FormalPara The Awakening: A Story

A very popular celebrity who had traveled the world round and seen a lot of beautiful places during his performances, had acquired a lingering attitude of dissatisfaction that he just couldn’t get rid of. He could not be charmed by the beauty and kindness of the people around him, did not enjoy the delicious food that was prepared for him, and did not care of the exquisite cars he had in his humongous garage.

One day, the celebrity got into his private jet and took off, even though the tower at the local airport had advised against it. Soon he realized why: dark clouds surrounded his small jet and he got disoriented. Even though he was an experienced pilot, he could not make sense of what was going on and decided to ascend some more. By now he had lost contact with the tower and couldn’t trust his dashboard.

Somehow, our friend managed to land somewhere, even though he couldn’t recall later how that happened. Once safely on the ground, he stayed motionless in his seat for quite some time, but then got out and was surprised to find that he couldn’t figure out where he was.

The celebrity got back in his seat and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he had been sleeping or simply drifted away in a deep meditation, but when he came through he realized how many reasons for gratitude there were in his life so far. He also became aware that he took all his blessings for granted and had been a true jerk to many people.

The next time the celebrity opened his eyes he saw an old women hovering over him. She said, “Your mission here is completed. You have awakened and are advised never to forget how blessed you have been and still are!”

The old women disappeared, and the next thing our friend remembered was that he landed safely at the small private airport from where he had initially taken off.

Once back in his familiar environment, the celebrity was a changed person. Everyone wondered what happened to bring about this major change in him, but all he said to everyone was: “internalizing, my friend, internalizing…”.

A horizontal line with a wavy shape overlaid on it at the center.

We have to understand there are two parts of our mind, there’s the conscious and the subconscious. It’s the subconscious that controls our behavior. It’s the conscious mind where the intellect is resident. So the conscious mind is understanding information, but it’s not internalizing it.Footnote 1

~ Bob Proctor

Verse

Verse Grateful Turn inward and enjoy the light Of nirvana Inhale at the tune of a sacred inner song So serene, so beautiful It makes you want to cry Peek in the dark corners of your soul Face your silent fears And be grateful for their existence As they keep you grounded And remind you of the ingeniously Disguised layer of sensitivity That keeps your eyes open And your empathy alive Be grateful for all that you are For the path that led you here And the one that will lead you onward Be grateful for the blessings And for the setbacks that made you stronger There’s nothing wrong with a little self-reflection And a healthy sense of humble gratitude For being you ~Joan Marques

Spiritual Beings

We are spiritual beings going through a human experience. This is a mindset that several scholars and practitioners in the management world share. In the Academy of Management, this group of scholars and practitioners are even connected in a division, the Management, Spirituality and Religion Division, in which yours truly has served on the leadership track from 2021 through 2026. It is refreshing to communicate about the insight of being primarily spiritual beings with such an eclectic, globally dispersed group of thinkers and doers.

When you think about being a spiritual being having a human experience, your perspective widens, and the human element becomes a by-product of a more essential whole. You transcend the limitation of only caring for one species in such a rich mosaic of living entities. You also obtain a renewed respect for all that lives, realizing that this may not necessarily be the only experience we will have in the cycle(s) of life.

Yet, whether you believe in recurring life cycles or not, respect for all beings is good. It underscores Thich Nhat Han’s earlier discussed concept of interbeing. We inter-are. In order for us to live in this world, we are dependent on so many other beings, not just humans. Just consider the many products we use that are given to us by animals: milk, butter, honey, meat and fish (if you are a meat or fish eater), and the fact that so many of our non-human fellow inhabitants of this earth fertilize our plants in order for them to bear fruit and present us with a breathtakingly beautiful nature.

One thing that we, especially in the Western part of the world, have become alienated to, is the fact that, as spiritual beings, we are capable of finding the answers to everything within. For those of us who practice vipassana (insight) meditation, this awareness goes even further: we can allow our mind to reconnect with its ability to practice Mettā, through which we can help ourselves and others. Mettā requires a selfless approach, void of selfishness, and driven by loving-kindness. The Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) recommends practicing Mettā through vipassana meditation, as this will establish the proper mindset. This proper mindset entails the understanding that true happiness is not tied to obtaining or releasing any practice, position or possession, but is void of such cravings and aversions. When there is a genuine mindset of every being to be happy, we can practice Mettā.Footnote 2

In 2008, I participated in a 10-day Vipassana retreat in McLeod Ganj, a suburb of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. As many people who have gone through this experience will tell you, it can be challenging, especially in the first few days, to sit for so many hours in a row and meditate. The first four days, especially, can feel tedious, due to the sole focus on your breath. But the overall experience is a priceless asset, as it helps the practitioner generate so many insights that were dormant and unexplored.

