Episode 1 - Finding Value in Your Purpose with Carenda Deonne

By Jessica Garrison

Welcome back to the F.E.E.L Podcast! It seems crazy that we’re already launching the 6th season of our podcast, and we have so many stories to share with you this season. Our guest this week wants to be known and remembered as a woman of wisdom, and I think everyone will agree that Carenda Deonne is just that by the end of this episode.

Carenda shared that she had not always been proactive with her self-care, and she, unfortunately, had to learn to work it into her schedule more after experiencing pain: emotional and physical. During this talking point, she shares the incredible distinction between purpose and value, which has made all the difference in her life.

A giver and lover by nature, boundaries did not come easy for Carenda, and she continues to work through them with great effort. There’s a fear of disappointing people when it comes to boundaries, and I think Carenda perfectly explains how she’s been able to continue with her boundaries and how her perfectionism was hindering them at first.

Carenda is very passionate about the connection to physical and emotional health, which is always refreshing to hear from people. The connection is not always taken seriously and sometimes it takes a major event to get people to understand how important it is. Throughout the episode, Carenda shares her tactics of emotional detox and how this has been able to help her in this journey.

As important as it is to pour into other people as well as to pour into ourselves, it’s equally as important to surround yourself with others who do the same and pour into you as well. By loving our true selves, we’re able to love others for living their truths, genuinely creating a better space to live in. Carenda does a wonderful job in this episode explaining how her “why” continues to grow and develop, leaving behind a legacy that is positive, compassionate, and healing.

It’s unfulfilling to live your life through someone else’s expectations, and Carenda revealed how she was a pastor’s wife. It isn’t the easiest position to have, especially when your actions are constantly being watched by the community. We’ve actually had another guest, Stephanie Hunter, share a similar experience on being a pastor’s wife, and all of the expectations that come with that.

Living out F.E.E.L has affected many areas of Carenda’s life, such as her mindset, her nature, and her abilities. She wants people to know her as authentically and genuinely as they can, which shines through when you listen to her episode. Seeds will come to harvest, so it’s important to stay true to who you are, and it has positively impacted Carenda’s relationship with others as well as herself.

Make sure to check out the resources she provided on our website, as well as Carenda’s website, so everyone can dive deeper into Carenda’s story!

Ways to Engage: Carenda opened up about feelings of guilt that have caused bumps in her boundaries journey. What feelings, guilt included, have come up for you when discussing, establishing, and actively setting your boundaries? Sometimes the emotions we see come up through expressing boundaries for the first time can reveal a new layer to your character and how best to continue moving forward.