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  • Don't Lose Your Yes-And

    Don't Lose Your Yes-And
    2026/09/03
    Yes-And is the practice of letting confidence and doubt, courage and fear, exist at the same time without letting the negative fear cancel out the strength in you. In this episode, Karen shares how this simple shift has helped her make hard decisions, take more risks, and keep moving even when uncertainty shows up.TRANSCRIPT:00:01 Hi, this is Karen Thrall.00:03 Welcome to the Don't Lose podcast where I share a story that is meaningful, inspirational life lesson.00:09 And I'm really fortunate because today I'm filming this at Lake Louise, Alberta.00:14 And for those of you who watch on YouTube or Instagram, I'll add the photos.00:20 And it's such a stunning place to be.00:24 Today's episode is Don't Lose Your Yes-And.00:27 It's something that I've been practicing for years and as I practiced it over and over again, I just get more and more seasoned and and what I noticed this year is that it's becoming something that I do almost on a regular basis.00:44 And even this week, this week I was noticing, I was practicing it several times.00:49 An example of yes, and would be let's say you're super confident about something and then all of a sudden you question it or you have an anxiety about it.01:00 And what we tend to do is we'll allow the anxiety to overpower the decision we make or will allow the anxiety to overpower our confidence and then it cancels it out.01:12 And if you're anything like me, when I'm confident about a decision I'm making and I have anxiety that creeps in or fear or doubt, it stops me.01:22 And so I see myself like at a base of a mountain.01:25 My goal is to get up the mountain.01:28 And I'm confident I'm going to get up the mountain, but then I doubt myself.01:33 And then I'm just running the base of the mountain just aimlessly because a negative and a positive, they cancel each other out.01:41 Yes-And for me is saying both exist at the same time.01:46 Yes, they're in conflict.01:47 Yes, they contradict each other, but they are allowed to exist at the same time.01:53 I can be really confident about a decision I make and I can feel anxiety.02:00 I can do both.02:01 I can feel really good about a direction I'm going to take and I can be really afraid as well.02:10 Yes-And they're working together.02:12 This has helped me tons in my life because I find it empowers me and it just gives me fresh perspective.02:21 It grounds me it it keeps me standing.02:25 So I'll give you an example this week.02:28 As a business owner, there are times where I have to make really serious decisions.02:34 And they're heavy decisions because I have to weigh it out.02:38 And out of the blue, one of the leaders I work with, and we're really close, we've worked together for years, She sends me a text and it says, your career is thriving with all these exclamation marks.02:51 And I thought, what?02:53 What made her send me that and I realized when I read it that that was true.03:01 So here I am.03:02 My career is thriving and I have to make some really serious business decisions.03:08 But what was happening is the big decision that I'm supposed to make scared me, worried me, created anxiety in me.03:16 It made me doubt to the point where I thought is, am I done?03:23 Is this is this a sign that the chapters closed on my company?03:28 No, it's that I am thriving in my career and I'm afraid or I'm doubting.03:34 Both exist at the same time.03:37 And that's OK.03:38 The goal is when you feel doubt or anxiety, you don't let it cancel out the confidence and the strength and the groundedness that you have.03:50 And that's what we tend to do.03:52 Think of things in your life that you're really positive about, where you're really confident about. It could be your job, it could be a relationship you're in, it could be a dream you have, it could be a vision for your life that you really want to see to happen.04:11 And then these negatives come in and they creep in.04:14 Do they shut you down?04:17 Do they influence you to the point where you start to just freeze and decide maybe you're not going to go ahead with it after all because it got hard.04:30 That's when the Yes-And comes in because you go Yes, I'm determined to chase after my vision, my goals, and I doubt myself.04:42 Both can happen at the same time.04:44 Social media.04:45 I I have been told for years to be more myself, that yeah, yeah, yeah.04:52 I post things about coaching and business, but who are you and why don't you just be yourself?04:59 And it's terrified me.05:01 There have been many, countless times I have created a post that's just normal, just about who I am.05:08 Nothing.05:09 And I delete.05:10 But I second guess myself.05:13 This year I have been practicing Yes-And.05:16 Yes, I'm posting more of myself and awkward and and flawed and imperfect and all those things and I'm terrified yes-and.05:25 And I'm OK with that.05:28 I'm OK with that.05:30 The biggest thing that yes and has taught me is it all belongs.05:36 It all matters.05:38 Two things ...
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    7 分
  • Don't Lose Your Color-Coded Friendship Boundaries