During the retreat, there is no conversation between anyone. Everything happens in silence. You also pledge to refrain from unwholesome acts, among which killing, which means that flies, spiders, or any other living thing should be respected in its existence.

The four initial days of breathing focus clearly fulfill an important purpose: they silence the mind, and make the practitioners aware of the power of our breath. Then, when the scanning of the entire body starts, a fascinating awareness arises about being your body as a vehicle – a temple – in which the spirit resides. These examinations or scans make you well aware of areas in your body that need some more attention.

Then, when the practice of Mettā is presented, you learn how you can focus on those areas that may need healing, and you send positive energy to them. While I cannot speak for others, I have found in the many years since this precious experience, that practicing Mettā has been a true blessing to me.

As I was writing one of the previous chapters, I felt one of my old ailments, gastritis, emerging. Whenever I encounter stressful situations – and I am currently experiencing a very stressful episode at my work – my stomach starts acting up. Fortunately, I remembered Mettā, and focused on the spot where the dull ache deep inside was bothering me and causing unpleasant sequences of belching. I was happy to find that the next morning, things were a lot better, and the belching that I had been troubled by two days before, was strongly reduced. Engaging in some self-exploration as I write this, I realize that I should repeat the exercise, which I intend to do before going to sleep.

This short admission is not intended to tell anyone that they should stop going to the doctor or stop taking medication. That would be downright irresponsible and troublesome. But we should not underestimate the power we have, as spiritual beings – to invest positive energy into our bodies, and maybe even into the bodies of those we care for.

In returning to GAIN, and the process of Internalizing, there is another aspect to consider. Internalizing results in a heightened level of consciousness that you would not entertain if you were to scurry through your daily life without taking the time to silently turn inward. Internalizing is like reflecting, but then with capital letters. Sometimes you may have to engage in a broader scope of contemplation, because some things may have a recurring nature, which may indicate that there are deeper reasons at their foundation. Remember the teachers I mentioned earlier? Some teachers just don’t leave, because you did not internalize the lesson they were sent to teach you. Teachers, which are mainly situations from which you should learn something, will only disappear when you have internalized the lesson.

Internalizing does not mean that you should dwell in the past, however. Contemplating on past experiences in this instance is only good if you need to detect a pattern, so that you can address it at its roots, and be able to move on from the situation after the internalization process.

Also, internalizing can be done in multiple ways. If you are not a meditator, you can internalize through simple sitting on your front or back porch and think things through. Or you can write about the situation. Keeping a journal can be very enlightening, as it will provide you a written overview of things that happened before and can reveal patterns you may not have discovered before. Long walks in silent are also very therapeutic. Try to choose a calm and inspirational environment for your thoughtful stroll, and you may find answers you have not considered before.

Point to Ponder

  • Reflect on your daily practices.

  • Are you finding the time to internalize your practices, decisions, and perspectives?

  • If so, when do you do that?

  • If not, how could you build this valuable practice into your day from now on?

The purpose of this chapter, as stated in the introduction, is to encourage you to take some time through your day to contemplate on the things that trouble you, and preferably also on the general path of your life.

General Colin Powell, born in New York City out of Jamaican parents, has been my role model for many years. General Powell was the first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the U.S. Army, and a force onto himself. When I decided to immigrate to the US, I bought the first edition of his now famous book, “My American Journey”, and found much encouragement in his reflections. Powell was not a brilliant kid by any stretch. In fact, he described himself as normal and even mediocre in school performance When he attended City College of New York he entered military service, which he did for the next 35 years, serving in Vietnam, West Germany and South Korea, while also acting as President Ronald Reagan’s Deputy National Security Advisor in 1987. In 1989 he became National Security Advisor and was promoted the next year to the rank of general. Under President George H.W. Bush he made it to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, overseeing almost 30 crises, among which Operation Desert Storm in 1991. He retired in 1993, and devoted his attention to a social cause by founding America’s Promise, an organization helping at-risk children. Then, in 2000, he became George W. Bush’s Secretary of State.

