S2E6: Breaking Free From Limiting Beliefs With Kristina Fattorusso

In this episode of Purpose Project, host Leslie Pagel interviews Kristina Fattorusso, an entrepreneur and realtor who found her purpose in an unexpected way. Kristina shares her journey from corporate America to a thriving career in real estate, driven by her passion for helping others. The discussion explores the importance of aligning personal purpose with professional life, overcoming limiting beliefs, and maintaining a balanced mindset. Kristina offers insights into how purpose and passion integrate into the workplace and the benefits for both individuals and businesses.

00:00 Introduction to Purpose Project

00:21 Meet Kristina Fattorusso: Entrepreneur and Realtor

01:42 Discovering Personal Purpose

02:51 Purpose in the Workplace

06:23 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

07:26 Kristina's Journey to Real Estate

14:45 Aligning Personal and Business Purpose

19:37 Mind, Body, and Spirit: Integrating Purpose

20:52 The Power of Routine and Time Blocking

23:17 The Importance of Connection

26:05 Maintaining a Positive Mindset

28:33 Purpose in the Workplace

34:11 Final Thoughts on Purpose and Limiting Beliefs

Purpose Project is a research study on the topic of life's purpose. You can follow along in the making of Purpose Project:
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Captions are auto-generated.

Transcript

Leslie: 0:04

Purpose can have a way of showing up when we least expect it, and this story is a perfect example of that. Hi, my name is Leslie Pagel and welcome to Purpose Project. In this episode, I sit down with Kristina Fattorusso. Kristina is an entrepreneur, she's a realtor, and she is someone whose path to purpose happened in a very unexpected way where her instincts led the way to a thriving business, rooted in her purpose of helping others Kristina brings powerful insights about purpose in the workplace. Let's take a listen. Kristina, thank you so much for being on Purpose Project. I am looking forward to having a conversation about how purpose shows up in the workplace.

Kristina: 0:55

Thank you so much, Leslie. I'm looking forward to it.

Leslie: 0:59

Before we dive into the topic, share a little bit with us about you. Who is Kristina, both personally and professionally?

Kristina: 1:09

Sure. Um, so Kristina Fatso. I live in Northern Pennsylvania. I was born and raised in New Jersey and then made it over to the Pennsylvania side back in 2001. Um, I've been in corporate America for 25 years and then I delved into real estate, which I've been doing for almost eight years. Um, I work with my husband, so we're a team and I'm licensed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. So it's been fun to see the corporate side and now as a 10 99 employee on the other side.

Leslie: 1:39

Very cool. Very cool. Um, a question that everyone gets asked on purpose project is, do you have a personal purpose and if so, what is that? I.

Kristina: 1:52

My personal purpose is to help other people. Um, I have this innate, uh, I guess feeling that I get so excited when I help other people. So that's why real estate has been such a good fit, because I get to help people, whether they're selling or buying or investing, um, sitting at that closing table and just seeing the smile on their face, that that's all the satisfaction I need.

Leslie: 2:16

Yeah, I remember home shopping about 20 years ago and um, yeah, it's a big investment and having people to help you alongside that, um, I can imagine is a rewarding I. A, a great way of living out your purpose.

Kristina: 2:33

Definitely. Yeah. And, and you know, it's their biggest financial, decision and move that they're gonna make. So it gives me great pride and also comfort to know that they trust me and that they, I can help them with that entire process from beginning to end.

Leslie: 2:49

Absolutely. So season one of Purpose project was very focused on individuals who had clarity in their purpose, and they were living it out every day. And one of the things that I recognized is that I. Sometimes they were living it out through their work, like getting paid for it, and other times they weren't. And it, it got me really interested of this topic, which we're here to talk about today of purpose in the workplace. Mm-hmm. And would love to hear your thoughts on how, just, how does purpose show up in the workplace?

Kristina: 3:27

So I, I feel that, you have to have a passion for what you're doing. So if you don't, and it's like a nine to five grind and it's, I always think of that commercial time to make the donuts. So if you have that feeling, I don't feel like that's really suiting your inner purpose. If you, if you get up and you're excited to do what you wanna do every day, and you don't pay attention to the time, um, my, my day flies by and, you know, I, I don't have. Set hours and, and I don't think, oh, I have to do this or I have to do that. I just, I do the work and I don't think about it. So I feel like you have to be passionate about what you're doing and, and that from, that stems your purpose.

