Gratitude Transforms how we RISE

Thanksgiving is almost here, and every year this week pulls me back to a single morning that changed the way I relate to gratitude forever. It was November 26, 2015. I woke up in federal prison at 5:45 in the morning. My alarm buzzed in a quiet unit while most women were still asleep. I sat up on my top bunk, reached for my spiral notebook, and wrote the date. I had nothing more than a dull pencil and a small journal, but it became the one place where I could still feel connected to myself.

That morning was Thanksgiving. I was far from my kids. Far from my parents. Far from the life I knew. Nothing about my circumstances felt comforting, yet I made a choice. I wrote in my journal before I did anything else. That simple act was not about pretending everything was fine. It was about choosing a mindset that could carry me through a place that felt heavy and disorienting.

This is where my gratitude practice truly began.

Gratitude became the way I stayed steady. It created just enough space between my fear and my truth that I could see clearly. It reminded me that even when I had lost my freedom, I still had agency over my attention and the meaning I created from each day. Gratitude helped me breathe again. Gratitude kept me human.

When I came home after my sentence, I kept the ritual. Gratitude helped me rebuild trust with myself. It helped me reconnect with my kids with honesty. It helped me step back into the world without getting swallowed by shame or self doubt. It guided me as I rebuilt my career and found my purpose as a speaker and storyteller.

And here is what I learned. Gratitude is not something you practice only when life feels good. Gratitude is most powerful when life feels complicated. It strengthens your emotional wellbeing. It sharpens your clarity. It grounds you in a way that helps you move through uncertainty with steadiness.

This is why gratitude is a power move. It is not a mood. It is not a holiday activity. It is a perspective that shapes your growth. It influences how you lead. It influences how you relate to others. It influences how you rise through adversity.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I invite you to try a simple practice. Choose one moment this week that feels heavy or uncomfortable. Instead of rushing through it, pause and name three things you can appreciate inside that moment. Not around it. Inside it. This approach to gratitude builds resilience and emotional strength in a very real way.

If you want something even simpler, try the gratitude loop before bed. Write one thing you noticed. One thing you learned. One thing you appreciated. This practice teaches your mind to scan for meaning instead of scanning for fear. It rewires how you interpret your day and supports your mental and emotional health.

Gratitude has shaped every transformation I have lived. It supported me in a place where hope felt fragile. It helped me evolve into the woman I am today. It continues to guide me as I grow, lead, and tell my story.

Gratitude is how we evolve. Gratitude is how we rise.