Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Welcome to the Lead to Excel podcast with faith, leadership, emotional intelligence and emotional intimate. I'm more interested in your host, and I'm here to help you think differently, live boldly and live intentionally. If you're ready to unlock your potential and transform the way you live and live, you're in the right place. Remember to subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. Let's dive in. Hello and welcome back to Lead2Xel Podcast.

Victoria’s Early Faith And Career Path

SPEAKER_01 0:40

I am excited today. I have a wonderful, wonderful guest with me, Victoria Pontel. Victoria, I hope I pronounced your surname correctly. Yes, you did. Awesome. Awesome. So it's wonderful to have you with us today on Lead2XL Podcast. Honestly, I'm really excited about today's conversation. And um, yeah, let's get started. So welcome again to Lead2XL Podcast, Victoria.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Thank you, Maureen. It's really great to be here and a real privilege to be here. Um, hello to your guests and just really appreciate your work, uh, Maureen. I really have been enjoying your devotion devotional, and it's just such an inspiration and um really helping bring forth, you know, our neurobiology and how that can really impact um our lives and and obviously we being anchored in faith. And so just appreciate you and just thankful to be here.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Oh, thank you so much. Thank you so much. That's really um kind of you and nice to comment on the um devotional. Um, yeah, thank you. So, yeah, let's get into the podcast because we're also going to come round to your own book as well. So, and I've been going through that and it's incredible. So, let's start with you, Victoria. So, could you tell us a bit about you? So, where did you grow up? And yeah, tell us a bit about young Victoria.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Sure, sure. So, um, so I'm joining you today. This is kind of my prayer chair, which I really I've decided to come here just to, it's my place of you know, connecting with um God, and just so I thought it just it's kind of a great relaxing place to be. So, um, but yeah, so I grew up in um northern Illinois as a young girl in a Christian home, and then um went on to sort of um in my early childhood understood the relationship with God, but didn't really understand the relationship with the Holy Spirit yet, and and letting God really, you know, surrendering my life to God. And so went on my life and um, you know, kind of started trying to figure out how to navigate life and the world, you know, within the world. And so ended up going um, you know, to school and getting an education in nursing and becoming um um a PhD in nursing. And so I was teaching in nursing education and have done that for over 25 years. Um, and then after that, I had just sense to step back to um take a break, and my mom and dad ended up needing um care. It was the last season of their lives, so it was really great to be with them, and then um just felt um that it was time to maybe write a write a legacy for my daughter. Um, wanted her to navigate life a little easier than I did, and so that was kind of the the heart's desire behind the book that I um have published last year. And when I was writing it, you know, realized that other women may benefit. Um, I think we all, you know, have different areas of struggle with our physical bodies, uh, may show up in different forms, but how to navigate that and stay anchored in faith. So, anyway, so that's led me to here. Now I'm found myself on Instagram and LinkedIn and um more of a presence and pod guesting. Um, I do a weekly illustration on Instagram called Zoe's Adventures, which is a real fun way to, it's kind of an extension of the book to give messages and lessons just about everyday life, like dating and like how to um, you know, have boundaries and how to have confidence in situations, um, whether it be work or friends or you know, um, you know, you name it with life, right? And how you feel about how how feel how she feels about herself, etc. So it's been a lot of fun and it's kind of brought me to where I am now.

SPEAKER_01 5:05

Awesome. Thank you so much for that. Thank you. So let's kind of go back a bit to um your childhood. So you say you grew up in a Christian home. Okay, so and what was that like?

Church Upbringing And Body Image Tensions

SPEAKER_03 5:21

Yeah, I think for me, like it was going to church, it was, you know, participating in youth programs at church, um, and understanding that, you know, that there is a commitment that we make to God. Um, although I would say that, you know, again, like, for example, one example is with my body. Like I grew up understanding, you know, don't worry about your body. The most important thing is your heart. And while there's truth to that, you know, when I got to adolescence, I think we, you know, most of us can identify this. When you get to adolescence, you realize that not only does your body matter, but it impacts what friends you might have, you know, whether somebody might be interested in you, and maybe even opportunities. And so I just I didn't really feel equipped with how to handle some of those tensions in the world. And where it led me is into people pleasing. You know, what how can I look right so that others will prove me, you know, which threw me into some cycles of dysfunction.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Interesting. People pleasing is a huge one, isn't it? A lot of, you know, a lot of people actually go through it. But do you I'm trying to kind of make the link between, you know, when you said you were young and you know, I grew up a Christian and the focus, like you said, because this is an important point, the focus a lot was on the heart, but not on the body. Can you kind of explain that a bit to us in terms of as you were growing up and how you saw your body as, you know, uh, you know, yeah, how you actually saw yourself and saw your body and that what led you down the path you went down.

