Resilience: Building a Life After Devastating Hardship

Life can serve up some powerful punches that can seem incredibly cruel and unfair while in the throes of wrestling with them. Often, hardship is a tremendous opportunity in disguise to discover just who and what we can become in life. It’s so...
Life can serve up some powerful punches that can seem incredibly cruel and unfair while in the throes of wrestling with them. Often, hardship is a tremendous opportunity in disguise to discover just who and what we can become in life. It’s so important to remember that we always have the freedom to choose our attitudinal stance to whatever pummeling life serves up. We can see ourselves as hopeless victims of an unfair fate. Or we can reach down deep into our core while focusing on serving others as we dig out way out, which is the route Karen Millsap took. She is a beautiful example of a person transformed through her response to gut-wrenching hardship who now lives a meaningful life of passion and purpose helping others heal and enjoy greater well-being.
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There are some people that make their
work just another thing they have to do,
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and there are those that make their
work something that they want to do.
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Welcome to Working on Purpose with your
host Elise Cortes. In our program,
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we provide guidance and inspiration from those
people who have found deeper meaning and
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personal connection to their work life.
It's beyond nine to five. It's working
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on Purpose. Now Here is your
host, Elise Cortes. Welcome back to
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the Working on Purpose Show. Thanks
for tuning in again this week. I'm
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your host, Elise Cortes, joining
you live from Dallas, Texas, which
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is home base for me. If
you've been tuning in for a while,
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you know this program is all about
helping people create more meaningful and purposeful lives
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and equipping leaders, insight organizations to
cultivate meaning and purpose that elicit's passion,
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inspired contribution, innovation, and persevering
performance. I talk with my guests to
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draw on their expertise and share my
own experience consultings, peaking, and developing
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workforces across the globe. Before we
get into today's program, let me give
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a shout out to my sponsor,
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com. Each week in these conversations, it's my hope that you walk away
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with something you can immediately put to
use in your life and your work.
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And if I can do anything along
the way to help you with your journey.
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Visit my website at least coretes dot
com and use the contact me future
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to message me and let's open a
conversation and dialogue about what's up to for
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you. Whether you want to look
into developing purpose inspired leadership and meaning infuse
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culture in your organization, you want
to see about joining a catch fire online
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inspiration accountability or master my community to
nurture your own passion and purpose and bring
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it out to the world, you're
interested in the Women on Purpose Thought Leadership
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Summit in Portland September eighth through tenth, twenty nineteen, or you want me
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to come speak for your company your
conference. At any rate, I'm glad
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we're connected and thanks for listening.
Now. This week's program with us today
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is Karen Milsap. She is a
resilience coach and the founder of Grow Flow
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Community. We'll be talking about her
journey of healing after several tragic incidents in
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her life and the powerful life changing
habits that's helped her rebuild her own life
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and find her way back to a
whole heart. Today, she guides others
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on how to feel better, live
better, and achieve their goals in her
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masterclass community called soul Care. She
shows us today from Orlando, Florida.
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Karen, welcome to Working on Purpose, Hilese. Thank you so much for
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having me. I'm looking forward to
this conversation me too. And let's also
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while we're at it, give a
shout up to our mutual friend Brian Williams,
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who connected us. Thank you Brian
for bringing me Karen, appreciate you.
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Yes, thank you, Brian.
Well I wanted to. This is
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such a remarkable story in getting to
meet you, Karen, and just being
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in your space is just wonderful.
And I'm again reminded in so doing just
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how purpose can come from a shocking
array of life experiences. And you've had
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plenty of fodder to draw from.
And so if you can, let's just
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go ahead and bring our listeners right
into your space and tell us your story
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of what happened for you starting when
I think you were I think twenty nine
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with your husband. Yes, well, nobody expects to kind of be at
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the end of your life when you're
in the beginning phases and building your life.
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But that's what happened when my husband
was tragically killed. We owned a
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CrossFit. He started it about six
months before he died, and it was
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his passion. He was stepping out
on faith and wanted to be an entrepreneur
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and was helping so many lives.
And then one evening, I was home
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doing some phone interviews because I was
a recruiter. And as I was interviewing
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executives, my cell phone was buzzing. I was using the house phone,
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and so my cell phone was buzzy, and I looked and I saw that
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it was the same person calling over
and over again, and it was a
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woman who was one of our members
at the gym, and so I immediately
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thought, Okay, something must have
happened because she wouldn't be calling back to
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back to back to back. And
then I thought, well, maybe Richard
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hurt himself. Maybe he fell off
the rig or broke his arm, hit
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his head, you know. And
so there was a moment when I just
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asked the candidate a question and I
put him on mute as I answered her
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next call, and it was just
complete chaos. I heard screaming. I
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couldn't make out exactly what she was
saying, but finally I was able to
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make out the words shot, and
she told me that Richard had been shot.
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My body immediately went into convulsion,
but I still wasn't processing. I
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wasn't fully processing what had happened,
and so I took my two year old
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son over to the neighbors. I
just asked them if they could, you
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know, watch him for a little
bit because something had happened at the gym
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and I wasn't sure. And then
I went to you know, one hundred
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and something down the highway, just
trying to get there as fast as I
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could, and I remember having a
moment when I thought to myself, you
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know, why am I not on
my way to the hospital. And once
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I pulled up to the gym,
it was just craziness. I mean,
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news reporters were already there with their
vans, you know, first responders,
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people from the community, from church. I mean, it was just mayhem.
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And I honestly, at least I
don't remember who told me or when
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they told me that he died,
and that he died, you know,
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immediately, But that night was the
night that changed my life. And yeah,
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twenty nine, I became a widow. Oh my gosh. Okay,
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So I got to tell you that. Just listening to you tell that story
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again, I heard a little bit
of the first time we spoke. I
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just it just washes over me,
Karen, just the the profundity of it,
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the the enormity of it. I
I just it's amazing to me.
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And really it moves me to tears. Amazing to me the stuff that life
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can serve up to us. And
now you know what's amazing to me even
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more though, is your response to
all this. So you were twenty nine
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then, and if you don't mind
me asking how old are you now?