His term started out with a focus on diplomatic alliances throughout the world and supporting peace in the Middle East. As the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 hit the nation, Powell’s term became dominated by the challenges the Bush Administration faced. When the attention shifted to Iraq, Powell presented intelligence to the UN that supported the claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and could produce more. In hindsight, parts of the intelligence were found to be erroneous. The crises continued with issues in Afghanistan, Russia, and China, and Powell focusing on improving relationships. Near the end of 2004, Powell announced his resignation, after which he re-devoted his time on America’s Promise Alliance, while also serving the Boards of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Eisenhower Fellowship Program, and the Powell Center at the City College of New York.Footnote 3

In retirement, Powell continued to be a vocal source on political topics, openly criticizing the Bush administration on a number of issues. In September 2006, Powell joined moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights and better treatment for detainees at the Guantanamo detention facility. In October 2008, he made headlines again with his endorsement of Barack Obama for president.Footnote 4

Mr. Powell’s character was significantly strengthened through his self-reflections and his experiences, and he became a great motivator to others. I love his statement, “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.Footnote 5” He explains this as follows, “I am talking about a gung-ho attitude that says ‘we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best. ‘Spare me the grim litany of the ‘realist;’ give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.”

Powell deserves to be described as a resilient individual, having undoubtedly experienced racism throughout his life and career and learning to grow stronger in the face of adversity. He must have internalized frequently and strongly on his experiences and the way he could interpret them, and the fact that in the last few decades of his life he diligently kept serving as a member of a political party that let him down and of which he had serious concerns shows more character than many of us can understand.

Colin Powell wrote two books about his life, which reveals that he must have done some deep thinking about his human journey. There were many honorable moments, but there were also painful ones, which he had to overcome, right when he thought that he would be able to retire peacefully. The greatness of this man can be detected in the fact that, in spite of having been set up for failure, he remained loyal to those he had pledged his support to. Not everyone appreciates this. Some people feel that staying where you are no longer appreciated is like committing moral suicide. I believe Powell had too much backbone to check out. He was vocal in his disappointment, became an endorser for members of other political teams, but did not formally abandoned his troops.

Vandana Shiva is a courageous Indian scholar and environmental activist who is particularly known for her participation in the anti-GMO movement. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms. She was born in a family where love for nature’s wellness was a high priority. Her father was a conservator of forests, and her mother was a farmer who loved nature. To underscore why Shiva knows what she is talking about: she is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, and author of numerous books. She founded Navdanya, a movement for biodiversity conservation and farmers’ rights. Navdanya means “Nine Seeds” or “New Gift“. The organization, an NGO, is very outspoken in areas of protecting the diversity and integrity of living resources, especially native seed, the promotion of organic farming and fair trade.Footnote 6 In addition, Dr. Shiva founded and manages the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resource Policy. Her purpose is to advocate changes in the way agriculture and food are monopolized by a small group of giant companies. Dr. Shiva is a constructive globetrotter, having assisted grassroots organizations of the Green movement in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria with campaigns against genetic engineering.Footnote 7

Vandana Shiva courageously supports the idea of seed freedom, or the rejection of patents on new plant lines or cultivars. She campaigns against patenting life forms, calling the patenting of life ‘biopiracy’. Her campaigns have successfully targeted the efforts of major corporations who were trying to patent indigenous plants, such as basmati. On the other hand she opposed genetically modified rice, calling it more harmful than beneficial. Her efforts are oftentimes criticized, such as in 2013, when two economists calculated that the absence of Golden Rice in India had caused the loss of over 1.4 million life man years in the previous ten years.Footnote 8 However, Shiva has her own strong theories on the destructive effects of GMOs, claiming that excessive high seed prices from monopolistic corporate giants lead to surging farmers’ debts and consequential suicide.

