You finally land the million-dollar investment, or close the deal you've been chasing for months, or hit some ambitious goal that never felt realistic… and then, right in that moment of pure joy, a less enjoyable thought crosses your mind: "What if I lose this? What if I can't deliver? What if this is as good as it gets?"

In this episode, we explore why joy is actually our most vulnerable emotion and how foreboding joy (that tendency to imagine disaster in our happiest moments) might be actually limiting your capacity for greater success. Drawing from research and my experience working firsthand with my clients, we reveal how gratitude becomes the antidote to fear and the key to expanding what you can hold in your business and life.

Episode Summary:

Through stories of entrepreneurs feeling foreboding joy after experiencing success along with moments and insights from neuroscience and positive psychology, this episode transforms how you think about joy, vulnerability and your capacity to receive more. You'll learn why your nervous system associates success with danger and discover practical tools to rewire this response through gratitude and somatic practices.

Key Takeaways:

The Vulnerability of Joy:

Understanding Foreboding Joy:

The Gratitude Solution:

Building Capacity for More:

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Introduction to the pattern of joy and heartbreak [02:30] The special moments with kids that trigger foreboding joy [04:00] Client story: Raising the first million and immediate worry [05:15] Client story: Landing the deal and fearing failure [06:45] Why joy is our most vulnerable emotion [08:00] Brené Brown's research on foreboding joy [09:30] The nervous system's response to success [11:00] How gratitude rewires our response to joy [12:30] The neuroscience behind gratitude practices [14:00] Research on gratitude and long-term thinking [15:30] Personal breakthrough with coaching conversation [17:00] Building capacity to hold more success [18:30] The Taylor Swift joke that created permission [20:00] Four practices for expanding capacity [21:30] Regulating your nervous system after wins [23:00] Upgrading your self-concept for success [25:00] Building emotional range for all feelings [26:30] Two approaches to gratitude practice [28:00] Transforming vulnerability shudders into gratitude [29:30] Final thoughts on receiving joy

Memorable Quotes:

 "Joy doesn't make us grateful. Gratitude makes us joyful."

"The higher we rise, the more there is to lose."

"Gratitude doesn't just make us happier. It expands our capacity to hold more joy, more success, more money, more visibility without collapsing into fear or stress or shame."

"When our nervous systems associate success with danger, we will unconsciously avoid it."

"Success isn't a once in a lifetime thing but the new level you've achieved."

"Being a visionary is not just about dreaming big. It's about learning to hold the emotional range that comes with success."

"When life gets good, let's not rehearse tragedy. Let's instead receive the joy, breathe it in, and tell ourselves, thank you."

Your Action Steps:

Resources Mentioned:

About This Episode:

This episode challenges the assumption that success should feel comfortable. We reveal why our greatest moments of achievement often come with a side of dread and provide a scientific framework for expanding what we can hold. Through vulnerable personal stories and proven practices, you'll learn to stop rehearsing tragedy and start receiving the success you've worked so hard to create.

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