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I'm thirty five. Okay, so
your say, oh my gosh, happy
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birthday. Okay, hold on really
quick, I have to sing you happy
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birthday really quick in Portuguese. Okay, GOLs like this, but I will
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say nesta da dad muntas fe li
si giez vida o thank you. Right,
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thought I was Happy birthday. Geez. Your voice is beautiful. Thank
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you, Lisa, thank you,
thank you that it's it's a great little
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Portuguese song and it means congratulations to
you on this special day. Much happiness
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and many years of life. But
wow, so in sixty years and so
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I the reason that I really wanted
to share you with my listeners is that
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you're a perfect example, a living, breathing example of what it is to
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be able to take the stuff that
life serves up to us and really dig
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down deep into your bones and your
soul and create a response to that in
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a way that both heals yourself and
gives something back to the world. So,
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before we get more into what you've
been able to do over these last
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six years, there's more to the
story, I know. So I think
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you said that you didn't have insurance, right, Yeah, we didn't have
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life insurance, which was interesting because
I'd started at this company and just the
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paperwork didn't process. I've been there
for a little less than a year and
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found out that the paperwork wasn't done. So normally, you know, you
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check that box that you at the
very minimum have life insurance through your employer
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for yourself and your spouse. But
we didn't have anything, and you know,
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we don't get Social Security. I
mean I literally started from nothing,
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and yeah, I ended up losing
you know, my house and my car,
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and a year later I ended up
being let go for my job,
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and so it was just it was
a ripple effect of crazy. That's the
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best way to put it. Well, hold on to just sec I really
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want to make sure our listeners understand
this because the way you just said it,
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I know it sounds it feels different
six years later or five years later.
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But what did you do where if
you lost your house, you lost
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your car, what how did you
survive? What did you do well?
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When I so first, it was
about six months after Richard died that maybe
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a little less that I just was
looking at my finances and saying, I
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literally cannot live with one income.
The way that we've been living with too,
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and so the first thing to go
was the car. We had just
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got into a car because we got
into a bigger car with the hopes of
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having more children. And some people
don't understand, you know, the heartache
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that came from having to downsize a
car. It's not a big deal,
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you know. I'm not very materialistic, not at all. But it was
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the hopes and dreams that were tied
up in why we had just purchased that
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car, because we were expanding our
family. And so I transitioned out of
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that car. And then a few
months after that, I was feeling like
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I was suffocating in the house and
there were things that I just couldn't keep
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up with. And everybody said,
wait a year before you put your house
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on the market, and I did
not wait because I just literally felt like
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I was crumbling. My house was
on the market for over one hundred days,
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which was abnormal during this time where
homes were flying off the market.
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And then I had an offer and
I felt like, Okay, there's some
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relief, and two days before closing, the offer fell through because the buyers
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were being investigated by the FBI.
So then I lived out of boxes for
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two almost three months before the house
finally sold again. And then when the
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house sold and I closed on a
Friday, I walked in the next Monday
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and was let go for my job. So, I mean, it was
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just it was a lot. It
was a lot to process, and the
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best thing that I could do was
just try to see hope, you know,
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try to see that better things were
going to come if I would just
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try to get through each day.
And I wasn't getting through the days in
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some eloquent manner. I was literally
just trying to take it one breath at
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a time, you know. I
couldn't think too far in advance. And
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I think the biggest shock that really
left an imprint on my heart was that
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we can try to plan for life
as much as we want to, and
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it doesn't always turn out that way. And losing my husband in such a
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tragic way taught me that lesson.
So I really did not try to plan
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too far in advance, and I
really was very present and I took it
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day by day. I totally get
all that, and I still feel like
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when I'm listening to you speak,
not that on the other side of those
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words. It's just this got to
be this immense chasm of pain and just
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how do you make sense of this? And then you've got to take you
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got to a young child to care
for, and you're grieving and your whole
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world is turned upside down? Can
you describe for us what those what it
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felt like? Well, the best
way that I would describe it to people,
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because remember being twenty nine and a
widow, there were not a lot
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of people around me that could relate
right, and so it was hard for
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me to put into words what I
was feeling. And I later found there
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was this chemical deficiency that happens in
our brain when we lose a loved one,
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and that's why I couldn't really articulate
it. But looking back, it
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really felt like I was drowning.
It either felt like I was drowning,
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like I was suffocating, or like
I was in a fog. But the
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point was I just felt completely consumed
with pain, and so on the outside
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people would actually say, oh my
gosh, you're so strong. I remember
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somebody said that to me in the
grocery store, and I thought it was
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the I thought it was so rude
of them to say and so insensitive.
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But on the outside, maybe I
did look like I was being strong because
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I wasn't going crazy, but on
the inside, I was completely broken.
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And I think the reason they saw
strength was because I was truly operating on
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autopilot. I was just kind of
going through the motions, and on the
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inside, again, I just felt
like, I don't know if I can
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handle this pain. I literally wanted
to die because it seemed like a better
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option than to carry another day of
that weight of pain. And I can
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understand why people do take their life. It didn't get to that point for
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me, though, because I did
have that glimmer of hope, and that
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really also came from my son.
And I didn't want that man who killed
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my husband to kill two people that
night, because he very well could have
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by the weight of emotion that I
was feeling and carrying that weeks and months
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after, and so I just looked
at my son and I said, it's
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not going to be his story.
And that's when I decided that I was
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going to take my pain and I
was going to turn it into purpose and
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I was going to pay it forward
to others because I didn't want anybody else
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to feel as alone as I felt
during that time that is stunning, and
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I want to recognize at least one
thing there that I heard from my own
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experience and my education around logo therapy
and existential psychology, etc. The importance
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of having someone else to focus on, in other words, focused on serving
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others and other person is so important
to well being and good health and can
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catapult us out of that autopilot place
that you're talking of, and you know,
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the suffering piece of it. And
so I think that that focus right
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there was probably in part really saved
your life. It sounds to me like
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absolutely I tell people all the time, and my son doesn't realize it because
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again he was two two and a
half at the time that he saved my
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life. If I did not have
my little boy, I really feel like
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I would have given up online because
it was just the weight of that experience.
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I mean, it can break you. What is his name, Caleb,
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Caleb? Thank you Caleb for keeping
Karen in our lives. Thank you
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for that gift. Well, so
what did you learn about yourself going through
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that experience? Well, the first
thing I learned was I don't have to
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be strong all the time. And
for some reason, you know, we're
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all wired differently. But I was
always kind of known as a leader,
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and I think I was, you
know, I had a very bubbly personality
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and a positive outlook on life in
general, and so I didn't have any
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of that and I really felt like
I was never going to get back to
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that place, and that was scary
to me. But in that mess,
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I found that it's okay. It's
okay to not be okay all the time.
