The Daily Spark: Choosing Joy Over Chaos with Jodi Lynn Turpin
In this episode of the Kindling Project podcast, Melissa Halpin speaks with Jodi Lynn Turpin about the transformative power of joy. Jodi shares her journey of choosing joy as a daily practice, the impact of life events on her perspective, and her work with the Akashic Records. They discuss the importance of community, self-reflection, and the role of generational healing in personal growth. Jodi emphasizes that joy is not just a fleeting feeling but a conscious choice that can be cultivated through awareness and practice. The conversation highlights the significance of supporting one another in the pursuit of joy and the need for connection in today's world.
Find your joy!
https://www.jodilynnturpin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/intuitivejodi
https://www.instagram.com/jodilynnturpin/
https://www.jodilynnturpin.com/choosing-joy-podcast
Listen to the full episode:
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Melissa Halpin (00:11)
Welcome to the Kindling Project podcast where we celebrate women who are building, healing, and rising with fire in their hearts, purpose in their steps, and today's guest radiates what our community is all about. Joy, courage, and the power of reconnecting to your inner light. Jodi Lynn Turpin is a joyful mentor, devoted mother, gifted healer, and through her work with the Akashic Records, her inspiring Choosing Joy podcast,
and soul-nourishing one-on-one sessions, she gently guides others to rediscover their inner light and live a life rooted in joy. Welcome, Jodi.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (00:48)
Thank you so much for having me today Melissa, I'm so grateful.
Melissa Halpin (00:52)
Ugh, I'm so excited
to have you. I was just telling you before we recorded, like, since I first met you I felt like you were one of my people.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (01:00)
I feel exactly the same about you.
Melissa Halpin (01:02)
Yeah, thanks. Well, tell us
what's bringing you joy in this very moment.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (01:05)
So honestly this, I love being able to speak about what I do and all the things I've learned. So this is just an honor and a gift to be here today to just, I guess, talk about myself. That kind of sounds funny, but it's true.
Melissa Halpin (01:16)
Yeah.
Yeah, well,
it's sharing and connecting, right? I think maybe ever since the pandemic and maybe it's generational for us, we're all kind of hitting this midlife phases of reconnecting with ourselves, with our relationships, with nature, with each other.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (01:23)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm, I agree completely.
Melissa Halpin (01:37)
Yeah. So your story and your mission center around joy, but not as a fluffy feeling, as a practice. Do you want to describe that for our listeners?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (01:45)
Mm-hmm.
Yes, so I think that joy is a choice. It does become second nature. It becomes part of you when you start putting those filters over your life. Like I have a pink and a yellow pretty filter putting over everything, but it took a long time to get there. So when you choose joy actively and don't choice like reactive behaviors or victimhood, then you can really access a lot more joy in your life. And it feels wonderful.
Melissa Halpin (01:53)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, it's also harder than it sounds. That just rolled off your tongue like it was just the easiest choice like picking between chocolate vanilla ice cream. And I was like, it's a job.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (02:16)
100%. Every day.
It really is,
it really is. And I've been practicing it for so long, let's say 44 years. And, you know, now it does become like a second nature. But of course, hard things happen to me every day and I have to keep choosing joy. Even this morning, I had a rough morning, but I was like, well, I can be upset about this or I can take action towards feeling joy. So that's what I do.
Melissa Halpin (02:34)
Right.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah,
yeah, it really radiates from you. I'm sure you can remember moments when joy wasn't accessible though. Yeah, yeah. So when did you realize it was something you could choose?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (02:57)
Thank you. ⁓
yes.
I think at a pretty young age, when your parents are telling you things maybe out of their fear or out of like, know, not...
Not wanting you to get her or this or that and I said well But this makes me happy it makes me happy to do this or be wild this way or anything like that So I did go against I was like fighting everyone since a young age. I'm like, no, I want to be happy I want to be joyful all the time and then I went through a huge stage, you know that like 15 through 30 I would say and And that was a rough time It's true though
Melissa Halpin (03:22)
Mm-hmm.
You know, like half your conscious life.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (03:44)
you know, where it was rough and I would have like big bursts of joy maybe when I was like traveling or you know, working with people or doing other things and then I was like, this can be a choice all the time. So yeah, I just, try to, I try to stick to joy and I try to bring people up to like try to let them see the other sides of things and that's not easy either as you know.
