Julianne Donaldson: How I Turned My Throw-Away Soul into My True Self

Stories of Hope in Hard Times

Julianne Donaldson never thought she would struggle with depression or go through a divorce. But, she clung to God to help her find her true self amidst her darkest moments and wrote a beautiful new book, "Come Sweet Day: Holding On to Hope in Dark Times.”

Episode Discussion Points

• Favorite place she has ever lived was Germany and she has a huge bucket list of places she wants to still visit and things she wants to do.
• Going from normal busy young family to looking to get a divorce in the matter of a year or so.
• Confronting the idea that you “never put kids through a divorce” and the hard question, “At what point is staying worse than leaving?”
• When the decision became divorce or suicide because she felt like the fate of the family was resting on her shoulders
• The answer Julianne received from God when she felt so burdened
• How she moved from feeling worthless to loved
• How trusting God helped deliver her, and how God walked that road with her.
• How both staying in her marriage and leaving her marriage she did “for the sake of her kids” and she let her love for them and hope for them pull her forward.
• She had to be unshakable in her conviction to divorce because so many people tried to dissuade her. But she knew what God told her to do.
• Why it is so important to support people in their choices and decisions when they are making them with God’s help.
• The amazing book of heartfelt poetry Julianne wrote called, “Come, Sweet Day: Holding on to Hope in Dark Times.”
• In her Harry Potter room under the stairs, she had an epiphany as she read a scripture that told her to stand up and take her chains off and get up out of the dirt.
• Why noticing small and large details in nature helped Julianne feel God’s love when she was feeling lonely.
• What Julianne did when she felt like the devil had grabbed her by the ankles
• Taking time to talk to God about everything
• Being patient and courageous during the long waiting period while you are healing
• Struggling with depression, hope and optimism don’t come naturally to Julianne, but she discovered that both hope and optimism are a choice. They are also like a muscle that you can work on every day.
• How sometimes she just had to hold still and let the world wash by because it was all she could do to hold her spot.
• Why it is important to remember spiritual experiences when you are feeling down.
• Use all the tools in your toolbox to keep you from sinking into depression: therapy, medication, exercise, journaling, meditation, praying, connecting with God or someone she loves, etc.
• How Julianne starts each day: Listing 3 things in her journal she is grateful for and 3 things she is excited for. This helps her start her day off in a positive way.
• 15-second hug time!

My Favorite Julianne Quotes from the Podcast Episode

• “There is no life plan that is one size fits all.”
• “God loves us enough to rearrange heaven and earth for us to show us His love.”
• “I can practice hope so my hope becomes more and more buoyant.”

Tips to Rebuilding Worth

1. Find a good therapist who can help sort through the lies and find the truth.
2. Connect with God in a quiet place (Julianne had her Harry Potter room under the stairs).
3. Unpacking a lot of pain to figure out why she had lost her self and allowing healing into her life.
4. Making a list of her “True Self” characteristics like “I’m joyous” and reminding herself of them frequently.

Connect with Julianne Donaldson

• Website: https://www.juliannedonaldson.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulianne
• Instagram: @writerJulianne
• Buy Julianne’s new book, “Come, Sweet Day: Holding on to Hope in Dark Times” on Amazon or at your favorite book store.

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Transcription

You can find the transcription of today's episode here: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/podcasts/julianne-donaldson-how-i-turned-my-throw-away-soul-into-my-true-self