Claim Your Worthiness

Creating High Self-Esteem Kids

* Dr. Rubino, CEO of The Center for Personal Reinvention [Http://www.CenterForPersonalReinvention.com], is acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost experts on the topic of elevating self-esteem for adults and children. * He is a life-changing personal development and success coach on how to restore self-esteem, achieve success, maximize joy in relationships and fulfillment in life and skyrocket productivity. * He is known for his groundbreaking work in personal and leadership development, building effective teams, enhancing listening and communication skills, life and business coaching and optimal life planning. His 12 best-selling books and audio programs are available in 23 languages and in 58 countries. Dr. Joe’s vision is to impact the lives of at least 20 million children and 20 million adults. Discussed in this episode: * We hear about Dr. Rubino's perspective and the key ingredients of high-self esteem. * What new trends/challenges do kids today face, and how/why high self-esteem is so important? * How can a child regroup from that and claim his/her worth? * We address the pandemic and its impact on kids and families regarding self-esteem or worthiness. * Ways parents, caregivers, teachers, and counselors can keep children focused on internal worth versus external circumstances of the world today. * As the author of “The Self-Esteem Book: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting the Most Important Ingredient for Success and Happiness in Life” Dr. Joe shares his passion about championing children and adults to elevate their self-esteem. * What is the definition of self-esteem? Where does worthiness fit in? * Where does low self-esteem have its origins and is it really that pervasive? * Dr. Joe has identified 30+ ways parents can help their kids develop their self-esteem, and shares a few samples. * What are 3 qualities parents can support their children to develop to elevate their self-esteem? * If it all began when we were very young, why haven’t we got over these feelings later in life? In other words, what keeps these feelings of being unlovable or not good enough in place? * Dr. Joe speaks about the negative self-talk so many of us deal with daily. How do deal with this negativity to stop this noise in our heads? * Why is emotional awareness important? * We discuss how we can support children best to develop good habits that support their happiness and success. * Modeling the behavior we wish to see in our children is important. * We speak briefly about designing a future with high self-esteem. What is a good first step for parents to support their children to do so? Learn More: Learn more about Dr. Rubino’s life-changing work in championing people to restore their self-esteem at http://www.TheSelfEsteemBook.com [http://www.theselfesteembook.com/] and receive FREE the insightful audio program “7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem” and a 1-year subscription to “The Success Achievers’ Club”…a $129 Value! 7 Steps to Soaring Self Esteem Gift [http://oneempoweredlife.com/secure/?g=1500] High Self-Esteem Kids [https://highselfesteemkids.com] High Self-Esteem Adults [https://highselfesteemadults.com]

Breathing into a new world with Anthony Abbagnano

BACKGROUND: “No matter how your life is today, breathing makes life better. That’s a strong statement. But from what I have seen in my own practice, and in our trainings, when people learn conscious breathing, life improves.” – Anthony Abbagnano Anthony, lives in Tuscany, Italy, where he and his wife Amy Rachelle, are co-founders of the Alchemy School of Healing Arts (ASHA), the foundation stone of a consciously created community in the Province of Grosseto, Italy (ashacommunity.com). Anthony is considered by many who have participated in his Breathwork trainings to be a visionary thought leader. He uniquely combines philosophy and psychology with spirituality to guide others in loving ways using conscious breathwork as one of his many foundational tools. Anthony has guided more than 100,000 people through different breath practices. Many report an experience of “oneness” during and after a breath session. This oneness could be interpreted as a connection with the Divine, the Superconscious, or the Quantum Field. He is also the creator of Alchemy of Breath, Alchemy Meditation, and the Alchemy of Breath Academy, an accredited school that teaches Breathwork practitioners and facilitators all over the world for one-on-one sessions, group sessions, and online breathwork. He teaches annual workshops and seminars in several countries, and trains both facilitators and individual practitioners in a variety of class settings. Anthony pioneered the use of online Bbreathwork in 2013, enabling the practice to reach hundreds of thousands; he now heads Breathe The World, a regular Sunday event to suit all time zones. He has been featured as a keynote speaker on the Shift Network’s