Because this episode lands on Thanksgiving day, I thought what better topic to talk about other than gratitude. 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness.

Gratitude is a practice. 

Gratitude is a choice. 

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”    – William Arthur Ward

We all have our busy lives and sometimes we don’t have the time to stop and be thankful.

However, it’s really worth taking the time to make a list of things to be thankful for, so that you can see just how much happiness there already is in your life.

I am thankful for:

1. My parents for giving me birth
2. Family members for love and support
3. The air I’m breathing to be alive
4. My heart that is still bumping
5. Sleep
6. Waking up in the morning
7. Head to think
8. Hands to type
9. Mouth to taste
10. Eyes to see
11. Ears to listen
12. Feet to walk
13. Nose to smell
14. Food on the table
15. Cup of tea in the morning
16. Clean water to drink
17. Car to drive
18. Bike to ride
19. Friends to talk to
20. Having a job or income
21. Youtube
22. Skipping the ad on Youtube
23. Wifi
24. No password needed for Wifi
25. The farmers market
26. Puppies
27. Microwave
28. Washing machine
29. Books
30. The local mall on rainy days
31. Sweater weather
32. Sunshine
33. Rainbows
34. The moon
35. Google map
36. Matcha anything
37. A la carte food
38. Delivered food
39. Snail mail from an old pal
40. A greeting card in the mail
41. Birthday coupons
42. Motivational mugs
43. THE recipe
44. Nature
45. Mason jars
46. Pinterest DIY’s of old items
47. Vacations
48. Nicely designed bowls and plates
49. Instrumental music
50. Thick long wool socks in the winter
51. A/C in the summer
52. Fireplace when cold
53. Air freshener
54. The quiet hours I’m up alone in the house
55. Gluten-free snacks
56. Sugar-free juice
57. Ketchup
58. Stationary
59. A thank-you note
60. A smile from a stranger
61. A good laugh
62. A wink from my child
63. Goodnight kiss
64. Hello from a neighbor
65. Double date
66. A 24-hour pharmacy
67. A scenic trail for walk or jog
68. The ocean wave
69. 10 minutes of “Me Time”
70. Toilet paper
71. Flowers
72. Picnic in the park
73. Desserts
74. Finding a plug socket in public
75. A nicely scented new candle
76. Airplane mode
77. Instant Oatmeal and everything else instant
78. A friend’s trust
79. Huggies and snuggles
80. Nonstick pan
81. Green lights all the way
82. UNO
83. Meditation
84. Well-learned mistakes
85. Changing Seasons
86. Comfortable clothes
87. A long bubble bath
88. Freedom of speech
89. Holidays
90. Teachers from childhood who remembers us
91. Freeways
92. Almond butter pretzels
93. Fries
94. Hot soup on sick days
95. Electricity
96. Each day is a new day
97. There is always hope
98. Emojis
99. The perfect playlist
100. Checking off a bucklist item

What are you most thankful for? Tag me with your gratitudes @mslucyliu 

I’m here with the most grateful heart.

Be blessed and well this week and always.

P.S. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. If you feel gratitude towards someone, make their day, express it to them. 

Guest featured in this episode:

Gemma Bonham Carter is a serial online entrepreneur, business strategist and podcast host.

After creating several successful online businesses, Gemma has made it her mission to help others do the same. She specializes in digital products and email marketing and helps solopreneurs rise up to create a bigger income and impact online.

When Gemma isn’t working with clients or hosting The Passive Project podcast, you can find her on adventures with her two young kids in Ottawa, Canada.  

Things you will learn in this episode:

• What is passive income?
• How she started with passive income?
• Why passive income is good for you?
• Biggest mistakes to avoid starting a course or online membership?
• How putting your business in autopilot is good for you if you are a mom.

This episode is for you if you are feeling like you need some motivation to rid your own excuses.

Life is a personal journey it’s different for everyone and it changes and evolves daily. 

We are our own worst enemy. 

self–sabotaging behaviors are procrastination, self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, and forms of self-injury such as cutting.

Negative self-talk is something we have all probably engaged in at some time, it is our brain’s protective mechanism.

But engaging in these negative self talks and finding excuses is the less extreme form of self sabotage.

“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

Let’s be that other one percent. 

EXCUSES ARE ONLY CONVENIENT STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES TO AVOID THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL WORK WE NEED TO DO TO GROW. 

Now, don’t be discouraged that you’ve made some excuses in life, because we all have. 

Making excuses is an important talent that comes with our birth somehow. But, hopefully by the end of this post, you will be able to catch yourself the next time you make an excuse for your inaction. 

Here are some of the most common excuses:

•  I don’t have time

You will never ever have time. 

That is the truth if you keep on telling yourself this lie. 

We have time for what we truly want accomplished. 

For example, we always have time for that next episode of xyz, or that new youtube video from zyx. 

