Unshakeable: Redefining Success on Your Own Terms

In the pursuit of success, many individuals find themselves chasing external markers—such as wealth, recognition, or status—believing that these achievements will bring them happiness and fulfillment. However, as discussed in the podcast episode, true success, or "elegant success," is fundamentally about creating a life that aligns with your personal values and brings genuine satisfaction.

Host Tonya Leigh explores the concept of elegant success—success that is rooted in personal values, alignment, and ease, rather than societal pressures to do more and be more. Tonya shares her reflections on the importance of creating a fulfilling life that feels good on the inside, as well as the challenges many are facing in today's uncertain world. Drawing from her personal experiences, including navigating her own emotional landscape during difficult times, she emphasizes the significance of managing one's nervous system and internal world to cultivate resilience and peace.

Tune in for insights that challenge traditional definitions of success and encourage listeners to redefine what it means to thrive.

Talking Points:

00:33 - Rethinking Success

01:15 - Uncertainty and the Nervous System

03:02 - Leading Through Uncertainty

05:44 - Elegant Success: What No One Tells You

07:08 - The Messiness of Success

10:07 - Life and Business Changes

13:10 - Trusting Your Gut

16:21 - Releasing with Grace

18:05 - Feeling Lost Before Clarity

20:15 - Shedding Old Identities

23:04 - The Emptiness of Misaligned Success

25:01 - Reconnecting with Your Essence

26:05 - Navigating Back to Your North Star

Quotes:
"What if the real flex is creating a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside?"

"Elegant success is creating the life you desire without abandoning yourself in the process."

"I've encountered so much peace by just accepting that it's going to feel elegant and then it's going to feel messy again."

"You cannot evolve and expect everyone to come with you."

"The doubt that you may be feeling, well, it's not failure, it's just feedback."

"I started to trade my truth for someone else's checklist, and I was shaping my life around approval instead of alignment."

Useful Resources:

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Three Moments That Almost Broke Me—and Made Me Stronger

Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, and it is often during our most challenging moments that we discover our true strength. In the latest episode of the School of Self-Image, Tonya Leigh shares her personal experiences of facing adversity and how these moments ultimately shaped her into a stronger, more resilient version of herself.

Tonya opens up about her own transformative life moments that felt overwhelmingly challenging. She shares her vulnerability in recording this episode, revealing the resistance she faced and the importance of showing the raw, real version of ourselves. Tonya discusses the concept of wabi-sabi, an ancient Japanese philosophy that appreciates beauty in imperfection and incompleteness, contrasting it with our perfection-obsessed culture.

Join her as she explores how the toughest experiences can ultimately shape and strengthen our character. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on embracing our flaws and the growth that comes from life's challenges.

Talking Points:

00:33 - The Challenge of Vulnerability
01:38 - Embracing Imperfection: The Wabi-Sabi Philosophy
02:31 - Life's Breaking Points
04:06 - Moment 1: Divorce and Single Motherhood
07:04 - Moment 2: Battling an Eating Disorder
13:17 - Moment 3: Daughter's Illness and Personal Sacrifice
22:42 - Reflections and Lessons Learned
25:19 - Encouragement for Those Struggling
26:03 - Embracing the Journey

Quotes:

"It wasn't breaking me. It was making me unbreakable."

"It's okay to ask for help. It's okay to be supported. It's okay to not know how to do this on your own."

"No matter how down you think you are, don't give up on yourself because remember, those moments, they're what's making you stronger."

"I think the biggest gift that came out of this was... she appreciates and takes care of herself in such a way that I don't think she would have had this not happened."

"You don't give up on the dream, but you may have to adjust your goals."

"You are not falling apart. You're actually falling into yourself."

"It doesn't mean that you're weak. It means that you're human."

Useful Resources:

Click HERE to join the Membership

Click HERE for a FREE download

Click HERE to sign up for our newsletter, The Edit

Connect with Self-Image Coach Tonya Leigh:

Click HERE to follow our Instagram

Click HERE to visit our website

Click HERE to visit our Facebook group

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The Lightning Strike: A Wake-Up Call to Live Fully

In our fast-paced lives, it's easy to let moments slip by unnoticed, overshadowed by distractions and the constant hum of to-do lists. However, as Tonya Leigh emphasizes in this episode, life doesn't need to be grand to feel fulfilling; it simply needs to be fully lived. The key to unlocking joy, clarity, and confidence lies in maximizing our moments.

Tonya shares a deeply personal story inspired by a frightening experience during a flight from Charlotte to Boston. While 15,000 to 20,000 feet in the air, an unexpected flash of light shook the plane, sending passengers into a panic. Tonya recounts her reaction of stillness amidst chaos, highlighting the importance of maximizing moments in life. She emphasizes that life doesn't need to be bigger to feel better; rather, it requires a fuller experience.

Join Tonya as she explores how to unlock more joy, clarity, and confidence in your everyday moments. Grab your tea or coffee and prepare for an enlightening discussion on living fully.

