
Two nights ago, Michele and I talked about prioritizing self-care and structuring self-care activities. We shared our blog/ podcast at Facebook and at LinkedIn, and our friend Juli gave us our favorite testimonial so far:
“Thank you for these touchstones to sanity!“
Juli Jordan
Here is our response to Juli but also to all of you who are reading and listening. We appreciate you so much.
Dear Juli,
Thank you so much for beautifully describing what Michele and I are attempting to bring to the table during this time of Corona. We care so deeply and we want to give so much.
You nailed it when you said “Touchstones to sanity.” You made us feel seen, heard, valued and appreciated.
In response to your comment, we are going to stand for our sanity tonight by skipping the podcast and simply sharing this letter. And we are going to practice the self care that we preach.
We both stretched ourselves really hard yesterday and we are feeling the exertion. We each had a great experiences teaching brand new classes online. Michele taught art classes through The Carrollwood Cultural Center. And I launched Wholehearted Mastermind, as you know. This has been a dream in the making for 25 years for me.
We plan to be back with new energy tomorrow and with a new podcast.
For tonight, we just want to wish everyone big love.
Debbie and Michele
To access all blog posts and podcasts with Debbie and Michele, just click LIONESS in the main menu of www.joybasedliving.com or go to the Search bar at the bottom and type LIONESS.

Debbie Happy Cohen, author and coach, is also the founder of Joy-Based Living. Her Master’s Degree is in counseling, specializing in family systems, healing emotional trauma, and practical spirituality. Also affectionately known as Happy D! and Reverend SASSY SHORTS!, she lives on Lookout Mountain in Alabama, near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her books include Reach Your Stars!, SANCTUARY, It’s All About Kids: Every Child Deserves a Teacher of the Year, and I Don’t Think So! You can find her blogging at http://www.joybasedliving.com.
Michele Stone is a professional artist in Tampa, Florida as well as a Certified Therapeutic Art Life Coach. She teaches classes for children and seniors and also curates art exhibits at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Masterpieces with Michele, LLC is her company where provides painting parties for adults at their workplaces. You can watch her videos and subscribe to her youtube station here.
NOTE FROM MICHELE:
This podcast is for all you moms and dads out there freaking out about what to do with your children for the next 2-4 weeks, while we are all quarantined. We plan to do a whole series of refreshing topics and life hacks to keep the stress and frustration down to a minimum. They will cover a wide range of topics, including emotional intelligence, doodling, navigating challenging times, resistance and so much more. Please leave a comment and I might draw out a doodle for you!!
NOTE FROM DEBBIE:
This podcast is CLEAN LANGUAGE AND KID FRIENDLY. I am swearing to give up swear words during these podcasts because your young ones are at home and you need this info to be heard and shared freely!! We want you to be a great lioness during these times. We want to help you you be the calm amidst the storm. We know how much you love your kids and we know how much you care.
Bravo! Practicing what you preach….that’s why yall are so sassy!