Gratitude Starts With “Me”

It is a wonderful time of gratitude and giving thanks, as we prepare for Thanksgiving next week in the U.S.

If you are reading this, then you are likely VERY good at:

• Observing and expressing gratitude for the blessings you have in your life
• Seeing the talents and skills in others, and
• Thanking people when they make a difference

That’s beautiful!

Your ability to do this, creates so much momentum and ripples of impact as you choose to look for and see the good around you…

Up to a point.

When I work with amazing leaders at a self-described crossroad moment – people who want something “more” but don’t know what to do next, or when, or how, or why – it is astounding to see that they are NOT good at knowing their own true value and how to nurture and share it!   

When you don’t know your “Evidence of Impact” when you’re feeling joy, and when you don’t know the internal and external causes and conditions you need to have that impact and joy… it then becomes impossible to communicate effectively to the very people and organizations who need you, and it becomes impossible to make informed Next Step decisions that stick.

This process of revealing this often-missing, but critical, self-knowledge is really hard to find on our own.  It’s why I created the Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy. 

Here are two tools to help you begin:

1. Take my “Thankful for ME” test (and tally your score):

• Did you cringe reading the title of this test? 😉  [Yes = 4 points.  No = 1 point.]
• When thinking of the blessings you have in your life… can you identify 5 choices YOU made that created the possibility for the blessings and opportunities to occur? [Yes = 1 point. No = 4 points.]
• When thinking about your talents and skills, are they nouns or verbs?  [Nouns = 4 points. Verbs = 1 point.] 
• Do you have a hard time “taking credit” for the impact you have?  [No = 1 point.  Yes = 4 points.]
• Do you know what occurs to others when your talents, skills, and experience, intersect with your moments of joy?  [Yes, I know = 1 point.  No, I don’t know = 4 points.] 
• Do you know the (specific) ways you make a difference and to whom? [Yes, I know = 1 point.  No, I don’t know = 4 points.] 

YOUR SCORE:

• 6 Points = Yes! I know my impact and express my gratitude for ME, so that I can continue to make informed decisions to increase my impact, joy and own momentum.
• 7-20 Points = Well, I either need to know myself better, OR feel more comfortable acknowledging my impact. I’ll start playing with observing and acknowledging myself!
• 21-24 Points = Uh Oh, it may be time to learn these key facts about myself!  I want to take charge, be an expert on myself, so that I can curate a life of joy and impact.

2. Please express gratitude for YOU. On Thanksgiving (and everyday!), as you give thanks to and for the special people in your life, take a moment. It’s okay. It’s not bragging. The goal is to simply bring into awareness the facts – about yourself.

Let me know what about yourself YOU are thankful for!   

In gratitude, 

Kathryn
Next Chapter Coach
Creator of The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy^TM