SPEAKER_03 7:19

Yeah, it's interesting because I think when you're a child, you know, you you can look at like your grandchildren, you know like little ones, you know, they they don't have any shame, right? They're doing their thing, right? And it's when when we grow and we start learning how the world, you know, kind of looks at us and how we're supposed to be or what we're supposed to do, right? And so I think there was sort of this growth in me of understanding, but I uh it's almost like the body was not something to really pay attention to. You know what I mean? It was focus on you using the body to do the things you need to do, but it wasn't something that really I necessarily linked to, no, this is a gift from God, and you have a, you know, you have a responsibility to steward it well. And, you know, even though we read in scripture, you know, if this part of the body causes you to sin, it's better to cut it off. You know, we understand the implications there, but I think for me it wasn't, it was just not really connecting um fully my faith with the stewardship of my body and the fact that God cares, you know, like God is in the details of that, and you know, scripture shows us, you know, he knows the number of hairs on our head. I mean, my goodness, right? And so he's into the details about our physical body.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Yeah, yeah, I like that. And I'm going to kind of want us to go a bit deeper into that later. But at what point um did you then get into nursing? Um, uh or rather actually, and also what actually, why nursing in particular?

Dieting, Control, And Disordered Eating

SPEAKER_03 9:01

Yeah, so it's interesting because so when adolescence came for me, um I, you know, hormones come and my body started shifting. And so, and my friends around me too. I mean, all of us kind of, you know, I think women, we can identify that shift that comes when hormones start changing. But for me, I started gaining some weight, and so did my friends. And so we decided to go on a diet, and I took it to an extreme, and it what it did is it landed me into disordered eating. And not only that, like disordered eating is often friends with exercise distortion. So that kind of happened, and it was really um creating havoc in my adolescent life because I was it was kind of this, you know, whirlwind of never doing it right, you know, rigid eating, all these things to try to be this whatever it was supposed to be, pleasing to other people. And so what happened is I I ended up finding stability eventually with that, because that was, you know, years of just every Monday I'm starting over. This is gonna be a better week, you know what I mean? And finally, after finding that stability, I think, you know, there was stability, but later in my life I found out, you know, as I drew closer to the Lord that I was still living in rigidities and rules for myself, that I wasn't living in the freedom that Christ had for me. But what happened is um I had always, you know, wanted to be a teacher. And but going through what I did, I think with my body and my health, I think that I was drawn to nursing, drawn to helping people, drawn to understanding maybe the body a little more. And so um, so I I went to I applied for nursing school and ended up, you know, heading down that direction. And that was kind of interesting because as much as I studied nursing, then I found myself back in the teaching academic part of it. Um, but that was sort of how I um, you know, the life, my the journey went.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yeah, so you kind of combined it because you went into nursing and then went in and still went into it um education, because you were um teaching, you were nursing education, you went into eventually. Let's talk about the eating disorder part. So, how did you navigate through that and how you know what actually was the shift to get you out of it? Because I think you mentioned people pleasing, and did that have a part to play in uh in actually creating the disorder in the first place?

