Well, here we are, for the second part of my interview with Michael Lee Stallard, a former Wall Street executive who quit to pursue his calling of helping people in the workplace make better connections with one another.

In the first interview, I called him a “lightworker” because he’s pursuing his passion of helping the working world feel a sense of purpose that comes with better interpersonal relations with one another.

The corporate world sorely needs this.    All you have to do is read the paper about how employees are seen as “expendable” by top management who seem to think everyone’s replaceable, especially during economic downturns.  Believe me, Michael has his work cut out for him!

This is going to be a short gratitude list.   (Photo Credit: flirianders)

It’s been a rather interesting beginning of the year.  When I say that, I’m actually trying to say it’s been a “strange” start for me.  What about you?

After coming off a great 2008 in every area of my life (physical, mental, professional, spiritual, etc), I was expecting to dive into 2009 with great anticipation and excitement but it has not turned out that way, much to my surprise.

While I’ve been “stuck” before, it’s somehow different this time.  It’s almost as if an internal shift is taking place and I’m being prepared for something mysterious.  These days, I find myself spending a lot of time alone, reading, reflecting and meditating.

Today’s interview is going to be a little bit different because Michael’s background is business leadership oriented BUT you will be touched when you read about some of the adversity he’s had to endure like dealing with a hidden disability and his wife’s cancer.

Not only that but like I did, he quit Wall Street to pursue a calling.  This interview has an interesting twist to it because I see him as a lightworker disguised in a business suit.  He once worked as a high powered executive for financial giants like Morgan Stanley before saying goodbye to Wall Street.  It was his wife cancer that triggered it but not for reasons you think it did.

Grateful Stephen Keeping Warm

“Be content with what you have-rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” LaoTzu

I was on Twitter this morning, going through other people’s tweets when I saw the above quote from Dhrumil, founder of “We Like It Raw.”  I immediately knew it would fit with this week’s long awaited gratitude post.

Hello!  Hello!  Hello!

I received the perfect inspiration to write my very first article of 2009 (the interviews don’t count) after writing an email to a friend of mine today about her own happiness.   (Photo Credit:  briguy_89)

I’m extremely thankful I feel inspired to write again!   I knew this would happen - Whoohoooo!

By the way, my first gratitude post of 2009 is also coming.  That’s taking much more time to create because not only do I have to organize a good handful pictures that I want to use but I also have much to say in gratitude.   So stay tuned!

Just the other day I received an email from a subscriber who wrote an interesting newsletter article entitled, “Are you Hiding?”  I had to laugh because that’s probably what I’ve been doing so far in this year.    I was telling a friend at church yesterday that I feel like I am in a funk.   Have you ever had one of those?  You’re in a funk, not exactly depressed but you’re not motivated either.    I think we all have them, including me.  Surprise, surprise!

I just haven’t been inspired to write a gratitude post even though I’m very grateful.  I came off a fantastic year in 2008 and you would think I’d be charging into 09 with full vigor and enthusiasm.   Well, sort of but not fully.  Ever been there?

Folks, Happy New Year!

Yes, I’ve been missing in action but don’t worry.  I’ll swing back into the groove.   I didn’t do the gratitude post last week not because I wasn’t grateful.  I actually have a huge list that I’m saving for later but after spending a fabulous week with my brother, his family and my folks for the holidays, I came home and degenerated into a cocoon for two reasons.

Well, did you all have a good holiday (assuming you celebrated something)?   I was away at my brother’s house in Virginia for an entire week and had a fabulous time celebrating Christmas with his family along with my Mom and Dad.    The week flew by all too quickly and before I knew it, I was back home in Ohio.    I’ll talk more about my holiday experience in the next gratitude post later this week.  (Photo:   Stuck in Customs’)

Luckily because I brought my new laptop with me, I was able to post the first of two parts of an interview i did with Lance from Jungle of Life last week and what a hoot it was!

1.  One of my favorite questions when I want to learn about someone is by asking them to give me their 5 second introduction when I pose the question:  “What do you do for a living?”

I’ll give you the 3-second answer:  I make people happy.

As I thought about this question, Stephen, I kept coming back to what is it that I really do provide?  What is it, at a higher level, that I do for a living?  I kept asking myself if this answer, really, was a legitimate answer.  Maybe it would seem too fluffy.  Not enough substance to it.  And yet, at a very core level, I do believe this is it.  For a more detailed answer on how I do this, my About page gets into a little more of the nitty gritty.

For those of you still in the workforce, I’ll bet you’re grateful that it’s the end of the week, right?

Well, that’s a good start, isn’t it?    You see, there’s always something to be grateful for if you just look closely.

Here - let me give you a gratitude quote I found online by someone named John Henry Jowett:

“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic”

Let’s take a look at what happened this week that led to constant renewal of gratitude for me:

Many of you have been asking me questions in the comment section that I can’t help but put up another “self interview” so I can answer them for you.    So please forgive me if I appear to be delusional and humor me for a bit, okay?

As you all know by now, I am extremely passionate about two things that have emerged this year.  Can you guess at least one of them?  (Hint:  It “started in September 2008.”)

Still can’t figure it out?

Okay, how about this….a good handful of you have been following me on this thing and you’re trying it out for yourselves.

Give up?

As I sit here and write the end of the week blog post, it’s snowing out there.  It’s one of those winters that when you look out the window, it’s breathtakingly beautiful but the moment you step outside, it becomes another story altogether!  (Photo:  vtpeacnik)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the beauty of winter around here.   In fact, I happen to live in the Valley where I’m surrounded by miles and miles of woods and state parks.   It’s one reason I continue to stay here.

I’m here at the Nervous Dog Coffee Bar in Akron, using my new laptop and writing my first-ever post away from the home office.  How cool is that?  (Photo credit:  Laughing Squid)

By the way, for those of you who are RSS/email subscribers, just so that you know, I have two articles for you today.  This one and “End of the Week Gratitude Theme # 54.”  Simply scroll up your email/RSS notification and you’ll see both of them.

I know, this is long overdue.    November 25th was the last entry I made with Part II of my interview with Philip McCluskey who lost half of his body weight (went from 400 to 200 lbs) on a raw food diet.  Have you seen his incredible weight loss photos?   If not, take a moment to visit both interviews and see for yourself.

Then BOOM, the Thanksgiving holiday came and went and now it’s DECEMBER!!

For those of you who are on my RSS/email subscription list, you will see two blog posts today.

Here we are, with Philip McCluskey, the inspiring raw foodist who lost half of his body weight in 2.5 years just from adopting a raw food lifestyle.  If you missed the first part, go see Stephen Hopson Interview with Philip McCluskey, Loving Raw, Part I of II before you read the final part.

Before we call Philip from the back, I just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!  I’ll be writing my weekly gratitude post at the end of the week as usual, after Thanksgiving.    Hopefully you’ll have a moment to look at it despite the holidays.