When life feels overwhelming, the natural reaction for most people is to retreat, drift into some form of depression, and assume the pain or challenge they're experiencing is permanent.

But what if the hardest season of your life could become the catalyst for your greatest transformation? Today's episode is all about accessing inner strength, gratitude, and possibility when life tries to knock you down.

I'm joined by my good friend Matt Drinkhahn, author of The Eternal Optimist: It's Never Too Late and host of The Eternal Optimist Podcast. Matt is an executive coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, a devoted husband and father, and one of the most genuinely positive human beings I've ever met. But what makes his wisdom so powerful isn't that life has been easy for him—it's that he became an eternal optimist when life literally knocked him down so bad, he could barely walk for 9 months.

In our conversation, Matt opens up about the most challenging period in his life when a devastating zipline accident left him in a wheelchair, virtually unable to stand up, handle chores, or provide for his family. He shares how he battled excruciating pain, which tested his marriage in addition to fears of losing his career, and the possibility he may never walk again—and the three principles he used to rebuild his life from the ground up.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The Power of Eternal Optimism
• Setting Your Intentions to Transform Your Day
• The Zipline Accident That Changed Everything
• How The Miracle Morning Anchored Matt's Recovery
• The First Two Principles to Overcome Overwhelm
• Acceptance vs. Resistance: The Serenity Prayer
• The Third Principle to Overcome Overwhelm
• Remember that This Too Shall Pass
• How To Set Goals When You're Struggling
• Why It's Never Too Late to Change
• How to Connect with Matt and Get His Book

Get The Full Show Notes

To get full access to today's show notes, including audio, transcript, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit MiracleMorning.com/614

Subscribe, Rate & Review

I would love if you could subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review. This will encourage other people to listen and allow us to grow as a community. The bigger we get as a community, the bigger the impact we can have on the world.

To subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on iTunes, visit HalElrod.com/iTunes.

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Copyright © 2025 Miracle Morning, LP and International Literary Properties LLC

Isn't it easier to feel grateful when life is going well? Everything seems simpler when things are great personally, professionally, financially, and your relationships are thriving.

But what about when life gets tough? Maybe you're dealing with a broken heart, struggling to pay your bills, or facing a loved one's hospitalization. In those overwhelming moments, practicing gratitude can feel impossible, but it's also when we need it most.

In today's episode, I'm exploring why heartfelt gratitude has its greatest power not when life is easy, but when life is hard—and how  to shift your consciousness from resistance to acceptance. I'll share personal stories from the most difficult moments of my life and how gratitude became the most powerful medicine for peace and healing.

Finally, I'll walk you through a simple three-step daily journaling process to help you shift from resistance to acceptance and from suffering to strength. When you learn to practice heartfelt gratitude, you can move beyond surface-level thankfulness to cultivate gratitude, even in your darkest moments, so you can reclaim your inner peace.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The difference between intellectual gratitude and heart-centered gratitude.
• Why gratitude matters most when life feels unbearable.
• How gratitude transforms suffering into strength and fear into peace.
• The three-step journaling process to deepen your daily gratitude practice.
• A seven-day challenge to practice heartfelt gratitude and elevate your consciousness.

Get The Full Show Notes

To get full access to today's show notes, including audio, transcript, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit MiracleMorning.com/613

Subscribe, Rate & Review

I would love if you could subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review. This will encourage other people to listen and allow us to grow as a community. The bigger we get as a community, the bigger the impact we can have on the world.

To subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on iTunes, visit HalElrod.com/iTunes.

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Copyright © 2025 Miracle Morning, LP and International Literary Properties LLC

When you see someone talking to themself in public, your first thought might be that person is a little crazy and maybe has mental health issues. But what if it's actually one of the most powerful forms of self-leadership?

In today's episode, I'll show you how using your own voice can immediately transform your mental and emotional state, elevate your focus, and help you lead yourself through any challenge.

I'll share a story about a close friend who inspired me with his daily "self-talk" practice, and how I came to realize he wasn't acting crazy—he was actually being very intentional. Over time, I discovered that speaking affirmations and prayers out loud with intensity, not just thinking them silently, has a far more profound impact on my mental, emotional state, and physical nervous system.

Lastly, I'll walk you through a simple 14-day challenge that you can track and rate the impact it's having on you. Because the truth is, silence helps you observe your mind, but your voice can lead it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Why talking to yourself out loud isn't crazy, it's conscious self-leadership.
• How spoken affirmations and prayers can instantly shift your emotions.
• The science behind distanced self-talk and how it reprograms your identity.
• The difference that silence and speaking out loud has on your Miracle Morning.
• A 14-day challenge to strengthen your focus, faith, and mindset.

Get The Full Show Notes

To get full access to today's show notes, including audio, transcript, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit MiracleMorning.com/612

Subscribe, Rate & Review

I would love if you could subscribe to the podcast and leave an honest rating & review. This will encourage other people to listen and allow us to grow as a community. The bigger we get as a community, the bigger the impact we can have on the world.

To subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on iTunes, visit HalElrod.com/iTunes.

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Copyright © 2025 Miracle Morning, LP and International Literary Properties LLC