The Positive Persistence Podcast with Ian Bowen30 Apr 2025

46. Motion of Gratitude with Shannon Missimer

High achievers, listen up: What if gratitude isn’t just fluffy self-care, but a neuroscientific hack to rewire your brain for resilience? Shannon Missimer (founder of The Motion of Gratitude) shares her raw journey from postpartum depression to profound joy—and the exact gratitude framework that transformed her life (even when she could only be grateful for gravity).

Discover why gratitude isn’t about ignoring pain, but alchemizing it—and how to start a practice that actually sticks (no woo-woo required).

Key Takeaways:

1. How Shannon’s rock-bottom gratitude practice began with thanking the ground beneath her feet—and why this "absurd" starting point rewired her brain.

2. Why waiting to feel grateful before practicing it keeps you stuck—and how to create gratitude proactively (even on terrible days).

3. How morning/night gratitude rituals hack your reticular activating system to spot opportunities (instead of obstacles).

4. Shannon’s "Type A to Zen" shift: Why intentional gratitude (vs. robotic journaling) is the difference between busywork and breakthroughs.

5. How pairing gratitude with physiological tools (like breathwork) calms the nervous system 3x faster.

Timestamps:

00:00 - High Achievers’ Dilemma: Success Without Fulfillment

02:15 - Shannon’s Wake-Up Call: Postpartum Depression and a Husband’s Tough Love

08:30 - "Gratitude for Gravity" (The Practice That Changed Everything)

12:45 - Debunking "Woo-Woo Gratitude": The Neuroscience of Thankfulness

18:20 - How to Start a Gratitude Practice That Doesn’t Fizzle Out

25:10 - Morning vs. Night Gratitude: Which Is More Powerful?

31:40 - Breathwork + Gratitude: Shannon’s 2-Minute Stress Reset

38:00 - The 28-Day Gratitude Challenge (For Skeptics Who Hate Journals)

42:15 - Raising Grateful Kids: Shannon’s School Program for Students

Connect with Shannon Missimer:

The Motion of Gratitude: https://www.themotionofgratitude.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonmissimer/

The Motion of Gratitude Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@themotionofgratitude/podcasts

Connect with Ian Bowen:

Website: https://thepositivepersistence.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen?lang=en

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk

CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN:

Website: https://watchmemindset.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(118)

What If Not Fitting In Is the Point? With Mike Merkur

What happens when the way your brain works doesn't fit the way the world expects you to learn, work, or live?Mike Merkur spent years being told, directly and indirectly, that he didn't fit. He was thr...

7 Okt 43min

The Evidence That Proves You Can Handle It

What if the proof that you can handle what's coming next is already written in your past?In this solo cast, Ian Bowen shares a powerful conversation he had with a client facing a life-changing challen...

30 Sep 9min

From Adoptee to Invincible with Mark Steiner

What if the story you've told yourself your whole life about why you weren't wanted was never the truth?Ian Bowen sits down with Mark Steiner, CEO of GigSalad, who was adopted at birth and spent decad...

24 Sep 44min

The Lightness Method with Virginia Scheuer

What if the key to creating lasting change isn't just changing your mindset, but learning to work with your body, your nervous system, and your sense of purpose?In this episode of Positive Persistence...

16 Sep 46min

Life After Impact with Diana Ashworth

What happens when you walk into the hospital for routine surgery and leave paralyzed from the waist down?Ian Bowen sits down with Diana Ashworth, a certified transformation and empowerment coach who e...

9 Sep 31min

36-Day Water Fast with Jaclyn Orent

What keeps you going when the road gets harder than you ever expected? For Jaclyn Orent, perseverance wasn't about simply pushing through. It became about discovering a purpose bigger than herself and...

2 Sep 37min

Rebuilding Your Life with Daniel Bradley

What happens when you realize you've lost sight of who you are, and that rebuilding your life is no longer optional? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Daniel Bradley, host of the Braving the B...

26 Aug 42min

Cancer, Homelessness, and Joy with Alexi Bracey

What if joy isn't something you find after life's hardest moments... but something you can choose to create along the way? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Alexi, a cancer survivor, motivatio...

19 Aug 33min