Gratitude Series

I asked some of the most caring and thoughtful people to participate in a short gratitude series. You can learn so much from people when you understand what they care about, what they’ve been able to overcome and what they do on a daily basis that has helped their lives.

Here are the interviews I conducted all via email. If you want to learn more about them just click on the link to their website.

Courtney Carver of Be More With Less is an amazing author and blogger.

1. What are three things you're grateful for and why? 

• I'm grateful for sound sleep.
• Creating with amazing people
• Laughing with my sister.

2. What was a past limiting belief that you had and how did you overcome it? 

• I used to think I'd always be working for someone else. I didn't think I had the "business skills" to start something on my own. I also thought I needed "job security" of a paycheck and benefits. I overcame it when I started to make breakthroughs in other areas of my life and with other limiting beliefs. I realized I didn't need to know it all to get started, and that a back-up plan made me feel more confident.  It's been 10 years since I started my business and I've never needed the back up plan.

3. What habit/ritual has helped you the most in your life? How has it helped you?

• Thinking my thoughts on paper. Journaling about random thoughts and ideas helps me to have clarity about what's true and what's not. It also helps me let go of anything running around in my mind that may be causing anxiety or overthinking.

Robert Knop of Assist You Today is a super smart business strategist.

1. What are three things you’re grateful for and why?

• Family is healthy and working. I know so many people right now that have lost their jobs or gotten sick due to the coronavirus. We’ve been very fortunate thus far. 
• That I get to do what I love for work, help others, and still have time to spend with my kids every day. I’ve been extremely blessed the past 4 years since I started my business. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s been worth it as my family is the most important thing to me.
• I’ve been able to donate to multiple causes that need it. Someday, I hope to run my own charity, but in the meantime, I try to help out where I can – whether it be via time, expertise or donations. 

2. What was a past limiting belief that you had and how did you overcome it?

• That you had to “go it alone.” I’ve always been extremely independent, but to be successful at life, you need help, you need guidance. You will never be the best at everything, so you need to surround yourself with people that are experts and a strong group of friends. This has not come easily for me because of my fiercely independent nature, but life is a lot easier now. 

3. How do you simplify your life so you aren’t overwhelmed?

• Do what you can. Know you can’t do everything in a day, and be okay with that. Block off time on your calendar to get work items done that you need to by a deadline or time that you want to make sure to do certain activities with your kids. Take breaks. Take time away. Spend time every day on things that you really enjoy. 

Marc Lesser is the author of Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader and a very wise man.

1. What are three things you’re grateful for and why? 

• I'm grateful to be alive.
• For this planet
• For the amazing people in my life.

2. What was a past limiting belief that you had and how did you overcome it? 

• From a mindset of scarcity to abundance and possibility. A work in progress.

3. How do you simplify your life so you aren’t overwhelmed? 

• I am overwhelmed at times. A daily sitting practice helps. As does appreciating this life, asking what I can offer, without trying to prove anything.

Gary Ware of Breakthrough Play is a big-hearted strategic play consultant.

1. What are three things you’re grateful for and why?

• Getting a chance to spend more time with my son Garrett during this pandemic. When I was young my dad was working a lot so we didn't get a chance to spend time during those crucial life moments growing up. Had COVID not happened I would have been doing way more traveling for work, and would have missed out on some key moments.
• I have the ability to run. It is what is keeping me sane these days. I come back from a run and feel more connected to myself and energized
• I have skills that have allowed me to provide for my family. With COVID the majority of my training projects got put on ice. To provide for my family I returned to doing marketing freelance.

2. What was a past limiting belief that you had and how did you overcome it?

• I didn't think I had the ability to run long distances. Prior to 2015 the furthest that I have ever ran was 5k, and that was a struggle. I have always heard about that "runner's high" but didn't think that was for me. In August of 2015 I ran my first half marathon, and the next year I ran 3. I was able to overcome that belief by following the guidance of researcher BJ Fogg, and worked up to it in tiny increments #BabySteps. I started with a couch to 5k, then continued the momentum and worked up. I seeked out a mentor and got some techniques that made the training more fun. I essentially made this quest a game.

3. How do you simplify your life so you aren’t overwhelmed

• It's not perfect, but the things that tend to work the best are
• daily meditation. (I am currently on a 694 day streak.)
• Only work on 3 important tasks a day
• Take care of myself in the morning so I have the energy to focus in the afternoon

1. Other people in my life: Any goal or dream we have will always involve others and I'm grateful for the role they play in my life. (If your goal or dream does not involve others, you aren't thinking big enough!)
2. Technology: I'm a huge tech nerd and these days technology is also playing a huge role in how we are all staying connected
3. Books: People take the best of what they have learned over lifetimes or decades and condense it into a few hundred pages. One of my favorite things to do is get clear on a problem I want to solve in my life and then read the top three books on that subject. It gives you a PHD in real life advice that you can then take action on.

• A past belief I had was that I needed to help other people become their best selves. I often chimed in to help or offered to help. What I realized was sometimes other people don't want help. Instead, I've started asking "How can I help or support you in your goal?" This way it allows others to also share with me what they need so I can help them in a way that is truly valuable to them, and not just the way I think they want or need my help. We often forget to simply ask, "How can I help?" and assume that we know how to help.

• When I get overwhelmed I practice "zooming in" to a perspective that feels manageable. For example, if my week is overwhelming I zoom in and ask myself, "What do I need to do TODAY that is most important?" If my day is overwhelming, I ask, "What can I do in the next HOUR that is important?" When you're in an emergency situation you may need to zoom into minutes or moments. Zooming in helps me find a timeframe I can start to take action on and it forces me to prioritize. To combat overwhelm, prioritize. Overwhelm happens when we think all items on our list are equal. Zooming in will help you see they are not!

Jim Woods of Jim Woods Writes is an uber talented writer, editor and coach.

1. What are three things you’re grateful for and why?

• I'm grateful that technology has made it so easy to work with people all over the world.
• The accessibility of information.
• My favorite, great stories. 

2. What was a past limiting belief that you had and how did you overcome it?

• I used to be fear-filled. It would stop me in my tracks in terms of taking action and finishing projects. Having some accountability and support is what helped me get out of my own way and actually finish things. 

3. How do you simplify your life so you aren’t overwhelmed

• Morning Pages is one of my favorite activities. Just writing three hand written pages every day allows me to really empty out my thoughts and get really honest with myself and move forward. It really helps me become more self-aware.