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It is okay to just lay on
the floor and cry. And I
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needed that realization, especially because the
work that I was, you know,
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leading into to help other people,
which I didn't even realize. But I
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wouldn't be able to help and serve
others if I couldn't meet them where they
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were, and usually it's when they're
in the mess or the stress of life.
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And so that was the first thing
I learned was that I don't have
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to have it all together. I
don't have to always have a positive outlook.
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I can feel these feelings and not
lose my strength. And then the
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other thing that I learned was that
I had a lot of strength inside of
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me that I could tap into.
You know, I could rebuild my confidence,
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I could reshape my life and really
redefine who I was, and that
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kind of came through the awareness of
Hold on a second, I get to
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choose my reaction to this. My
reaction can either be that I will be
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bitter and I will be miserable,
and I will hate life and be really
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cynical, like I can choose that, and you know what, if I
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did, I don't think anybody would
be mad at me, because it was
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a horrible thing that I went through. But I also realized that I didn't
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want that to be my story.
I didn't want to live in that negative
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energy space. And the power that
I held was in the response that I
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chose, and that was where I
really started to become more intentional. And
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that's also where I decided to put
my oxygen mask on first and get out
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of gear of autopilot to be really
intentional about how I was taking care of
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myself so that I could take care
of my son better. That is beautiful,
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Karen and I definitely want to explore
more about that piece of the attitude
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after the break here, but let's
grab our first break. I'm your host,
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Alisa Cortez. We've been on the
air with Karen Millsap. She is
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a resilience coach and the founder of
the grow Flow community. She joined today
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from Orlando, Florida. We've been
talking a bit about her horrific experiences that
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set her new life in motion.
After the break, we're going to talk
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more about really what she's done to
create a way to be able to serve
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others. Stay with us, we'll
be right back. Alis Cortes is a
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speaker and engagement and development catalyst.
She designs and delivers professional development, leadership
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and engagement workshops and can bring her
expertise to your organization. She will help
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ignite meaningful development within your workforce that
will increase employee engagement, performance and retention.
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To learn more or to invite Elise
to speak to your organization, please
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visit her at www dot Elisecortes dot
com. She would welcome the opportunity to
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help get your employees working on purpose. This is working on Purpose with Elise
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Cortes. To reach our program today, send an email to a lease Aliic
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at Alisecortes dot com. Now back
to working on Purpose. Thanks for staying
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with us, and welcome back to
working on Purpose. If you're just joining
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us, my guest is Karen MILLSAP. She is a resilience coach and the
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founder of the Growth Flow Community.
I'm your host, Alise Cortes. So,
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Karen, just before the break,
you were talking a bit about the
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attitude that you chose to take and
in response to what life is served up
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to you, and I really want
to talk about that for our listeners because
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it's such an important part of the
work that I do in log with therapy,
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with individuals, leaders and organizations.
It gets to the piece of in
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terms of how we experience meaning in
life. We can get it from various
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ways, but one way we can
get it is the attitude that we choose
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to take in the stance of fate
or adversity that is given to us.
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We have the unique ability as humans
to decide that attitude and choose it.
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And you particularly chose an attitude there
that strikes me as remarkable, especially at
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somebody at age twenty nine. Help
us understand a bit more about what that
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was like for you, just to
sort of put the steak in the sand
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and take that attitude. Well,
thank you for saying that it didn't feel
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remarkable. It didn't feel it didn't
It didn't strike me as anything except for
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this is what I got to do
for my son. You know, it
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was just I didn't have any other
option. Because what happened, what I
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noticed in my mind was I kept
replaying the night that my husband died.
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As I mentioned, I wasn't there. I didn't ask anybody for a lot
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of details, but of course they
just kind of serve that to you,
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right. And so, because there
were a lot of details that I didn't
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know, as I would replay that
night over and over again, I would
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get stuck on things like did he
see the shooter coming in? Was he
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scared? You know? Was he
in pain? Was I mean, I
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would just even saying it right now, I can feel myself getting sick,
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right, And so what happened was
when I realized that I could either look
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at those things or I could look
towards other things like hope or gratitude.
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That's what helped me to start to
feel better physically, not in a drastic
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way, but I could just notice
that subtle difference, right, as I
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mentioned, even just in the moment
experiencing of replaying some of those thoughts or
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excuse me, repeating some of those
thoughts that I had. And so what
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I decided was Okay, I don't
really know how I'm going to step forward.
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I don't feel like I have the
confidence to do so. I was
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questioning everything that I did. But
what I decided was I am going to,
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at the very least look at the
things I can be grateful for right
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now. I'm grateful that I have
a pillow under my head because a lot
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of this had happened at night as
I'm falling asleep, you know. I'm
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grateful that my son is healthy.
I am grateful that we had food today.
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I was grateful that I could take
a shower right because there were some
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days where I'm like, I'm not
going to shower and I may not eat.
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And so I got really granular with
gratitude in the beginning. And then
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as I started to move forward and
as time started to, you know,
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unfold, I could look back at
moments that were good and that helped to
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build my confidence. For example,
when when I was let go from my
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job, I remember carrying my box
of things getting down to my car,
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sitting there and I was crying.
I mean just it was. I thought
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to myself to do Yeah, I'm
failing. That's how I felt. I
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am failing. It's been a year
and I'm failing my son. And I
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thought to myself, what the heck
am I going to do? And then
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I thought to myself, within a
moment, oh my gosh, what am
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I going to do? It was
like a different tone, a different pitch
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of excitement, And that was a
moment where my mind shifted, and it
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really helped me again put a couple
things together. One that I had the
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power to choose my response to what
just happened, and two that my response
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was going to change the energy that
I brought to life and the intention that
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I brought to life, and when
I was able to see it in that
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moment, Now that I had the
freedom, you know, really from a
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corporate job that was bringing me down, honestly, because I couldn't even grieve
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how I needed to. It's awkward, right, It's just awkward in the
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workplace. So it gave me first
the space to grieve. So I spent
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about six weeks just grieving, just
sitting and facing all those feelings that I
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had to suppress when I went back
to work, and then I got clear
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on what I wanted my next steps
to take to be. And so I
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do think that when we honor our
feelings and when we process the emotions that
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come with different hardships or setbacks,
it really helps us to lean into a
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space that may be uncomfortable for the
moment, but it doesn't last forever and
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even if it comes back. You
know, I say this all the time.