Breathwork Summit, The Breathe Festival, the Global Inspiration Conference, and The Integrative Health Conference in London, having also given talks at the Twitter headquarters in London. He is also the founder of The Community of Healing—an international organization that promotes the union of Western medicine with all other modalities—as well as the Ark, a retreat center in Bali, Indonesia, dedicated to community health and emerging consciousness. # # # INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHT NOTES: GAIL/HOST: Before we begin and dig deep into your unique expertise, which includes your ability to see someone’s soul beyond their personality, Anthony please share with the listeners today a story or a few insights about claiming your own innate worthiness. Anthony then shares an intimate "edgy" story of walking in his neighborhood as an adult that caused him to remember a wound he felt as a small child, offering this insight: "THIS IS WHERE IT GETS REAL--to realize that the person who is hurting in this moment (of getting triggered) is actually the person who has been carrying the hurt for years, even decades.  So in that journey to reclaiming worthiness, and reclaiming the innocence that we are, it does mean identifying the lack of worthiness first to be able to bridge that gap."~Anthony Abbagnano BENEFITS OF BREATHWORK: From Anthony's book: “...so many Breathers have felt not just a deep healing, but also a spiritual awakening. The same applies to the several times I have heard expressions of amazement that one Breathwork session could equate to ten years of conventional psychotherapy.” ~Anthony Abbagnano. --OTHER SNIPPETS FROM  HIS BOOK IN DEVELOPMENT: "There are countless reasons to create a Breathwork practice: to reconnect with your body, reduce stress, develop resilience, increase calm and inner peace, release past traumas, deepen your meditation, repair relationships, connect to compassion, become more mindful, stimulate personal growth, increase self-awareness, develop your spiritual practice, or re-identify with your purpose in life. --You also may use the breath to boost your creativity and memory, feel more vital and alert, increase your efficiency in the workplace, improve presence of mind, gain more clarity, expand consciousness, and transform the way you perceive life. --Breathing can support very deep and powerful inner work, but it also can simply increase your enjoyment of life and enhance your experience of the hidden blessings that await you. As we progress through the book, I’ offer invitations to use the breath in therapeutic ways; should you feel resistance, I encourage you to try the practice anyway—feel and breathe. Breathwork provides a plethora of physical benefits. It promotes a healthy immune system, activates your metabolism, increases energy, and is a great way to burn calories. Exhalation cleanses us, too, accounting for as much as 70% of our physical toxins. The breath complements any therapy you might be involved with (physical or psychological). Maintaining a conscious breathing practice helps to ease chronic pain and supports a speedy return to health from physical illness. It also can promote recovery after an operation, and some studies have shown that it might even ward off certain types of cancer and other chronic diseases." IN COMPARISON TO / or in CONJUNCTION WITH MEDITATION: "For me, Breathwork multiplies it--almost quantum. Breathwork is turbo-charged; for me it is like rocket-fuel meditation because only 10 breaths can begin to change your point of view whereas meditation can take hours or even days."~Anthony Abbagnano. GAIL/HOST: Anthony, many who have worked with you consider you a great healer, and like me as a coach, you also have a passion for guiding and witnessing others through “inner child” work. Please define for our listeners who may not be familiar, what “inner child” is and why it is so important or life-altering for our healing journeys. · (Other snippet from his book--"Another part of 'inner child' work.  Often people consciously seek to change their habits, perhaps to stop smoking, lose weight or exercise more. Think of how many times you or someone you know has made a New Year’s resolution, only to see it broken with a few days or weeks. We might set goals or resolutions with maximum determination, but most often they fail because the unconscious mind has already decided how things will play out. Its stored programs and enormous processing power override even the best of intentions. This means that our Inner Child—the person who stored those programs in early life—might be in control. Even though the adult is seeking to make changes, the old life script is the one that wins." ANTHONY: "In my work, I consider the relationship with the Inner Child as a key to the healing process. However, in my experience, before we can become successful allies with our Inner Child, we must first distinguish it from our adult self. Then, we are able to speak to