Step Out And Thrive with Bethany B. Joy

Curious Questions – Episode 5: What Am I Making This Mean?

Situations happen… but the story we attach to them can shape everything. Today’s question helps you pause, get curious, and find what’s really going on underneath the surface.

In Episode 5 of the Curious Questions series, Bethany B. Joy shares one of the most powerful self-coaching questions you can ask in the middle of stress, conflict, disappointment, or emotional overload:

“What am I making this mean?”

Because here’s the truth: we can’t always control what happens—but we can notice the meaning we’re attaching to it. And often, that meaning is connected to an old belief, a tender spot, or a deeper fear we didn’t realize was still driving the reaction.

Bethany tells a real story about being stranded with her son after two rides (Uber and Lyft) refused to take her service dog—then shares the moment her community helped her name the deeper meaning underneath the anger:

“The world is shutting me out again… I’m not wanted as I am.”

This episode will help you separate the facts from the story, slow down long enough to listen to what’s really happening inside you, and respond with clarity instead of spiraling.

• The difference between a situation and the story we attach to it
• How meaning-making can expose beliefs we didn’t know were still there
• Why this question creates emotional clarity and relational maturity
• How processing your story first helps you respond calmer and more effectively
• How this question can de-escalate conflict when used with wisdom

Pick one situation that triggered a big emotional response lately and ask yourself:

• What am I making this mean?
• What story am I telling myself right now?
• What does this tap into for me?
• What’s the truth… and what’s my interpretation?

And if you can, invite a safe person into it—someone who can sit with you without rushing to fix.

If you want a place where you can process the story underneath the stress, be seen without judgment, and grow in real connection, come join us.

👉 community.stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://bethanyjoy.com

As always, dare to do more than just survive.
Get curious, find the real meaning… and Step Out & Thrive.

Curious Questions – Episode 4: Why?

One word. One question. And when you use it well, it can unlock clarity, calling, and connection.

In Episode 4 of the Curious Questions series, Bethany B. Joy explores one of the simplest—and most profound—questions we can ask ourselves, God, or someone we love:

Why?

Not the letter… the word. 🙂

This episode is for the person who feels stuck in a loop, unsure what they really believe, or carrying a quiet tension between what they love and what they’ve been told they “should” do.

Bethany shares how she first learned this coaching question from an early mentor, how “why” becomes powerfu

Curious Questions – Episode 3: What Do You Want?

Sometimes the most powerful question isn’t deep because it’s complicated…

It’s deep because most of us don’t know how to answer it.

In Episode 3 of the Curious Questions series, Bethany B. Joy explores a foundational coaching question that opens the door to clarity, connection, and real relationship:

“What do you want?”

Or in Bethany’s everyday language:

“How can I best be with you right now?”

This episode is for anyone who pours out for others—parents, caregivers, teachers, counselors, coaches, leaders—and secretly wonders, “Does anyone really see me?” It’s also for the person who wants to care well for others but doesn’t want to assume, fix, or rush in with answers.

Bethany shares how this question shows up in the Step Out & Thrive community (especially during Check-In Thursday), why so many people struggle to name what they need, and how giving choices restores autonomy and connection.

• Why “What do you want?” is a gateway to deep connection
• How this question restores autonomy (instead of assuming or fixing)
• Practical ways to offer options when someone doesn’t know what they need
• How “being with” someone can be more healing than trying to solve the problem
• A simple way to reword this question so it sounds natural for you

Curious Questions – Episode 2: Who Told You That?

Have you ever caught yourself thinking:

• “I’m too much.”
• “I’m an inconvenience.”
• “I can’t do that.”
• “I’m so stupid… I’m sorry…”

Here’s the curious question that can interrupt that spiral in seconds:

“Who told you that?”

In Episode 2 of the Curious Questions series, Bethany B. Joy shares a powerful story from a solo trip to Mexico during the early days of her divorce—starting with a moment in an Orlando parking garage that stopped her in her tracks.