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We never stop grieving. We just
learned how to manage it in our
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life. But guess what, on
the day to day, it's not just
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those big events that were grieving,
stress and overwhelmed come right burnout or or
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volunteering too much. You know,
when we are dedicated to too many things,
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like when we are in that space
of just being busy, we can
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lose ourself there as well. So
if we just check in with ourself and
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get intentional about how we want to
show up in the next moment, it
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allows us to show up as our
best self. Oh my gosh, Karen,
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this is so beautiful. There's two
things that I really want to call
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out about what you were just saying
there to really help our listeners gain what
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I hope is is some real learning
opportunity for themselves. One is there's really
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the fourth way that we can really
gain access to Meani According to Victor Frankel,
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and loco therapy is through gratitude.
And so what you did to practice
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that gratitude is a tremendous way to
be able to cultivate meaning in our lives.
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And you are a beautiful, perfect
example of somebody who you would think,
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how can I find gratitude or anything? But you found it, You
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discovered it, and that's so I
want to call that out. And then
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the second thing I want to call
out for our listeners in terms of your
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own experiences. Thing that I've gotten
more and more present to is i've gone
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out to speak, Karen, is
that when I go out and talk about
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the importance of cultivating meaning and inspiration
and passion and purpose, invariably I'm getting
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people that come and share their stories
with me, and they tell me about
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things like what you've gone through that
you know should have crippled them, but
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when they lean into it, they
recognize that when they embraced the experience,
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whatever it was, that in the
healing of that and then in sharing it
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with someone else, it became an
expression of their purpose, just like it
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has been for you and I.
So for people who have been pummeled by
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life, those of you listening have
had those experiences that have maybe knocked you
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to your knees. There may be
something there, as there has been for
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Karen. That is a gift for
you to be able to give back and
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share and serve other people as Karen
is doing so with that in Karen,
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now, I want to tell you
one thing with that, Alisa, if
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you don't mind me tell you they're
sure. I mentioned this in my Ted
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talk that not everybody will be as
you know, flamboyant we'll say, as
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I am, or adventurous or ambitious, or in trying to create a movement
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or a business around their adversity.
Right, that is okay. Sometimes it's
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a small gesture, and I think
if we can just tap into I know
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what this pain feels like, let
me show up for this person with compassion
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and empathy, you may end up
being that source of hope or strength to
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another person just in sharing your story
or just in reflecting on your story and
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then showing up in a very intentional
way when you see somebody else experiencing that
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pain. And so again, it
may not be this grand gesture of creating
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a business or becoming a speaker or
a coach. I never thought I would
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do any of this. I really
didn't. But it doesn't have to be
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that level. It can literally be
in the small details, just by tapping
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into what you've gone through and showing
up for somebody yelse. I completely agree
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with that, and I'm so glad
you said that, because I wouldn't want
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our listeners to think that they have
to literally, you know, go quit
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their life and totally reinvent themselves and
become a speaker or whatever else they might
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do. But you have, And
so a couple of things. I just
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I love the fact you are uniquely
a resilience coach. Oh my gosh,
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you are uniquely qualified. And part
of what I appreciate that you're up to
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now is really creating and propelling this
healing movement. So you know, obviously
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we can see where it comes from
from your own life, but there's a
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reason you're doing this work. So
why do you see this going on in
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the world that we find ourselves in
need of such a movement? You know,
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it was when I recognize that grief
is not just the result of a
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death, that it's when we experience
different changes or losses that we then experience
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emotional distress. And I actually saw
similarities between my emotional distress and my sister
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who is going through a divorce at
the time. And so then again my
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mind just became open to how are
we processing all of the things that weigh
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us down, whether it is death, whether it is job loss or divorce,
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or even just you know, managing
different personalities, even adoption, you
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know, or pregnancy, the dynamics
of your family and your household, changing
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all of that can really bring a
lot of overwhelm. And so when I
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started to think about that, I
thought, Okay, well, first is
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normalizing the conversation around this, right, we need to talk about our stories.
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We need to share our stories because
then we don't feel as alone.
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But beyond that, we need to
also share the healing part of our journey.
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So I pivoted away from a lot
of what people were hoping that I
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would become, which is kind of
this grief girl, right, this advocate
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for grief, and I started to
focus less on the pain and more on
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the solution. And that's when I
honed in on how do we create a
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healing movement Having conversations about what helped
us during those dark times habits, we
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were able to use to bring that
positive mindset to practice emotional regulation, you
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know, to face our fears.
Like having those conversations again helps us to
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normalize what our our conversations look like
right now around grief and emotional distress.
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But then also sharing tools and resources. I am a huge fan of positive
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psychology and the things that I have
learned in just you know, studying online,
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reading books, looking up studies.
I mean, it has just really
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helped to open up my mind too, the varying tools and resources that are
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out there. And so I even
started to think about my journey to say,
404
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:45.400
Okay, what did I do to
switch my mindset from focusing on the
405
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:52.599
bad to now looking towards hope and
more productive thought cycles? And so that's
406
00:28:52.640 --> 00:29:00.079
when I started to jot down some
of them practical ways and simple and affect
407
00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:04.279
ways that I was creating this change
in my life and rebuilding my life.
408
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:10.240
And so that's where I feel like
we can really generate a movement is because
409
00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:12.480
we've all been through something or we're
currently going through it, or we're just
410
00:29:12.480 --> 00:29:17.480
feeling burnt out by day to day
life. And also there are a ton
411
00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:22.440
of resources out there and healthy habits
that we can share that will help us
412
00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:26.720
then cultivate a healthier and happier life, which ultimately creates a ripple effect.
413
00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:30.880
The things that I've learned, I'm
teaching my son. That's impacting the next
414
00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:34.799
generation. Also, the things that
I've learned are helping me just show up
415
00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:38.440
in other people's lives in a positive
way, and they are feeding off of
416
00:29:38.440 --> 00:29:42.599
this energy and this light, which
then creates a ripple effect in their life.
417
00:29:42.839 --> 00:29:48.000
So again, it starts with just
acknowledging the hard stuff, but sharing
418
00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:51.440
the good stuff. Oh my gosh, Karen, that is so beautiful.
419
00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:53.519
And I don't know if our listeners
are aware of this, but I certainly
420
00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:56.720
am, and I want to call
it out. Just listening to your energy
421
00:29:56.759 --> 00:30:00.640
when we began this conversation on that
when you were twenty nine years old and
422
00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:07.039
you lost your husband, and now
the energy that you're sharing from right now,
423
00:30:07.119 --> 00:30:10.920
Karen, is just it's so compelling, it's so enthralling, it's so
424
00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:17.039
alluring, and it's life affirming.
