(Guidepost 4)

Gratitude and joy aren’t just feel-good emotions—they are spiritual practices and nervous system tools for living a wholehearted life. In this episode, we explore what it means to let go of scarcity and fear of the dark and instead lean into the beauty and presence of joy, even when it feels risky.

Ella shares personal reflections, including how “glimmers”—small moments of safety and delight—helped retrain her nervous system to receive joy after years of powerlessness. We talk about how joy softens hard days, why we often resist feeling good, and how to notice what’s good on purpose.

You’ll hear:

• What glimmers are and why they matter for trauma healing
• Why we resist joy (hello, foreboding joy and upper limits)
• The science of gratitude and how it rewires your brain
• How to begin scheduling joy as a deliberate act of self-connection
• How to make space for emotional safety, even when life is hard

This episode is your invitation to stop waiting for joy to arrive and start making room for it—to let gratitude pull you back to the present and remind you: you are safe enough to feel good, even here.

Get your free Wholehearted Living journal prompts. https://calm-sun-843.myflodesk.com/x5yo2oyoyu

Book a free discovery coaching call: www.ella-hooper.com

Follow me on Instagram:@ella.hooper__