its deepest wound. The lack of distinction from the inner child—or over-identification with it—creates confusion. The adult becomes consumed by a yearning for relief. And as the inner child suffers, the adult self looks outside for the solution. This is a costly error." "As long as we invest in the hope that someone else can solve our difficulty, we keep giving our power away and ignoring the weeping wound inside. We might try any solution offered from the sublime to the ridiculous, but unless we own the wound, and make the effort to tend to it with our perfectly competent adult mind and heart, it will fester, control us, undermine our progress, and deny us the rights and opportunities of maturity." Other inner child insights from Anthony: "Inner child work is really about how do we reclaim that part of us who got stuck behind the damage." "I believe this (inner child) work is more important than the relationship with my wife or my children--the restoration of these parts of myself that have been abandoned or left behind." SHIFTING THE FOCUS FROM WORLD CONDITIONS TO MIRACLES: "Miracles are not remote.  They are happening all the time. They are happening right now.  The problem is that they don't get our attention, the right kind of attention...WE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BE HERE." ON THE WORLD CONDITIONS TODAY: "We have learned to externalize both our problems and our solutions. And, in order to reclaim responsibility, we need to take the power back and look at what is happening inside our beings that can change our lives." * * * "We've had to distinguish between what gives us temporary relief and what can actually really create resolution, and I believe resolution is born from inside us, not outside of us." * * * "Just giving your breath your awareness changes something something so significant, that you're taking the time to become aware of something that you've taken for granted your whole life, just that is half the task.  So as we feel stress and we feel pressure from the these times, all the more important it is that we create space in which we can foster our own consciousness in this human mess." * * * "If we can bring our consciousness to our breath, we can take a first step to creating an oasis in the chaos." * * * "There's a tremendous resource here that we don't use." (80 percent of our messages come from the body to the brain.) * * * "If you can take three breaths, you've opened the door to your own emotional leadership..it's buying you time." THE HERO'S JOURNEY: "Each Breathwork session is a Hero’s Journey into uncharted territory—whether our lives are littered with trauma or peaceful sanctuaries. Whatever emotions encountered or understandings achieved, our challenge is to bring them back intact to an imperfect world.” ON ACCESSING FEELINGS: "Breathwork is about reclaiming our ability to feel.  And that means feeling the good stuff, the ecstatic stuff, and that also means feeling the challenges, too. If we cannot allow ourselves to feel sadness and loss, we lose the muscle with which we can feel abundance and joy." ON HEALING ADDICTION: "Breathwork is all about connection--connection to your own body, connection to your own awareness, connection with your soul and your own loving being, and addiction is all about disconnection." GAIL/HOST: As I mentioned when introducing you, you offer Sunday breathwork sessions through AlchemyofBreath.com.  Can you elaborate on the POWER OF COMMUNITY, particularly during these isolating and sometimes divisive times? "I believe that community starts within, and that commitment to keep looking inside means that I can keep coming to you and being real. I might be vulnerable.  I might be hurting.  I might be happy.  I might be joyful but at least that I am able to be present to you.  My mind isn't to try think of a way to try to answer you while you're talking to me. I can actually listen to you and receive what you're feeling.  And that will help you feel like you are seen and that you are heard, and that you are valuable.  So what happens when we come together this way is that we create this chalice of care, empathy, love and support. " ~ Anthony Abbagnano FROM ANTHONY'S BOOK: "Unless we are able to witness, hold, and love our darker self, true healing and a return to wholeness cannot occur. The Shadow realms might not be easy or pleasant to navigate, but with our newfound will to feel the feeling, along with our awareness that all will pass, we can recognize that it is a risk worth taking if we wish to become all of who we can be." ~ Anthony Abbagano IN CLOSING: "If you're feeling stressed, please address your anxiety with your breath.  Anxiety is just energy; it's not personal.  Imagine the power of anxiety if you could transform it into enthusiasm." ~ Anthony Abbagnano. Many blessings to you.  Again to learn more Anthony and his work, or to attend a free Sunday Breathwork session, check out, www.Alchemyofbreath.com [http://www.alchemyofbreath.com/].