Talking Points:

00:43 - Tonya's Scary Flight Experience
03:23 - Realization of Life's Value
05:09 - What Really Matters
07:16 - How We Minimize Moments
09:53 - Deep Presence and Awareness
13:23 - Focusing on Lack vs. Appreciation
18:10 - Wealth and Maximizing Resources
22:28 - Investing in Inspiration
24:46 - Living in Gratitude

Quotes:

"It woke me up to what really, really matters."

"As long as I have my life, I have possibility."

"When you are present, you'll realize you're okay in this moment without all of the mental drama."

"The practice of appreciation will change your life."

"Focusing on what you already have and maximizing it will lead to discoveries and results that will expand your life."

"The best way to do that is to make here so full that you outgrow it."

"You don't need more time. You just need more aliveness in the time you already have."

Useful Resources:

Click HERE to join the Membership

Click HERE for a FREE download

Click HERE to sign up for our newsletter, The Edit

Connect with Self-Image Coach Tonya Leigh:

Click HERE to follow our Instagram

Click HERE to visit our website

Click HERE to visit our Facebook group

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Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

The Art of Joyfully Hustling: Balancing Ambition and Ease

The Drama Triangle Explained: How to Reclaim Your Power

The Drama Triangle, a concept developed by psychologist Stephen Karpman, illustrates how individuals can become entangled in a cycle of emotional exhaustion and conflict through three distinct roles: the victim, the rescuer, and the villain. Each role plays a significant part in perpetuating drama in our lives, often without our conscious awareness.

Host Tonya Leigh explores the concept of the Drama Triangle, a framework that reveals the subconscious patterns we create in our lives. The discussion highlights how many people gravitate towards drama, whether for a sense of identity, adrenaline, or connection, often without realizing it. Tonya emphasizes that while some drama may serve a purpose, much of it keeps us trapped in familiar, chaotic states, preventing us from experiencing peace and ease in our lives.

Tune in as we break down the three roles in the Drama Triangle—victim, villain, and hero—and how to recognize and escape these patterns to achieve a more elegant and fulfilling life.

00:47 - The Allure of Drama: Why We Create It

01:03 - Craving Peace and Elegance

02:09 - Role 1: The Victim

04:16 - The Victim's Self-Image

07:10 - Role 2: The Rescuer

09:50 - Examples of the Rescuer Role

11:07 - The Rescuer's Self-Image

16:00 - Role 3: The Villain

19:30 - Examples of the Villain Role

22:26 - The Villain's Self-Image

23:32 - Stepping Out of the Drama Triangle

24:03 - Becoming the Main Character

Quotes:

"What we crave is a sense of ease, a sense of peace, a sense of elegance in our lives, which means that we're going to have to give up some of the drama."

"You're not the problem, but you are the solution."

"If you want to grow your impact, if you want to have more ease in your life, you must be willing to let other people fail."

"I'm only valuable when I'm needed."

"The control, the criticism, and the blame comes from a fear of losing control, of not being enough, of being exposed."

"You're the main character, but more importantly, you're also the writer and the director."

Useful Resources:

Click HERE to join the Membership

Click HERE for a FREE download

Click HERE to sign up for our newsletter, The Edit

Connect with Self-Image Coach Tonya Leigh:

Click HERE to follow our Instagram

Click HERE to visit our website

Click HERE to visit our Facebook group

Click HERE to follow our TikTok

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Clearing the Clutter: Transforming Your Self-Image for a New Season

Spring is often associated with renewal and fresh beginnings, and this concept can be applied to our self-image as well. Just as we clean out our closets or declutter our homes, we can also take the time to refresh how we see ourselves and how we show up in the world.

Host Tonya Leigh explores the concept of spring cleaning your self-image, much like we do with our homes. As nature begins to awaken from winter, it's the perfect time to reflect on how we perceive ourselves and make necessary changes for personal growth. The host invites listeners to embrace this season of renewal by clearing out old beliefs and habits that no longer serve them and to welcome in new, positive energy that aligns with the woman they're becoming.

Join us as we discuss practical steps to refresh your self-image, create an environment that supports your evolution, and ignite your journey toward self-reinvention. Get ready to dive deep and transform your perspective this spring!

Talking Points:

00:47 - A Time for Reinvention
02:02 - Identify the Area to Spring Clean
04:00 - Paint the Vision for Your After Story
07:10 - Clear the Clutter of Limiting Beliefs
12:21 - Bring in Fresh Energy and New Beliefs
20:02 - Protect the Space with Boundaries and Systems
27:52 - Elevate and Upgrade Your Environment

Quotes:

"Within each of us, we always have a new after story that's just waiting to be revealed, waiting to be experienced, waiting to be created, but you have to paint it first."

"Identity is built in tiny decisions."

"If you continue to do what you're doing for the next 10 years, are you going to like the result?"

"My workouts go in my calendar like a meeting with my most important client because honestly, I am."

"If you love this podcast, if it brings a spark of joy to your life, if it's helped you to navigate some challenging times."

Useful Resources:

Click HERE to join the Membership

Click HERE for a FREE download

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