coming full circle. And at the same time, I got to receive good news about my coaching work, how it was going to elevate. I got to be reminded about my other calling. I got to hold space for multiple dreams all at once. That's what making dreams a reality looks like. It's not one thing, it's all of it. It's the fullness of who I am and what I'm called to do. And I am not apologizing for any of it. Now, one thing that I do is gratitude is a part of my foundation of my joy. Gratitude. So when I say that I'm full, I am full, I am full with gratitude. This week, even in the exhaustion, even in the long hours, even in the challenges, I was grateful, deeply, profoundly grateful, grateful for the people who believed in my vision, in our vision, for over 20, 10 years and still here. Grateful for my partner who shares this dream with me. Grateful for the crew who showed up every day with excellence in their heart. Grateful for Dr. Will who checked on me. Grateful for this podcast, and grateful for you. Grateful for what I've built over the years of my entire life and careers. Grateful for God guiding me. Grateful for every season that prepared me for this one. And when you are operating from gratitude, joy, it becomes easier. Joy becomes natural. And joy becomes unashamed. Because when you are grateful, you're not taking your joy for granted. You're not minimizing it. You're not apologizing for it. You're honoring it. You're celebrating it. You're living it fully. That is unashamed. Joy. A few weeks ago, I talked about both and not either or. So here's the lesson I want to leave with you today. You don't have to choose. You don't have to choose between your Hollywood dream and your coaching dream, between your creative work, your healing work, between your passion and your purpose. It's not either or, it's both and. It's both and for me. So I can be a filmmaker and a coach. I can be an entrepreneur and a healer, and so can you. You can be a creative and a teacher. You can be multiple things. You can pursue multiple dreams. You can have joy in all of it. And you don't have to apologize to anyone. Not to the people who think you should stay in one lane. Not to the people who think that you're doing too much. Not to the people who are uncomfortable with your joy. You get to have it all. You get to be all of it. You get to live the fullness of your life without shrinking, without apologizing, without justifying. That's unashamed joy. That's unashamed joy. So in week three, we're gonna focus on unashamed joy, all right? So in this week, on a season of growth, we're focusing on unashamed joy. Joy without guilt, pleasure without permission, and pursuing your dreams, all of them without apologizing. And on Action Wednesday, we are going to do the practical work. We are going to do a joy audit. We are going to do a joy audit. We are going to identify where you're shrinking your joy, where you are apologizing for your pleasure and you're feeling guilty for feeling good. And then we're going to add one joyful practice to your daily life. Something that brings you pleasure, something that lights you up, something that doesn't need to be productive or useful or justify, just joy for joy's sake. But for today, I just want you to start noticing where are you apologizing for your joy? Where are you shrinking your pleasure? Where are you feeling guilty for pursuing your dreams? And I want you to notice it. I want you to name it. And I want you to ask yourself, what would it look like to be unashamed about this? What would it look like to be unashamed about this? All right, and here's the reflection questions for the week. All right. So before we close out, I want to give you these reflection questions for the week. Question one, what brings me joy that I've been apologizing for? And I want you to be honest. What lights you up that you've been minimizing, justifying, or feeling guilty about? And I want you to write it down. Question two, where am I operating from? Either or instead, or both? And where do you think you have to choose between dreams, callings, or identities? Where are you limiting yourself to one lane when you could have multiple? And question three, what would your life look like if I pursued my dreams unapologetically? I want you to close your eyes and I want you to see it. What would that life look like? What would you spend your days? How would you spend your days? What would you create? Who would you become? In question four, what guilt am I am I caring about my joy? Is it guilt about being happy when others are struggling? Is it guilt about having multiple dreams? Is it guilt about not staying in one lane? Name the guilt in question five. What is one joyful practice that I can add to my daily life this week? Not something productive, not something useful, just something that brings pleasure. What is it? What is it? All right. So before we close out, I want to leave you with the affirmation for this week. All right. So repeat after me, repeat this with me out loud if you can. I am worthy of joy without justification. I do not apologize for feeling good. I do not shrink my pleasure to make others comfortable. I pursue all my dreams unapologetically. My joy is mine. My dreams are mine. I am grateful. I am full. I am unashamed. Beautiful, beautiful. All right, my beautiful people. This week I got to live in joy, full circle joy, multiple dreams coming true all at once. And I'm not apologizing for any of it. And I want the same for you. I want you to pursue your dreams, all of them. I want you to feel the joy without guilt. I want you to experience pleasure without permission. This week I want you to pay attention to your joy. Notice where you are apologizing for it. Notice where you are shrinking it and start practicing unashamed joy. And on Action Wednesday, we are going to do the joy audit. We're going to identify where joy is being blocked and how to reclaim it. We're going to add one joyful practice to your daily life. And if this episode resonated with you, share with someone who needs permission to pursue all their dreams. Leave a review and send me a message on Instagram and tell me what joy are you ready to stop apologizing for. So until Action Wednesday, this is your girl, the goddess Nami Banks, reminding you to be good to one another and yourselves and always keep it sexy. Love yourself first so you can love others well. Thank you so much for joining me today on this journey of intentional healing. I hope that this conversation has filled your cup and reminded you of the beautiful and worthy person that you are. I want you to remember, healing isn't about rushing, it's about showing up for yourself with love and intention one day at a time. So I'll see you back here Monday and Wednesday for another episode of The Season of Healing Intentionally. Right here on the Season of Self Love Podcast. So until then, keep choosing you. And visit us at the Season of Self Love Podcast.com for show notes and resources and remember to connect with me on Instagram at the real Naomi Max. This has been brought to you by Alex Naomi and Elevate Me Self Discovery. Because you're really matters. You are love. You are worthy. And you are exactly where you need to be. Take care.