SPEAKER_03 11:49

Yeah, I think I think it really did, because it was, you know, trying to, you know, control the body. And and and there's nothing wrong with, you know, changing our what we're eating to try to be in better health. But what happened was I really was never overweight, um, you know, it in objectively, but how I felt subjectively was like, yeah, no, I need to do something here, you know, and so taking, and I think there's also control behind that. Um, it was something that I felt like I could control when the body felt a little bit out of control. Um, so I think what happened is there were patterns where, you know, I saw that if I was withholding or not eating certain foods, then this would this was the impact on my body, you know, and so um I think what happened is then it created rules, you know, restrictions, you know, you can do this, you can't do that, kind of the shame. And then if I broke it, it'd be like the, you know, the feeling of guilt, you know, and then the same with exercise, you know, where it's like, oh, you know, you're supposed to do this, this, and this, even though my body's fatigued or or whatever it is. And so I think putting me on that, that, um, that place of just never enough, never good enough, and that maybe others can relate to. And I I think what ended up happening is that I was probably close to 20, and I finally found stability by creating kind of an order in my life about what was gonna work or not work, so that I'm not in this every Monday kind of thing, starting over or the first of the month or whatever. And and that helped because then at least it I had, you know, discipline of myself. But but again, you know, that was good and that could have worked my whole life. But when I got closer to 40 and just life events, and I drew in closer to Holy Spirit and was baptized in Holy Spirit, because I believe when I was baptized, I received Holy Spirit, but I didn't activate, I didn't, I didn't walk understanding that personal relationship. When I started to understand that, I God, I believe the Lord started speaking into me that he wanted me to walk in freedom with food and with exercise and to um be guided by him. And I had no idea that I was still in these rigid patterns. And that's part of my passion, Maureen, is that I want other women, you know, to walk in the freedom that God has for us. We don't have to have the rules and the the verse of um, you know, all things are possible, but maybe but not all things are edifiable. So it's really understanding like it completely flips it because it's like it's not I can't have that. It's like I can have that, but and I can do that, but is that gonna be best for me? And that's the switch because then you're empowered, you're not underneath that as though you're not good enough. No, you're empowered to say, hmm, I have a choice, and this is gonna be the better choice for me. And that is such a big shift, and that's that's amazing, you know, and that's where um I

Hitting Bottom And Returning To God

SPEAKER_03 15:24

hope all of us could live.

SPEAKER_01 15:26

I'm just excited as you're saying that because it's so true, and you know, the choice that we make, but I I want to ask you when how did that switch come about? What brought it about? You know, what stage of life was that? And what was this, what was what was it that actually brought that awareness to you?

SPEAKER_03 15:54

Well, you know, you know, sometimes we get to God when we feel like we hit rock bottom. And so I guess I wasn't my rock bottom. Um, I was I had gotten myself into um, you know, a group, a a running group, and then they kind of triathlete group. So I was pushing my body, you know, beyond what I should have been. And then I, you know, I was still in the ridge and patterns. Um, I was going through a breakup in my marriage. Um, we both kind of, I think for me, you know, there was hardheartedness going on. And then I think that just, oh, I had also gotten into yoga to new age kind of practices. And um I went to like a book study, and it was, you know, not recognizing Jesus as Lord. And I think I just spirit I hadn't realized spiritually what I was walking into because this was normal, you know, this is what you do, you know, this is okay. And what I found out is that I was just starting to get confused and like, what is going on with my life? And I really felt scared. Um, I needed God, and I just cried out to God, like, I need you. I mean, I need your help. And the next day I was, you know, seeing a Christian counselor, and then I got rooted back with God in the Bible and was was listening to um a Christian speaker, and she was talking about, you know, Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit impressed on her heart. I'm like, what? Like you you heard from God, like I want to hear from him, and I knew enough that he's not a respecter person. So I'm like, well, if she hears from him, then I can. So I just started running after God. Like, I want a relationship like that with you, you know. And so then um that happened, and um, you know, my marriage ended up ending, but I think that God has brought good from that, you know. I regret, you know, I I look back and say, gosh, I could have done that better, surely better. Um, but I think that God is um, you know, it brings everything in our past brings us to who we are today, and it grows us to who we are today. And I'm thankful that my former spouse and I have a friendship, and um, and so we have peace among us. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Yeah. Oh, thanks so much for sharing that. That's amazing. So when you were um going through this kind of new age phase on yoga, where had you been baptized by then?

SPEAKER_03 19:24

Well, I had been baptized as an infant.

SPEAKER_01 19:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

And so um when I when I came back to the Lord in my early 40s in this mess, I ended up uh feeling led that the Lord wanted me to go get baptized again. And so I did with my daughter. Um, we both went. Um

Relearning Freedom With Food And Exercise

SPEAKER_03 19:43

and so um, so that was yeah, I think an important, you know, another important part of my spiritual law.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

Yeah, that's amazing. And I think I I love the the how you actually you know took told us how when you are that you know confused state, you cried out to God and how things then unfolded. You went for counseling, you did something, you know, you actually took steps to do something, and um, yeah, it and it's all amazing how God just answers us when we call out to him. You know, it's always that thing of him waiting for us, and we we just need to reach out to him, no matter how far we've gone, you know, he's always there, you know, waiting to welcome us back. That's um thank you. It's so honestly, it's it's um it's just incredible. We just have a loving, such a loving father. So when you then almost like rededicated your life to Christ, talk us through you know what followed from then.

