joi k. madison

psych prof • coach • speaker • founder || think higher • feel deeper • live fuller. text “tap in” to 323.629.8508 for exclusive content.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

find out who you are underneath who everyone else needs you to be.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

yes, it’s tough.
it’s also temporary.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

failure—that is, missing the intended mark—invites us to pay attention to what success allows us to ignore.

when it doesn’t quite go as planned or hoped for, i get curious + explore the details. when it does, i move on.

in this way, failing leads to a more fully lived life.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

when i miss the mark, i’d rather spend a little time cleaning it up than a lifetime covering it up.

owning your missteps is the first move towards learning from them. and learning from them is the only way to heal + grow.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

study your environment, know your role in it, then occupy that space, relentlessly + unapologetically.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

adaptability, though necessary for survival, is a response to change. in order to thrive, one must be innovative — a creator of change.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

to create change, you must first see where it’s necessary then, identify how you can be a facilitator.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

think critically.
speak truthfully.
live authentically.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

DREAM: see the vision in your mind’s eye.

DECIDE: make a commitment to act on the vision.

DEFINE: what, why, who?

DELAY: seek divine guidance before taking action.

DECLARE: there will be challenges, claim victory now.

DELIVER: stop at nothing to see this thing through.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

sometimes i want to crave things without questioning them. but i can’t tell if that’s irresponsible or liberating.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

when we’re afraid (or unwilling) to ask for clarity, we suffer unnecessarily.

often, we believe not knowing is a sign of inferiority or inadequacy, so we don’t ask because we don’t want to be seen as ignorant. but to willfully remain unknowing is the most ignorant choice of all.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

saying “fruitful” instead of “productive” is changing my relationship to work.

semantics? maybe. but even when words mean the same, they don’t always feel the same when spoken.

for me, “fruitful” feels meaningful where “productive” feels mechanical.

anyway, just sharing.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

is it that you don’t know what you want or are you afraid to ask for it because you don’t believe you can have it?

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

i don’t want to prescribe what’s going to happen. i just want to be present with what i feel and be open to what’s possible.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

if you’re only looking in places that will offer the answer you want to hear, you don’t want clarity, you want confirmation.

if you spend your life only confirming what you already know, how will you grow?

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

inherently, inside of uncertainty, lies potential. it’s just a matter of which one you choose to focus on — what you don’t know or what you can learn.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

part of emotional maturity is acknowledging + holding space for the reaction when you cause harm.

not judging the intensity of the reaction. not redirecting it. certainly not invalidating it. simply holding space to move through the emotions that arise from pain you caused.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

aside from theories + info-based knowledge, this particular communication skill is another thing that makes therapy fundamentally different from talking to your friends.

we listen different.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

as a therapist who regularly leans into a skillset that allows me to “hear” what clients are NOT saying, i find it hilarious + ironic that i’m still sincerely shook every single time my therapist does it to me.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

@Surgeon_General it was an honor and a pleasure to contribute to the development of this framework. i look forward to future opportunities to build on these essentials in relevant, accessible ways across all industries. onward.

[joi k. madison @joihearts]

the internal work precedes the external reward.