Take the Elevator
This podcast is purely about elevating people through individual life stories and experiences in the Elevator. In the Elevator, what's key is maybe changing your perspective; having self-actualization; embracing your purpose; and acting on it as we grow from one another. There is a whole different point of view when you look up to elevate.
Take the Elevator
400th Floor: You Used to Love This, So What's Changed?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We made it to the 400th floor—and instead of just celebrating, we’re reflecting.
Have you ever found yourself saying, “I used to love doing this…”—but now it feels different? Heavy. Forced. Or maybe it’s just gone altogether.
In this episode, Gen and Kory unpack the real reasons joy fades—from pressure and burnout to identity shifts and comparison. More importantly, they explore how to elevate back into alignment… without forcing yourself to go backward.
Because sometimes it’s not about getting the joy back the way it was—
It’s about rediscovering it in a way that fits who you are today.
If something you once loved doesn’t feel the same anymore, this conversation is your invitation to pause, reflect, and rise.
Look up, and let's elevate!
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Every day. Elevate. Every day. Elevate. Every day.
SPEAKER_00Hey, it is Jen the Builder. And Corey. And welcome to Take the Elevator, where we place everyone on positive levels every day.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00Haven't said that in a minute. For those who don't know, people is our acronym, P-E-O-P-L-E, where we place everyone on positive levels every day. So, Corey, what are we what are we talking about today?
SPEAKER_02Well, I'm actually excited about this episode. Uh, we've done something that we don't normally do. We had a complete discussion on this topic, and it's it's exciting to me. I'm I'm looking forward to it.
SPEAKER_00So am I. So am I. So let's get to it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, let's do it.
When Joy Stops Feeling Like Joy
SPEAKER_00I think this is gonna be a pretty special episode. Have you ever said I used to love doing this, but now it just doesn't feel the same?
SPEAKER_02Not so much anymore, right?
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah, you know that thing, everyone, that thing you used to enjoy, and maybe it's sucking the life out of you for whatever reason. And so today we're gonna talk about that, not just what happened, but how we can elevate back into that joy. We need some of that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's really important for us to be able to find that happiness and that joyous spot in our life so we can feel complete, feel like we're actually uh moving the needle in the right direction.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. So let's start here. Um, Corey, what's something that you used to love that doesn't feel the same anymore? It's a loaded question. Oh, yeah. We're just gonna jump right into it.
SPEAKER_02It's definitely uh a loaded question. And if I'm being very honest, you know, being as creative as I like to be, there's a lot of things in the creative space that just doesn't have the pizzazz that it used to have, you know? And so I'm I'm feeling that lackluster feeling in that. How about you?
SPEAKER_00And we're gonna go back to that because we definitely want to dig deeper because you said it's lackluster. Yeah, that that's huge, especially for someone who is creative. Um for me, uh something that I'm not finding joy in right now is journaling. Oh, and I I skipped a few days, and um, I find myself instead of journaling real time, I'm more capturing at the end of my day what happened that day, and um that's not my favorite way to do that, right? Um, and so I feel like it's more like a checklist getting journaling done or check got my page filled out, you know, that kind of way. So it's not as meaningful as it used to be.
SPEAKER_02I'm I'm actually actually concerned because I mean I know how much journaling meant to you, means to you. Yeah, and throughout the pandemic is when that really kicked off, and you've just been going strong for many years now. So yeah, I'm looking forward to digging deeper into that as well.
SPEAKER_00For real. Thanks. So let's unpack this. Sure. Because it's deeper than just losing interest, right? It's when something you love becomes something you have to do, maybe. But let's unpack what you said, Corey, as a creative. Okay, and um, it just feels lackluster. Say more about that.
SPEAKER_02Well, uh, what I've come to realize is when I have to work with people, like when I'm in in collaboration with others, um, I have a speed that I like to cruise at. And I usually cruise between 80 and 120, and that's a nice parameter for me. And when that when that speed or that fluid motion slows down below that 80 mile an hour mark, I just I can't sustain in that cruise control at 50. And so it really begins to suck the life out of me. And and I'll give it uh a little bit more of a background. So if you've ever walked or ran and you've ran or walked at a pace slower than your body wants to, it tires you out much quicker than if you get into your rhythm and in your groove. That that pace will allow you to go go a whole lot further. As a matter of fact, you get to a place where you're euphoric and you just can run or walk for you know hours if if need be.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So it sounds like the way you do it now is different than the way you used to do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it's interesting because I think typically, at least for me, if I'm doing too much of something too fast, that tires me and wears me down. And it sounds like you have the opposite effect.