When reading through the arguments on either side, there is primarily moral and sustainability-based sense in Shiva’s perspectives, and economic sense in her opponents’ viewpoints. Critics of Shiva also reveal her expensive demands to conduct lectures, thereby pointing out that she herself if not making any financial sacrifices. Her former husband, a scientist, has also written several articles debunking Shiva’s claims.

Vandana Shiva is a controversial figure, with seemingly as many supporters as opponents. Her fight against genetically modifying food is a moral one, and she has been able to voice her stance on several global forums. The monopolization of seeds, as has been infamously spearheaded by global giants such as Monsanto, is also a serious aspect that demands greater awareness. Shiva collaborates with other environmental scientists in promoting inner shifts in perspectives to help us respond more skillfully to climate and environmental crises. In these collaborative meetings, the scientists call for connecting internally and become aware of our interconnectedness with the natural world. They promote contemplative practices such as mindfulness and meditation was effective ways to deepen our sense of oneness with the living universe around us.Footnote 9

Internalizing: The Path Toward Responsible Newness

Practicing internalization will always be a good thing. Taking some time at the end of every day to conduct a moral scan on what all has transpired, how you reacted and what went through your mind is a great way to practice mindfulness. The intention is, that spending 30 minutes at the end of a day may gradually lead to multiple short reflective moments through the day.

Let us now analyze how we might interpret Colin Powell’s and Vandana Shiva’s behaviors related to internalization.

Contemplation

Having held high profile positions with immense responsibilities, it should easily be deduced that both, Powell and Shiva must have done a lot of contemplating on their actions, their strategies, and the way they were perceived. Both of these people have endured being ostracized at some points in their career, which usually augments a persons’ self-examination, and enforces turning inward.

Mindfulness

Powell’s aptitude for a mindful approach can be detected from what he mainly focused on in his position as international representative of the US. He was an advocate of negotiating in a respectful way with all parties around the table. “I’ve found, in negotiations, always get yourself partially on the side of the other person, understand what they need. Always show respect. Even if we’re the United States of America, I’ve always tried to show respect to the smallest country in the world that wants us to do something with them. No country is unimportant. No person is unimportant.”Footnote 10

Shiva’s entire mission as an environmental activist is founded on mindfulness. While global giants make some powerful statements about the economic advantages of GMOs, she continues to warn about the effects on poor farmers and, most importantly, on our collective health.

Paradigm Shifts

As part of their journey, both Powell and Shiva dealt with and called for paradigm shifts. In Powell’s acclaimed article, “13 Rules of LeadershipFootnote 11”, he refers to at least x leadership instances of a paradigm shift: Rule 1, It Ain’t as Bad as You Think! It Will Look Better in the Morning; Rule 2, Get Mad Then Get Over It, and Rule 4. It Can be Done. Leaders make things happen. If one approach doesn’t work, find another. Each of these three rules point at internalizing, reconsidering, and shifting paradigms when or where needed.

Vandana Shiva calls for a paradigm shift on a regular basis. She targets the unaware masses that support the trends of affluent governments and corporations to monopolize the food supply, and sees fluctuating levels of success while doing so.

Resilience

Having read about these two people, it’s easy to conclude that both Colin Powell and Vandana Shiva are very resilient people. They have both travelled around the world to advocate their purposes, presented before governments and peoples, and found the strength to re-emerge every time they were criticized or their stances debunked. They went ahead and reinvented themselves and their purposes, founded non-governmental organizations serving social causes, and maintained a moral perspective in their initiatives.

Gratitude

While gratitude is not always visible, there are great instances where both, Colin Powell and Vandana Shiva, demonstrated how grateful they are. In a 2017 article, Kathy Holoman wrote the following:

General Powell has been around for EIGHT decades, and he still remembers to thank people for what they do to make his life easier. He thanks all kinds of people – from all walks of life. He muses about the White House janitors who worked hard day-in-and-day-out. He remembers specific soldiers’ contributions during his tours-of-duty. He openly expresses gratitude to his wife, Alma. He even takes the time to sincerely thank the people like me who would give their eye teeth to listen to him any time on his national speaker circuit.Footnote 12

Vandana Shiva does not let an opportunity go by to express her gratitude and encourage others to remain alert of their own. In her book, Oneness vs The 1%: Shattering Illusions, Seeding Freedom, she wrote:

Being a planetary citizen does not need space travel. It means being conscious that we are part of the universe and of the earth. The most fundamental law is to recognize that we share the planet with other beings, and that we have a duty to care for our common home.Footnote 13

This statement calls for a universal sense of gratitude for our place in the universe, and our role to support one another.

