Joie De Vivre, Living With A Ravenous Thirst For Life: “Silence is a great healer” With KJ Landis and Dr. Marina Kostina
Silence is a great healer and motivator to start the day on a positive and peaceful note. I meditate for just 10–20 minutes each morning. It allows me to take a short vacation from the rest of my life. If one doesn’t know how to begin meditation, I suggest using one of the many free apps for the phones or free YouTube videos.
Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, unchallenged, and have nothing to look forward to? It doesn’t have to be that way. One idea that I always advice my clients is to “Detox yourself”.
It is interesting how our relationships with our bodies dictate our relationships with the partners and with the world. When we feel fit and sexy we are on top of the world and one with the world; but when our bodies feel unattractive to us we often create discord alienation and push partners, jobs, and opportunities away.
When we start cutting of all toxic things from our lives- foods, drinks, habits, people, places — everything changes- our body, our psyche and mind. Our life becomes ravenous and fulfilling. Any disciplined action (such as getting in shape, or healing yourself from a disease, quitting drugs and alcohol) is a spiritual journey that is also transformational in many ways- and affects not only your body but your life in general.
As a part of our series interviewing experts on how to live a “ravenous life” — a life filled with the passion, pleasure, playfulness and abundance that come naturally to those who dare to be authentic, I had the pleasure of interviewing KJ Landis of Superior Self with KJ Landis. She is a nutrition educator, life and wellness coach, and motivational speaker. KJ has traveled to more than 44 countries in her life, and has taken the experiences into her healing approach with clients. She hosts workshops in a variety of wellness topics, with all of them being hands-on by participants. KJ has 4 published books and a fifth on the way.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have been teaching fitness classes from the time I was a teen, but my wake up call to sharing my wellness journey and inspiring others happened 6 years ago when I lost 50 pounds on my own fat loss journey. I wanted my outside to match my inside feeling of “yes, I can do anything with joy and perseverance.” After I lost the weight and began coaching others’ towards their happiness through wellness, my husband told me I had a larger responsibility to share with the world.
What does it mean for you to live “on purpose”? Can you explain? How can one achieve that?
Living on purpose and living with purpose means knowing your unique imprint will be left upon the earth when we leave here. It is an inner knowing and we must remind ourselves of this when we get stuck in everyday normal challenges.
Do you have an example or story in your own life of how your pain helped to guide you to finding your life’s purpose?
I was molested by older male relatives from the age of 7–12. When I became a Bat Mitzvah, I took the responsibility of being seen in the eyes of my Jewish community as an adult very seriously. I no longer had my parents responsible for my actions, deeds, and words. So after my Bat Mitzvah I told the perpetrators, “no more.“ I didn’t realize until then that I could have said no way earlier, but I was a little girl! 7! From then on, whatever I put my mind and efforts toward, I usually came out on top. I finished what I started.
The United States is currently rated at #18 in the World Happiness Report. Can you share a few reasons why you think the ranking is so low?
I think we work too many hours, sleep too little hours, and struggle on the hamster wheel to get daily duties done. The rising cost of living isn’t equal to my (evening job) pay by the hour or many others’ pay either.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Most of my workshops are free, I blog and host recipes and motivational content for free, and I host senior citizens field trips to grocery stores to educate them on how to read food labels for health, also for free. It is my pleasure to share my passions and knowledge.
What are your 6 strategies to help you face your day with exuberance, “Joie De Vivre” and a “ravenous thirst for life”? Can you please give a story or example for each?
How we begin the day sets the foundation for the rest of the day. I use 3 tools myself.
1. I always put on some uplifting music as I make my tea or coffee. I sing a “good morning” song I made up years ago to my kids when I wake them up so they get a whiff of a great day too.
2. I also encourage my life and wellness clients to get moving to music, even if for a few minutes before the work day begins. Whether indoors or outdoors, movement and music are a marriage for the happy hormones. We get to feel good and the adrenaline plus pleasure hormones are moving throughout the body, even on a 10 minute brisk walk! We look and feel refreshed when the circulation flows through movement and we also can focus better later on with great oxygen flow.
3. Silence is a great healer and motivator to start the day on a positive and peaceful note. I meditate for just 10–20 minutes each morning. It allows me to take a short vacation from the rest of my life. If one doesn’t know how to begin meditation, I suggest using one of the many free apps for the phones or free YouTube videos.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that most inspired you to live with a thirst for life?
Immediately coming to mind is Conversations with God, Book 1 by Neal Donald Walsh. It has shifted my way of seeing the world and learn to not self deprecate all of the time.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote” that relates to having a Joie De Vivre? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I was writing a fiction book years ago and the title wouldn’t come to me. I went to sleep one night and in my dream the title came to me, RISK LITTLE, WIN LITTLE. The book was a murder mystery and love story, but the title became my motto for life.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
My daughter Sage and I are working on a family cookbook that has child-led recipes, teaching others how to move away from the standard American diet and shifting a nutrient dense diet that won’t make you broke and won’t make you go crazy! That will help with the stereotype that only wealthy people can afford local and organic, seasonal foods.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
RISK LITTLE, WIN LITTLE. This means to me that we should take chances, try and also DO new things that may scare you because you will realize how strong, smart, and powerful you really are when you come out the other side.
About The Author:
Dr. Marina Kostina is a life and business fulfillment coach. She uses research and energy work to help professional women find their purpose and turn it into a profitable business. Dr. Kostina incorporates innovative marketing strategies and the creation of engaging, lucrative online courses to scale their businesses. As a result they enjoy what she describes as a “ravenous life” — a life filled with the passion, pleasure, playfulness and abundance that come naturally to those who dare to be authentic. Her book “Find the G-Spot of Your Soul” is available January 2018. Download a free gift from Dr. Kostina- an MP3 Meditation Album “Find The G –Spot Of Your Soul” and get unstuck.
