Grateful Leaders, Thriving Teams

Hello Reader, What a joy to welcome you to another edition of the IGFY Newsletter. Have you ever had one of those days when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong? You know, those days when the weight of the world feels especially heavy, and you're left wondering how to navigate through it all. And yet, in the midst of it, a surprising moment of clarity reveals a different story. Can you believe we marked the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic this week? WOW! Reflecting on...

Hello Reader, How can we choose love when we have experienced so little of it? I read that question from Henri Nouwen a few minutes ago—and it landed deeply. Especially now! What I found so redemptive in his words was the gentle invitation he offered: Take small steps in the direction of love. A kind word. A warm smile. A thoughtful gesture. A check-in text. A genuine "How are you—really?" I might not change the world, but I can brighten it for somebody! 𝙀𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣...

Hello Reader,You probably have a morning routine, right?Over the past few years, I noticed that a lot of the authors I read frequently quoted Henri Nouwen. Last year, I read several of Henri’s books. Then, late in December, I discovered a daily devotional, Bread for the Journey, and have thoroughly enjoyed it this year.Today’s entry ended with this line: Those who choose, even on a small scale, to love in the midst of hatred and fear are the people who offer true hope to our world. Choose...

Hello Reader, Have you noticed how easy it is to fall into cynicism these days? There’s plenty to be cynical about! You open your news feed, scroll through social media, or have a conversation at work, and there it is – that creeping sense that everything's broken beyond repair. Søren Kierkegaard understood something profound when he wrote, "Hope is passion for what is possible." But today, I've been thinking about the flip side: Cynicism is obsession with what's broken and wrong. And there’s...

Hello Reader, IT’S TIME TO CULTIVATE HOPE!You've explored the profiles of hope depletion with me. You've recognized your patterns. Now, it's time to restore what's been depleted. 🌱 WHY NOW? Hope is both extremely valuable and increasingly fragile in our current world. The recognition of hope depletion is powerful—but it's just the first step. Now comes the transformative work of actively growing hope through intentional daily practices. ✨ YOUR DAILY HOPE JOURNEYThrough our simple-to-use...

Hello Reader, Have you ever found yourself giving and giving until there's nothing left? Or maybe you know someone like this. Let me introduce you to the first profile in our Named and Reclaimed: Overcoming Hope Depletion series, The Relentless Giver. 🔍 PROFILE CHARACTERISTICS You know The Relentless Giver is someone who consistently prioritizes others' needs above their own. You might recognize this pattern if you: 😴 Feel physically exhausted even after adequate sleep. 🔄 Say "yes"...

Hello Reader, Here's a short and sweet reminder... Hope Stories LIVE is happening today, Wednesday (June 4) at 12 noon ET.| REGISTER HERE | Hope is contagious. Stories are powerful. When you combine them? Magic happens. Join us for this special livestream event. Your story of hope might begin here. JOIN THE LIVESTREAM Looking forward to having YOU join us! Kevin & Courtney P.S. Can't make it live? Register anyway, and we'll send you the replay.P.P.S. Join the June Cohort of Cultivating Hope:...

Hello Reader,They see your accomplishments. Your calendar. Your contributions. What they don't see is the quiet depletion happening beneath the surface. It's a particular kind of exhaustion that doesn't show up in blood tests or sleep trackers. I call it hope depletion—and it's far more common than most people realize. It's a subject of study for years now. However, in 2025 it's become far more relevant to millions. We've identified seven distinct profiles that appear across all walks of...

Hello Reader,When your body is exhausted, you rest.What happens when your hope runs out? Often you're told to "just think positive."🤮 We’ve normalized physical exhaustion as something that requires recovery.But somehow, when it’s our hope that’s worn out, we treat it like a character flaw. And that disconnect?It’s costing us more than we realize. 🧠 Hope is not fluff—it’s science. According to Dr. C.R. Snyder’s Hope Theory, it’s a measurable psychological construct that strongly influences...

Hello Reader, What if you could transform your day in less time than it takes to brew your morning coffee? ☕️That's what people, like Alexandra, are saying about Hope Daily Pulse, our new video series! "These videos provide the inspiration I need to embrace the day with excitement...HOPE!" I made you a video…actually, I've now made 10 videos in our Hope Daily Pulse series that I started in conjunction with the May Cohort of Cultivating Hope. These are SHORT daily videos -- averaging just...

Hello Reader, IF I send two mails in one day, I hope to have a good reason to do that. You get to be the judge.👩⚖️If you know me, you know I'm open to inspired ideas and will "run the experiment" to see what happens rather than way overthinking them like I used to do. Any overthinkers among us?In addition to launching the May Cohort of Cultivating Hope: A 21-Day Transformative Journey, we also launched the HOPE DAILY PULSE. For the next 21 days, I'll record and share a short video on YouTube....