“WADING” into Leadership with Traci Philips

As we are all beginning to realize, we're not going back to the ways things were before the pandemic, so new skills are needed to move forward. Traci shares some of those with us in this episode, with a particular focus on growing as a better leader from the inside out. About Traci Philips: As an Executive Leadership & Performance Strategist, Traci supports visionary business owners and corporate executives to learn and practice better communication, resolution strategies, decision-making, and leading during times of change and when the stakes are high. She teaches her clients how to create a more cohesive, cooperative experience and environment within their workplace culture. Her ultimate goal is to support her clients to live authentically and lead powerfully by creating more awareness about who they are, how they want to be seen, and what legacy they want to leave behind. You can learn more about Traci and connect with her at www.theinnatecoach.com [https://theinnatecoach.com]. Traci starts by sharing a time in her life when she felt less than worthy and how she reclaimed her sense of worthiness. Traci discusses the three brains: * The head * The heart and * The gut and how we can learn about the unique role of each from emerging scientific data. "How we feel and what we sense are equally important to what we think, especially in times of high change and uncertainty," Traci explains. We also discuss the powerful principles pulled out by this challenging question from her book: Are you living a borrowed or leased life? Traci shares more about her ZONE MODEL, which includes the  Zone of Brilliance, Zone of Achievement, and Zone of Impact. In regards to the Zone of Brilliance, Traci became aware of its importance while working for three years with federal inmates who had been incarcerated for white-collared crimes: She notes that almost all of them shared that who they dreamed of being when they were young boys was not what they ended up doing for a living. They had chosen careers that required impressive credentials and accumulated power and prestige, not because their inner being wanted it, but for various reasons, because they felt that is who they needed to be to get what they wanted in life. This disconnect with their Zone of Brilliance had them acting in ways that eventually landed them in a place of "do-over" where they were given the opportunity to really think about how this disassociation from their natural gifts and desires had impacted their choices, behaviors, actions, and outcomes. This sharing of her work with inmates led to the discussion of the principle of staying in your own lane: From her book: "As I explained to him/client, staying in your lane permits you to serve from your innate gifts in a way that is naturally in tune with how you desire to be and within the boundaries that are set around what best supports and nourished you." Traci and Gail discuss how to reinterpret your circumstances to shift your mentality from a victim to a creator, and give examples of what that practically looks like. "Our life is not simply a tool to be used for the benefit of others. We are also meant to receive value from who we are and what we were born to build, create and manifest." ~Traci Philips Traci elaborates on how important it is to live intentionally (and she shares the three intentions she lives by within the interview). From her book:  "Without intention, we are all walking around, potentially ready to react to whatever comes our way.  When we go through life on autopilot, we create accidental lives.  When we are intentional about our whats, hows, wheres, and whys, we can finally experience a more conscious and deliberate existence." You can find Traci's new book called, Looking In: Discover, Define & Align the True Value of Your Life, Leadership & Legacy [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952481333/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_imm_AGXVW4DTTDSW6D5Y1R5A] on Amazon.

Someone Will Listen to You

Our guest Shay Merritt Hughes, is the owner of Merritt Clinical Wellness in Apex, North Carolina. [https://merrittclinicalwellness.com/] Her business is unique, as is her personal journey. Merritt Clinical Wellness is an evidenced-based rehabilitation and injury prevention practice. Its focus is on the soft tissue realignment of the body through the pelvis. Bringing oneself back into alignment not only reduces pain, but it can help one move more freely and balanced. Known as a“realignment therapist,” Shay has helped those who have been injured or recovering from surgery, get back in shape—even after others told them it couldn’t be done.  She says was born to do this work, by uniquely combining therapeutic massage with bodywork. Shay trained with renowned bodyworker Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement. He has also produced more than 20 online learning courses based on Anatomy Trains and collaborates with various body-oriented professional groups. Thomas and his faculty conduct professional development courses and certification in Structural Integration worldwide. Today, Shay is also bravely joining us with a purpose beyond promoting her business--To share her story of how she reclaimed her worthiness after a suicide attempt at age 26.  With so much going on in the world today, and some believing we may even have a new pandemic of mental health challenges, Shay felt compelled to share, to help someone else who may find themselves in a dark place in their lives. She now lives on a farm in North Carolina as a newlywed with her “very understanding husband,” 3 horses, a donkey, and 4 kittens.  