SPEAKER_03 20:53

Yeah, yeah. So it was almost like God took me away, um, like Moses and took time, took me away from everything to spend time with me. And I had such a wonderful experience, like just learning from God, um, him teaching me, him, him helping me to understand childhood things that I believed, and and just kind of things that needed, I needed my mind renewed, and even how I was carrying myself, you know. And um, and he wanted to take care of me. And so it was almost like I'm like, wow, like just like when he says, cast your burdens on me, he means it, you know, and and then you know, Proverbs 3, 5 through 6 became such anchoring verses of don't lean on your own understanding, you know. Trust, you know, trust me then, and I will direct your path, you know, in all things. And it's like, yeah, everything. Like, oh, you care about that too. And so what I realized is the more I turned over to God, what's so beautiful about turning things over to God, the more you turn over to God and you listen to Him and walk by faith by that, we all benefit because we benefit individually because we we get to see what God's gonna do, but then it blesses other people because then we get to see more of Jesus in the world. And so the more that each of us can surrender, the more we come into who we were created to be. And so that's what I began to realize. And, you know, God um, you know, God has a shed house too, and he took me in there, you know, and let me know.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

you know hey he you know he he means what he says in his word and so you know I think that God really but he but it god disciplines those he loves and so I am thankful when God corrects me because it's like yeah I need to get out of that you know I need to stop doing that so he I just I fell in love just with with the Lord and just so thankful um for his help in in the daily in the daily walk I mean God says we're living in the valley of the shadow of death um we're not we're gonna get in redemption one day but we definitely need his help yeah yeah so that's that's really that's you know I just love the journey you know how you've been on that journey and how God actually helped you through the journey but importantly how you gave yourself and made the choices to make that shift so I'm curious about how you then you know now that you've kind of re-rededicated yourself to God how did you then make that shift to in terms of how you now view your body and how you know how you made the change because there's something about knowing information or having information but then implementing it you know the concept of now renewing

Living Prayerfully In Daily Choices

SPEAKER_01 24:03

the mind or rewiring the brain what did you do?

SPEAKER_03 24:07

Talk us through that process sure so yeah it doesn't mean that I'm not still attacked or like you know the enemy's not try still trying to throw you know arrows at me but what I realized is that I can stay anchored in God. So like um you know I'll just give you an example like shopping right for clothes right so I put that through prayer because I don't want to overspend. I don't want to buy clothes that God doesn't want for me to have and so when I go in it's so amazing right when you go into a a clothing store and like there's so many clothes right so many clothes in that store and I always find it amazing how like one or two pop out for a person you know it's like it's like that's so fun. You know what I mean? Just like why are those ones you know the ones that are you know like the right ones or whatever. So but I so I put things through prayer and I usually will you know sometimes the Lord will even have me just leave the the things on hold and I'll go away and pray just just that God shows me that he's in control. I'm not impulsively like trying to buy something. So sometimes he'll show me like no go back and get you know I'll I'll know that I've I've developed a relationship with him and I think you know as as people spend time with the Lord you you begin to understand how he speaks to you. And so I then I would go back and then what would happen is because I had surrendered and I was walking in faith that God had these for me. And then when I put them on you know instead when you know these thoughts come like that looks terrible or you look bad or you know whatever it is I can say you you need to take that up with God because God you told me to have this right and so it becomes not my battle anymore. It's like God this is but he's gonna have to come after you or talk to you because you told me to do this. You know so that gives you actually a real authority because when you're walking in faith you're like yeah whatever you know I I think I'm listening to you God so I'm not gonna listen to that noise anymore.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Oh I love that I love that and you see that's so liberating because and there are two things there the fact that you're very prayerful before you do anything you're praying you're asking God and that's really how God wants us to live our lives because you're doing that you're now doing what God wants you to do. So you're you know you can then say well this is not up to me. This is what God has asked me to do. I love that and you see that's really a powerful way of rewiring the brain because what you're doing is God is you know you're praying you're being very intentional about what you're doing you know the example you gave and I'm going to this kind of brings us to the book actually because that it's being very intentional about what you're doing about what you're buying about any decision you're making and then that helps because when God then speaks to you speaks to you through his word speaks to you how you know however he speaks to you you then know that this is God leading me and that it just makes it easy to be able to change behavior patterns and change habits as well. Yeah so good so thanks so much for that so now bring us to the book in terms of what made you write the book the

