Hi, this form is a starting point for all speaking requests.
Please don't hesitate to reach out about your event or request and let me know what you have in mind.
Email me directly at speaking@nancylyons.com with other requests like writing for your publication or joining you on your podcast.
Also, email me if you want to say hi. I like that, too.
Over the weekend, I attended a celebration of life service for one of my son’s dear friends. He was 17, and the death was sudden. After the memorial, my son and some friends came to our house to spend time together and process everything as best they could. For the teenage boys, that meant watching silly videos on YouTube, running around outside, and occasionally having a sinking feeling of grief settle upon them.
Although I was trying to give them all space, I happened to be in the room when a wave of silence hit. One of the friends said, “I just don't even know what to do.” That was familiar to me. I lost a dear friend four years ago, and I have felt at a loss many times since then.
I shared with them how I think about my own grief when it hits: it doesn't get any easier. But I remind myself regularly that no matter how hard or exhausting things are, I get to be here and experience them. It's my gratitude for that opportunity and that I get to wake up and breathe every day that fuels me, regardless of how rough things are. We owe these people who have left us to live well. The gratitude for the opportunity to take advantage of what they didn't get can power us.
Now, I don’t always remember to tap into gratitude in challenging moments. Usually, I feel it when I’m surrounded by friends and family I love or after a particularly good day when I rocked everything on my to-do list. Or maybe it’s during a night out when I’m laughing so hard I can barely breathe. In those moments, it can be easy to express gratitude.
This Thanksgiving, though, I’m exploring gratitude’s more transformative power—not just as a reaction to the explicit goodness around me but as a proactive catalyst for connection and resilience.
It’s no surprise that we have to share our precious lives with people we disagree with and exist within times we simply wish were different. We’ve all been there, and it’s challenging. But I think even when that’s our reality, gratitude is possible. And perhaps even more important than ever.
Gratitude can form connections between me and my emotions, my surroundings, and even to other people. Seeking and focusing on our shared humanity, on common goodness, and on everyday expressions of kindness allows my attention to drift to things that have always been and will always be true: love is stronger than hate, and there is always something to love around me. That use of my time, I believe, will give me far more energy to keep shaping the world how I would like it to be rather than living only within my fear.
Expressing gratitude actually rewires your brain for positivity and possibility, which I can’t imagine refusing right now. I once wrote an article titled “To See the Bright Side, You Have to Choose It.” I still believe what I wrote then. We have to work on seeing potential instead of darkness and hope instead of dread.
Gratitude isn’t just for the easy moments; it’s for the messy, complicated ones, too. It’s the antidote to negativity, the salve for disconnection, and the spark for hope. I refuse to wallow permanently in division and distrust (though I will inevitably dabble). Gratitude is the antidote, and it’s what I need and want right now. It’s not a life raft I’m clinging to for survival. It’s a life raft I’m climbing onto, lying on in the sun, and taking deep, long breaths, all to thrive.
The world is suffering from a general malaise right now. But at least we get to wake up tomorrow and figure it out. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful to be here to fight for a world that reflects my values and a community that is kind and humane. I’m grateful to be here to pave opportunities for the next generation.
This Thanksgiving, let’s not just feel gratitude—let’s live it, even in the face of all we’re experiencing, bad and good.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Nancy
WomenVenture gathered a list of entrepreneurial shops and small businesses where you can get unique gifts this season. Many have online stores, so there is no need to be local to the Twin Cities! Candles, bath products, coffee, and more.
See their full list on the Women Venture website: WomenVenture 2024 Shopping Guide.
For many of us, the holidays may mean tough conversations. Perhaps declining invitations or sharing table time with aunts and uncles we’re uncomfortable around. Well, I got you. I stopped by my local ABC affiliate, KSTP, to talk about how to have tough conversations.
Watch or listen to my segment on KSTP’s website: "Navigating Tough Conversations."
Hugging my son close (if he'll let me), enjoying as many moments as I can, and planning to continue my good trouble-making in 2024.
“This a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before.” — Maya Angelou