Leslie: 4:09

Mm-hmm. Yeah. That is definitely something that emerged in season one is this, this overlap of purpose and passion and. And it was almost like, the passion was how purpose was lived out. Yeah. It's kind of what you're saying is like, if you can find your passion in the workplace. Then it could be a place that you could live out your purpose.

Kristina: 4:38

I agree. And I feel like also, you could have your passion and it could take you, to different places to find your purpose. So, you know, you could pick an industry, um, something that you're good at and, and it could stem to other opportunities if you're passionate about it and you have that innate purpose. That drives you forward. And I feel like it's also about energy. So if, if you're open to that, you're gonna draw those experiences to you. Whereas if you're in something that you don't enjoy, um, and you're not happy about it, then it's, again, it's, it's kind of like you're, you're just going to work and there isn't any other purpose that you're getting out of it.

Leslie: 5:18

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I have to imagine that there are people out there that are doing that, right? They're, they're working in jobs. That aren't aligned with their purpose is, have you ever been in that situation?

Kristina: 5:34

Yes. Yeah. Um, you know, starting out in corporate America, at first you, you just wanna get a job. You wanna be able to have benefits and get paid and, and, um, then you can, you can build on that. But, um, there are positions that people are in that they're not happy. Um, and you could either sit by the wayside and just. Keep doing it and be miserable or think, you know, this is it, or, and those are limiting beliefs. Or you can expand and think of solutions instead of focusing on the fear. Um, you know, and the limitations. You can think outside the box and think, okay, I'm not happy doing this. What am I good at and what drives me? Um, and that's gonna propel you forward. Hmm.

Leslie: 6:21

I love that. Could you say a little bit more about the limiting beliefs?'cause that's the first time that's come up on the show.

Kristina: 6:29

Okay. Yeah. Um, you know, the, there's people with limiting beliefs. You could think, I don't have enough money, I'm not good enough to do. Um, you know. Said task, and, and you, you get in your head. So when you think of, uh, the saying, mind over matter, if you, if you kind of get out of your head and stop sticking to those limiting beliefs, which you know, it, it turns into negativity. And so again, that's what you're drawing to yourself. If you're stuck in, I'm never gonna have enough money, I can't pay my bills. But if you open yourself up and remove those limiting beliefs and kind of expand. The way that you think and because what you think, um, you can make that a reality, right? So if you're focused on that all the time, that's what's, that's, you're gonna stay there. But if you, if you remove those limiting beliefs and get past that, then sky the sky's the limit.

Leslie: 7:23

Yeah. Yeah. Do you mind sharing your story of getting to being a realtor?'cause. Yeah, you shared it with me and I think it's a, I think it's a story of fate really. Um. I don't know, but yeah, share it.

Kristina: 7:41

I, I definitely think it was fate. So I was in corporate America, um, at the time for 20 years, and, uh, they had eliminated 11,000 people. Um, anybody that was a director above. And so of course I was. Heartbroken and thought, oh my goodness, now what? And I was driving the one day and I saw this sign outside that said, real estate classes start today. So I just kind of, my, the steering wheel, I didn't even think about it. I just kind of. Pulled into the parking lot and went inside and, and asked if I could sign up for the classes. And, um, it took about three months and then you had to sit for your test. But I just, I, I love it. Um, I've always loved houses. I love working with people and helping people. And my, uh, first year I had rookie of the year, not only for my region, but for the company. So, you know, again, it, it goes to the point that you may not think that you're good at something, but if you have an innate passion. For something. I, I feel like it draws it out and, um, you know, I, I, at first, I'm not gonna lie, I was worried about, you know, as a realtor, you, you could, you, the typical person, you could probably make 30,000 the first year, and then you build on that. Mm-hmm. Um, because you don't get paid if, if, if the transaction doesn't close. So. Um, I actually, uh, was, was thinking about that and then I got a call from a vice president that who was also laid off and he went to a different company. Um, and he asked me, he said, you can work remotely, can you come work for me? I know you're still doing real estate, so you could do both and, if you get into a bind, just. Just talk to me, tell me if you have a closing and, and I'll cover for you. So it was like I couldn't even create, um, a better situation or scenario. And I did that for three and a half years. And then I was solid on the real estate side. And so I decided to leave corporate America altogether. So again, it was, you know, the limiting beliefs at first. Like, oh, I'm not gonna have enough money. How am I gonna pay? And then after that, I just thought, I can do this. I, I can make this work. And then, you know, different, a different opportunity came along.