The Book: Seven Keys To Radiant Beauty

SPEAKER_01 27:43

book is called Seven Keys to Unlocking Your Radiant Beauty and I've been reading through it and it's incredible especially the seven keys you mentioned because you've kind of touched on it a bit so if you kind of talk us through what led to the book um because the key thing about the book is there's something you said I've I've got here God will draw us to our best and most beautiful self which is being called our radiant beauty and that radiant beauty is just so powerful because it's something we don't think about and you mentioned it like from childhood to coming to you know adulthood the fact that we focus on the internal but actually forget about the body you know in terms of that beauty out externally and internally as well.

SPEAKER_03 28:36

So kind of talk us through yeah um that journey yeah thank you Maureen that's a great I appreciate how you delivered that that was beautiful yeah it it's so important because I think that sometimes you know even in Christianity we can kind of minimize the importance of the body because God gave us the gift of the got the body to carry us into the destiny calling he has for us and so we do need to steward it well. And what I found is especially as a woman you know there's key areas where I believe that we're getting attacked and one is food. I mean you look at the fall I mean with Eve you know at our Satan used an apple you know and so he's been using food ever since that's true and how how we you know and then you know and then again you know some of these the enemy has you know these demons have friends you know food issues tend to hang out with exercise issues you know and and so kind of leading these different places and finding a band finding a better way on those and how we think about ourselves how we talk about ourselves because the importance of the blessings and of you know we're speaking blessings or cursing ourselves we're either agreeing with God or we're agreeing with not God. And so that influences us and so how like you said like your work what how we think how we're renewing our mind how how are we thinking about ourselves and um and then the other areas are just um you know there's a lot of um compromise and just you know with with this idea with premarital sex with women and not understanding spiritually what's happening and the harm that it it's introducing and I think just really um understanding that it's not a rule based kind of thing that God's doing he's he's really wanting to protect us. And so really getting into those areas that I know for myself like you know when I was dating I you know I I felt like pressure like not that I was interested but it was like pressure that oh if you want to keep a boyfriend then you're gonna need to do this. And and I you know I wish that I had had more anchoring in those that season because it wasn't it was like compromising my best self. And what I realized in all these different areas that I cover in the seven different areas is that at the end of the day in the beginning of the day you know our body is a gift and it's too big of a cost to to go through our whole life you know limiting our best self.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

I mean don't we want to live the best life here being the best that we can be I mean that's it's just in my view is just no it's too big of a cost you know there I know ladies who are in their 60s who have some food restrictions that really you know it's not affecting their whole life but they don't you know I think about do they want to get to the end of their life and then realize you know it may not it's not going to be necessarily a salvation stealer it's not going to be but it but did they let the enemy keep them in bondage their whole life because of that you know and for me I just feel like that's too big of a cost when God is saying no no I want you to live in my freedom yeah thank you so much I'm going to mention the seven um the seven keys to unlocking your radiant beauty that you mentioned in the book and I kind of want us to touch on one okay to kind of go a bit deeper and then we're going to then um just segue into something else. So the keys and I'm mentioning this because it's just so powerful. I'm gonna put a link in the description to the book because it's it's a read that every woman must have it's just fantastic. So you touch on the mind and words which you've talked about now the power of words and the power of what's in our mind then you've touched the body itself what we put in the body you know what so I think what we're eating what we're actually putting in then exercise and rest clothing and then enhance your appearance and then there's a bit of media which was quite interesting as well and then your sexuality which you've mentioned so can you take one of these and just explain to us from you know what how you explained the how to get that freedom yeah so it was what was sort of fun with the book and I had really prayed this through um because I had asked the Lord Holy Spirit if I would be able to ask him questions and then I wait for him to respond because what I really want women to know is that don't miss this personal relationship with God.