As Bethany rushed to avoid being an inconvenience, she apologized and insulted herself… and a shuttle driver gently looked at her and asked:

“Who told you that?”

That moment became a doorway into healing—because so many of the beliefs we carry are not actually ours. They were planted by someone else… repeated over time… and eventually we start living like they’re true.

This episode is for anyone who constantly pours out for others and quietly carries the fear of being a burden. You’ll learn how curiosity creates connection, why correction often creates defensiveness, and how to invite yourself (and others) into truth without fixing or forcing.

• How “Who told you that?” exposes the source of a belief (without shame)
• Why gentle curiosity opens connection more than blunt correction
• Common moments this shows up: apologizing, self-criticism, “I can’t…” statements
• How to sit with someone (or yourself) without trying to fix
• Why noticing your own inner story changes how you show up in relationships

Pay attention this week for moments when you notice yourself believing something that may not be true.

Instead of fixing it immediately, pause—get quiet—and let God ask you:

“Who told you that?”

If you have a trusted friend, you can also invite them into the moment and ask them to simply be with you (not fix you) while you sit with what comes up.

If you want a safe place to practice curiosity, connection, and deeper story work, you’re invited.

👉 Join here: community.stepoutandthrive.com
👉 More info: https://stepoutandthrive.com
👉 Bethany’s site: https://bethanyjoy.com

As always, dare to do more than just survive.
Pay attention to the stories you’re telling yourself… and step out and thrive.

Curious Questions – Episode 1: What If You’re Not Stuck… Just Scared?

Feeling stuck is one of the worst feelings in the world.

But what if you’re not actually stuck?

What if you’re just… scared?

In this first episode of the Curious Questions series, Bethany B. Joy introduces one powerful coaching question that has created breakthrough moments for clients and community members alike:

“What if you’re not stuck… but just scared?”

Through a relatable (and slightly hilarious) McDonald’s playground story, Bethany explores how we often label ourselves as “stuck” when what we’re really feeling is fear. And that distinction changes everything.

When we say we’re stuck, we declare ourselves helpless.
When we admit we’re scared, we create room to move forward.

If you’re a parent, leader, counselor, coach, teacher, business owner, or someone who constantly pours out for others—and you feel stuck in finances, relationships, calling, or change—this episode will gently challenge your perspective and invite you into curiosity instead of shame.

• Why “stuck” creates helplessness
• How fear can disguise itself as stuckness
• The importance of having someone sit with you instead of fixing you
• Why safe community changes everything
• How to move from “I’m stuck” to “I’m scared” in real time

Where in your life do you feel stuck right now?
And what might change if you admitted you’re scared instead?

You don’t have to process fear alone.

👉 community.stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://bethanyjoy.com

As always, dare to do more than just survive.
Step out and thrive.

Belong. Become. Believe. – Part 3: Believe (When You Can’t See the Results Yet)

Today we’re finishing the series with the final word: believe.

Believing isn’t hype. It isn’t pretending everything is fine. And it isn’t just “doing more.”

Believing is what happens when the work gets hard… the results aren’t showing… the fire starts flickering… and you need someone to remind you: God is still doing something in you.

In this episode, Bethany B. Joy shares a fresh, real-time story from a recent retreat with the Faith to Influence community—where someone named what they saw in her: her curiosity, her questions, her gifting. That moment didn’t just

Belong. Become. Believe. – Part 2: Becoming (When Growth Gets Uncomfortable)

Today we’re talking about becoming — and no, not the cozy “caterpillar in a cocoon” version.

Becoming is messy. Stretching. Uncomfortable. It’s the season where you’re trying new things, wrestling with fear, throwing “spaghetti at the wall,” and wondering if anything will actually stick.

In this episode, Bethany B. Joy shares what becoming looked like in her own story: the crossroads moment when she felt called into coaching while losing vision and hearing, raising three boys as a single mom, and hearing people tell her she’d be “insane” to pursue the dream.