Thank you, thank you. You're welcome.
425
00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:21.279
You're so welcome. Thank you.
Let's grab our last break, because
426
00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:22.440
after the break, I want to
talk more about what you're doing in your
427
00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:26.400
communities in your masterclass, and I
want to make sure our listeners have a
428
00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.119
chance to be able to chew on
that. So let's grab our last break.
429
00:30:29.599 --> 00:30:32.480
I'm your host, Alice Cortes.
We're on the air with Karen MILLSAP.
430
00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:34.960
She is a resilience coach and the
founder of the Growth Flow Community.
431
00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:37.960
She joins us today from Orlando,
Florida. Stay with us, We'll be
432
00:30:38.039 --> 00:31:03.319
right back. Cortes is a speaker
and engagement and development catalyst. She designs
433
00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:08.759
and delivers professional development, leadership and
engagement workshops and can bring her expertise to
434
00:31:08.839 --> 00:31:14.839
your organization. She will help ignite
meaningful development within your workforce that will increase
435
00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:18.640
employee engagement, performance and retention.
To learn more or to invite Elise to
436
00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:25.359
speak to your organization, please visit
her at www dot elisecortes dot com.
437
00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:33.880
She would welcome the opportunity to help
get your employees working on purpose. This
438
00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:40.160
is working on Purpose with Elise Cortes. To reach our program today, send
439
00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:47.480
an email to a lease alic at
elisecortes dot com. Now back to working
440
00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:52.920
on purpose. Thanks Christine with us
and welcomer to working on purpose. If
441
00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:56.079
you're just tuning in our guest is
Karen Milsap. She is a resilience coach
442
00:31:56.119 --> 00:31:59.359
and the founder of the Growth Flow
Community. I'm your host Elise Cortes.
443
00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:02.920
So Karen for this last bit here. Now that we've talked about really where
444
00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:07.880
your journey has sprung from and how
you've navigated that, now I want to
445
00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:12.160
focus on just what you're doing to
help other people. So first, I
446
00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:15.079
love the name of your community,
grow Flow. So where did this,
447
00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:19.559
how when did this come along in
your journey and who do you serve in
448
00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:22.960
that space? So when I was
thinking about, Okay, what does this
449
00:32:22.039 --> 00:32:25.400
healing movement look like and what is
it going to be called? And how
450
00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:29.400
are people going to be tied to
it? I ultimately had to think about
451
00:32:29.440 --> 00:32:31.759
what do I want them to be
able to do? Through everything I put
452
00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:36.960
out, what should they be able
to do? And ultimately through the resources
453
00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:40.000
we provide, the individuals should be
able to grow through the things that they
454
00:32:40.039 --> 00:32:44.799
go through and they should be able
to flow with LIFs, ups and downs.
455
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.880
We are not going to be able
to predict all of the troubles that
456
00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:51.599
come our way. We can't even
change them once they get there. The
457
00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:54.920
circumstances and events that happen in our
life. That's just those are the cards
458
00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:59.200
that were dealt, and so if
we are able to grow through that,
459
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:02.359
then it's redeeming those painful moments.
And if we're able to flow through it,
460
00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:07.079
then that's what true resiliency looks like. So the goal of the Growth
461
00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:14.680
Flow is to provide individuals with emotional
and mental health resources, and so it's
462
00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:22.480
everything from different techniques and tools to
books or programs, and again also infusing
463
00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.680
positive lifestyle inspiration in there so that
we make sure that we're not just settling
464
00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:31.640
for the life that we have,
but we're really working to achieve our greatest
465
00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:37.960
abilities. So I love all of
that. And so as a community,
466
00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:42.119
then it's an online community. Then
it is so you can go on to
467
00:33:42.440 --> 00:33:46.200
my website and find a ton of
free resources. You can follow on social
468
00:33:46.359 --> 00:33:51.160
media as well. But this is
just the very beginning, because I have
469
00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:54.839
some big plans for conferences and retreats
to be hosted by the Growth Flow with
470
00:33:55.000 --> 00:34:00.119
different partners that are just in the
total wellness space. H I love that.
471
00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:06.160
I absolutely love that. I also
a cultivating an online community for people
472
00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:10.960
that really wanted to develop their connection
and discovery of meaning passion, inspiration and
473
00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:15.360
purpose, because I've found Karen that
whenever speaking, people are so hungry for
474
00:34:15.400 --> 00:34:19.679
that, and so for them to
get even into that space, they need
475
00:34:19.719 --> 00:34:22.199
you first. So I love that
you've created a community like that, and
476
00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.559
I'm sharing for you, and I
also really applaud what you're doing around adding
477
00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:30.239
the retreats piece of it and the
other aspects of conferences around it. That's
478
00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:34.480
so important. And what's great too
is that both of us from different angles
479
00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:37.800
are really addressing the well being space, right. That's part of what we're
480
00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:42.480
up to here. And to that
end, I want to hear about this
481
00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:45.639
masterclass community called soul Care. What's
that about? Well, so, the
482
00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:50.920
growth flow is a big place to
get everything, but soul Care is more
483
00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:54.559
of an intimate and intentional setting.
So we meet every month and we pull
484
00:34:54.679 --> 00:34:58.840
back the layers of different topics.
For example, last month we were talking
485
00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:04.800
about facing fear, and we give
some really practical ways to face our fears.
486
00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:09.280
We also will have challenges throughout the
month that will help us experience rapid
487
00:35:09.320 --> 00:35:13.320
growth. And then this month we're
talking about how do we turn up the
488
00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:19.199
happy, how we increase our joy
and just soak up the goodness, and
489
00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:21.960
so it's going to be a really
fun month because we are going to talk
490
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:24.159
about, you know, how we
can get more happiness. It is through
491
00:35:24.159 --> 00:35:30.079
gratitude. It's also through being silly
and enjoying music and going painting, or
492
00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:34.079
you know, taking your shoes off
and just feeling the earth underneath your feet
493
00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:37.719
like that is so grounding. So
there are so many ways that we can
494
00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:40.800
tap into our happiness but also turn
it up a notch. And so that's
495
00:35:40.840 --> 00:35:45.679
the goal of this month. But
the Masterclass is really a space for individuals
496
00:35:45.719 --> 00:35:50.159
to come. We meet online and
then they're constantly fed throughout the month based
497
00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:53.199
on the different topics and themes.
