The Gratitude Shift: Turning Adversity into Empowerment
- Nov 6
- 2 min read
By Kathleen Penner
When the world shut down, I watched the travel industry fall silent overnight. Planes grounded, borders closed, and the rhythm that had guided my life as a travel agent for years stopped without warning. At first, I felt adrift. I had built my business on connection, helping people see the world, and now connection itself had become a risk. Gratitude was the one thing that kept me steady.
Each morning, I made a small promise to find one thing to be thankful for. Some days it was as simple as a warm breakfast or a moment of quiet before another round of cancellations. Gratitude shifted my focus from what I had lost to what I could build. It became the lens through which I reimagined my work and my purpose.
That shift led me to start Cruising the Waves, a podcast and YouTube channel that kept travel alive in spirit. Week after week, I interviewed and met with cruise line executives, expedition experts, and travelers, keeping the dream of exploration alive for others and in truth for myself. Those conversations reminded me that storytelling is its own form of travel. It can transport, inspire, and connect even when we are standing still.
As I grew that platform, another calling emerged. Travel advisors around me were struggling to pivot online, unsure how to stay visible when clients were not booking. I began leading digital asset classes to help them use social media and online tools to grow their brands and future bookings. Gratitude evolved from something personal into a leadership strategy. By giving what I could, I kept both community and confidence alive.
That experience changed me. It taught me that success is not about constant motion. It is about grounded purpose. Gratitude is not passive. It is an active choice to build from where you are. Even as I stepped into new leadership and creative roles, I carried that lesson forward. Whether I am developing partnerships, coaching advisors, or writing about wellness and transformation, gratitude remains my compass.
Today, I help others see that the intersection of travel wellness and story is where transformation truly begins. Gratitude turns obstacles into direction. It tells you not only what to hold on to but what to let go of. I have learned that when you lead with appreciation, people notice and feel the difference. Teams respond differently, creativity flows, and even the hardest seasons reveal their meaning.
The pandemic did not end my career. It rewrote it with greater clarity. I no longer measure success by the number of flights or files closed but by the impact of the stories I tell and the people I lift. Gratitude gave me that clarity. It reminds me daily that even in uncertainty, there is always something to be thankful for, and from that, everything else can grow.
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