Leslie: 9:54

Mm-hmm. Had you, at the time that this happened, where you lost your job, you see a sign and just gut instinct respond to it at that point? Did you already have? Clarity in your life's purpose.

Kristina: 10:12

So I, I like to do a dream board every January. I feel like it sets the year. Um, and I went back and looked at my dream boards and I noticed that they all had different houses, like the architecture or different rooms I love to read. So I always had a picture of like a chair sitting in front of a built-in bookcase. So I've always been drawn to that and, and I, I kind of laughed when I thought about it. Um, it was kind of like I was, I was planning it and then, you know, the opportunity came up and I just pulled into the driveway and signed right up.

Leslie: 10:47

Wow. Yes. Yeah. At that time though, was it clear to you that like. That I want to be working in a job to help people. Like I,

Kristina: 11:00

it was, so that's, I did think about that, that, I've been working for these companies and working toward their goals and, what do I like to do? What's my goal? And, and it was, um, working with other people or how could I help other people and, and real estate, I mean, that's. That's the whole job description in a nutshell, is that you're helping other people. So it, it was a nice transition and I, and I thought, you know, I wanna work on my own. I wanna be creative. And being a realtor, you can get creative with that. So I went and, I took my broker's license for Pennsylvania, so I have my broker's license, so I don't have to sell all the time. I, I could go and, and run an office, open an office or, um, you know, there's different opportunities with management. So even though you're, a 10 99 employee, there are other avenues. I know some realtors that go on to be appraisers. Some that do interior design. And staging. So a again, with the limiting beliefs, don't just think that you're pigeonholed into a certain career. Mm-hmm.

Leslie: 12:07

Um,

Kristina: 12:07

just think about what you're good at and what you're passionate about. And then it won't feel like a job.

Leslie: 12:12

Yes. Yes. And how important is it from your perspective to find a job where you are living your purpose?

Kristina: 12:27

I think it's very important. I think about, grandmothers or grandfathers have said, oh, our advice always was you should stay in that job. You should do that. You have to make money and you have to have benefits. And so that's what we're raised with. But, as I get older and have nieces and nephews and, they're starting college and, that's what I tell them is, do do what you love. Do what you enjoy because life is too short and, and you don't wanna look back and have regrets or think about coulda, should, or would've. instead, dig into what you're good at and you're gonna attract good opportunities to you. So again, it's about the energy, the mindset, and honoring yourself really,

Leslie: 13:08

Uhhuh, absolutely. And, yeah, it's, to me, what I hear there is having clarity and yourself, and who, and what lights you up and where your strengths are too, and what you enjoy doing, and not having the limiting beliefs that, well, I can't make money from that, you know?

Kristina: 13:31

Right.

Leslie: 13:32

Because you never know.

Kristina: 13:35

Yeah. I've been reading, a book actually by Napoleon Hill, think And Grow Rich, and he talks about Henry Ford and Henry Ford didn't finish high school. He, I don't even think he finished, uh, grade school. I think he went to school, up until a certain age. And then, he had a job. But look at, what he did and how he turned out and, the impact that it has, not only on, our country, but the world.

Leslie: 14:00

Mm-hmm.

Kristina: 14:00

So you think about that, and again, like he, he wasn't stuck in a limiting belief. He, he was following what he was passionate about and people told him, you know, I, in the book it said he, he told his employees, I want you to create a V eight engine. And they tried to do it and he stepped away and three weeks later he came back and said, how's it working? And they're like, we still haven't figured it out. And he said, you're gonna figure it out. You're gonna make it work. And, and then he came back another three weeks later and they had figured it out, but he wasn't gonna take no for an answer. And innately he knew that he had the brain power and they were gonna figure it out. And they kept, getting down on themselves and they're like, this is impossible. And he's like, no, it's not. You're gonna figure it out.

Leslie: 14:43

Yeah. Yeah. So we've talked about, living in a job, working at a job where you can live out your purpose mm-hmm. And how, and the employee's perspective of that. Right? How life is short. Find something you love, do something you love. But let's take a look at the business side of it. Why is it good for business?