SPEAKER_02I truly do.
SPEAKER_00Okay, we're gonna keep unpacking that and we're just gonna kind of layer this. So imagine we're on the elevator and we're just kind of taking it a floor up each time we do this.
Journaling Turns Into A Checklist
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but I don't want to leave you behind. I want to definitely take you along with me. So we're on the same level at the same time. So if you could uh say a little bit more about your your journal journaling issues, man, there's so much there.
SPEAKER_00So I think we we touched on burnout for you possibly. Um sometimes I can put pressure on myself for no reason, so then it feels like pressure and no longer play. And for the you know me, Cory, and you know I love play. So when something feels more like a responsibility, um, I'm especially in the space of journaling, I'm not feeling that right. So another thing too, as I'm thinking about this, is I am still kind of journaling, but not in my journal. And here's what I mean. And maybe this is what it is the work that I'm doing right now, there's a lot of reading and content that's new to me, right? So I'm have I'm spending a lot of time learning it and journaling my notes, if you will. And so that's taken a lot of my time, and I'm pretty tapped out by the time I get to my own journal. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02No, I hear you.
SPEAKER_00So um, I think that's what it might be. I um I don't want to call it an identity shift. I think I'm still doing it, but it's not being captured in how I normally do it, and that's messing with me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Reframing The Question To What Changed
SPEAKER_00And I think there's I'm excited to unpack that because something just came to me. Okay. Right. Um and I I want to speak maybe what other people might be experiencing because that's just my perspective, my experience, and then you have yours, right? Um, so sometimes too, it depends on everyone what you're no longer enjoying. Maybe you're comparing yourself or the way you do things or done things to how someone else is doing. And we've said this many times about social media and that whole world of comparison and likes and things like that. Um, I think too, as I'm thinking about mine, and Corey, please jump in at any anytime. Is there is an emotional attachment for me to my journal and what gets captured in there? It's pretty special, actually. It's every thought, every emotion, every feeling I've experienced that day, my wins, my challenges, where I'm growing. It just keeps me motivated and I'm able to see like real time what I was thinking at that moment. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I agree with you. And in the same way, I'm like that in my creative spaces, everything is while I'm doing it, it's personal. While I'm in it, it's it's something that means a whole lot to me. Of course, I have to release it as I'm getting towards the finish line of whatever that project is. But what I've noticed is that if that project isn't free-flowing, it begins to be a burden opposed to being a blessing.
SPEAKER_00Let's say it like that. Wow, yeah, a burden and not a blessing. Yeah, something to really think about because we want to experience blessings in our lives.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00And then that way we can be a blessing to others, yeah, and that's it.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you just hit the nail on the head for me because I know that I'm giving to others, I'm inspiring others, I'm motivating others, I'm pushing others, I'm telling them how much more they can do and how much further they can go if they pursue this and continue to pursue it. But at the end of the day, when when those pieces aren't coming together for me, I'm I'm reaching, I'm grasping for straws, you know, trying to figure out how to make this work for me now and and what's going to jumpstart this motor.
SPEAKER_00Right. And the work that you do is in partnership specifically with me. And then we've got other people that we work with. So it requires other people to move the project forward.
SPEAKER_02Right. And so other skill sets, other talents and gifts.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I mean, I would equate that to maybe now what's attached to it is um a bad experience, or maybe there's feelings of failure because it's not moving as quickly, or you feel like stalemated, like you said, lackluster, right? So in this conversation, um, maybe we can elevate the question to from why did I stop loving it? Because I don't think that's what it is in our case. No, we still love the thing. Maybe the question is, is what's changed and how I experience it?