Melissa Halpin (03:56)
Bye.
know. What
would you say choosing joy looks like for someone just starting out on that journey?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (04:12)
So being aware, so starting to be aware of how you are being the victim of your life. And it's so normal. Like I still do it sometimes, but when you start to be just aware, like a conscious awareness of being a victim and how you're reacting to things, then you can start to choose joy.
Melissa Halpin (04:27)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. I was thinking
about you, leading up to this. You have, like, really almost this ultimate, like, cartoon character level victim story where you got conked on the head. Do you want to tell that story?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (04:44)
I did.
Yeah,
yeah. So now it's been about three and a half years. was, it was the first week of school. My son just started a new school and we were at a public restroom waiting to pick him up. And I went in and I'm doing my business and all of sudden a girl comes in crying and she slams the door shut.
And it's okay. And I do not blame this girl at all, but the toilet paper dispenser was like up here and it fell on my head on the left side of my head. And I knew something was wrong immediately. And it is kind of silly. Like in a toilet, I got bonked on the head. Nothing like cool, like, you know, skiing or I don't know something like that could have been.
Melissa Halpin (05:14)
Thank you all.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, although
like when you say like don't be a victim in your life, I'm like you were totally a victim of like a falling toilet paper dispenser. I mean you had nothing to do with it. Right.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (05:34)
I was, was. Yes. But
honestly, the series of events after getting that concussion changed the whole trajectory of my life. And I am so grateful for it. I know you're like, how could you get to a point of being grateful about a toilet paper dispenser falling on your head? But I really am. Like these, you know, everything is a gift and it's either maybe like a chocolate cream donut, or it may be like a pile of poo. So you have to work with it. So,
Melissa Halpin (05:41)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm.
Right. Yes.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (06:01)
Yeah, after I got hit, it took a long time to get better, but I was kind of like a mushy, moldable. It was a long recovery. Yes, a couple of years. So, but when you're, you're so pliable after that. So I was able to retrain my brain for a lot of things, you know, my mindset around things about connecting to joy even deeper. And I'm so grateful for that. And I still have concussion symptoms.
Melissa Halpin (06:04)
Yeah, it's a long recovery.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (06:28)
Actually, the last three days I had quite a few, sometimes my, see, right then, the recalling words or, ⁓ you know, just other little things, headaches, sometimes like a swelling feeling. So they're still there. It just looks a lot different now. And I know how to nourish myself within that.
Melissa Halpin (06:34)
Amen.
So I don't remember getting hit in the head, but I've been blaming all that on perimenopause.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (06:49)
I mean, I can have that too. I think we were talking about
that the last time we met.
Melissa Halpin (06:53)
I'm like, how come I can't remember my phone number?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (06:58)
Yeah,
yeah, I probably have both things going on, but I just am not talking about that yet.
Melissa Halpin (07:02)
Yeah,
yeah, you have a good excuse. So you have this sort of centering principle around joy, but you also work with Akashic records. And not everybody's familiar with that. Could you describe to someone who has never heard of Akashic record what that is?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (07:05)
You
Yes, for sure. So the Akashic Records are a collection of all thoughts, energies, emotions, anything that has ever, is, and will ever take place.
Melissa Halpin (07:30)
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (07:33)
But the particular way that I connect to it is mostly in the past. And that also has to do generational, like family generational, however you want to believe around past lives, different things like that and what's happening now, because we can make a choice right in this moment that changes our future, that it's, it's pliable, it's moldable. So the way that I use the Akashic records is like a deep hypnotic meditation. So I bring people into their own records, into their own mind.
to connect and learn and heal and grow from like all the things that they've experienced. And it could be even things they're experiencing right now, maybe just with a little different of a perspective connecting to your guides and your higher self, ancestors. I think it's quite amazing and beautiful. But my favorite thing to do in the Akashic Records is generational healing. think it's so important, especially I know you're very much about like the age of women that we are right now.
Melissa Halpin (08:06)
Mm-hmm.
and
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (08:26)
we're growing up in a weird time. And I say growing up because we're still growing up, right?
Melissa Halpin (08:28)
We are.
Right. We're still growing up. A lot of us, think, are breaking generational trauma. And we have, in some ways, I feel like we're more isolated than ever. But in other ways, we have more information and more access to information than ever before. And so it's just sort of a double-edged sword of.
How much work do I need to do all the time? Is my whole life a constant uphill slog of improvement? But then at the same time, we have vocabulary for things like trauma or generational trauma or what happened to my grandma might still be affecting me and maybe I need to think about how that's going to affect my daughter. So I really love that sort of, I love the idea of
Jodi Lynn Turpin (08:59)
Yeah.
100%.