Kristina: 15:07

So for, for business, and I guess we could use the Henry Ford example too. Um, that's a company and, they're in business to grow and also to have an impact on their consumers and they want their consumers to come back. So, it's important to make sure that all your employees are on the same wavelength in terms of your goals and having a mission. Statement and driving that forward in the culture. And so if you're building, a strong culture, then you're gonna be successful. You're only as successful as your people are. So just making sure that everybody's on the same page and marking, marching toward. The same goal. And then also thinking about the impact that it has. And, and another example in that book was, um, bill Gates with Microsoft. And you think about that with, with computers and how it's grown over the years and all the, the software and what we can do. And with ai and, you know, no one has an alarm clock anymore. We ha we have everything on our phone between the cameras. Flashlight, the alarm clock. So, um, those are companies that had a mission and then they just kept building on it and growing.

Leslie: 16:19

Yeah. Yeah. And bringing people in that aligned their purpose. Right. Perhaps to the purpose of the business. Yeah. Yeah. One of the things that I've noticed in this season is when I ask the question. How does purpose show up in the workplace? There's two perspectives that come up. There's one, the employee's perspective, which is what you talked about when I show up to work and I'm living my purpose through that. The other is the perspective of the business and the purpose of the business and what we just talked about it feels like is when those two overlap, when you can have employees in the business. That are aligned with the purpose of the business, great things can happen.

Kristina: 17:11

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And that's both grow, you know, individually you grow and then as a company you grow. So it's a way

Leslie: 17:19

that mm-hmm. When it seems like that is a little bit of your story, the success that you've had, right?

Kristina: 17:29

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I never thought that. That would all transpire. I thought that I would probably be at that company and retire, but, when you're throwing a curve ball, you just have to keep your options open. But I also believe, there's greater forces at hand. And to your point, it was fate. And, um, you know, people say, oh, you're so natural at it. And I don't feel like I'm natural. I'm just passionate about it and it makes me happy. So.

Leslie: 17:56

Yeah. Yeah. When Rookie of the year, I mean, you had a successful. Start.

Kristina: 18:04

Yeah. And I wasn't expecting that either. And I honestly didn't track my numbers or anything. I just, would go and help people. And so when they came to me and told me that, not only for our region, but for, it was for New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. I'm like, oh my goodness. I had no idea. So. Wow.

Leslie: 18:24

That's awesome. Thank you. I'm hearing a lot of positives, right? You know, when we work at a job that is aligned with our purpose, it doesn't feel like Monday. When it's Monday and you know all the things and it benefits the company. But are there any downsides from your perspective or from your experience?

Kristina: 18:45

I would just say because you're so driven and you're so passionate about something, um, that people think you're available 24 7. So, and I, I like to be super responsive, but at the same time, I have to take a step back and remember, you know, I have personal life too, and, and I have a husband and a dog and chickens, and I have to make sure, you know, everyone's taken care of. So, um, I, I do feel like. It could be draining. You have to be mindful of that. So just practicing gratitude, um, every day and having a routine, um, time blocking helps. Okay. Um, and just making sure that, you know, you're taking care of mind, body, and spirit. It's not just you're grinding and, and, you know, helping everybody. Because if you're not healthy, then you can't help anyone.

Leslie: 19:35

Right. Yeah. So, mind, body, and spirit, where, where does purpose fit in those? Where would you put it?

Kristina: 19:43

I would say spirit. Um, I feel like, we're all born with, a strength, whether we, we know it right away. You know, there's some people, I, I think about Andre Bocelli and how beautifully he sings and his son sings with him and his, his daughter. Um, it is it genetics? I think about that too. Are you born with these abilities? Um, especially when it's all in one family. But other people, you figure it out later in life, um, as you plug away and you, and you have some, some failures, um, and, and you step up from that and look within to see what's going on. Where do I wanna go? Um, why am I here? You, you ask all the deep questions and I feel like if you're always. On a high, you're not gonna be able to get to the core of that. So, you do need some failures, um, in order to, to overcome them and, and challenges so you can look within to see how you can be a better curing.