SPEAKER_02Hmm. I I really want to get someone from the audience involved in this somehow, some way, because I know other perspectives are coming out and people are thinking of of different ways to deal with this. And and I I think as I'm talking about it, I'm starting to come to some conclusions. And you and you said something, and and there is a little bit of fear because when you start in that direction of not completing, I get terrified. And and that may be where some of this angst is lying, it's it's uh living rather.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Anything else coming to your mind as you're thinking about that and hearing you yourself in what you just said? Yeah, a whole lot. Too much to say right now. Gotcha. Yeah, like it's literally being unpacked as we're talking. Yeah. Because we didn't go here before this, we just kind of talked about what we what was in our hearts as far as this, but we are real time unpacking what's happening.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Too Many Projects And Rising Anxiety
SPEAKER_00And when you take the moment to powerfully pause and think, what are some of the things that I loved and no longer do? And there could be many things. And like you said, Corey, I so agree with you. It would be so great to hear what people are saying. I mean, we're saying that I just changed the question, right? To what changed and how I experience it. And I think unpacking that is important because you can go one of a few ways. You can either say, um, yeah, this is what changed. This is how maybe I can transform it or change it up to where I still enjoy um the thing. And maybe it's something internal work I've got to do, or you know, I need to change the environment, or maybe someone's saying, No, I just don't love it anymore because it's not who I am anymore. And that's okay too, right? Yeah. So let's go to what you're talking about. Sure. Because I'm really curious about the way you're used to functioning fast, get it done, complete, on to the next thing. Um do you feel that's the person that you are? Is it aligned to who you are? You finding yourself compromising, and therefore you're not like this is not who I am. So why am I functioning this way?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I've I've definitely feel like uh this is not who I am. But as you were talking, what what things have slowly come together? I realized I have a bunch of lines in the water. So I'm I'm doing multiple projects, and I don't want to go into detail about what those things are, but I have multiple things going on at the same time. And when one thing slows up, you it I tend to jump to the next thing so that I can keep the flow moving and something. And so you can imagine if you got five different free-flowing projects happening and they all slow down, there's a great deal of uh frustration that sets in, and then there's anxiety because I want this stuff done, and I want it done as quick as possible, and now it's not it's not flowing to end quickly, so now I'm waiting for multiple things to get finished, and it's just not happening in a time frame that I'm used to it happening in.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I don't know if this helps you, um, but when I'm going through something like that, I don't I see it like as okay, it's in this an initiation of something new. What is this trying to show me about me? And uh, you know, that kind of way, like, why am I being slowed down, or why is it not happening the way I want it to? So I go, uh how it's helped me, especially in cases where you know I'm scared of not doing it the same way, or I'm scared that we're not producing as much as we should, or this isn't according to the timeline we we talked about, right? Right for me, that's a space of fear. And then I just really lean into curiosity like what is happening right now that maybe is beyond what I see in that we're being slowed down, right? What are some things I'm appreciating, or how am I growing during this slowing down and kind of focusing on that versus what I'm not doing?
SPEAKER_02Right. Yeah, intense, yeah.
The Joy Was In The Old System
SPEAKER_00There's so much there. So if I may, sure, I'm gonna speak about mine as it's coming to me. Um I I miss the excitement of journaling and and putting things in special places and seeing how it's all gonna come out because my journaling is also mixed with scrapbooking, right?
SPEAKER_02So so yeah, and then I really want to ask you a question about your journaling before you go into that, because this is what I remember, and so correct me if I'm wrong. I remember you literally writing every single day in one of those books. You had multiple journal books, and you were always looking for a new journal book to either begin or to um create to be something different, and you were excited about the days that were unfolding right before. What what happened with the excitement for the things that were happening throughout the day?
SPEAKER_00I think the answer lies within your question. Okay, I'm in one journal right now, I've decided to lean me up. And I think Corey, I really have. You're right. Like that what that's what was engaging to me. It's like a different book for different things, and I'm not tied to one book. Thank you. Yes, like that's so interesting. Because this year I was like, okay, I'm leaning up physically, I need to lean other things so I have time for all the other things, and see, I've I've created a totally different experience.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I don't I I don't know this for a fact because I'm not a good I'm not a professional in journaling, but I think that you need probably more now that you're leaning up life because you got more things going on, yeah, truly, and that's I think that's the thing.
SPEAKER_00Like I feel a lot more aware of me, my body. I just feel like there's so much growth and maturity, and maybe that one book is making me feel confined, yeah. And it's a little space. You've seen my journal. I think it's like a five by seven, no shade. I love Hobonichi. So for those who journal, you know, a Hobonichi, like it is it's amazing. And I think there's just too much going on that it's kind of boring me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it gotta be because it was exciting. I mean, you had three to five journals that you were writing in. You had a customized iPad with paper screens on it.
SPEAKER_00If you were I had apps that did this, and I let and see, there's another thing. I leaned up my subscriptions, guys. I said, Oh, I don't need that. That that but there are things this puts it into perspective. The things that bring me joy, why would I let those go? Right, right? Thank you.