Then she connects it to one of her favorite moments in Scripture: Peter walking on water. Peter doesn’t just step out — he sinks — and Jesus doesn’t leave him. That’s becoming at its best: people who stay with you when growth gets hard.

If you’re pouring out as a parent, leader, coach, counselor, ministry worker, or business owner — and you’re craving a space where you can come as you are, belong, and become — this episode is for you.

• What “becoming” really looks like (and why it’s not comfortable)
• Why belonging must come first before becoming can be safe
• The crossroads moment: when the dream is real, but fear is loud
• Why the right community helps you keep going when you want to quit
• Peter walking on water: stepping out, sinking, and being lifted back up
• The difference between belonging (free) vs. becoming (investment + weekly support)

Belong. Become. Believe. – Part 1: The Power of Belonging

Today we begin a brand new series: Belong. Become. Believe. – The Journey to Thrive.

In this first episode, we explore something every human heart longs for but few truly experience: belonging.

Do you actually belong somewhere?
Or are you performing your way into acceptance?

Bethany B. Joy shares a personal story about losing vision and hearing, feeling called into coaching, and the unexpected moment on a Zoom call when someone simply called her by name — and everything shifted.

She also dives into the story of Peter and how Jesus did something radically different: He chose him first. No audition. No proving. Just belonging.

If you lead a group, run a business, serve in ministry, or are simply part of a family, this episode will challenge you to rethink how belonging works in your world.

Because real community doesn’t begin with becoming.
It begins with belonging.

• What belonging actually is
• Why belonging must come before becoming
• The story of Peter being called by Jesus (Matthew 4:18–20)
• Why names matter
• How to create belonging in your group, workplace, or home
• Why stipulations destroy connection

Kurt Thompson: “Everyone is born looking for someone who is looking for them.”

Matthew 4:18–20 – Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to follow Him.

There is a free level available.

👉 community.stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://stepoutandthrive.com
👉 https://bethanyjoy.com

As always, dare to do more than just survive.
Step out and thrive.

It’s never too late to start over — and you don’t have to do it alone.

Welcome to Episode 6 (the final wrap-up) of Thriving Into Your Goals. In this episode, Bethany brings the series together and focuses on one simple question: What is your next step?

If you’ve felt stuck, overwhelmed, behind, or afraid of failing again, this conversation is for you. We revisit receiving goals with God, celebrating progress, navigating emotions, taming the inner critic, and finding support — and then we ask the deeper question: When do you want things to change?

In this episode, we explore:
• Why it’s never too late to reset your goals
• How to “start over” without shame
• Why community is often the missing piece
• A simple assessment to help you choose your next step

Micro-Moment of Courage:
Take one minute and honestly assess: “Where am I right now — and what is one next step I’m willing to take this week?”

Connect with Bethany B. Joy
Website: https://www.BethanyBJoy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyboring/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanybjoy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanybjoy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethanybjoy
Substack Blog: https://substack.com/@thrivewithbethanyjoy

Goals were never meant to be carried alone.

Welcome to Episode 5 of Thriving Into Your Goals. In this episode, Bethany explores how to find (and build) the support system that helps you thrive — not through pressure or performance, but through safety, encouragement, and shared strength.

Through real stories and practical steps, we look at how inviting people into your goals changes everything — including motivation, follow-through, and the ability to keep going when life gets heavy.

In this episode, we explore:
• Why doing goals alone is often a choice more than a circumstance
• How to invite people into your goals in a healthy way
• What makes someone a safe encourager vs. discouraging noise
• Why community creates sustainable progress

Micro-Moment of Courage:
Choose one goal you’ve been carrying alone and invite one safe person into it this week. Share your “why” and ask for one simple, practical form of support.

Connect with Bethany B. Joy
Website: https://www.BethanyBJoy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyboring/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethanybjoy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethanybjoy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bethanybjoy
Substack Blog: https://substack.com/@thrivewithbethanyjoy