Melissa Halpin (09:18)
generations and ancestors and even the study of epigenetics, like how it encodes on you. I'm just fascinated by all that kind of discovery and exploration.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (09:31)
I find it extremely interesting too. I love humans in general. I wish I could study each person I meet and be like, let's get into your brain. Let's figure out all the things because there's so much joy for you in this world and I want you to connect to it and create habits around it. I'm just so excited. I know I'm using my hands a lot and that's how you know I'm really excited.
Melissa Halpin (09:37)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
That's good, that's good.
Well, and I think when your framework is joy, I think there's a little bit of courage or bravery or strength in being able to prioritize that because a lot of times happiness and joy are considered frivolous, right? Like it's all about hard work and it's all about the grind and it's...
All about the legacy. And we have this sort of culture, I think. And I think it's maybe uniquely American that it's all about work. Right? And I love work, too. But I try to make it so that it's joyful work. Right? Like I'm doing it, and I would do it if I wasn't getting paid. Or I'm doing it, and I would do it if it wasn't benefiting my children. That kind of thing. Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (10:26)
Mm-hmm.
yes.
Mm-hmm.
100%. Yes, I agree.
Because the generation right before us were of the mindset that is much different than what is going on right now in the world. Like we're in like a huge spiritual awakening and like everyone's connecting to themselves, I think deeper than they ever have before. And so we had this beautiful opportunity to see it both ways, right? So work, work, work, do this, do this, do this.
Melissa Halpin (10:50)
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (11:03)
But now we have a choice to be really happy in our work. know, a lot of people create businesses now, but...
Melissa Halpin (11:08)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (11:11)
We need all kinds of people. need someone that works at our grocery store. We need doctors. We need people like us. We need all these things. So I think it's a really special time and I'm super excited to be this age at this time. Because you see the young people, you know, think of an 18 year old that's coming through right now and they know like as much as we know, but in kind of a different way. They're like so spiritually connected and so in tune to themselves and their bodies. And then we got the opportunity to do that. So we really got to learn and break.
Melissa Halpin (11:16)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (11:40)
generational things and feel into all that. I find it super exciting.
Melissa Halpin (11:44)
Yeah. Don't
you feel having raised teenagers, I know I feel. This is almost a different version of humans. This Gen Z, these kids, sometimes I feel like, was it in the water? Was it just time for an evolutionary jump? Was it all the screens? Was it all the information? Some combination of ingredients has produced just
Jodi Lynn Turpin (11:52)
Mmm. ⁓ yes
Melissa Halpin (12:10)
different class of people, think. Yeah. Yes, I mean.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (12:12)
Yes. I completely agree. Even like little kids
you're seeing are like so in tune. Like a three year old, you're like, they just know to sit there and be quiet for a minute and feel into how they're feeling instead of like, you know, feel like myself as a child. So yeah, it's an honor to raise these kids. I feel like it's a yes.
Melissa Halpin (12:20)
Right.
Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah.
I 100 % agree with that and
I feel like I'm learning as much from them as and more than they did from me. Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (12:42)
yeah,
what a gift, right?
Melissa Halpin (12:44)
And I hope they're equipped. I hope they're equipped for the world they're inheriting. I worry about this a lot. Like, what can we do? What can we do? in this, like you said, we're in a time, we're in a season of a lot of awareness and a lot of awakening, but also a lot of turmoil and a lot of burning down and a lot of strife. And it's just a lot, a lot.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (13:04)
Oh yeah, and I truly believe in my heart that everyone is born when they're supposed to be. So like, maybe if you and I were born in 1902, like right now, like we would not be able to handle it wouldn't be good for us. But like our kids like are born when they're supposed to be so when they can handle information much better than us, like lots of information, lots of quick moving parts. And
Melissa Halpin (13:22)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (13:26)
So I really believe that they're here at the time to teach us just as much, just like you said. I learn so much from my kids every day. They're so patient, so calm, so driven with all these wild ideas. And I'm like, I can do that too. I'm going to do that too.
Melissa Halpin (13:35)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah. My daughter, who's 20, she went to a rock show by herself this week. And I was just thinking about, you know, like she came down and she got dressed and she's like, I'm going to Masonic Temple and I'll leave my location on. And I was just thinking about the assertiveness to go to a concert by yourself at 20. I did not have. She wanted to see a show. No one wanted to go with her. I don't think it's...
Jodi Lynn Turpin (13:48)
Aww.
