Ep.05 Gratitude, Attitude, and Altitude

 

Happy Thanksgiving to our Canadian friends! In this solo episode with Kristen, she talks about why gratitude matters and how it can be applied in a deeper way in our lives. Kristen gets personal with her very own story about how gratitude has changed her life and how going through one of the most difficult times in her life gave her the greatest life lesson. 

*Please note, we discuss grief and terminal illness in this episode and while it is difficult to talk about these things, it can be even more difficult to listen in when we're in a vulnerable place. Please consider this before listening through, but know that there's also an uplifting message attached to this story and we hope you'll find some connection points to relate to (now or in the future).*

Kristen's story centres around her father, David who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour at the age of 73. Kristen shares how she and her family rallied to support him in his last year of life and how gratitude played an integral part of coping with their grief. The 'Overwhelm' shows up in so many ways in our life - not just with our careers and businesses. The life events that come out of left field can easily throw us into a tumultuous spin of Overwhelm too. Kristen explains how gratitude acts as a catalyst when it comes to working through difficult situations and unraveling from the Overwhelm. Gratitude is a practice that can easily become second nature - which is why it is incorporated within each monthly section of the ONE Book - to help us all integrate gratitude into our routines. 

In her story, Kristen shares how with time and a great deal of practice - we can all adopt an attitude of gratitude which ultimately gets us greater altitude. It is this altitude that gives us perspective... especially in the hard times and this makes it easier to deal with the Overwhelm, too.

After explaining why gratitude matters so deeply to her, she goes on to share an easy-to-implement strategy for practicing gratitude on a daily basis. Consider not just the things and people that you're grateful for but how you feel connected to your people, things, and experiences (and yourself) through gratitude. Consider these connection points of gratitude daily (best if done in the morning at it sets your trajectory for the day): ONE person I am grateful for today is.... ONE experience I am grateful for today is... ONE 'thing' I am grateful for today is... Something I am grateful for about myself is...

The last one can be difficult but it is so important to reflect and recognize the value we bring to this world too. We will also be more inclined to show up with those strengths and gifts if we first acknowledge them and share some gratitude with ourselves too.

Gratitude is so much more than what we see on the surface and while it's an incredibly personal experience - it is also something that can connect us on human level.