And I even bring in guest coaches who
498
00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:58.239
you know, depending on their specialty, can just pour in a different perspective
499
00:35:58.360 --> 00:36:02.199
about our topics. So that way
people are getting a well rounded experience and
500
00:36:02.239 --> 00:36:07.800
not just hearing, you know,
from one person's experience. I love the
501
00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:12.199
idea of what I heard you say, among other things they were Karen is
502
00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:16.239
cultivating delight right, so right,
and it is so important to be able
503
00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:20.719
to dance with life and just be
silly and enjoy yourself. I remember when
504
00:36:20.760 --> 00:36:24.320
I was young and just meeting my
then husband, And at the time,
505
00:36:24.360 --> 00:36:28.440
I was thirty two and he was
twenty seven. And I had this thing
506
00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:30.360
where whenever we went out grocery shopping, I wanted to be pushed in the
507
00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:35.960
cart. And he was like horrified
by that, and I was like,
508
00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:37.360
come on, you know, And
so I get in the cart and I'd
509
00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:40.480
say, come on. Push Anyway, he got to a place where you
510
00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:45.599
could get around it. But like
that silliness being able to dance is so
511
00:36:45.639 --> 00:36:47.559
important and I love that's part of
what you're up to. It't it doesn't
512
00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:51.039
surprise me, but I love it. Yeah. And I actually thought about
513
00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:53.440
this because I was with my son
at a park and I don't know the
514
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:57.679
last time I hopped on a swing, but when I got into the swing
515
00:36:57.719 --> 00:37:01.159
and I started pumping my legs,
I started laughing because it felt so good.
516
00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:05.679
And I thought to myself, Man, when did this stop in life?
517
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:09.159
And why when did we get so
consumed with everything else that is pulling
518
00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:14.800
for our time and attention that we
did not just rest in these moments that
519
00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:17.519
make us laugh and make us smile. And you know what, those moments
520
00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:23.119
actually change the structure of your brain, so you can literally create a new
521
00:37:23.239 --> 00:37:30.000
life by intentionally bringing more happiness into
your world. You know what's so great
522
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:32.480
about this conversation, Karen, is
you, of all people who you know,
523
00:37:32.679 --> 00:37:37.400
lost your husband six years ago tragically, for you to be able to
524
00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:45.599
really embrace this just tremendous sense of
joy and gratitude is really a great message
525
00:37:45.639 --> 00:37:49.639
from you. Thank you, thank
you. My friend asked me, she
526
00:37:49.719 --> 00:37:52.760
said, so what do you think
of all of this, you know,
527
00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:55.119
the life that you're living, and
how does it feel? And I thought
528
00:37:55.119 --> 00:37:59.320
about my husband, and I said, he was so much fun and he
529
00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:01.320
loved life. I think he would
be proud of me. And so that's
530
00:38:01.360 --> 00:38:05.480
what I'm just hoping is through not
just the good and intentional work that I'm
531
00:38:05.519 --> 00:38:08.239
doing to help people heal, but
also through the fun that I'm creating for
532
00:38:08.360 --> 00:38:12.679
our son and for other people,
and the energy that i'm giving. You
533
00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:15.639
know, I'm just I'm hoping that
he's just proud of my effort. That
534
00:38:15.800 --> 00:38:21.679
is so beautiful. And again,
for those of you listeners who have lost
535
00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:24.320
someone really special and important to you, like Karen Has, I really hope
536
00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:29.119
that you're getting something from this beautiful
joy that she's able to access and there's
537
00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:32.559
something there for you, and if
not, then reach out and talk to
538
00:38:32.599 --> 00:38:37.079
her. Yes. So okay,
So any other thing that I said to
539
00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:40.360
you when we first spoke on the
phone is that I really like to be
540
00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:45.239
able to give my listeners something that
they can really immediately use in their lives
541
00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:49.199
as they walk away from our conversation. And you said, well, I've
542
00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:52.760
got this thing called stop and shift, so talk to us about that.
543
00:38:52.280 --> 00:38:57.440
Yeah. So resiliency really starts in
your mind, right, and so I'm
544
00:38:57.480 --> 00:39:00.400
thinking about adding one more thing onto
that title, Resilition and Mindset Coach,
545
00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:06.119
because that's when all of this starts. And so I was thinking because my
546
00:39:06.159 --> 00:39:08.559
mom asked me, she said,
what do you think was the first thing
547
00:39:08.639 --> 00:39:12.719
you did to start on this path
of healing? And I said, I
548
00:39:12.840 --> 00:39:15.559
changed my mindset and I explained that
a little bit earlier in the show.
549
00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:20.760
But this is how I was able
to create a method that's easy for other
550
00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:23.559
people to understand the process I went
through in my mind. So the first
551
00:39:23.559 --> 00:39:29.880
thing is it's stopping the negative thoughts
cycles, which I don't know why that's
552
00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:35.079
our dominant or our default space,
but it is right. And so stop
553
00:39:35.199 --> 00:39:40.679
stands for silence thoughts on purpose.
That is a level of awareness. That
554
00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:46.079
is the first step of mindfulness is
to be able to disconnect from your thoughts,
555
00:39:46.400 --> 00:39:51.239
to see them not as you,
but as that voice inside of your
556
00:39:51.280 --> 00:39:53.760
head, and to also kind of
see them as like sticks in a river
557
00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:59.079
just floating by right, they are
separate from you. And when you're able
558
00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:02.440
to do that, then you you
can silence those thoughts on purpose. But
559
00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:07.079
if you silence your thoughts, eventually
what happens more thoughts start to creep back
560
00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:13.599
in. And so you have to
be intentional about pointing your thoughts in a
561
00:40:13.639 --> 00:40:16.840
new direction, so you shift them. And when you shift them away,
562
00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:21.119
then you're going to look at things. And this is what ship stands for.
563
00:40:21.559 --> 00:40:27.079
You're going to see hope, intentions, facts, and then new thoughts.