Melissa Halpin (14:07)
I don't even think it was like a bump in the road for her. She was like, I'm going. Right? Yeah. You know, and of course, as a parent, I'm worried about like her safety and like, oh, she's going to be in Detroit and like walking at night back to her car by herself. I'm like, there's plenty of people coming out of that show at the same time. She has common sense. So.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (14:11)
I love it so much.
Mm-hmm. yeah.
I highly suggest people doing things on their own. I've always been kind of like a lone ranger about doing things. I could go to the movies by myself when I was young or like seriously like McDonald's. Yes, I could. But I know that that was really foreign to like all my friends. It just happened to be how I was. I think my dad encouraged it a lot, too. Like you should go by yourself. Spend time with yourself because that's like the hardest person to be with sometimes when you're just like alone and you're like.
Melissa Halpin (14:31)
and
You could.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (14:50)
What do you do? And before, so when we were 20, there wasn't like, we didn't have a phone or anything. Maybe you brought a book or a journal or nothing with you and you just stared out the window or whatever. So yeah, I'm proud of your daughter. That's really quite wonderful.
Melissa Halpin (14:58)
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah. think, the way for me that I've always sort of gotten alone is through art making, like just getting lost in painting or drawing. But I don't necessarily recall in my 20s, 30s. mean, as I've gotten older, I've gotten better. But taking myself out to dinner or going to a show or really
Jodi Lynn Turpin (15:12)
Yes.
Melissa Halpin (15:26)
socially interacting in the world as an individual. I went right from living in my parents' house to being married, having kids, and just always having a circle. So I'm almost kind of hoping for a chapter where I get some more alone time now.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (15:37)
Mm-hmm.
I think you'll have it, know, right when you need it, probably. It'll probably just start flowing in and it'll be absolutely perfect. I feel like I have to be the opposite. So I feel like, I could just do everything alone. I'll hike alone. People at like at my house would be, do you want me to go with you on this hike? I said no, you know, but so now I'm trying to get myself out there more. And that's I was grateful for you too, because you do connect women so much. And I'm craving that now, that opposite. Like I want to be together in circle. I want to
Melissa Halpin (15:45)
It'll show up.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Mm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (16:11)
talk with
like-minded people and do all those things instead of just being just me. Yeah.
Melissa Halpin (16:16)
Yeah. Yeah. There is a real call for community. And
it may seem like there's a lot of communities popping up, and whether they're virtual or they're in person, or it's a membership, or it's a one-time event. But there really can't be too many, because each one is meant for the people that are meant to be there, I feel. Yeah. Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (16:36)
Oh yes, I agree completely. It's
yeah because there's so many even if you think about retreats there's some retreats you're like oh that would not connect with me at all but other ones you're like it was the best weekend of my life I couldn't have asked for any more I made you know 23 friends and you know all the things like that so yeah.
Melissa Halpin (16:51)
Mm-hmm. Right, right, right. Yeah. Yeah.
I had a woman on my podcast recently who did, I don't know if it was 14 days or 10 days, but she did a silent retreat. And I was thinking about that, about kind of like never taking myself to a concert alone. Have I even gone a week without talking? Never. can't, I mean, even probably when I had...
mono or chicken packs or you illnesses as a kid I still was like
Jodi Lynn Turpin (17:17)
You're still talking away. Yeah.
Melissa Halpin (17:19)
writing on a piece of paper like
Bring me iced tea. So yeah, I find that kind of like an appealing idea as well. So You knew at a young age you discovered joy you're putting joy in as Like a guiding light in your life. Is it a practice? Like are there habits that you recommend? How how do you build a joy practice?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (17:41)
Yes, so like I said before, first awareness because that changes everything. Like really being brutally honest with yourself about your life. And then when you do have hard times, you have to feel through those feelings. You have to grieve. You have to have that anger, sacred rage. You have to have all those things.
Melissa Halpin (17:44)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (18:00)
before
you can come to joy. So if you're mad about something, you need to be mad about it. That's okay. That's completely normal. And then having your own toolbox of the things that can bring you back to that sparkly, joyful side, because it's not going to be all the time. You might only be joyful five minutes in one day or one minute. I think that's pretty successful for some people. It's really quite big, you know? So say in my toolbox, I hike. I have to hike every day though, or I will start
Melissa Halpin (18:05)
Yeah
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (18:28)
to feel just antsy and icky and having that alone time to like reflect about just life in general, I really need it. ⁓ I also meditate a lot. I make sure I'm drinking enough water. That used to be a major problem for me. ⁓ And then I like other practices like journaling through my feelings or telling, you know, my best friends about how I'm feeling, just being able to talk it through. But there's lots of tools people use. Some people are runners or
Melissa Halpin (18:35)
Okay.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (18:56)
They like like a special silent retreat. Maybe that really fills their cup so they can feel through everything. It's hard not to talk. I like talking. But when you start feeling through it.
