An Uplifting Day of ‘Gratitude and Trust’ in New York

Through my journey with Break the Norms, I’ve been very fortunate to have some amazing people beside me along the way. They’ve all guided me and showered me with their unconditional love. Unconditional love is a magic potion, isn’t it? Just a few drops can make you fearless, and fuel the passion behind your work.

 

I saw so much of this unconditional love on Wednesday, June 24, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, as a part of the Gratitude and Trust Summit. The event, hosted by entrepreneur Jeff Pulver, author Tracey Jackson, and songwriter Paul Williams, was a day full of motivational speeches and inspirational panels, dedicated to offering tips, guidance, and examples on how people can get the life they want, right now. I was fortunate to give a 10-minute presentation about myself and my experiences with gratitude and trust.

But before I tell you more about the event, a little bit about how I got there: Two years ago, my dear friend Mallika Chopra (check out her incredibly inspiring book, Living with Intent) graciously invited me to join her at the 92nd Street Y to share a meditation experience with attendees. You never say no to treasured friends! The next morning, I led a small meditation at the Y, and it was surreal. It was then that Mallika connected me with Jeff Pulver. Jeff was dealing with health issues at the time and was battling it all with a smile that made me respect him with all of my heart. (His journey of fitness and gratitude would make for an inspiring book. I hope he writes one soon!) Jeff and I have been in touch ever since, and it was he that gave me the opportunity to be the opening speaker at his summit.

I immediately accepted the opportunity to speak. Ever since reading Tracey Jackson and Paul Williams’ book, Gratitude, and Trust, I’ve known that I’ve wanted to be a part of their summit. There lied only one challenge: For the past four years, I’ve grown used to giving hour-long workshops and lectures, so I had no idea what I’d choose to say in a 10-minute talk! I knew it was going to be both a special and a challenging experience.

 The night before the summit, I attended a dinner for all of the speakers, still with no idea what I was going to talk about. I met Jeff, Paul, Tracey, and the summit’s other speakers – they were all such amazingly inspiring leaders and had incredible, life-altering stories to share. The beloved teacher Lama Surya Das said some very generous words about my work. That evening gave me the energy I needed for my talk.

I left home at 6:30 the next morning to give myself plenty of time to reach the venue by my assigned arrival time of 8. One wrong exit later, and I was suddenly 20 minutes behind. No parking available near the venue, and I was now 40 minutes behind. I made it, eventually, but I was 45 minutes late. I took a deep breath and meditated for 10 minutes. Then, I walked on the stage with only one intention: to share my honest experience.

This ‘Gratitude and Trust’ talk was also the first time that I’ve spoken publicly about my forthcoming book. The response was overwhelming. I was one of the most mentioned names on Twitter, sharing the honor with some very well-known leaders. I spent the day meeting attendees and sharing laughs, tears and shared personal triumphs with them. When the summit ended, I shook my head in awe. I drove home with a feeling of accomplishment. It was truly a day of gratitude and a day of trusting the process.

This experience has left me thinking more about gratitude and trust. Please take a moment and ask yourself these questions:

  • What are you grateful for?

  • Do you trust the process of life?

  • If you don’t, what’s blocking you from this trust?

Share your answers in the comments below, and let’s dig deeper into this together.

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