On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, host Greg De Koker sits down with Theresa (“T”) Sansome for a heartfelt conversation about joy, self-awareness, emotional healing, and reconnecting with the wisdom already within us.

As the founder of Future Self Now and a coach with nearly 30 years of experience, T shares how connecting with your “future self” can help you live with more clarity, trust, peace and intention. Rather than chasing a better version of yourself, she explains how joy begins when you reconnect with who you already are beneath the pressure, expectations and self-criticism.

Together, Greg and T explore how people lose themselves through responsibility, people-pleasing, overthinking and emotional overwhelm – and how presence, appreciation, self-kindness and intentional living can guide us back home to ourselves.

Through honest reflections and practical insights, this episode explores the emotional patterns that block joy, the power of community and inner guidance, and why healing often begins when we stop abandoning ourselves.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it means to connect with your “future self”

• Why joy should be the starting point — not the reward

• The difference between gratitude and appreciation

• How self-criticism disconnects us from ourselves

• The comfort, nurture and action cycle for hard seasons

• Why community and connection amplify joy

• How intentional living helps reclaim our energy

More than a conversation about personal growth, this episode is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and remember that the clarity and joy you’re searching for may already exist within you.

Because as T reminds us:

You don’t have to become someone else to experience joy.

You simply have to reconnect with the truest version of yourself.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Welcome to Joy Squared

00:02:17 Meet Theresa (“T”) Sansome & Future Self Now

00:04:33 Greg’s Experience Connecting with His Future Self

00:07:16 Why Joy, Presence & Appreciation Matter

00:10:01 Gratitude vs. Appreciation

00:14:31 Letting Go of Emotional Weight & Old Patterns

00:17:21 Self-Compassion, Healing & Emotional Awareness

00:20:02 Responsibility, Control & Choosing Your Experience

00:27:45 The Addiction to Responsibility & Losing Yourself

00:31:13 Building the Future Self Now Community

00:35:39 What Blocks Joy & How to Return to Yourself

00:38:04 The Comfort → Nurture → Action Cycle

00:45:22 Family, Love & Moments of Full-Body Joy

00:51:01 Community, Connection & Shared Energy

00:52:10 Final Reflections & Reconnecting with Yourself

Connect with Greg De Koker

Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/⁠

Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠

Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠

Connect with Theresa Sansome

Website: www.futureselfnow.com

LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/theresa-sansome-30537012/

Listen and Subscribe to JOY²:

Apple Podcast:⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-live-with-joy-podcast/id1886910363⁠

Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠

YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@JOY2LiveWithJoyPodcast⁠

Stay Connected to JOY²:

Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠

Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠

Take Action

Take a moment to pause and reconnect with yourself.

Ask yourself:

• What brings me joy right now?

• Where have I been neglecting myself?

• Am I showing myself kindness?

• What would my future self tell me today?

• How can I live more intentionally?

Sometimes joy isn’t about adding more.

It’s about reconnecting with yourself.

Action Tip

This week, try one small intentional practice:

• Journal for a few quiet minutes

• Take a walk without distractions

• Replace self-criticism with self-compassion

• Reflect on your future self’s advice

• Choose something that genuinely lights you up

Because joy doesn’t have to wait for someday.

It can shape how you live every day.