Point to Ponder

  • Between contemplation, mindfulness, paradigm shifts, resilience, and gratitude: please rank the quality or behavior you consider most strongly represented in you?

  • Share an example how you were able to apply the selected strength?

  • Now, consider the quality or behavior you need to work on.

  • Share an example where you could have used this skill and did not?

Figure 6.1 above shows the actions and behaviors you will most likely come across when you internalize your experiences. The different colors of the elements, which should, again, not be seen as the only important elements in the internalizing process, reflect the intensity of each. In Fig. 6.1, I chose to grant contemplation the darker color, as it is the most intense process in the cycle. The other four behaviors are not necessarily easier, but they can become recurring traits and therefore easier to apply if you keep them intact.

  • Contemplation is the very foundation of the internalizing process. It requires a deep dive into your psyche to evaluate, compare and contrast, and intensely cogitate your practices, in order to learn from them, understand them, and, if needed, pave new behavioral pathways in the future.

    There are many advantages to regular contemplation, and here are some good ones:

    • You learn about yourself: Even if you are extremely busy, you owe it to yourself to take a few minutes every day to reflect on your day, the things that happened, the choices you made, how you reacted, and how you felt. Thos daily process will help you get to know and understand yourself better, identify your strengths and weaknesses, thus enable you to cultivate the strengths and address the weaknesses.

    • You learn from your past: If you contemplate on the longer scope of your life, you will discover some recurring patterns from which you could learn. The changes you can decide to make could make your life and your choices so much more rewarding.

    • Your actions are more thoughtful: Contemplation takes away some of the ad-hoc approaches so many of us have toward the things we need to do. If you contemplate first, you will most likely make more moderate decisions, and will be able to become more closely aligned with your true goals, maintain better connections, and find greater peace and joy in your life.Footnote 14

  • Mindfulness is a practice that comes forth from turning inward and contemplating a situation. Mindfulness intensifies as you contemplate more. It can become a valuable skill in your life.

    Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Vietnamese Zen master who passed away in 2022, made many statements to underscore the importance of mindfulness in our life. He asserted, among others that mindfulness keeps us present in the moment. By being mindful, we can better understand ourselves and our suffering, and practice compassion toward ourself. It is, after all, important to love yourself, so that you can love others as well.

    Thich thereby brings in the concept of interbeing, which is discussed in this book in multiple locations. Interbeing is a profound concept that helps us understand how connected we are to all beings: human and non-human. Interbeing makes us aware that we live interdependently with everyone and everything around us. Interbeing is simply a more easily comprehensible term for dependent co-arising, which is a foundational concept in Buddhist teaching. Interbeing—or dependent co-arising—wakes us up from the notion of being separated from others.

    When we practice mindfulness, we learn to keep ourselves calm and peaceful, and do away with the anxiety that society can place on us so easily. Thanks to mindfulness we can awaken to what really matters, and maybe help others to become mindful as well.Footnote 15

  • Paradigm Shifts, in the personal realm, are perspective changes that can occur through multiple ways of obtaining new insights. One of those is when you engage in deep contemplation, and learn to perceive things differently. While others can nudge you in a certain direction, you are the only one who can apply a paradigm shift for yourself.

    A paradigm shift is considered a major change in worldview, concepts, and practices, whereby a previous paradigm gets replaced by the new one. This can pertain to the process itself, or the implementation of a process. In the industry realm, paradigm shifts happen with new inventions that radically change the way things were done.

    We are used to maintaining paradigms, as they are our interpretation of reality. Paradigms may not be perfect, but they are helpful for making sense of otherwise complex processes. As you can imagine, we have undergone far more paradigm shifts in the last hundred years than in multiple centuries together! The internet is one of the major paradigm shifters in our lifetime.

    For business organizations it is important to be aware of new paradigms, as refraining from doing so could mean becoming obsolete and meaningless.