    Don't Lose Your Color-Coded Friendship Boundaries
    2026/08/28
    Not every relationship is meant to stay as close as it once was. In this episode, Karen shares her color-coded way of looking at friendships, workplace relationships, trust, and what happens when the people in our lives naturally evolve from where the relationship first started.TRANSCRIPT:00:03Hi, I’m Karen Thrall. Welcome to the Don’t Lose Podcast, where we talk about stories that have meaning, life lessons, and something worth thinking about. I’m filming this week from beautiful Revelstoke, BC, surrounded by mountains and rivers. Today’s episode is called Don’t Lose Your Color-Coded Friendship Boundaries, and we’re talking about how relationships evolve in both our personal and professional lives.00:47I’ve often struggled with what to do when a relationship starts to feel different. Sometimes I feel hurt, confused, pressured, drained, or even deeply grateful and connected. But what happens when you notice the relationship changing?01:16Years ago, a friend showed me a program for elementary school students that used colors to help kids understand kindness, friendliness, bullying, and how to respond. I thought it was brilliant, and it made me think this applies to adults too. So I expanded the colors. Today we’re talking about green, blue, yellow, orange, red, grey, and black. As you listen, think about the people in your life and where they might fit.02:40Green is the deepest circle. These are the people you trust completely, the ones who see you on your worst days and still love you. They know the everyday version of you, they journey with you, and you can fully be yourself. This group should be small. These people have earned that place in your life through trust, consistency, and time.03:48Blue relationships are also strong and lasting, but they may not be part of your everyday life. They may live far away or simply not see every side of you, but the connection is still easy and trusted. You confide in them, share things you wouldn’t share with most people, and there’s a natural bond. Both green and blue relationships require emotional investment, and there’s reciprocity. It isn’t one-sided. There’s a mutual sharing of life.05:20Yellow is for people you genuinely adore, but timing, geography, or life circumstances keep the relationship from becoming deeper. These are the people you think, “If we were neighbours, we’d probably hang out all the time.” You may only talk once a year, but when you do, it feels easy. They hold a special place in your heart.06:29In the workplace, yellow might be the colleague you love having lunch with or working alongside. You have great camaraderie, maybe you go for happy hour, and you enjoy each other. But your lives outside work are different, so the friendship doesn’t necessarily move into weekends or vacations. You still value and appreciate each other.07:17Orange moves us into more social or professional relationships. You might have a great boss who mentors you and plays a huge role in your career, but there isn’t necessarily emotional intimacy. Or you might have people you love seeing at parties. You laugh, connect, and have a great time, but you keep your cards a little closer. The relationship is warm, but there is more distance and less emotional investment.08:46Years ago, I heard someone say, “We may not be friends, but we can be friendly.” That stayed with me. Not every good relationship has to become a friendship. Some relationships are perfectly healthy at the surface level, and that can be enough.09:27Red is what I call the barista relationship. It’s simple, polite friendliness. Someone knows your coffee order, you smile, say hello, and treat each other kindly. Red is old-fashioned kindness. Anyone can sit there. And there may be people in your life who actually belong there, even if you’ve been trying to keep them in a deeper circle.10:18During COVID, many people started rethinking relationships. When routines disappeared and people weren’t socializing the same way, some friendships naturally drifted. It raised a question: am I investing in this relationship because it still fits, or simply because I always have?10:47Relationships evolve. You may have a colleague you never want to stop working with, and then one of you leaves. At first you stay connected, meet up after work, and make plans. Eventually it may fade. That doesn’t mean the relationship failed. It may simply have belonged to a particular season of your life. You can still hold that person in your heart and appreciate what the relationship was.11:34Give yourself permission to let relationships change. This was hard for me. I felt pressure to maintain relationships at a level they were no longer meant to be maintained at. If someone didn’t respond, I would wonder what I had done wrong. But the colors helped me see it differently. Maybe we’re just not blue anymore. Maybe we’re orange now. That realization brought relief because I didn’t ...
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    19 分
  • Don't Lose Your Love For Detours