564
00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:30.880
And let me break that part down
really quick, because when you see
565
00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:32.679
hope, which is a lot of
what I was seeing early on, Like,
566
00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:37.000
for example, when my house had
to be pulled back off the market,
567
00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:39.239
i was living around boxes, I
had to look at hope and just
568
00:40:39.280 --> 00:40:44.320
say, listen, my house is
eventually going to sell when I don't know,
569
00:40:44.440 --> 00:40:49.119
but I am going to remain hopeful
because while I'm waiting I can either
570
00:40:49.199 --> 00:40:53.320
feel miserable or I can feel hopeful. I'm going to be waiting the same
571
00:40:53.360 --> 00:40:55.960
amount of time, which unbeknownst to
me was going to be you know,
572
00:40:57.079 --> 00:41:00.159
two to three months later, but
it's just my choice and how I show
573
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:05.880
up during that time. So to
remain hopeful is really just allowing yourself to
574
00:41:05.920 --> 00:41:08.960
be positive, usually while you're waiting
for something or while you're in the midst
575
00:41:08.960 --> 00:41:13.000
of a change. And then when
you're looking at intentions, you may have
576
00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:15.920
to look at other people's intentions.
Maybe you're in a disagreement and you have
577
00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:19.920
to see like are they trying to
be mean or rude, or are they
578
00:41:19.960 --> 00:41:22.920
just you know, very passionate about
their stance. Or sometimes you need to
579
00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:30.400
check your own intentions before you respond
to a situation. Otherwise you may respond
580
00:41:30.440 --> 00:41:36.039
from that default emotional space instead of
reacting in a way that it's going to
581
00:41:36.119 --> 00:41:39.079
bring positivity or it's going to move
you in a more productive manner. So
582
00:41:39.159 --> 00:41:45.280
check your heart's intentions before you start
to respond. And then the last thing
583
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:52.199
is to see facts where sometimes again, were we are reacting from a very
584
00:41:52.360 --> 00:41:55.960
limited perspective, or we don't have
all the details, or we need to
585
00:41:57.079 --> 00:42:00.280
just ground ourselves with the facts because
we are so far off base with our
586
00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:06.480
emotions, and so during any scenario, you can see one of these three
587
00:42:06.559 --> 00:42:08.639
things. You can see all of
these three things. You know, sometimes
588
00:42:08.639 --> 00:42:13.239
you really have to pause and shift
to each of those. But I want
589
00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:16.719
to give you an example that I
just had a woman ask me for advice
590
00:42:16.840 --> 00:42:20.880
on in a talk I gave at
Universal a couple of weeks ago. She
591
00:42:20.960 --> 00:42:25.800
said, I really struggle with mom
guilt because I travel a lot for work,
592
00:42:27.280 --> 00:42:30.800
and it makes me feel bad that
I'm not spending this time with my
593
00:42:30.880 --> 00:42:34.400
two littles, Like, how can
I work through that? And I said,
594
00:42:34.440 --> 00:42:37.039
well, what is something that you
would shift to. Just think about
595
00:42:37.039 --> 00:42:39.000
it for a second, and then
I told her, I said, what
596
00:42:39.159 --> 00:42:44.719
comes to mind for me first is
stopping the negative thought cycle that you are
597
00:42:44.840 --> 00:42:47.320
bad mom and you should feel guilty
that you're away from your kids, and
598
00:42:47.400 --> 00:42:52.119
shift to your intentions, because I
see the intentions of a mom who wants
599
00:42:52.159 --> 00:42:57.719
to contribute to her family's livelihood,
who wants to provide for her family,
600
00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:00.159
who wants to try to give the
best to her kids. And that's why
601
00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:05.480
you have this amazing job that yes
requires you to travel, but you're not
602
00:43:05.519 --> 00:43:08.199
doing that to cause harm to your
children. You're actually doing it because you
603
00:43:08.239 --> 00:43:13.719
want to benefit your kids and their
future. And I could see the weight
604
00:43:14.039 --> 00:43:17.719
lifted from her mind and her shoulders
actually when I said this to her.
605
00:43:19.360 --> 00:43:22.599
And I struggle with that too with
mom gil that oh man, am I
606
00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:23.920
doing the wrong thing? So again, it doesn't have to be a big
607
00:43:23.960 --> 00:43:29.400
hardship. It can be every day
struggles and stressors. But if you stop
608
00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:32.519
the negative thoughts and you shift it
to something that is more positive and productive,
609
00:43:32.920 --> 00:43:37.239
then you can choose your response,
which is then going to create a
610
00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:40.239
positive ripple effect in your life.
That is gorgeous, Karen, And it
611
00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:44.320
reminds me a bit of the work
that I do with with the individuals,
612
00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:49.199
leaders and organizations with logo therapy,
which is a very similar premise, Karen.
613
00:43:49.280 --> 00:43:51.880
So you know you and I are
drinking from the same hose. Is
614
00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:59.159
that from choosing the lens through which
we allow ourselves to view things. Any
615
00:43:59.320 --> 00:44:01.400
experience that might be considered negative,
like the mother and the mom guilt,
616
00:44:01.920 --> 00:44:07.400
can be transmitted into a positive experience
through a different lens, and that different
617
00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:09.400
and when we do so, it
actually allows us to grow and so when
618
00:44:09.400 --> 00:44:14.320
you said you saw her shoulders relaxed
and such, I would also say that
619
00:44:14.360 --> 00:44:17.159
in part it was because she was
also growing in the process that you gave
620
00:44:17.159 --> 00:44:22.280
her of being able to see her
life in that way. Absolutely absolutely,
621
00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:27.400
and think about how that then encourages
you to show up in life. You're
622
00:44:27.440 --> 00:44:30.559
not showing up with negative energy.
You're showing up with energy that's infectious and
623
00:44:30.599 --> 00:44:35.880
will create a ripple effect around you, right right, So you're contributing further
624
00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:38.280
in the process to other people around
you. Absolutely totally see that. And
625
00:44:38.840 --> 00:44:43.039
similarly, like you, Karen,
that's part of what I'm up to in
626
00:44:43.079 --> 00:44:46.960
the world too, is to create
that meaning and purpose movement that really is
627
00:44:47.159 --> 00:44:52.440
enrolling other people and allows people to
grow themselves in the process of serving others
628
00:44:52.719 --> 00:44:55.760
and again that positive ripple effect.
I'm completely with you on that. Yeah,
629
00:44:57.039 --> 00:45:00.719
so good. I call it spreading
pixie dust. But that's what I'm
630
00:45:00.800 --> 00:45:05.880
up to in life, spreading pixie
duest. So you started to say something
631
00:45:05.920 --> 00:45:08.159
about what you're doing there with the
talk you just gave there at the organization
632
00:45:08.239 --> 00:45:12.920
you mentioned, I like if you
would say two things for us, because
633
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:15.440
we're getting close to out of time
here. First, when you're out speaking,
634
00:45:15.440 --> 00:45:19.159
you've got your ted talk, and
you also do conference speaking as well.
