Jennifer Grace: “How To Develop Mindfulness And Serenity During Stressful Or Uncertain Times”

Do Random Acts of Kindness. A new study from the University of Hong Kong shows random acts of kindness can help boost your mood. Send an Instagram or Facebook message, a genuine compliment, to three people right now. Cook a meal or do a load of laundry for a friend who is going through a difficult time. Give someone something personal of yours that you think they’d like that you are not using anymore.

As a part of my series about the things we can do to develop serenity and support each other during anxious times, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mindset Coach and Happiness Expert, Jennifer Grace.

Jennifer Grace is a Mindset Coach and Happiness Expert, who teaches her clients how to use mindfulness and emotional intelligence to overcome obstacles, cultivate their vision and transform their lives. She uses the “CIJ Clarity Catalyst” based on the famed Stanford University Master’s Degree Course “Creativity in Business” to empower people with practical and proven techniques to take their personal and professional lives to the next level.

As a world-renowned coach, Ted X Speaker and Hay House Published Author (Directing Your Destiny) Jennifer works with corporations including Prada, Facebook, Turner, HCI, Whycode, and Entrepreneur Organization.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I was at a crossroads in my life after leaving my work as a SAG actress and my marriage of 7 years. For two years I desperately tried to “find my purpose.” I started 6 companies, made 6 logos, 6 websites, and ultimately had 6 failures. I was trying to please everyone around me and do too many things at once. When the alimony settlement ran out and the start-up companies never reached their finish, I reached out to my mom who suggested I take a coaching course. This 8-week life changing course was first taught at Stanford University by Dr. Michael Ray and taken out of the classroom and into the world in 2002. Jim Collins, one of the world’s leading authorities on personal development, called it “the most profoundly life changing course taught at the Stanford Graduate School.”

During my own Journey as a student taking the 8-week curriculum I realized that this was my purpose, to get certified to teach this course, and bring it to students in South Florida.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

I am always a firm believer that failure is not an option. That if you do not reach your goal on the first, third, or tenth try, you brush yourself off and try again. When I first submitted my book to Hay House to become published by them, they rejected me. Most would give up and go home. I was committed and clear that I wanted Hay House to be my publisher. I went back and asked lots of people in the literary world to look at my book proposal to see where I could improve it…they all told me the same thing: The proposal was great, but I needed a bigger platform. So, I hit my FB and Twitter, got my numbers up, and I even got myself booked on a National Television show talking about the book I had written. I re submitted my book proposal to Hay House and they said YES! Next thing I knew, they gave me a Radio Show and my time slot was in between Ester Hicks and Wayne Dyer…my career skyrocketed. Moral of the story..dare to suck, fail, and fall on your face…eventually it will lead you to greatness.

What advice would you suggest to your colleagues in your industry to thrive and avoid burnout?

To have a daily practice of mindfulness, meditation, and reflective writing…or at least 30 minutes a day of quiet “me time”.

What advice would you give to other leaders about how to create a fantastic work culture?

To communicate compassionately with one another. To not blame, shame, and criticize. To “take it to the source”. If you have an issue with someone, let them know how you feel…not everyone else at work.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer — in one of the last chapters he speaks about the quickest path to enlightenment is that no matter what your circumstance is…that you could still be happy. I remember a really hard time that I had with my son when he turned 15, with hormones raging he began to take all of his anger and frustration about being a teenager out on me. It got so bad that we had him go live with his dad. When he left, I thought I would die without my kid. Reading Michael’s book had me realize that even in the worst of times…we could still choose to be happy. Although I felt tremendous sadness and I missed my son, I would still focus on the things that I did have in my life that brought me joy. Within six months he came back home and we have never been closer. This book was lifesaving for me during this time.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. Many people have become anxious just from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. The fears related to the coronavirus pandemic have only heightened a sense of uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to develop serenity during such uncertain times? Can you please share a story or example for each.

From your experience or research what are five steps that each of us can take to effectively offer support to those around us who are feeling anxious? Can you explain?

Step #1 Create a Joy Jar. Write out 10–20 things that bring you joy on small pieces of paper, fold them up and put them in a mason jar. Decorate it with fun stickers. Anytime you are feeling sad or lonely, pick out one from the joy jar, and just do it. Some ideas could be: Create a playlist of uplifting songs to rock out to, call up a friend who always makes you smile, snuggle with your pet, watch a funny movie with someone you love, and many more activities that are simple, and best of all, FREE. Studies have shown activities like these activate dopamine and endorphins in the brain, which make you happier.