    As interpreted in this book, you can also experience a paradigm shift if your worldview fundamentally changes to a new state from a previous one. If, for instance, you convert to a new religion, move to a new country that is vastly different in its development than the one where you came from, or internalize the impressions in your life using deep contemplation, you can experience a paradigm shift, particularly is your new way of thinking replaces the old one.Footnote 16

  • Resilience can be tough to apply based on the severity of a situation, but it is a long-term skill that makes you stronger and can become an immensely strong trait in dealing with adversities and having to reinvent yourself.

    Life presents enough challenges to understand that resilience is a critical characteristic for us to develop and maintain. In each of the areas of our life, work, home, or society, there are numerous adversities that can happen and that will require for us to bounce back.

    Resilience is an expression of strength, but it doesn’t mean that the situation leaves you free from stress or trauma. After each challenging encounter, you will still have to recuperate, but you will also become stronger through the resilience you practice.

    There are ample advantages to being resilient. If you can bounce back, you have demonstrated strength, and that will be appreciated by your surroundings, and not least of all by you! And because we experience more challenges in today’s world than before, we develop more flexibility and courage, every time we have to tap into our resilience.

    Resilient employees in a work environment can keep the team together and demonstrate leadership in keeping things running while others need to be supported and encouraged to continue performing.

    Resilient people also demonstrate greater emotional stability and possibly even better physical and mental health, as they manage to keep themselves level-headed in the fact of adversity.Footnote 17

  • Gratitude is also a valuable feeling that we often don’t consider in our daily practices. Yet, there is so much to be grateful for, and it feels good—to yourself and others—if you regularly express how thankful you are for the blessings you encounter.

    A Harvard health publication suggested, among other things, the following useful ways to cultivate gratitude:

    • Write thank-you notes. The make the received and the sender (you) happier. If you make sending thank-you notes a habit, you will reap the rewards through a more solid circle of devoted and positively minded connections.

    • Send thoughts of gratitude: Don’t underestimate the power of the mind. If you cannot find the time, send your gratitude mentally.

    • Keep a gratitude journal: If you can make it a habit to write down a few reasons why you are grateful on a daily basis, you will find that your innate sense of being grateful will grow.

    • Count your blessings: Sit at least once a week with a pencil and paper and write down all the blessings you experienced. You’ll be amazed what comes rolling out if you make this a habit.

    • Pray and/or meditate: If you are religious you can pray to express your gratitude. You can also meditate. This can be done as an alternative to praying or in addition to. Mindfulness meditation helps you to focus on the here and now with a non-judging mind.Footnote 18

Fig. 6.1
A Venn diagram for action and behaviors during internalizing process includes mindfulness, paradigm shifts, resilience, gratitude, and contemplation.

Internalizing

Full size image

Chapter Highlights

  • We are spiritual beings going through a human experience. Thinking this way helps your perspective to widen, with the human element becoming a by-product of a more essential whole.

  • Respect for all beings is good. It underscores Thich Nhat Han’s concept of interbeing. In order for us to live in this world, we are dependent on so many other beings, not just humans.

  • Internalizing results in a heightened level of consciousness that you would not entertain if you were to scurry through your daily life without taking the time to silently turn inward.

  • Internalizing can be done in multiple ways: through meditation, silent contemplation, keeping a journal taking a long walk are all effective options.

  • Practicing internalization will always be a good thing. Taking some time at the end of every day to conduct a moral scan on what all has transpired, how you reacted and what went through your mind is a great way to practice mindfulness.

  • Useful practices related to internalization:

    • Contemplation: This is the foundation of the internalizing process. It requires a deep dive into your psyche to evaluate, compare and contrast, and intensely overthink your practices, in order to learn from them, understand them, and, if needed, pave new behavioral pathways in the future.

    • Mindfulness comes forth from turning inward and contemplating a situation. Mindfulness intensifies as you contemplate more, and can become a valuable skill in your life.

    • Paradigm Shifts occur when you engage in deep contemplation, and learn to perceive things differently. While others can nudge you in a certain direction, you are the only one who can apply a paradigm shift for yourself.

    • Resilience is a long-term skill that makes you stronger and can become an immensely strong trait in dealing with adversities and having to reinvent yourself.

    • Gratitude is often overlooked in our daily practices. Yet, there is so much to be grateful for, and it feels good to regularly express how thankful you are for the blessings you encounter.