SPEAKER_03 33:51

And I didn't understand it. And so what I waited for the Lord to answer and and I then I believed he said he would do that. And so when women read this um may they may they receive the spirit of truth in the words um and you know and and don't believe me I mean I'm human

Media, Comparison, And Identity

SPEAKER_03 34:13

but but take what what's written and and go to God yourself and say Lord and what I wanted also women to know is if you don't know this yet like God wants us to ask him anything. You know he he is so in the details and there's no question that we can't ask him and he knows where we're struggling he knows the areas and so he he doesn't mind us asking and so that was the fun of the book too it was just like okay I'm just gonna ask you you know these random these questions are about how we're you know living in this world you know and so um I would say with um you know the media like for example you know just how can we look at the media with a healthy perspective like I may look at the media and see beautiful women right but that doesn't need to crush me I can say wow I really like how they did their hair she's so pretty you know and bless her but not take it as a well now you're trash Victoria you know what I mean you're you're never gonna be you know what I mean and so I think um coming into that in a healthy way and not you know not letting things destroy us not needing to compete but when you start coming into saying I want to be the best me I want to be the best that you made me God it really stops the competition it stops the comparisons because it's like I want them to become their best them I want them you know and and we can all you know let's all go towards that you know and it's been interesting because sometimes I'll like see maybe an outfit on someone else that I really like you know oh that's super cute and can I try that? I'll try it and I'll be like this doesn't look right on me. You know what I mean? So it's it's about learning to look at things in a in a positive way and then and then again with media too not not getting too caught up you know we talked about I in the book talk about you know just making sure that media doesn't you know start stealing life um so having that imbalance uh because the distraction can really tap into destiny and calling because you're if it's too much of a distraction.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

So we kind of go in different areas to to have it um help us not you know help it be in its per per you know right perspective but then not take from that path of the our best self and that radiant beauty and that emerges through us living the fullness of of our life yeah no I love that thank you so much for that and I I love the fact that you touched on that aspect of comparison that you know because that's so important because that is a destroyer it's just constant and it just makes people lose their self-worth completely. So thank you so much for touching on that. So bringing us to what you're doing now because you've been doing you've been working in nursing for all these years and going through all this personal spiritual change and now you're doing something really interesting. So let you talk to us about somatic body awareness. How did you get into this and what does it mean?

Somatic Body Awareness Explained

SPEAKER_03 37:34

Yeah so I think it's an extension of the book um but it's really about starting to tune in with your body cues. And it was a growth that I needed in my own life and so it means you know starting to become more aware of your body signals. And when you look around you know even you know um in you know nursing seeing people in stress states like our bodies we have two systems we have you know the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system and in the parasympathetic nervous system that's when we're chill you know when we're more relaxed and that's where we're supposed to live predominantly the sympathetic nervous system is when you know we that fight or flight you know get stressed you know get more tense you know a lot of times our amygdala goes off or the fear center you know and the prefrontal cortex the one of logical thinking irrational thinking can get kind of shut down because we're flying here and unfortunately a lot of people um in our you know in the way the culture goes keeps us running in more of a sympathetic nervous system state and the the problem with that is that if that isn't you know retrained then it can cause you know tension in the body you know and ultimately harm and disease states and so um we have the opportunity you know as your devote your devotion is excellent but really to kind of become more aware and I think when I was in the disordered eating pattern like I lost um the intelligence you know connecting with the intelligence of my body um and so there's kind of three points um to make like one is your body needs you to pay attention to it number two is that your body was never designed to lead your life so it's not that's not how it was going. And then number three is you need we you do you you do you and so with the first one it's like you know you your body needs you to pay attention. So like when I was in the disordered eating I wouldn't pay attention when I was full or I wouldn't pay attention or I ignore it when it's hungry. And after a while of doing that I just kind of lost touch with those important cues and I think that as I started to heal like I can today I'm much more in tune with the cues. I can tell you when I've taken the that last bite and I know if I take another bite I'm not gonna feel good because I just pushed beyond and I've done that a lot I'm like well this food's so good though you know but I know if I do that I'm not gonna feel good and then I I don't want to do that. Um and so I think becoming more aware and in tune and the same thing in stress states you know when some event because events are gonna come I mean we we are gonna have things coming in our life throughout the day and it's not that those things are coming it's what are we going to do about them and and my view is you know don't look at those keep your eyes on God but then but when the body is starting to respond you know really saying okay I'm noticing right now God I'm starting to feel tension I'm starting to tense I'm noticing I'm starting to tense up and why am I doing that? And I need to take your yoke which is easy Lord and and and give you this burden and so really staying that aware um helps keep our body in a more relaxed state which which is really important because that in that more relaxed state is when we think uh we think rationally we think of strategy and it will help move us forward and be and keep us anchored with the Lord because the the Jesus you know the Lord is Prince of peace and so it's gonna we're gonna be aligned with being able to hear him better.