Melissa Halpin (19:02)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, me too.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (19:09)
And then you allow yourself to feel through the things. And really that can mean a lot because if you haven't felt through any traumas from your childhood, teen years, twenties, or anything like that, you still have to feel through them. So sometimes they'll start bubbling up and you'll remember something.
Melissa Halpin (19:19)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (19:25)
And then you're like, Oh no, I'll just push that aside. I'm fine. It's okay. But maybe you're not. And you do need extra help. So you may might need therapy, a counseling, a woman's group, a mentor, a coach, you know, a spouse that can talk to you about those things and just sit with you while you're upset and you feel through them because they'll always be there. But you can be under them or you can be over them. It depends.
Melissa Halpin (19:37)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, that's a nice way
of describing it. Yeah. When you were describing that, really felt I do have a lot of either repressed or denied feeling stored up. And sometimes I feel it at yoga. Like somebody said, what's your favorite yoga pose? And I'm like, the one at the end where you're just laying on the mat. Right? It's that.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (20:02)
Yeah.
Mmm.
Shavasana! I love it!
Melissa Halpin (20:15)
That like just exhale and like letting yourself, you know, feel the earth, feel your feelings, just be for a minute. It's hard.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (20:17)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, because yoga can be very hard. Like you're
struggling, like maybe you have to hold something and it hurts your muscles and you're fighting with your brain the whole time. I can't do any more of this. I don't want to do any more of this. Or yes, I love this pose. It feels so good to open up my hip that way, but I don't like that other one. So then at the end you do get to reflect. I did it. I made it through this class.
Melissa Halpin (20:33)
Right.
Right, right. And there's something about the symmetry of the physical motions with the emotions and the stored energy that is really powerful.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (20:51)
I agree, I agree completely, it's so beautiful.
Melissa Halpin (20:54)
What's a small
shift or practice that someone can do?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (20:58)
to come back to joy. So I like...
Melissa Halpin (21:00)
Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (21:02)
to do this when I'm really like struggling. like to just write a list of little things that brought me joy today. So that first sip of your coffee where the cup is still hot, that's just like a little spark, know, like that little, little tiny feeling, or maybe your child came down the stairs and they just smiled at you this morning instead of like saying anything or they just smiled. ⁓ my heart. So you write all those little tiny things down and maybe you need to carry it around with you in your pocket or your purse.
Melissa Halpin (21:12)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Yeah. Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (21:31)
or whatever. Honestly, I've written things on my hand, like smile or write, you know, write joy or this or that on my hand just to kind of remember it. I don't have any tattoos so I couldn't do it that way, but maybe down the line. Anyways, but just trying to connect to it and remember that there are just little bits, little tiny sparks in your day. They're so important because they really add up to so many things.
Melissa Halpin (21:32)
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, yeah,
I like that idea of writing the little things down because even a hike requires an hour, right? But just having your favorite color in every room or smell you like, like sometimes that's all you need is 30 seconds to remind you, you know, like life is a tyranny.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (22:01)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and there's so many things to feel through though right now, right? Like a lot of people are having a lot of strong emotions and feelings about a lot of things happening, not only in their own lives, but in the world.
Melissa Halpin (22:15)
Yeah. ⁓
Thank you.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (22:22)
And that's beautiful.
So feel the feelings and then take action towards what you can change and what you can't change, but mostly about your reaction to it. Because do you want to be angry all the time or what can you do? Like as a single person, a woman, what can you do? Even to shift yourself. What can you do?
Melissa Halpin (22:25)
Right.
Thank
Right.
Yeah.
Right. I like what can
I do. I like also maybe what can't I do? What can I do? Like, what am I going to let go of? Because hanging onto this is impossible. Wait.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (22:46)
Yes, yes. Yeah.
And it hurts. then
it, and honestly, I believe it puts more energy towards the negative. So what can we do? Can you pray for someone? Can you send positive energy for somebody to see the light or change their heart a little bit? You know, we can always ask for these things and you know that you did as much as you could with that little prayer or that little thought or the sending your love energy, however you want to look at it towards that person.
