“The ability to wake up to another new day —
this is the unpromised gift for which to be grateful.”
- Kristi Nelson, Wake Up Grateful
Welcome. I am so glad you are here.
Gratitude is a practice that guides my life. It has also, in many ways, “saved” my life. I am passionate about supporting people to learn what I have learned about taking nothing in life for granted; to be awake to each unfolding moment, because none of us know how many we will have. To be aware of the beauty and wonder that are within and around us. To live fully now. To love fully now. To be grateful now. Because it matters, and because it is the most direct pathway to greater presence, perspective, and possibility that I have discovered. I know from facing and (so far) surviving stage IV cancer that every moment we get to be alive - even when it’s difficult - is an unexpected, unrepeatable, mind blowing miracle that one unknown day will no longer be ours. I hope you are moved to learn with me, and to stay connected.
The opportunity to claim the things we love to do as our “work” is a great privilege. My work blesses me with the opportunity to offer guidance and support for those seeking greater attention, appreciation, and amazement in and for their lives.
You can find below a list of some of the things I love to offer through the work I do, and why…
Workshops.
Creating space for insight and transformation. Watching eyes light up and hearts open. Inspiring gratefulness in school, organizational, business, and community settings.
Interviews.
Being asked questions that surprise me. Seeking the truest answer in the moment. Trusting what emerges. Generating joy with podcast and radio hosts, journalists, and writers.
Writing.
Showing up for possibility on the blank page. Playing with words that resonate. Sometimes petitioning. Crafting blogs, articles, books, and the occasional private poem.
Speaking.
Reading a room or zoom with commitment and care. Understanding and being a steward for what wants to unfold in gatherings of colleagues, students, kindred spirits.
Readings.
Occupying the deeper timbre of my voice. Honoring the sacred spaces between me, ideas, language, and others. Showing up in book shops, studios, and surprising places.
“Over the past two years, Kristi has graced us with two profoundly moving talks and I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing her remarkable impact on audiences. Kristi’s unique gift of articulating the meaning and importance of living a grateful life is awe-inspiring. Her words resonated deeply with our community, leaving everyone uplifted and inspired. We are thankful for her profound wisdom and eagerly anticipate more of her transformative messages in the future.”
If happiness is something we pursue and gratitude arrives only when we get what we want, the present moment is going to keep coming up short. How can we more fully embrace the continual uncertainties of being human and "be with" the deeper truths of life, move out of the trance of scarcity we have been taught and into greater appreciation for the extraordinary gifts of our lives as they are, right now? We do not need to suffer the gap between what we are sold/told is important and what we know truly matters. Developing the spiritual musculature of a grateful perspective supports our capacity to be unconditionally available and attentive to the preciousness of life, our relationships, and the world around us. This is worth everything.