Take time to celebrate…I am!
Take time to celebrate…I am!
Take time to celebrate…I am!
He did it! We did it! EVAN GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!
We just got back from Idaho, and I can’t stop smiling! For most kids, high school graduation is a rite of passage. For a child with mental illness and Autism, it is monumental.
For those that have followed our journey, it has been a long one. When Evan was 15, we made the gut-wrenching decision to place him in a therapeutic boarding school in Idaho. It was by far the hardest decision we have ever had to make, but it was the right one.
Evan’s next chapter is even more exciting! He loves Idaho, and he was accepted into a program that is everything we had hoped for.
He will be living in a new home with two great roommates and staff available to support him 24-hours a day. He will have an opportunity to work, continue to learn life skills, build relationships, and pursue his passions. It is literally a dream come true. (These services were available day one in Idaho. We have been on a list for over 15 years and are still 29,600 on the list for similar services in Texas. I’m working to change that.).
In many ways, it feels like our journey is just getting started, but I am so hopeful for Evan’s future. I am also incredibly proud of the fact that he still asks me to share his story. He understands the shame and stigma attached to mental illness and Autism and wants to help change that. As a mom, this is my proudest accomplishment.
What do you do when you have an incredible accomplishment? You CELEBRATE!
When we have an accomplishment, it’s easy to appreciate it for a moment and then move the goal line. Celebration is a great resilience-building strategy because cultivating positive emotions floods your system with happy hormones, letting your brain know you’re safe, and allowing your nervous system to reset.
I am going to celebrate with a little self-care. I am looking forward to some time off in July to celebrate and savor Evan’s accomplishment. And ours.
Don’t forget to celebrate wins, big and small. You scored that parking spot up front? Do a happy dance in the car. Found the shirt you wanted on sale? Give yourself a high-five. Soak in the gratitude.
I wanted to share this amazing news with you because you have been such a big part of our journey, and your prayers and support have meant everything to us. Our next journey awaits, and I could not be more excited.
Stay brave and resilient,
Anne
Subscribe to Anne's #RoutineResilience Email!
Anne breaks down the daily habits and skills needed to grow and cultivate RESILIENCE.
Happy Good Friday from the ranch! ☀️
We can take back control of our energy, but FIRST, we have to be aware that we are running on fumes. Here are five subtle signs to look for before you burn out:
1️⃣ You Feel Snappy, Judgy, or Overly Critical (Even Over Dumb Stuff)
2️⃣ You’re Drowning in Decision Fatigue
3️⃣ You Feel Guilty for Resting (So You Never Fully Do)
4️⃣ You’re Scrolling to Numb, Not Connect
5️⃣ You Keep Thinking: ‘Once I get through this week…’
If even one of these sounded familiar, that’s your sign. You don’t need to wait for burnout to make a change. This is your permission slip to pause, reset, and breathe. 🎥
Speaking for one of my favorite clients @assaabloygroup to celebrate their best customers in Napa – savoring so many delicious moments! 🙏
Have you ever had to schmooze at a networking event? You find yourself in some awkward situation, fumbling around for the right words when you land on “How are you?” or “What do you do?” Two of the most boring, uninspiring, uninteresting questions in the world.
Fortunately, there is a conversation starter that works better, is way more interesting, and makes you more memorable. This question is so powerful that it activates the pleasure center of the brain.
Here’s the question: “Working on anything exciting lately?”
That simple conversation starter makes people light up and feel good. And the best part? When they leave the conversation, they connect you with that good feeling.
If you want more tips, tools, and strategies like this one, sign up for my weekly Resilience Reset newsletter! ⬇️ https://www.annegradygroup.com/strong/
A couple of fun facts about gratitude:
🙏 Just looking for something to be grateful for drops cortisol by 23%.
🙏 A gratitude practice trains your brain to search for and find more good stuff.
🙏 Gratitude improves mood, memory, focus, immune function, and heart health.
What will you look for this week? #mindfulmonday
Overthinking is just self-doubt pretending to be productive. Give yourself permission to take a nap.
📷: @newyorkermag
Anne Grady is a Speaker, Author, and #TruthBomb Dropper.
Anne shares practical strategies that can be applied both personally and professionally to improve relationships, navigate change, and triumph over adversity. And she’ll make you laugh while she does it. Anne is a two time TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. magazines, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Business. She is the best selling author of 52 Strategies for Life, Love & Work and Strong Enough: Choosing Courage, Resilience and Triumph.
Congratulations to Evan, mom, and family. You worked together as a team to find the best for Evan. What a well spoken young man. He will continue to do great things because of his amazing support system. Congratulations!
Thank you so much, Christine!!! We are so relieved, proud, excited, grateful, and so many other emotions! I hope you are doing well!
Agreed – incredibly well spoken for a teenager. Well done everyone!
Thank you so much, Teresa!
Congratulations Anne to you, Evan, and your family. It’s an amazing transformation from when I saw him last many years ago.
It is SO good to hear from you! It has been a journey for sure! Still a long road ahead, but we couldn’t be more grateful to get to this point! Miss you!