About the Author
Patti cultivates homegrown changemakers prepared to step into their power and work with others to create the world they want to live in. Get in touch to find out how you can grow the social changemaker in yourself and those you serve with Blue Roads Changemaker YOU.
When we feel stuck in life, that is the moment we have to ask ourselves the big question, “What can we shift to make things better?” For Changemaker Kat O’Sullivan, this is the key question to unleashing a life in which you can thrive. It is so easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities that we sometimes forget we have the power to make a meaningful shift… or as Kat calls it, a “Kat-alytic Shift!”
In this episode of “On Your Own Terms,” Kat shares her “Homegrown Solutions for a Patchwork World”. Watch the video of our conversation, listen to the podcast, and read the summary here. As you follow Kat's journey, think of the ways you can create a “Kat-alytic shift” in your life, too!
Homegrown Kat
When I was 16, I had this amazing opportunity to join "Up with People".
The group traveled all over the country providing live musical performances to promote positive messages about racial equality and multiculturalism. Only one hundred people were being selected to participate each year and Kat really wanted to join. Her parents were worried. They didn’t know how they could manage the cost and they were concerned she would be gone for almost a year. But Kat wasn't going to take “no” for an answer.
I picked up the phone and I called NBC Studios and asked to speak to Bob. That was Bob Hope! Miraculously, he was there and he came to the phone.
Bob Hope was kind enough to write a check for Kat to join the musical troupe. Raised in a middle-class family, she now had the opportunity to stay with families all over the USA, where she learned about many different cultures and walks of life.
Solution-Focused Kat
These days, as a speaker, coach and consultant, Kat’s goal is to create a meaningful impact on people and get them to say “Yes!” to the opportunities in their lives.
When Covid-19 closed the world down, her conviction to this mission was strengthened even more. Many businesses had to rethink their strategies because what worked before the pandemic was no longer feasible. During this time, Kat likewise reached a point where she was asking herself what she really wanted out of life in this moment.
My husband came in one day to my office as usual asking me, "Hey honey, can I get you anything?"
... And my immediate thought was...a new life!
After several days of deep reflection, Kat knew she needed to make a shift. She was happy with her marriage, she just wanted to change the way they were living. She asked herself, “What else is possible?” This question led to the decision to sell their home outside Los Angeles and relocate to Mexico.
Yes, in the middle of a global pandemic!
While many of us might do a double-take at this kind of sudden change, Kat challenges us, as she challenged herself, to think of it as a shift instead of a change.
“Change immediately creates resistance.”
Shift is more like an evolutionary process to go from where we are to where we want to be. No fixing is required. It's not that something's wrong or broken, it's just we have this opportunity to do something different.
Kat's Patchwork
I love it and there are moments when I'm like, "Oh my God, I can't believe we did this!" Then there're many more moments of, "Wow, I am so glad we did this!"
One thing Kat has noticed is the expats often think when they move to another country that they can recreate their life back at home. However, this is not the case. They have to adapt to the new culture and accept it as it is. When expats focus too much on changing the situation to fit what they are used to, they are missing a huge opportunity to connect, learn, and participate in the local culture.
Changemaker Kat
For me, it's all about the people that are put on my path day to day and inspiring them to really challenge their thinking, their perspective, and to ask questions.
If you want to experience a “Kat-alytic shift,” then you have to start with your mindset. Kat describes this as a 4 step process known as the 4 Cs. The first step is to have the courage to start. Have the courage to say “Yes!” to yourself and your desires. Step two is to get crystal clear on what you want in your life. Next is to commit to the course. What things do you need to be able to achieve this goal? And lastly, have the commitment to act. After all, nothing happens until you take action.
Tune in below to hear a sample from Kat's keynote speech on “Magical Disruption”.
Magic comes when you give yourself permission to pursue a new possibility.
To learn more about Kat and her work as a Changemaker, visit her website at https://katosullivan.com/ or email her at kat@katosullivan.com. You can also reach her via telephone at (323) 697-1166.
Kat O'Sullivan is a changemaker who's work supports several of the Sustainable Development Goals. You can see that she is an advocate for Goal #3 – Good Health and Well-Being. When we follow our dreams, we feel more whole and more capable. Goal #4 – Quality Education, Goal #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth and Goal #11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities are all also evident in her work. After all, when you realize your potential, you are able to bring greater and better things to everyone around you.
Please get in touch to let us know what YOU and people you know are doing to realize these Global Goals by the year 2030. We can sure do it if we all work together and take our place as Changemakers!
CHECK OUT our CHANGEMAKER YOU course to help you get started today!
Patti cultivates homegrown changemakers prepared to step into their power and work with others to create the world they want to live in. Get in touch to find out how you can grow the social changemaker in yourself and those you serve with Blue Roads Changemaker YOU.
