Day 28: Gratitude and Growth – 30 days, 30 episodes

I'm Matt Gilhooly, and this is the Life Shift Candid conversations about the pivotal moments that have changed lives forever. Hello, my friends. Welcome to day 28 of 30 days, 30 episodes of the Life Shift podcast. 28 days. Wow.

It has been quite a journey showing up every day and recording something for you.

Today is Thanksgiving, and I went to the gym, which was super crowded this morning, which is great because I think everyone wanted a little extra pie later on today. I can't have pie anymore because I can't have gluten, which is kind of a bummer, but I guess also good if I'm trying to get back in shape.

So today is Thanksgiving, obviously. I just want to make this a quick maybe, I don't know, I never know. But I want to make this a quick thank you episode.

And the things that I'm grateful for because of the Life Shift podcast. I just looked and I have recorded 166 episodes of the Life Shift podcast since I guess I first recorded them in the class.

So that may be February 2022. And I launched this show in March 2022. So I've talked to 166 people on the Life Shift podcast. I've been a guest on other podcasts and what a journey.

Thinking about how many people have trusted me with their stories.

A lot of them deeply personal stories, a lot of them sharing things that they say, at least in the episode, that this is the first time that they've said it or connected those thoughts together. And I'm just so honored to be a part of their journey, to have them as a part of my healing journey that I just never really realized that I needed.

So thank you to all of you that have been a guest on the podcast.

I have talked to many friends on the podcast, especially early on, and then since maybe a couple months into the journey, these have mostly been strangers, which I probably never would have met in that way because, you know, our paths probably wouldn't have crossed. But because this podcast exists, they did.

And I've said this before, you know, I show up to these episodes with very little research done because I want to be fully present and listen to their story in the way that they share it and then ask questions based on my own curiosity.

And what that feels like for me is a download for like an hour of their story in the most intimate of ways, and then asking the questions to kind of fill in the gaps. And by the end, I feel like I know them so well, that we're like friends or something.

And I don't know if that feels the same way for some of the guests that have been on the show, but for me it feels really personal and really great. And sometimes I'm like, oh yeah, we're friends. And then I remember that we just had that one hour together.

So I don't know, I'm just really grateful for it. And I hope that the guests that have been on the show are also grateful for the experience.

I also, even though I am just an indie podcaster, I don't have this resounding growth or success or whatever people deem as successful these days as far as charts go or ratings go or money coming in or any of those kind of things.

I am so grateful for the regular listeners of the Life Shift podcast and for the people that are tuning in for the first time because they know someone on the podcast and then they go back and find a couple other episodes to listen to. All of it is just thank you for taking the time. I know these episodes are an hour long most of the time and you commit to that.

And some of you respond in direct messages behind the scenes on social media, or you text me or whatever it may be. So thank you for listening.

Thank you for helping spread the stories and hopefully things that are said in each episode hit with you or resonate with you in a way that maybe makes you feel less alone or makes you think about something differently. So thank you for just listening.

Thank you to the people that share these episodes with other people and try to grow the show in, you know, whatever way, word of mouth. It really seems to be the best growth for us indie podcasters doing this as a passion project. So thank you for doing that.

If anything ever resonates and you want some kind of resource or an asset or something that would help you share it on social media or in an email or whatever, please reach out. I'm happy to give that to you because I'd love for the show to find more ears.

I also want to to thank Earworthy Frank of Earworthy and Discover Pods James for writing about the Life Shift podcast in such generous ways. I also want to thank Courtney with Podcast Bestie for always being willing to share about the Life Shift Podcast.

Thanks to Michelle for shouting out my name every once in a while because I help edit some of her episodes of My Simplified Life. So thank you guys for being a part of the industry and trying to help promote the Life Shift podcast and what I'm trying to do.

I'm so grateful for that. I'm grateful for my friends as well.

Friends, family, loved ones, all the people in my closest circle for not telling me to shut up about the Life Shift podcast. I know I talk about it a lot. I want to get it to more people and so that just means I have to talk about it.

So thank you for allowing me to talk about it so frequently and giving, giving me the grace when maybe it seems like, ah, that's all I'm talking about, because it is. But in any case, I'm super grateful for this journey. I'm super grateful for what it has taught me about myself.

It's given me a little bit more confidence in certain areas.

I mean, this 30 day experience of just showing up every day and just talking in no preparation and feeling comfortable enough to then just blast it to the world through podcasts and on YouTube. It's been quite a journey over the last couple years. So no stopping now again. I have episodes ready to go through January 21st of 2025.

I have a couple more to schedule to record this year to go into February of next year. So hopefully I can keep this going and keep on the same pace and everything and hopefully it just grows from here. So thank you.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving or day. If you're not celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope that you are finding spaces to be happy with what you are choosing to do in your life.

And if you're not happy, I hope you find the ways to make yourself happy. So that is it for day 28. I will be back tomorrow for day 29, which is almost at the end of this 30 day experience. So.

And I said experience that time I really meant experiment. But it's also an experience. So have a wonderful Thanksgiving or Thursday, whatever it is, to you and I will talk to you tomorrow.

For more information, please visit www.thelife shift podcast.com.