Use Gratitude as a Verb

“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” —Henri Frederic Amiel.

“I am grateful for…”

For the past ten years, those four words have been guiding me, challenging me, inspiring me and helping me.

At a very difficult time in my life, I committed to a daily practice of trying to notice & observe what was good around me… before I alloewd myself to get out of bed in the morning. It is shocking to remember that when I first began, it would be minutes before I could think of any response. Knowing that each morning I was going to have to say something, I began moving through my days seeking (and finding) the answers to the prompt of gratitude.

Two things I learned through that process:

Gratitude is an active choice. Gratitude multiplies. Gratitude brings clarity in decision-making. Gratitude ends suffering. I remember in that first week I had to “force” myself to find something to be grateful for so I could get out of bed and not be late for work (flippantly saying “well, I guess I’m grateful that my SHEETS are nice and soft.”). The next day, I found something else, and then like magic, something else! Interestingly, everything I “found” – including positive attributes of the people around me – had been there all along, it’s just that I wasn’t noticing it or valuing it. a-HA!
Making a commitment to a practice can work better than focusing on a desired outcome. You already know this regarding healthy lifestyles: committing to daily walks, vs focusing on losing weight, etc. This is also true for gratitude: Committing to speaking a list of daily gratitude’s vs focusing on being happy. Committing to choosing to be in the present moment vs focusing on having more work-life balance or being less stressed. As I work with leaders to actively curate lives of joy and impact, choosing what we notice is part of how we strategically build momentum and curate the lives we’re meant to have.

These days, I still must allow extra time in the morning…but now it’s because my list of gratitude’s is always wonderfully long!

I am so grateful…

that YOU take the time to read my Happy Friday emails and let me know how they resonate.
to be coaching leaders around the world to live in the intersection of joy and impact.
to be a part of the Santa Barbara community that values helping others, making a difference, and being kind.
to be working with a team of professionals and volunteers at The Symphony who inspire me to do and be my best, every single day.
to have family and friends that see me.
to be entrusted with the confidential Crossroad Moment questions posed in Strategy Calls: “What should I do next?” “How do I find joy AND earn a top salary?” “Can you help me put my best foot forward in an interview?” “How do I find more work/life balance?” “Am I good enough?”
that my sheets are soft… 😉

My very best wishes for your days of gratitude, and to all my American friends: Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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

A note about me:

I help people break out of cycles of frustration and indecision and curate lives of impact and clarity of purpose – with ease, joy and financial sustainability.

I am a “purpose-whisperer” and am honored to teach a proven process that unlocks critical and often missing foundational self-knowledge. I then teach you how to use that knowledge to differentiate yourself in careers/job applications/negotiations, fine-tune and leverage your superpowers, and make decisions on what to do next, when and how. The critical part? All this is guided by your unique purpose. We need everyone to be having the impact they are meant to have!

To do that, I need to meet you! 🙂

If your palms are now starting to sweat… I have 3-Step invitation to take your Leap:

Set up a confidential zoom Strategy Call HERE
You will immediately receive a short 3-question survey
In our confidential Strategy Call, here’s what to expect: laughter, maybe tears, me showing up fully for you:
- I’ll share my 2 intentions for our time together: By the end of our conversation, I hope to have been of help, and that we both have a sense of what it’s like working with each other.
- I’ll ask you to share the one question that keeps rolling around and around in your head.
- I’ll guide a free-flowing, non-scripted ~ 45minute session, focusing on you.
- IF you and I both think working together may be a way for you to achieve the results you’re (really) looking for, you can ask me for specific information on how I work with clients (also available on my website), costs and time committment.
- I may invite you to apply to be a 1:1 client or enroll in The Career (Life!) Breakthrough Academy.

That’s it. Nothing to be scared about, everything to gain. Join the movement – take YOUR first step.

Kathryn Martin

In just four years, over 200 of Kathryn’s clients have moved from being “stuck,” to now living their Dream Scenarios; following their passion in corporations and businesses, theaters, symphony orchestras, operas, dance companies, foundations, arts and culture departments, universities and social service agencies around the world.