3074: Why It’s So Hard To Settle Debts Of Gratitude by Helene Massicotte of Free to Pursue

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily Episode 3074 Why It's So Hard To Settle Debts Of Gratitude by Helene Massicotte of FreeToPursue.com Am I a narrator Justin Malik? The guy that reads blogs or articles to you every single day of the year including weekends and holidays?

[00:00:18] And with that let's get right to our next post as we optimize your life Why It's So Hard To Settle Debts Of Gratitude by Helene Massicotte of FreeToPursue.com

[00:00:34] Yesterday I reached out and thanked two people who've been influential beyond measure in my life over the last four years The exercise was harder and evoked more emotion in me than I ever thought it would and I hope I do it again

[00:00:48] Who are these two people and why did I want to reach out to them to express my gratitude? Person number one his work helped me understand. I wasn't alone in my quest for more out of my professional life

[00:01:00] He's the first individual who spoke about quitting as being a good thing He reframed my concept around the word and the action He identified the upsides of quitting along with the words of caution

[00:01:11] We always need to hear to ensure we're fully owning what we're doing thought and action He helped me find the courage in myself to walk away from a perfect job that wasn't perfect for me His name is Dan Benjamin. His podcast is quit on the 5x5 podcasting network

[00:01:28] In person number two He's a passionate journalist who gets to the essence of a story and who's also chosen to take on the tough role of keeping the Canadian Media in check he isn't shy about attacking the toughest issues head-on and

[00:01:40] Holds us all accountable for our views and behaviors as Canadians whether we're citizens journalists politicians or leaders in general and He speaks out for those who don't have a voice in the court of public opinion His name is Jesse Brown. His podcast a new site is Canada land

[00:01:59] Why are they so important to me? These two individuals helped me sort out my thoughts on important personal and professional issues They made me think on a deeper visceral level at times what they had to say made me feel uncomfortable Sad angry and at other times confident happy

[00:02:18] Strong thoughtful and kind Their edgy straight talk is what I needed to hear what helped me consider extremes What challenged me to go deeper into my own thoughts and better understand myself That depth also fueled either action or closure on my part

[00:02:35] Why it was so important to say thank you. I wanted to add fuel to their fire Gratitude is more powerful than we allow ourselves to believe Hearing how we impact the lives of others fuels us to do more of the good we do

[00:02:50] Too often we hear about the opposite failures weaknesses mistakes Gratitude and recognition is part of what fuels us as human beings It reaffirms our sense of purpose. It offers us renewed momentum that helps us drive ourselves further. I Also fueled to my own Expressing heartfelt gratitude is cathartic

[00:03:12] That fact renders the giver as much if not more of a beneficiary as is the recipient By giving thanks we acknowledge the power the others good deeds have had on us And it makes us feel happier more fulfilled more whole

[00:03:27] It makes us realize the good there is in the world and the bountiful resources We can tap into to lead our best life both in good times and in bad knowing versus doing Why then do we shy away from thanking others?

[00:03:41] We know we should think the people who help us more often than we do So why don't we because giving thanks exposes our vulnerabilities? I'm not talking about the standard. Thank you that were expected to verbalize throughout the day every day

[00:03:55] I mean the type of thank you that makes us think about why someone's actions were so important And why it's hard for the words to cross our lips the type of thank you that evokes sometimes unexpected emotions

[00:04:06] The type of thank you that makes us feel exposed because it makes us realize we can't do it all on our own That exposure can cause me to wait sometimes months sometimes years sometimes forever

[00:04:19] To express my gratitude to those who are or have been most influential in my personal and professional success It also seems that my potential to express gratitude Exhibits an inverse relationship

[00:04:32] The greater the impact someone's had in my life the greater the emotional barrier in delivering a proper acknowledgement of their positive impact The same holds true when it comes to proximity It's sometimes hard to express deep gratitude when that someone is part of my inner circle

[00:04:49] The proximity makes me feel even more exposed. I hope I've learned from my actions yesterday And that I'll continue to tell others of the positive impact They have on my life how I choose to live it and the success is unfortunate to experience along the way

[00:05:05] Do you owe a debt of gratitude to someone? Are you intending to settle it? You just listened to the post titled why it's so hard to settle debts of gratitude by Ellen Masseycott of free2pursue.com And I'll be right back with my commentary

[00:05:24] Thank you to Ellen for letting me share her work a great question upon her there at the end Do you owe a debt of gratitude to someone and are you intending to settle it? Maybe someone or some people popped into your mind as you heard this article today

[00:05:39] And I think she made some great observations about how it seems harder to think someone who's in our inner circle And always in close proximity To someone a bit more random or seen less frequently

[00:05:51] And same with the size of the impact they've had in our lives. I know I can relate so maybe that was enlightening for you too I like to thank you pretty much every day for listening

[00:06:00] But I often wonder well first if you're even listening because it seems many people skip the ends of podcasts But also if that thank you comes across as genuine since you might pure it every day from me

[00:06:14] And 99% of the time we haven't met so i'm not someone in your inner circle But I think podcasts are a strangely personal and sort of intimate thing. I'm speaking directly to you every day of the year

[00:06:25] Hopefully the thank you comes across as genuine or feels more like it's from someone you know Because without you listening the show would not exist And I have no idea what i'd be doing So really thank you

[00:06:37] And if there's someone who came to mind when you heard this article Consider making that step today. Have a great rest of your day and I'll be back tomorrow where your optimal life awaits