SPEAKER_02I'm here for it. Absolutely. Let's get going.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so what's a question that would help you in what you're going through?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. That's my issue. I've been I've been asking myself questions like do I need to practice bass more? Do I need to sing some more? Do I need to write some more? Do I need to write new music? Do I need to write another book? What what do I need to do? Right. How do I jumpstart this motor? Because it's just not there right now, and and it's it's frustrating. So if someone's out there and you're hearing this, please email, text message, right? DM, whatever it where whatever you gotta do, send me something. I need help.
SPEAKER_00I I say yes, please help Corey. Let's, you know, let's do this together. Because with you, Corey, I have a tendency to want to help you try to fix things, and I think that's one thing that we're learning too, is that we trust that you're gonna figure your way through this, and that's why we have a community, right? Because people can give you advice or say, Hey, I felt that way too, and this is what's helped me. Um I think for me, see, it's interesting because I thought my overall message uh in this episode was gonna be stop trying to enjoy it the way you used to. But what's come up for me is I need I enjoyed it the way I used to. Yeah, I changed experience when it wasn't broken, right? I still enjoyed it, I loved it. So why would I have changed it? And see, I had control over that change. Your change is really dependent also on yourself and your ability to work with others, but it's uh it's other people, it's team.
AI, Social Media, And Creative Pressure
SPEAKER_02Oh, you just unlock something, Jim. Oh my goodness. So in the music, I would have noticed, and if you're not uh a music person, you might not understand this, but I'm gonna try to explain it as brief and as uh thorough as possible. So in the music world, there was a time when musicians could play fairs, festivals, casinos. That time no longer exists because the big I call the uh uh mainstream artists the bigs are now playing all those shows right fairs festivals casinos commercials commercials um even the the the pubs and bars and stuff like that they're playing those now too because there's just no money in the industry right now yeah and if I may speaking of that they're also taking over social media so if you're trying to make an appearance or presence in social media you're comparing yourself to people who've got a lot of money yeah and who are already famous yeah and who have already bought lots and lots of followers and I I said that on purpose I know you did replay that in case you missed it everybody they've already bought lots and lots of followers so many that I could never afford to pay that much for right right so there's that stagnation and then everybody's writing books like every everybody well here's the dilemma too with that being a creative is that the books that are being written and put out there are done by AI. Yeah yes and and so I'm so sorry I'm having I'm having moments in real time so I I I seen this ad well not ad but this article that said uh Amazon KDP that that's the biggest independent publisher right now yeah is just ripping down accounts because they're all writing books through AI that had an impact on me and not because I'm glad that the the uh Amazon is taking down these uh accounts that have all these AI written books but it's just the fact that people think that's something they should be doing like who says to themselves I'm gonna put a book out that AI wrote and I did not right so I I I have to figure out how these things should not impact me as much as they do.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow that is um so profound because as you were saying that I was thinking too and I if you're comparing yourself with how others are producing fast take into account again again that's the world that we live in has changed and so what I say to you Corey is that what you're creating is human and it's from a place that requires you to process internal thoughts imagination how does this come out on paper um the phrasing the wording you know what I mean that's a special gift and so special that AI just kind of spits it out you know and so that's known to be fast and I think there's beauty and strength in the true experience and authenticity of human creativity and we're working with humans what a blessing that is we have a legit artist who will draw something and erase draw again you know what I mean and that's a process yeah and this is good this is really good and I I love when we have these aha moments and and come to these new realizations and and I believe that that's what it really boils down to is uh we're seeing a lot of changes in every industry because of this modern technology that's not even really technology it's it's computer and I know that's a form of technology but it's different when you feed a computer something and it spits out something that it's um acquired from multiple people.
SPEAKER_02Right right and I think that's a lot of the reason why I'm struggling with even being on social media right now. I I try to do what I'm supposed to do on there but it's just so tough to follow through on on that knowing what's going on.
Simple Ways To Elevate Back To Joy
SPEAKER_00For sure. Yeah and you know I was thinking too as we were talking about the human aspect of this we know the times that we're in yeah right and the impact is different on different people so at the beginning of our episode we said we're about people placing everyone on positive levels every day. So I just want to do that with our team they're going through stuff on a personal level yeah and they're also like us working a regular nine to five and then tapping into their creativity their passions outside of a nine to five while holding down relationship while I mean guys okay I'm gonna sidetrack but not really Corey and I went grocery shopping this weekend and some of the items that we normally get were increased in price not by cents but by like two dollars two to three dollars yeah and this literally is overnight because we just went a few days ago and then went today and that was the price difference.