She recently started a non-profit, “The Purrs A Lot of Society [https://www.facebook.com/The-Purrs-A-Lot-Society-106493715026630],” for rescuing, rehabilitating, [https://www.facebook.com/The-Purrs-A-Lot-Society-106493715026630] and then “re-homing” kittens. INTRO: Gail/Host: Shay, first of all, I want to thank you for your enormous courage in coming forth to share the story of your attempted suicide in your 20s—and the inspiring ways you have reclaimed your worthiness to live. Now at age 42, you have much wisdom and perspective from that journey.  And before we hear all the gems, can you please bring us back to that “desperate” day when you tried to take your life? Shay: At 26, I was at a very dark place in life, lower than ever, “felt damaged,” without hope of getting better.  I felt I had no value, no worthiness in the world...it was a culmination of things, abusive childhood.  Then the weekend after New Year’s Eve 16 years ago, “the darkness engulfed me.”  I was full of darkness and despair. What was the trigger that set you off? SHAY:  My ex-boyfriend and I had a nasty fight, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back ... I was away from home, in a state where I didn't know a lot of people, no secure friendships...when you add all these things together, it effects your mental health in a way that you feel like you're in a bottle and you can't get out.  I took pills, went to ER, and my boyfriend carried a lot of guilt, but my suicide attempt was based on multiple years of problems of being born to 2 parents who didn’t want me...I knew from a young age that they didn’t want me. ...That day was the start of something really good for me...I had to have that day for the good to come to me later. "I make it a point now to tell those in my life, including my animals, that they are safe, they are wanted and they are loved." How did your suicide attempt transform your life? SHAY: "The first year after was tough.  There is no quick rebound--it’s like being in recovery for the rest of your life... for two years, in that moment when I remembered that day, I wanted to go home, by home, I mean, I wanted to go to heaven....That first year the challenge was I was still in a dark cloud, not a dark space, but a dark cloud.  I had to forgive myself and I had to claim I was worthy enough to go on and that I survived for a reason.  God wasn’t done with me yet.” What advice do you have for others in a dark place, contemplating suicide? * Talk to somebody NOT RELATED TO YOU. * Go to a safe place, and if you don’t have one, you can contact me. * YOU DESERVE THAT, TO BE HEARD. * Make an effort to find that light. You're worth it.  You're worth saving.  You're worth surviving. * You can't thrive if you don't survive. * Take it one day at a time, and one step at a time. “Sometimes good things come from a dark place." ~Shay Merritt Hughes "For me, there were tough decisions after that...I started changing, been with my boyfriend since I was 19...unhappy for last 2 years...stayed with him because I thought I should...then it clicked...NO, I should take care of me, and came home to North Carolina from Texas...I moved in with a girlfriend...went to school, trained as vet tech, then aesthetician, and rolled into massage when things really fell into place.” “I feel like I became the person God always wanted me to be.” At 34/35,  got her first job, 7 months in her career, I was trying to help a client with a particular issue and found this guy on YouTube—Thomas Myers (which was DIVINE INTERVENTION, according to Shay). Thomas is a renowned bodyworker. Shay ended up training with him, and resonated immediately with his style of bodywork...no nonsense...it works...consistently effective. GAIL:  Do you work with mostly with the injured? SHAY: “Yes, everybody’s been injured.”  From 8 years to 106 years old, I have no niche market. Any other thoughts on helping someone claim their worthiness to live as you did? “God always has a plan.  You might not see it right now, but if you end it today, you will never see it.” “I decided I was worth saving, and not only did I survive, but I went on and thrived.” “It didn’t end at surviving, and it doesn’t end at thriving.  It ends when the sun is setting in the ocean, and I am a long way from the beach, darling.” Shay most wants listeners to remember this is:  "You don't HAVE to do it alone...there's nothing that says you have to be alone for the rest of your life, and you have to relive your past.  You don't.  Every day is a new day, and even if you make the smallest step today to talk to someone, that is step one." To learn more about Shay’s therapeutic clinical massage business, check out her website, https://merrittclinicalwellness.com/ [https://merrittclinicalwellness.com/] To learn more about her non-profit, “The Purrs A Lot Society,” for rescuing, rehabilitating, and then “re-homing” kittens, check out the Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/The-Purrs-A-Lot-Society-106493715026630]

Wake Up Grateful with Kristi Nelson