Melissa Halpin (23:07)
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Well, you just have the most soothing voice and energy. I feel like the podcasting is a natural extension of the joy practice. So you're having deep conversations with other people about joy now on your podcast. What made you decide to start choosing joy as a podcast?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (23:36)
Yeah, so it was actually a super scary thought because first I didn't really want to talk in front of anyone at all. I was like, I like talking, but you know, more one-on-one with clients, you know, not with like, Oh, everyone hearing. I just kept getting that nudge. You should do a podcast just about joy, about choosing joy. I just, I just kept feeling it coming through me. That was like two years ago. And then I did some interviews like a year ago.
Melissa Halpin (23:44)
Right?
Right, right.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (24:02)
And then I finally, what just in February, released my podcast. So it took a lot to build up the courage to choose joy around it, but darn it, fills my cup so full. And to shine light on all of these beautiful women who are just like everyone else, we're all the same, you know? But like your story is different than another person's story. And if just one person listening could get
Melissa Halpin (24:02)
Okay.
Yeah.
Right.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (24:27)
a little bit more confidence or like a little, I can do that. Or I can remember that I have a bravery to do that as well. Just that little connection. Then just check me off. I can stop the podcast. I've accomplished everything I need to accomplish.
Melissa Halpin (24:30)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I'm really happy to have you in this space with me. I think it's essential. Even like the Kindling Project lens is really kind of about alignment with yourself. But joy is the best way or one of the best ways to figure out what you're aligned with. Like when you're little, when you're young, like what just made you happy and where could you lose time?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (24:54)
you
Mm-hmm.
Melissa Halpin (25:06)
Like for me, that's always been art making. But if it's hiking or running or cooking or napping, it really doesn't matter. It's somehow like when all your cells calm down and you're happy and you're joyful and you're peaceful, that's where you're supposed to be, I think. It's definitely the guideposts of where you're supposed to go. And I don't know why we resist it. And I think we're actually told not to.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (25:23)
I agree. It's like...
yes.
Mm-hmm.
Melissa Halpin (25:32)
I think we're
told it's indulgent, that life is supposed to be hard, that you're supposed to put other people's happiness ahead of your own. I do think there's a lot of messaging that we're undoing.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (25:42)
I agree completely because it's okay to live a joyful, purposeful life. And if you love what you're doing, no matter what it is...
Melissa Halpin (25:48)
right.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (25:51)
There you go. Like I want everyone to like their job. I would hope they could get to loving it and like, yes, of course there's going to be hard things within it. You know, it's going to be challenging and you want to grow or maybe you have a mean customer or something like that, but love your job. My, my niece is 17 and she just started waitressing at like a little diner and her second shift she got yelled at so bad by a guy because she didn't bring a container over fast enough. And she called me after work. She was very upset.
Melissa Halpin (25:51)
Yeah. Yeah.
Right, right.
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (26:21)
She's like, probably should quit because I'm not a good waitress. said, we have to think of that man. Like he may have had just the worst day of his life. And now you have the opportunity to be kind to so many people. Well, it's been a couple of months and she's loving your job, making lots of tips because she's so nice to everyone within this.
Melissa Halpin (26:28)
Right.
Mm-hmm.
And.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (26:38)
And you know, she's a 17 year old as a waitress right now, but she's for surely living in her purpose and she's joyful and loves going to work. I wish everyone could feel like her with their.
Melissa Halpin (26:43)
Right.
Right. Yeah. Well,
and isn't that the best feeling when you encounter that waitress that has a smile on her face and brings a little light to your day? Yeah. And I think all the people we truly admire, whether they're athletes or authors or entertainers, they have found their purpose. That's why they're magnetic. That's why we're drawn to them, because they're an example.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (26:58)
Yes.
yeah.
I love it so much. It just, it just lights me up so much. Just anyone, even my husband loves his job and he's an electrician, but he loves fixing things. So he found what he likes and he's very, you know, necessary in the world. We need him and you have found your purpose within this, within your design.
Your design agency and the kindling project is so special and important in the world. I'm so grateful for you.
Melissa Halpin (27:37)
Thanks, my friend.
Well, another term that I see in some of your social media and your website is under the umbrella of joy. tell us what that means to you.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (27:47)
I love it so much.
Yeah, so you know, you have multiple things that you're trying to do, multiple businesses and different things. So I have, you know, herbalism, I make some different things, my one-on-one work, the podcast, and then just other little things I like to dabble in. And you think, well, what umbrella is this all going to be under?
and it was joy of course. using the term under the umbrella of joy and like the whole everything connected to that just felt so absolutely perfect. ⁓
Melissa Halpin (28:15)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (28:20)
because I really truly like in my heart desire for everyone to find joy at least a little bit each day. And so I hope that through all the things that I do, the podcast, the one-on-one work, even group things when I work at retreats and different things like that, I hope they feel a little bit more joy and maybe can connect to it or, you know, magnetize and pull into that just a little bit more because it's really special.