SPEAKER_01 41:48

Wow I love the way you connected all that that is just fantastic because it's so true you know once we connect to him we just have so much peace you know that's where the rest comes and when we are in that state of rest our brain is very creative as well so it's so yeah I love the way you connected that and it can be really easy to be like well they're doing this they're doing that to me that's their fault well maybe they are but we have to take responsibility for how we're reacting and so because our reaction is our response not theirs and so that's where it's like yeah maybe they are doing something wrong you know maybe that was mean but we still have to say okay I can I can react to that and it's like unforgiveness you know that everybody you know people say well if you if you have unforgiveness you're it's you drinking the poison you know you're not really you're hurting yourself it's the same with the body reaction you know if we get all bent out of shape you know it's not really hurting them it's it becomes it starts stressing our body and so it's coming back to saying okay Lord I give this to you you know help me to give grace and help me to help give me strategy in what you want me to do in this situation. Yeah it's taking ownership of your own life isn't it it's it's being it's being intentional and really be you know taking ownership and I love the example you gave about eating because the awareness of when you're eating and it's so true because when I started being you know paying attention to what I eat that's when I started noticing that last bite you know when you've taken the where you should stop and because the food is either very delicious or it's tasty or it's not something I've had in a long time we just keep going. And now I'm very aware of it because there's this Nigerian um food I love it's called Puff Puff but it's made with so much paste. It's actually not healthy at all but it's so good. And I try to avoid it. But when I do take it I realize that if I'm not careful I could just keep going you know and you know when I know when I should stop so now I'm very intentional. So I might just go

Rest, Capacity, And Spirit-Led Alignment

SPEAKER_01 44:18

for another one and go no you know what no put it down you have enough and it's that it's it's really looking after our bodies it's looking after this precious body that God has given us it's taking responsibility for it and just not You know, do in and just I kind of just leaving it and not paying attention to it. But when we truly love God and love the gift He's given us, if we look at it from that perspective, it's so different, isn't it? That's so good.

SPEAKER_03 44:54

That's so good. Yeah, and the way I've looked at it is like, okay, if I'm wrong and I'm still wanting food, you know what? It's gonna be there, you know, and I can have it in an hour, exactly. You know, but but otherwise, eating is not my only part of my life, and I want to feel good as I push away from the table to the next thing that I'm gonna do. And so, yeah, it's so good. So good.

SPEAKER_00 45:18

Yeah, I love that. I love that. It's how you frame the it's how you frame it, isn't it? It's the narrative you give it, and that's that's the key.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

Oh, yeah, it's it's such a key because you know, human nature, you know, if you put a child in a room and it's full of toys, and you're like, okay, you can play with any toy in this room except that one, you know, you know. So I think when we start putting these restrictions on ourselves, we're like, I don't like, you know, it's like, oh, you're not gonna tell, you know. So I think when we reframe it again back to what's best here, what's gonna be best for me? It shifts everything. It really does. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

No, it does, it really does. It does. So tell us how do you work with people um relating to this somatic body awareness? How do you know to talk us through the process?