    Don't Lose Your Love For Detours
    2026/08/20
    Listen in as Karen shares what detours have taught her about holding onto the things that have always been part of who you are, loosening your grip on the plan, and enjoying the unexpected places life takes you. Because sometimes a detour brings you back to where you were headed, and sometimes it changes where you want to go.*****TRANSCRIPT:00:00 | Welcome to Don’t LoseKaren welcomes listeners to Episode 3 and explains what Don’t Lose is about: storytelling with meaning. Every week brings a story with lessons and inspiration we can draw from. This episode is recorded from the beach at Cultus Lake, British Columbia, a place filled with fond memories.00:44 | Don’t Lose Your Love for DetoursKaren introduces four stories about detours and what they’ve taught her about life, plans, identity, adventure, and the unexpected places we sometimes end up.00:54 | Three Memories From Age 14Karen remembers three things vividly from when she was 14. She would spin a globe with her eyes closed, stop it with her finger, and imagine traveling wherever it landed. During math class, she drew little icons representing her friends and their personalities. She also constantly imagined herself becoming an executive in the fashion industry.Two close friends exposed her to that world early. Lena was already designing clothing and selling her designs in boutiques. Her sister Letta was an international model who appeared in fashion magazines at only 14. Through them, Karen discovered the world of fashion, magazines, creativity, and business.03:22 | The Dreams Didn’t DisappearThose three things Karen imagined at 14 didn’t happen until she was in her 40s. The years between were full of adventures, stories, disappointments, pain, and life.Yet the detour didn’t stop who she was at 14. Those desires were uniquely hers, and eventually they found their way back into her life.Her first lesson about detours: You don’t know what tomorrow brings. Love the detour, but don’t lose yourself in the detour.04:50 | The Wrong Turn in the MountainsKaren shares a literal detour. While driving through the mountains, she accidentally got on the highway going in the wrong direction. She assumed she could simply take the next exit and turn around, but several exits didn’t have on ramps.When she finally found one and got back on the highway, she ran into construction and bumper to bumper traffic. The mistake added about 30 minutes to her trip.Karen could feel herself getting angry. What surprised her was that she wasn’t angry at the traffic. She was angry with herself.Why?Because she had a plan, and she was mad at herself for thwarting it.06:01 | Plans Are Better in PencilKaren realized the anger wasn’t necessary. The detour reminded her that we’re not completely in control of our plans.Plans are better written in pencil, not ink.There’s nothing wrong with having a plan, but we don’t know what tomorrow holds. We don’t know what surprises, interruptions, or unexpected experiences will come our way. A pencil and eraser leave room for the plan to change.07:24 | “It’s Okay, It’s an Adventure”Karen admits she’s terrible with directions. When she and Cory travel, wrong turns and missed exits happen regularly.Instead of getting frustrated, they’ve developed a response: “It’s okay, it’s an adventure.”When they find themselves on an unfamiliar road, they’ll say, “We’ve never been on this road before. Oh look, something new.”That shift invites them to look around, enjoy where they are, and notice something they never would’ve seen if they hadn’t made the wrong turn.A detour doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost your way. Sometimes it’s simply an interruption on the way to where you’re going.What can you see that you would’ve never seen before? What adventure is waiting for you because you took the detour?09:37 | Getting Lost in ParisKaren shares a favorite memory from traveling through Paris with her friend Laura. They spent one day walking through the city and another riding bicycles, often without knowing exactly where they were going. Karen loved it because it fed the nomad in her.One day, they rented a car and traveled outside Paris to Nantes. When they returned late that evening, they needed to fill the rental car with gas.Karen was the navigator, which was already a problem given her history with directions.What should’ve taken 10 minutes turned into an hour and a half.Karen didn’t realize the gas pumps they were looking for could be standalone pumps tucked between buildings. She kept looking for a traditional gas station, missing turns, getting distracted, and rerouting them through downtown Paris.11:49 | Bump, Bump... What Was That?As Laura patiently drove and Karen continued trying to figure out where they were going, they suddenly heard bumps and people honking.Laura asked, “What was that bump? Why are they honking?”Karen casually responded that Laura had driven through the ...
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    15 分
  • Don't Lose Your Willpower