Melissa Halpin (28:27)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
I like how the umbrella of joy is like a big, huge umbrella. And I do think that what happens, so I'm going to use myself as an example. I don't want to sound like I'm always talking about myself, but I also don't want to assume about others, right? But I think what can happen is you can end up adjacent to your joy because.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (28:54)
Please do.
Melissa Halpin (29:07)
You know, for myself, like I wasn't always an artistic kid and I liked drawing and I liked painting and I liked arranging almost to a level of driving people crazy, right? Like moving things around. And so then you just start getting advice from the world, from your teachers, from your counselors, from your advisors. Well, you should go into design and you like order and you should do graphic design or you should do web design or you should do this or that because it's adjacent to what
sort of your natural inclination is or what you were aligned with originally. And then I think when you're taking practical advice, you can get sideways so quickly. And so having a big umbrella of like, no, no, no, as long as it's making you joyful, just keep pursuing all those things. Even if it looks like a rag bag of things that don't fit together, if they're true to you, they'll come together.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (29:46)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Melissa Halpin (29:59)
They'll come together in a way that is like the unique blueprint of you and not because people kind of saw what you were good at and then just started giving you advice and started steering you to the left or to the right. And it's like, well, you you like order, so you should be in math. And then all of a sudden you're like way far from where you wanted to be.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (29:59)
OAS.
Mm-hmm.
Oh yeah, and that outside noise, can change everything. So I'm a big...
Melissa Halpin (30:23)
Yes.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (30:29)
It's like pro-com-pon- I can't think of the word, sorry. But I'm really big about not listening. Component, yes, thank you. Proponent. Yeah, I'm a big advocate of not listening to the outside noise. So if you have a new idea and it's stirring, you you just put it in the cauldron and you're just starting to, you know, grow it just a little bit, it's okay to be very quiet about that. You don't have to tell everyone because any little thing that one person says you can just.
Melissa Halpin (30:34)
Like proponent? Proponent or advocate?
Yeah.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (30:55)
Whoa, but when it's so in your face, so like you're good at drawing and you're doing that in school or this or that, are like, you should do this, you should do that. So separating those things, it's really key when you're starting anything or even if you're planning a trip, it doesn't have to be just, you know, in concern of, or just related to business.
Melissa Halpin (31:04)
Right. Right.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (31:14)
Just keeping it quiet. It's okay if you want to go to that special little beach in Mexico that it takes like, you know, the entire day to get there, even though your mom is saying, that's going to be too much work. And then you're like, well, maybe it will be, you know, so keep that. Yeah. Keep that outside noise or honor it. That's what I try to do now. Like someone will say something. I'm like, I do not like that idea. That is not going to work for me at all. Then I honor it. I will usually write it down and then I throw it away.
Melissa Halpin (31:27)
Right, right, Yeah.
Right.
Right.
Right, Yep. Thanks, but that's not for me. That's really good advice. So what's next for you?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (31:41)
Like, nope, that's not gonna be good for me. ⁓
Speaking of like saying, yeah, yeah, speaking of, well, yes, I am going on a trip very soon. I'm going to New Orleans. I'm really excited about that. Looking for some people to interview for the podcast down there. And in late August, I'm planning my first day retreat by myself that I will be throwing. It's going to be very witchy and fun.
Melissa Halpin (31:50)
Making him going on a trip.
Mm-hmm.
Awesome.
Mm-hmm.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (32:10)
And you know, just really focusing more on the Choosing Joy podcast, would like for as many people as I can to hear it and to connect to it. It really fills my cup so much. I love it's fun interviewing people, isn't it? It's really exciting. Yeah.
Melissa Halpin (32:18)
Mm.
Yeah, it is fun.
Yeah, I mean, I definitely am a chit-chatter, you know, a connector, a joiner. You know, I like to have different circles of people and different layers of friendship and connection. So it's a pretty natural fit for me. The parts that I struggle with have more to do with the promotion, the self-promoting, the being the brand, the having my face out there.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (32:31)
Mm-hmm.
Mmm, same, same.