635
00:45:19.840 --> 00:45:22.639
What is the message that you're really
trying to convey to people. So
636
00:45:22.719 --> 00:45:27.960
there's two messages. One is teaching
stop and shift right, because I think
637
00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:30.800
that that is a really practical way
for people who are just trying to figure
638
00:45:30.840 --> 00:45:36.000
out how do I control my mind
and my thoughts. It's a really easy
639
00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:39.719
technique to use. But I'm also
talking about how do we get more good
640
00:45:39.840 --> 00:45:45.360
vibes in real life, more good
energy. We live in a digital world
641
00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:51.480
where everything is so curated that we
are disconnecting from what really brings good energy
642
00:45:51.519 --> 00:45:54.519
into our life. And so I'm
just sharing the message of things that have
643
00:45:54.639 --> 00:45:59.440
helped me, you know again,
like positive self talk and emotional regulation,
644
00:46:00.119 --> 00:46:05.400
been doing digital detoxes, or making
sure you're getting enough rest and sleep and
645
00:46:05.480 --> 00:46:08.320
eating well. Like in the very
beginning, I had to figure out what
646
00:46:08.440 --> 00:46:12.519
am I eating because I think I
feel like trash, Like I need to
647
00:46:12.519 --> 00:46:15.639
get more vegetables and fruits into my
diet so that I feel better. And
648
00:46:15.719 --> 00:46:22.320
so there's so many ways internally and
externally that we can get these good vibes
649
00:46:22.400 --> 00:46:25.880
in real life, and so really
depending on the audience what they want to
650
00:46:25.920 --> 00:46:30.920
focus on. But it is about
how are we taking care of ourself to
651
00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:35.440
create an unbreakable foundation so that we
can get through anything that life throws at
652
00:46:35.519 --> 00:46:39.719
us. And it comes through those
two messages beautiful. And then finally,
653
00:46:39.800 --> 00:46:43.320
and I'm not sure if this is
maybe a continuation what you just said.
654
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:46.480
I want to be able to understand
you say that when you go in to
655
00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:50.440
work with companies, when you first
started your work, you were really sharing
656
00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:53.159
messages about how to deal with grief. And then over time and that really
657
00:46:53.159 --> 00:46:58.719
turned into the importance of self care
and total well being, which I makes
658
00:46:58.760 --> 00:47:01.440
complete sense to me. You work
with companies, how are you working with
659
00:47:01.480 --> 00:47:06.599
them to utilize your message? So
I still have some of those, you
660
00:47:06.639 --> 00:47:13.320
know, off the shelf learnings like
grief management and empathic listening and things of
661
00:47:13.360 --> 00:47:21.400
that nature. But what has really
been striking accord recently has been this masterclass
662
00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:27.320
that's called leader Care, and leader
Care is diving into the importance of self
663
00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:32.199
care and more specifically mindfulness. And
so what I do is I unpack self
664
00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:36.639
care from kind of a thirty thousand
foot level, you know, looking at
665
00:47:36.679 --> 00:47:40.159
mental, emotional, spiritual, and
physical and I tie that into how it
666
00:47:40.440 --> 00:47:45.960
impacts your life, your personal life
and your work life, and how when
667
00:47:45.039 --> 00:47:50.599
you create a self care as a
lifestyle, how it even helps you to
668
00:47:50.760 --> 00:47:55.800
manage stress, how it helps you
to make better decisions. And so leader
669
00:47:55.880 --> 00:48:01.639
care is really what I've been getting
asked to talk on most because I now
670
00:48:01.719 --> 00:48:07.440
see that companies are shifting from not
just looking at okay, how do we
671
00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:09.920
have a great employee assistance program for
our people, but how do we give
672
00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:15.159
our people the tools they need to
access their best self? And that is
673
00:48:15.239 --> 00:48:21.280
coming through that's coming through leader care, self care and mindfulness. Wow,
674
00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:24.119
that is a beautiful way to finish
our conversation. Karen. We are just
675
00:48:24.239 --> 00:48:27.360
out of time, and that was
the way to finish. Thank you so
676
00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:30.039
much for joining me as a guest. It is a pleasure to have you
677
00:48:30.079 --> 00:48:31.480
in my life. Well, thank
you so much for having me. This
678
00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:35.679
is such a great conversation. I
love your show and I love your work.
679
00:48:35.960 --> 00:48:38.119
Thank you likewise, Okay, so
listeners, if you want to learn
680
00:48:38.119 --> 00:48:42.159
more about Karen Millsap and the work
she does, go to her website.
681
00:48:42.199 --> 00:48:45.400
It's Karenmillsap dot com. So that's
k A R. E. N.
682
00:48:45.920 --> 00:48:51.800
MILLSAP M I L L SAP dot
com. Last week, if you missed
683
00:48:51.800 --> 00:48:53.679
the show live, you can always
catch a recorded podcast. We were on
684
00:48:53.719 --> 00:48:59.079
the year with doctor Alex Pataco's AK
eight, Doctor Meaning of the Global Meaning
685
00:48:59.119 --> 00:49:02.000
Institute. We were talking about his
new discipline called meaning Ology and how he
686
00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:06.920
is helping people and organizations across the
globe discover more meaning in their lives and
687
00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:09.599
help and their work, which is
activating a higher levels of engagement, innovation,
688
00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:15.599
and performance. Incredibly impassionate, passionate
man. Next week, we'll be
689
00:49:15.639 --> 00:49:19.960
on the air with doctor Joanne Lefebre
Connolly talking about what she's learned about the
690
00:49:20.039 --> 00:49:23.079
lessons animals can teach people about being
better humans. Ought to be a great
691
00:49:23.079 --> 00:49:27.280
conversation. See you then, remember
that works at least one third of our
692
00:49:27.280 --> 00:49:34.639
life. So let's work on purpose. We hope you've enjoyed this week's program.
693
00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:38.679
Be sure to tune in to Working
on Purpose featuring your host Alis Cortes,
694
00:49:39.039 --> 00:49:44.679
each week on the Voice America Empowerment
Channel. This week, find your
695
00:49:44.800 --> 00:50:06.920
life's purpose at work





















