SPEAKER_03 46:15

Uh yeah, so yeah, so I think one of the things is, you know, you need to, I think everybody has to get to the place of you do you because each person is different. So even like things with like capacity, like my husband can do four dinners in a night, like business meetings, and I'm like, I'm done after one, you know what I mean? And so, like, even things like that, what is my capacity? You know, what am I, how am I designed and what am I able to do, or how much is too much for me? You know, understanding that about ourselves. So, really, I think um, you know, it's about starting to come into understanding, okay, what are my body rhythms? How am I made? And and now I mean I'm 54 right now, and so like I'm not 20 anymore, you know what I mean? So are we moving with the seasons of our lives in the way that we're designed and what what our body is needing? And so I I believe that by people starting to kind of take time, quiet time, checking in with their body can help really understand what is the body saying and and coming, and if I'm tense, okay, then then really you don't really there's an opportunity, you can leave it, or you could say, hey, I I need to relax the body right now. And and if you're walking in, you know, if you're you know, taking that to God is always an option. Um, so I think that um, you know, really coming into more into awareness of those cues, like we were talking about with food or even with exercise. Like if waking up one morning you're more fatigued and your body is like, yeah, today's a day off, you know, honoring that. Um that's okay. Yeah, and it's okay. And and that that's that blesses your body because there's restoration. Um, one of the physicians that I was talking to, he said, you know, he used to push, you know, med students push, push, push, you know, 24 hours, they used to do 24 hours, and you know, when he was in med school and hardly get any sleep, and it was heralded. It was like, yeah, that's that's what you do, you know. And he said that he has come to realize now how important sleep is and rest is in terms of the well-being of your body. So if your desire and exercise is to take care of yourself and look good and be well, then rest is part of that journey. And so making making um that a priority as well. So I think coming into those things and and remembering that our body is not supposed to lead our life, right? Your body is, you know, that's another kind of challenge out there is that, you know, people how they feel about their body starts dictating what they're gonna do in their life. So if I don't feel good about myself, I'm gonna be on the couch tonight. Even though there might be a destiny appointment, a divine appointment out there, you know? And so, you know, the body isn't, God doesn't want the body to to drive our life. It's kind of a spiritual alignment. It needs to be reversed. It's it's the spirit who then leads our mind, you know, our heart and then mind, will, emotions. And then from that the body flows, you know. So I think we have to be real careful not to give the body, you know, the the drive to be the driver. It's supposed to be Holy Spirit. And so, but definitely our part is recognizing, like, okay, God, I'm feeling this, you know, or even with with food, another tool, if that's an issue for one of your listeners, is praying over your meals. Because when you invite the power of God over your meal time, you know, He you there's a covering over you, you know, and so that confusion, you know, the author of confusion, we know who that is. That's the enemy. And so even by praying, Lord, please help me to recognize when this physical butt when I'm full, you know, bless this food, you know. Um, and so I think we we might sometimes underestimate the power of prayer over these different areas of our body.

SPEAKER_01 50:28

Yeah, wow, thank you so much. Thank you. That's incredible. You've given us so much today, and I really appreciate it. So um do you

Coaching, Contact Info, And Closing

SPEAKER_01 50:39

work with clients?

SPEAKER_03 50:42

Yes, so um I am getting a coaching business going um to work one-to-one and maybe workshops. I'm also available to do speaking. Um, so yes.

SPEAKER_01 50:57

So if people want to find you, um, where would they find you? I'm gonna put the details in the description, but if you can just tell us um you know where they can find you. So maybe for coaching, if people want coaching, where can they come to? And um, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:14

Sure, sure, that'd be great. So I'm on LinkedIn, um, so you can message me there. And I'm also on um Instagram. So um on Instagram, I'm Victoria Lynn Pontel, and then you'll find me. So yeah, it'd be great to hear from you and or just to get to hear your story, um, testimony. Would love to, you know, definitely branch out. And I love how social media allows that. Um, you know, even us Maureen getting a chance to do this, you know. Here I am in California, and it's just so amazing. And I love how we can use social media. Um, God can use it for his kingdom. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

Oh, thank you so much, Victoria. I really appreciate you reaching out and coming on to the podcast. And I'm just going to mention three things that you mentioned that I just love. Uh body, you said your body needs you, and your body is not designed to lead. And finally, you said you do you. That is just so powerful. Thank you so, so much. So, I'm leaving your details below, and anyone that wants to know more or just have a conversation with Victoria or run a workshop, you know, you want her to come and run a workshop or something or give a talk, please reach out to her. Um, you you know, you should her knowledge is just incredible. And I just love the way she links this concept of our bodies to to God's creation and how we, the responsibility we have to really look after our bodies to be our very best. And the fact that we're all so unique and God has really made us, you know, great, great craftsmanship that He has made out of us. So we really need to be our best and not be bound by all the rules that we put on, that life puts on us or we put on ourselves. So, Victoria, thank you so much for coming on to Lead2Xel Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

Yeah, thank you, Maureen. Thank you so much. And thank you to all your listeners.

SPEAKER_01 53:32

Thank you for tuning in to Lead2Xel Podcast with me, Maureen Jana. I hope today's episode inspired and equipped you to renew your mind and lead with purpose. If it did please you, remember to subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review. It really helps more people discover this message. Remember, you are created to start higher, think boldly and live intentionally. Until next time, stay focused, stay faithful, and keep becoming all God designed you to be. See you in the next episode. Bye for now.