Diagnosed at age 33 with end-stage cancer and thriving IN NEW WAYS now 28 years later, Kristi offers a unique and uplifting perspective on embracing gratefulness. She offers many practices and 5 KEY PRINCIPLES of gratefulness for coming alive in new ways that go far beyond what many of us know about gratitude, which we’ll talk about later. Here is one major distinction she notes: “Gratitude waits for something to happen; gratefulness just waits for us to be awake.” Kristi Nelson is the author of the recently released book, Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted, and the Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living. She has spent her adult life immersed in the rewarding work of non-profit leadership, fundraising, and organizational development. In a wide variety of roles, she has helped to lead, fund, and strengthen organizations committed to progressive social and spiritual change. In 2001, Kristi founded a values-based fundraising consulting and training and leadership coaching company, and in this capacity, worked with organizations such as the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Spirit in Action, Wisdom 2.0, and The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, among others. She was also the founding Director of the Soul of Money Institute with Lynne Twist, Director of Development at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and Director of Development and Community Relations for the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society. Kristi received her BA from UMass/Amherst, a graduate certificate in Business and Sociology from Boston College, and her Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in Leadership Studies from Harvard University. “My illness taught me greater empathy for the wounded places inside everyone that we cannot see, touch, or imagine — and not to take what we see of each other at face value. So many of our illnesses, struggles, and disabilities are hidden, and many people who appear to have disabilities are, in other ways, far more intact than we might be. The most important parts of us long for the sincere invitation to show themselves and be acknowledged in both our brokenness and beauty. The surgery to remove cancer that had metastasized to my spine repaired me and readied me for treatment. But it did far more than that. It cracked me open and taught me unmitigated awe for the capacities of the body to function, to repair and recover, to heal, and to carry on. It opened my eyes and heart to better appreciate the courage with which so many people live their days. The human capacity for tenacity and resilience is perpetually astonishing. I learned that our bodies are a never-ending blessing worthy of our full-blown, moment-to-moment appreciation and wonder — no matter what.” -- Kristi Nelson -- “Grateful living reminds you that the body is worthy of your most grateful regard and is always available to receive your care. No matter how broken you might feel, remember that you are always whole. And you are always a source of awe, just as you are. It is a hugely generative practice to bring greater tenderness and empathy to the body — yours and others’.” -- Kristi Nelson Kristi defines what living with gratitude means to her and how her sense of worthiness impacts her work now and her sense of living gratefully. Utilizing the principles of STOP, LOOK, and GO, which she describes in detail, can help unlock gratitude. Other key thoughts of hers: “ When appreciation guides our relationship to ourselves, and we feel self-compassion, this provides us a frame of reference to better appreciate and feel compassion for others too.” * * * “Possibility is awakened, or not, every day through how we treat ourselves...We cannot know what is possible with others or with life until we give ourselves permission for a more unlimited and grateful experience of ourselves.” * * * “If you were to STOP WAITING and treat yourself exactly as you long to, what new opportunities would arise?” We discuss the power of emotions, feeling them, welcoming them, and BECOMING VULNERABLE. Gail discusses the importance of learning to receive to improve health and well-being.  She says in her own book, Cancer as a Love Story, and in coaching others through transformation and cancer, that many who get breast cancer are in the helping professions and often over give to others, sometimes at the expense of their own health. --Kristi noted she had to learn to receive through her healing journey and made a profound statement: “Giving at the expense of receiving is selfish.” Kristi elaborates on how hard that was for her to do initially, and how receiving changed her life. She also offers a key insight on valuing others: “May you hold your relationships as sacred, with humility and generosity.” ~ Kristi Nelson Brilliant Grateful Rule Questions for leaning in and listening Kristi shares: * What do you want me to be sure to understand? * What would make you feel seen and understood right now? * What could I do or say that would be reparative or healing for you? * What would be meaningful to you as an outcome of this conversation? * What other questions would help get to the matter at heart? THE 5 GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF GRATEFULNESS offered by Kristi: 1) Life is a Gift. When you greet each moment gratefully, you are always receiving. 2) Everything is a Surprise. When you open to wonder, opportunities abound. 3) The Ordinary is Extraordinary. When you take nothing for granted, life is abundant. 4) Appreciation is Generative. When you tend what you value, what you value thrives. 5) Love is Transformative. When you embrace the fullness of life, your heart overflows. Kristi's brilliant book: Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted [https://www.amazon.com/Wake-Up-Grateful-Transformative-Practice-ebook/dp/B08519H6JT/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Wake+Up+Grateful%3A+The+Transformative+Practice+of+Taking+Nothing+for+Granted&qid=1625668513&sr=8-2], which is now available at Bookshop (Indie book purveyors), Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. To learn more about Kristi’s work as Executive Director of A Network for Grateful Living, go to gratefulness.org [https://gratefulness.org], where there are also many daily meditations and practices for expanding in gratefulness.