SPEAKER_02So that's just one of the things yeah and I'm gonna be just transparent uh I have a favorite trail mix that I get from my favorite store and it was literally three dollars in uh price increase in less than two days yeah and so that's daunting that that's really something that's traumatic when you think about okay if I'm gonna be buying this trail mix um I need to think about this a little bit different because I'm not gonna be paying three dollars uh increased amount every time I go back to the store yeah for sure so all that to say that people are going through it yeah and that will slow a process down um and if people are going through it I from my perspective let me get back to the thing that brings me joy yeah can I get a journal by the way I think I need to write some of this down yes yes you should you're I mean can you imagine you're so you're such a good writer all the things that would come out of you oh thank you on a journal so I think there's a few things here that we can take away today just how do we elevate back into joy um maybe we need to release the old version right Corey thank you for for teaching us that and and just being so open about what you're going through is um maybe stop trying to enjoy it the way you used to um and that's okay if it's a new way of doing it right uh reconnecting to the why that was a big one for me why do I journal the way I do um why does it matter to me in the first place that I do it the way I do and yeah for me it's a matter of freedom because there's freedom for me not to be stuck in one book.
Bring It Back Or Leave It There
SPEAKER_00It helps me with expression. Yeah right um I think too joy lives in the simplicity of things sometimes we overcomplicate it we put expectations that don't need to be there um so let's just say let's honor ourselves as we're going through some things. Maybe it's not a whole production and the point is you just need to create some things that we flexed in our health journey is this time around is it's not about a full workout maybe even twice a day which is how we used to do years ago and it's just movement. Yeah and just doesn't make it less than as if it's not as important it is thing is is just move right don't put this pressure on yourself to um to something that's gonna make you fall out of love with the thing or fall into pain because you're going that's you're going too hard. I love that not only you falling out of love guys you're falling into pain double whammy right um and then to if something for you came up as we were talking and you're like yeah I'm doing something I used to enjoy and I don't anymore and I hate to say it it could be relationship it could be something that you love to eat and you know that it's harming you and you know you need to let that go you're you're talking or you're listening to two people who we've had our addictions we've had our strongholds and it was setting us down a path of destruction of harm unhealthiness and we enjoyed it the sugar was good the alcohol was good whatever it was um and we just had to give ourselves permission to let it go let it go yeah yeah so um just want to give you all an idea if you've got a friend kids it's something too Corey that I think is really hitting home for us this year are the kids and yeah the upbringing in homes and just spending time together here's a really fun way to bring what we've talked about in this episode maybe at a table when you're having dinner I hope y'all are having dinner together at a table or you're spending time doing board games whatever but it's this really cool thing where you go bring it back or leave it there. So you just name something like if Corey and I were to do this um and I'm gonna do this the shameless band you want to bring it back or leave it there I'm gonna say I'm gonna leave it there.
SPEAKER_02Now while leaving it there I'm slowly creating something else that's comparable to the shameless band. So it it's it's a a a win-win for me. Yeah yeah and I'm gonna ask you journaling like you used to or journaling like you do now?
Pivoting With Gratitude And Closing
SPEAKER_00I'm bringing it back I'm bringing back how I journaled so I hope you guys are getting the gist of this another idea is like um you want to work out twice a day I might say I'm leaving that because once is enough yeah right so and what a beautiful way to hear from each other and especially your children to show interest in the things that they're interested in and getting into their minds about where they want to go and and having them talk out their decisions. Like it's so beautiful to be in that in that space of conversation and dialogue. Indeed it is so here's where we land Corey just because you don't enjoy something the same way doesn't mean it's gone forever right well that's a relief maybe it's a new version or maybe it is time to release it. And I I really want to add that when we let things go, release it with gratitude. Thank it for what it gave you and just be okay with leaving it and moving forward.
SPEAKER_02Anything you want to share it for the very end I'm just at at a point where I'm not afraid to pivot anymore. I used to be really afraid to change and pivot and move into a different direction and even more so when you're supposed to stay still a lot of people have big issues when it comes to just sitting still and waiting till you actually hear what you're supposed to be doing getting all the instructions before you start putting together your life so I'm learning a lot in real time I'm very appreciative for that.
SPEAKER_00Beautiful beautiful um if you enjoyed this episode guys please share it with people uh I think there were some really good nuggets here and we just love to be able to expand this and carry the conversation outside of this podcast in your homes and your workplace and your relationships and friendships what a beautiful place that would be absolutely well you know us at take the elevator we say look up and let's elevate every day elevate have a good week every day enjoy yourselves every day elevate every day
