Gratitude: The Foundation of True Leadership
In this time of tremendous change, visionaries like us are feeling called to create what comes next. While we might feel overwhelmed or even underqualified, a focus on gratitude can anchor us in our calling to lead. It reminds us that our stories, our connection, and our impact truly matter.
When I began practicing gratitude, I wasn’t looking to be a global leader; I was simply trying to feel better. Anxiety had become a way of life, with all the signs of out-of-control stress: not sleeping, a pounding heart, and a spinning brain. I was desperate for some relief.
Gratitude seemed like a simple enough practice, even if it served only as a distraction during that stressful time.
But what it showed me took my life in a new direction.
After just a few days, gratitude changed my perspective from tunnel vision on my problems to seeing the bigger picture. I had thought everything was going badly, and I was afraid I wouldn’t find anything to feel grateful for.
Fortunately, I was wrong! Through the lens of gratitude, I saw the breathtaking beauty of my life that I had been missing.
As my gratitude practice expanded, so did I—into a stronger leader, a more insightful writer, and a more loving human.
Gratitude Connects Us Back to Ourselves
Gratitude is not a head thing—it’s a heart thing.
That’s why, instead of journaling (which can put me into my head), I begin and end each day by placing my hands on my heart. That alone is calming and grounding (you can do it right now to see how it feels). Then I close my eyes, breathe slowly, and focus on feeling gratitude first.
From that peaceful place, I think of people and things I’m grateful for: the immense love in my life, my cozy home, the gorgeous sunrise, the joy of living my purpose. Anxiety has no room where gratitude lives.
In that moment, I’m at home again.
Connecting with myself gives me the ability to be a kinder leader to myself. My self-talk is more compassionate, and I use journaling as a way to be curious and expand my spiritual growth. Writing from the state of gratitude is a lifeline, an opportunity to deepen my relationship with myself and what I’m here to do.
Gratitude Connects Us to Others
In my most anxious times, I felt like I wasn’t much fun to be around (I’m sure I wasn’t!). I became a hermit. Isolation felt safer than sharing my negative thoughts. Maybe you know that feeling too?
My gratitude practice shifted my energy to a more positive frequency—and almost instantly, people started reaching out to reconnect. Somehow, they could sense the change in my energy. Why? Because gratitude is magnetic.
As leaders, let’s tap into that positive power and not be shy about starting with gratitude to set the tone in every interaction we have. Beginning with a heartfelt “I appreciate you” creates a culture where people know they can be authentic and vulnerable and expand into their potential.
In our writing, stories open the door to connecting with and nurturing our audience. Previously, I had a story I wasn’t sure I wanted to share because it felt too vulnerable. I worried people would be turned off or judge me. But I decided to tell that story in a small group I felt safe with. Once I told it, I felt the shame of keeping an old family secret fall away.
People in the group reached out to me individually to share how much my story meant to them, either because they had a similar experience or they wanted to release the shame of some secret they had been carrying. That story was not only cathartic for me, but for the women in my group.
I was eventually able to connect to my gratitude because that story is the catalyst that revealed my purpose. Gratitude transforms even difficult stories into opportunities for connection. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and share that story on stage. My story is a mirror for similar experiences in listeners lives, so they know I “get” them and they can trust me.
Gratitude Connects Us to Our Impact
A simple daily practice was the seed that grew into my first book, The Gratitude Connection. That book launched me into my mission of raising the positive vibration of the planet.
Helping visionaries connect through story is a beautiful way to do that. Many authors come to me with two book ideas. They struggle to decide between the book they think they should write and the book that is begging to be written.
When I ask which one is pulling at their heart right now, their eyes get sparkly (and sometimes teary) as they tell me about the one that feels like their legacy, the one that could change the world. While they might be intimidated by how big that story can be, gratitude connects them to their heart story—the one that sings of real self discovery.
Sharing the truth of our heart story becomes a ripple of life-changing impact.
A Gentle Invitation
I invite you to take a moment today to pause. Place your hands on your heart. Feel the warmth. Take a few deep breaths. Focus on feeling gratitude. Let it reconnect you to yourself, to those you most want to serve, and to the global impact you’re here for.
Because gratitude isn’t just a practice …
✨ It’s the heartbeat of your leadership.
✨ It’s the bridge to your legacy.
✨ And it’s the positive energy that will carry your story into the world, further than you can imagine.
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