    Don't Lose Your Willpower
    2026/08/12
    How do you stay strong when life takes an unexpected turn and changes everything?A three-month-old monkey taught me a secret about willpower that changed my perspective.TRANSCRIPTION:I'm Karen Thrall, welcome to the Don't Lose podcast.Every week I'm recording this in a different location. In this episode I'm sitting on a park bench in Blaine, WA.Don't Lose is about everyday stories and the lessons we find in them. Let's get started.This episode is called Don't Lose Your Willpower.There are so many layers to willpower, so I'm going to stick to three things I learned from a story I experienced.First, a definition so we're all on the same page.Willpower is having a strong determination that allows you to do something difficult.There's a difference between willpower and motivation. Motivation isn't necessarily difficult. Willpower is.My question to you is, what is hard right now for you?Is it finances? Is it your job? Are you looking at your career going, how did I get here? This is not what I signed up for. Is it health? Is it a difficult relationship in the workplace or personally?What is hard?No matter how great life is, we all have something difficult where we need willpower.There's a story that took place in Rishikesh, India. I was visiting my daughter, and she said, do you want to meet Tulu?I was really excited to meet this little monkey named Tulu.When I met her, she was three months old. My daughter met her at two months, just after she'd been rescued, abandoned and left to die.She was frail, weak, and alone. And not only that, she had lost three of her limbs. All she had was one arm left with her hand.Her adopted dad had been nurturing her for the month before I met her.When we showed up, the first thing Madison said was, "Look how strong she is."With her willpower activated, she was getting stronger and stronger.I need to give you a little information I learned. Female monkeys are born into a troop and remain in that troop.While I was there, I saw countless monkeys, a dozen at a time, sometimes 20, 30, 50. Every day I saw troops of monkeys and moms with babies hanging on their underbellies. It was beautiful.All this was happening before I met Tulu.The reason I want you to know that is Tulu will never be part of a troop. She will never again cling to her mother's underbelly. She will never be a mom. She will never live in the jungle. She will never be part of her family. She will never swing tree to tree.That life's done.One of the things that diminishes our willpower is the past. What I was, not who I am today.When you want to find your willpower, it starts by accepting who you are today. Your life today, all of it. This is my reality. This is my life.From there, you start to regain your willpower.Tulu will never experience what was. She only has now.What I watched in her was a monkey learning how to be a monkey without any other monkeys. She was innately, naturally a monkey.This hardship did not take away who she is. A lot of times in hardships, we lose a bit of ourselves. She didn't. She explored more of who she was becoming.Her hardship invited more of who she is.She learned how to use two limbs to move around the floor. She'd scoot with one hand and her bum. Hand, bum. Hand, bum. She figured it out.She figured out how to climb a curtain using her hand and teeth until she got to the ledge so she could look out the window.Her adopted dad would hold out his finger and she'd grip it with her tiny little hand. He would swing her as if she was on a vine, back and forth, and I'd watch her body.Her body instantly started acting like a monkey's body. Free and flowing and carefree.She loved the sensation she instinctively knew was in her.It didn't look like what it was, but it was still there.She instinctively wanted to sit behind my daughter's head and look in her hair for bugs, dirt, food.All of that was her true self, even through the hardship.Her willpower gave her the ability to find herself.Number one, don't look in the past if you want to have willpower. Look at your moment right now and find your willpower to get through this difficult thing.Two, remember who you are.We experience loss all the time. We know what it is to grieve something or someone we don't have. Willpower helps us find ourselves again.To increase our willpower, we stay in the moment, in the now. That's what gets our willpower stronger.As an executive coach, I often pull life lessons from stories in my past. At my age, I have a lot of them.But when I share stories and hardships that required willpower, I'm telling you the story after it's done. I've already experienced the strength from that story.That's not what I want to do in this podcast.I want to tell you a hardship I'm going through now, while I'm in it, where willpower scares me.My hardship might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me.This podcast is my hardship. It's provoking me to do something difficult.This year has been an incredible year of teaching me ...
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    13 分
  • Introduction