Melissa Halpin (32:51)
to seeing a video and thinking, trying to squash down those thoughts of like, why am I so twitchy? And why do I have a weird loose hair? why am I such a fidgeter? It's like that self-critical self-judgment that's the hard part for me. But the conversation part is really the most fun. It's the best.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (33:01)
You
I agree, think we were talking, or when we were speaking the other week about how many hours of work you could put into a podcast. Like, it could be like 14 hours in one day because you're just trying to do all the social media and all the things. So it's a lot of work, it's a lot.
Melissa Halpin (33:20)
I know.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly. And even the
relationships for finding, I think in both of our, are you only interviewing women as well?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (33:36)
I
am right now, but I am open to maybe a couple men.
Melissa Halpin (33:38)
Okay.
So finding the men
or women or the guests, like building the relationships, figuring out who's a good fit for you, that's a whole job. And then collecting their information and scheduling. And I 100 % understand now how people do this as a full-time job. I have been, as you mentioned, running a design agency as my full-time job for 15 years. And then doing this podcast and
building the Killing Project community, whether it's online events or in-person events. That's been my passion project. That's been my side thing. But I am kind of envisioning, fantasizing, dreaming about maybe either getting more balanced between the two or transitioning at some point to only doing one of them, because I do really love it. And I do think there's a need for it. Yeah. And I'm always so honored and impressed.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (34:11)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, because, yeah.
Melissa Halpin (34:31)
when I see the impact.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (34:32)
yeah, the messages, they touch my heart. I screenshot all of them and just keep them in my pocket because they make my heart so happy.
Melissa Halpin (34:34)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, I agree.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (34:40)
I think it's really
needed too right now because people are starting to take in information in different ways. It's not just watching TV at night or when you're driving somewhere, you might listen to a podcast with your spouse or friends or something like that. It looks a lot different and it's a beautiful way to learn on a very human level. Yeah.
Melissa Halpin (34:47)
and
Right.
Right, right. I agree.
I couldn't agree more. Well, thanks for being my guest today. You want to do some quick rapid fire questions to round up? So did you pick a word for 2025? Joy. Of course. OK, well, that's easy. Is there a mantra or a phrase that's guiding you these days?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (35:08)
⁓ yes I do.
Yes, joy, of course.
Yes, I actually wrote it down so that I could read it to you. I am worthy of all my desires, hopes, dreams and ideas.
Melissa Halpin (35:30)
You are. Everyone is, right? Yep. Feeling worthy and feeling like you have permission to take up space, those are big ones. Yeah. So what's one message you want every woman listening today to walk away with?
Jodi Lynn Turpin (35:30)
Everyone is. Please know that. Everyone is, yes.
Mm-hmm.
There's so many. I know. Just know that you can make a choice right now with how you react to things and how you feel about yourself that can change the whole trajectory of your life.
Melissa Halpin (35:49)
You just pick one, you will...
Jodi Lynn Turpin (36:02)
I know this from personal experience, from all the traumas and things I have gone through. So please, if you just take one little step towards it to connect back to yourself, I'm praising you. It's beautiful.
Melissa Halpin (36:13)
Yeah.
Yeah, I think women need to hear that from you. They need to hear it from each other and from themselves.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (36:19)
Yes, I'm cheering every single person on. Let's beat each other's cheerleaders constantly. We are not against each other. There's space for everyone. Let's just be all together. Yes, exactly. It's that obvious and like straightforward.
Melissa Halpin (36:27)
Yeah, we wouldn't be here if there wasn't room for us. Yeah. Yeah, it's
so simple and straightforward is that I'm taking up space here because this is the space that I'm in. It's that simple.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (36:41)
It's absolutely perfect, yes.
Melissa Halpin (36:43)
Yeah, yeah.
well thanks Jodi. ⁓ Thanks for showing us that joy isn't just a destination, it's a practice. And it's a path back to ourselves. Yeah, and it really doves tails so nicely with the Kindling Project because we're all about looking into yourself and finding that little fire and giving you permission to fuel that little fire.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (36:46)
Thank you so much, Melissa.
Yes.
Melissa Halpin (37:07)
Start with joy.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (37:08)
Yes. Yes, yes, I am so excited about you being on my podcast too.
Melissa Halpin (37:09)
and I'm looking forward to being on your podcast as well.
Well, if you enjoyed Listen to Jodi today, she's in our Kindling Project Ignite group on Facebook. She's attended some of our events. She's in the Northville community. We will have all of her contact information in the show notes. Listen to the Choosing Joy podcast, follow her on Instagram, and come back any time.
Jodi Lynn Turpin (37:33)
Thank you so much
Melissa Halpin (37:35)
All right, until next time.