If you need to get something done, schedule it on your calendar. 

•  I don’t have the money

Who on earth ever have enough money? 

No one. 

Poor people got poor people problems. 

Rich people got rich people problems. 

Where you are in life has to do with your habits and mindset. 

Develop a growth mindset and work on your money mindset. 

•  I’m not ready

You will never be ready, so might as well start it now. 

You can be not ready for 10 years. 

Clarity comes with action, if you’re not sure what to do next, start doing and you will find the answer. 

•  I’m too busy

You are too busy if you are single, but you will be busier when you have five kids. 

You are too busy when you’re 18 and you will still be too busy when you’re 40. 

I think you get my point now. 

Everyone is busy and life only gets busier. 

•  I’m waiting for…

I’m waiting to buy a microphone to start a podcast.

I’m waiting to buy new equipment to record my YouTube video.

I’m waiting to propose to my girlfriend after I buy a house.

I’m waiting to travel after a good career.

I’m waiting to start a business 2 years later.

I’m waiting to start a blog when my child grows up.

This list can go on forever, you get the point, there can always be something missing.  

•  I’m not done planning

Oh how I love planning. 

We all love pretty planners and colorful spreadsheets. 

But after setting your 3 year plan, please make sure you get down to your monthly plans and actually implementing your daily actions. 

Do not let your planning stage be the final stage of your business or whatever project you’re working on. 

•  I’m working on it

Oh work in progress is great, but, please set a timeline. 

This one is a little better than planning, you are actually starting. 

But be sure to set a timeline or else you can be working on something forever. 

•  Life is too complicated right now

Life gets complicated for everyone at times, there is no way out of that.

Things always come up, probably inconvenient for you and always overwhelming. 

Believe that you have the ability to overcome these complications.

Believe that these things are merely the smallest inconvenience.

Believe that overwhelm is only temporary and you have the power to control your emotions.

•  It’s too risky

Planes crash I still take them to fly.

Cars crash too I still drive them to get to places.

We take risky actions on a daily basis, sometimes you just need not to over think too much.

If the risk is financial, make very careful calculations.

Evaluate the actual risks realistically. 

• It’s not perfect yet

I’m a recovering perfectionist, I admit it and I’m continually working on it. 

No body is perfect. 

It can never be perfect. 

There is always room for improvement. 

Simply make necessary adjustments along the way. 

Guest featured in this episode:

Transformation Coach, Holistic Nutritionist, Yoga Teacher, Founder of Forward Flow Karli Kershaw.

Karli has been transforming people’s lives for the last 19 years as a coach, mentor and guide. She has taught yoga for 19 years, operating a yoga studio for 10 years. She runs retreats, workshops and wellness programs. Her true passion is empowering women to wake up to the truth of who they are – to heal, own their worth, use their voice, and live with passion and purpose. She supports her clients in reaching their goals: weight loss and body love, career changes, improving relationships and stepping away from limiting beliefs. Through mindset, structure, accountability, language, yoga and nutrition, Karli lovingly helps her clients discover and own their worth so they can live a healthy, vibrant, full life.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• What is means by forward flow?
• How to shift from fear and excuses to live the live you dream.
• How to rid blocks in life?
• How much yoga impacted her life?
• Other tips to live a radiant empowered life.

​We’ve all naturally mastered ourselves the skill of getting into overwhelm, you need to master the skill of getting out of overwhelm.

This episode is here answers the questions:

• How does overwhelm feel like?            
• Why do you need to learn the skills to rid overwhelm?
• How do you rid the feelings of overwhelm?

When you are experiencing overwhelm, it can take shape in a variety of ways. 

In each instance, you are generally more likely to be overwhelmed by negative dis-empowering emotions. .

These emotions include but are not limited to — anger, fear, anxiety, or guilt — and it is often difficult to understand and verbalize the exact source of the stress.

• Can’t stop over-thinking things                
• Struggling to switch off and relax
• Wants to live their life to the fullest but feels they’re holding themselves back
• Wants more freedom and joy and to live in the moment
• Feels the pressure to be ‘perfect’ and to never make a mistake
• Get fearful about giving presentations or meeting new people
• Wants to feel calmer, more confident and happier

Preventing and stopping overwhelm:

• Accept it – fighting it does not help – relax and ride out the wave.        
• Change inducing thoughts, notice what sparks stress and create helpful thoughts.
• Change your multitasking mindset and make perspective change
• Simply life, separate list for must dos and to dos, learn it’s okay not to finish, or rename the to do list. 
• Learning to say no
• Watch out for belief or story you’re telling yourself.
• Focus on right now and appreciate the here. 
• Take a deep breathe.
• Take meaningful action and engage in joyful activities.
• Notice what solves your stressors.

Overwhelm kills momentum, so rid overwhelm is an important skill we need to master.