    Introduction
    2026/08/05

    What if the stories you've lived weren't meant to diminish you, but to shape you into more of who you are?

    In my intro, I share why I started Don't Lose and the simple phrase that sparked it all: "Don't lose yourself." What began as a personal reminder grew into a podcast about the human tensions we all face and the ways our experiences influence how we live, lead, connect, and grow.

    Each week, we'll explore a new story. Each one is a reminder to never lose our curiosity, our courage, our purpose, or our humanity.

    Transcript:

    00:02 Hi, this is Karen Thrall.

    00:04 Welcome to the Don't Lose podcast.

    00:06 And every week I'm going to share a story.

    00:09 And in that story, we're going to discover how it impacts the way you live.

    00:15 The way you connect with others, the way you build community, the way you lead.

    00:21 And we're going to, through the stories, explore ways that it inspires us and reminds us not to lose our curiosity, not to lose our connection with people, not to lose our purpose, not to lose our courage, not to lose our humanity.

    00:40 It's so easy to experience something in your life, a story, that compromises who you are.

    00:49 And every story in your life and mine.

    00:52 Is there to shape us and where we evolve into who we're becoming.

    00:58 All along the way, the one thing that is not supposed to happen is where we lose who we are.

    01:07 And the whole purpose of the stories and circumstances and events that take place in our life is not to shrink us.

    01:16 It's to help us evolve into more of who we are, not less.

    01:21 How many times have you lost yourself?

    01:25 How many times have you compromised yourself?

    01:29 I started thinking about "Don't lose yourself", this was the phrase that was coming to me, "Don't lose yourself".

    01:37 I thought it's time to do a podcast.

    01:40 And it's not about what we do for a living or who we are.

    01:46 It's really how stories impact us.

    01:48 And our journey together is to discover, to discover more of who you are and who you're becoming.

    01:57 I do have one request and that's to subscribe.

    02:00 I know no surprise.

    02:01 Everybody wants you to subscribe.

    02:03 It does help actually.

    02:05 And then my three favorite places would be my newsletter, which there'll be a link in the intro and also Instagram and YouTube.

    02:13 I will be on all the platforms.

    02:15 Instagram will also show you the visuals that go with the story and YouTube will be the video of this podcast.

    02:22 So those are my three, but you can subscribe to any of the platforms.

    02:27 I appreciate it all.

    02:28 Thank you for listening.

    02:30 Thank you for journeying this out with me and I look forward to us getting to know each other and connecting.

    02:37 You're always free to contact me.

    02:39 I welcome it.

    02:41 And here we go.

    02:42 Don't Lose.

    Here are three ways you can follow Karen on social media:

    1. [LINK] Sign up for Karen's newsletter to receive her most recent articles and upcoming events

    2. [LINK] Subscribe to Karen’s YouTube channel

    3. [LINK] Follow Karen on Instagram

    Thank you!

    Karen

    Thank you for your support! My three favorite ways to stay connected are:

    1. Sign up to my newsletter (LINK)

    2. Follow on Instagram (LINK)

    3. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (LINK)
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    3 分