Leslie: 20:42

Yeah. Yeah. And going back to the mind, body, spirit, take care of the whole person as well, right? Yeah. I love that because, I started Purpose Project, the idea came up almost a year ago and I found myself a little bit of wrestling with this feeling of wanting to go all in and I have another, I have a job that I do. and then purpose project is. My passion, it's that thing, but I find myself wanting to pour so much into it and having this perspective of mind, body, spirit, and you've gotta take care of all of them. And purpose kind of fits in the spirit, but, but. I, I need to balance it all. I can't put it all into spirit. Right. Yeah,

Kristina: 21:35

right, right. I know. It is, it's definitely a balance. Um, and I, I think with the time blocking, that helps because that's another thing, um, especially as a 10 99 or self-employed. Person. People are gonna wanna start to contact you as soon as they wake up. So they could be texting at six 30 in the morning, or nine 30 at night. Um, so also thinking about a routine, like, I'm not gonna look at my phone until 9:00 AM when I get up. I'm gonna take care of me. I'm gonna do some gratitudes. I'm gonna read something positive. I'm gonna exercise and then I'll be ready. Because again, if you're not taking care of yourself, you're not gonna be in the right mindset. And, um. You know, you, you're, you're going to be able to better serve them if you're in a better mindset.

Leslie: 22:21

Yeah. Did you just walk us through your morning routine? Is that your routine?

Kristina: 22:25

I did, yes. I also like to write two personal note cards and send them out to, people that I know, or past clients. And I feel like I have some pen pals now. And you know, you don't really get a handwritten note card anymore. So I, I have people that are like, I, I love that I have it up on my corkboard because I just don't get them. So I love that. Or, or I have, um, past clients that have sent me gifts for Christmas, like a beautiful hand-painted ornament, and I didn't even know that about her, that she's an artist and that she hand paints. Paints things. And um, so it's fun to learn more about people and share, and I feel like when you're in the right profession and you're following your purpose, that those, those little perks pop up too. And, and you, you create, uh, greater bonds with people.

Leslie: 23:15

Yeah. Well it is, that is one of the things that I learned from season one and, um, it's the word connection. And the power and importance of connection. And it's in three regards. It's connection to ourselves, it's connection to each other. And then connection to the environment. And you spoke to both the first two for sure, with your daily habits, your routines. Yeah. So every morning you write a, is it a daily routine where every morning you write two? I do it, um, Monday through

Kristina: 23:52

Friday. I give myself a little, you know, on the weekends I try to sleep in if I can a little bit. But, um, yeah, I, I do it Monday through Friday and, and, um, I'll write it down so I don't forget, you know, it could be a month or two later and I'm like, did I write that person a note cart? So, um, you know, I have my stamps, I have my note cards, I have everything ready. And, uh, I also, it's, it's, uh. It's soothing for me, um, just to, and it's not like a short note. I, I, I listen to people when they talk, so it's, it's asking them, you know, how did it go with, with, um, your son and how does he like college or, it's personable.

Leslie: 24:31

Right. And

Kristina: 24:32

again, it comes back to the connection and, and that's important to me.

Leslie: 24:36

Yeah. Yeah. So, to reemphasize this point, it is taking control of your day. And a great way to do it is to protect your mornings. Yes. And uh, don't pick up the phone first thing, right? It can wait. It's gonna be there. Take charge. Start your day the way you wanna start it.

Kristina: 25:00

Right. And we're so trained to look at our phone because that is everything. It's like our computer in our hands. So I just feel like if you're looking at it, then your heart rate goes up and you're thinking, oh my gosh, I have to, I have to hurry up and I have to do this. And it kind of, if, if you do that, then it's gonna throw off. Again, giving yourself that time and that solitude and, and just thinking about the day and your goals. And, I have a planner and I'll look at it every day and write down. So if I know something's happening the next day, I'll make sure that's top of mind, so I'm not just going freely and about my day. I, I have a set time schedule.

Leslie: 25:38

Yeah. Yeah. I love that.

Kristina: 25:41

Obviously people, they'll throw you some curve balls especially in real estate, if I have a listing and, a pipe burst in the basement, then of course that's gonna throw your, your day off. But, you know, other than that, uh, you just, you try to stick to the schedule and if you miss something, then carry it over to the next day.

Leslie: 25:57

Right. Don't let it. Completely derail your routine. Yeah. Just, it might be a little blip, but get back on it. Right. Yeah. I love this idea of limiting beliefs and the stories that we tell ourselves and, I think there's a story in there about, well, I need to check the phone, you know, and it's, no, we don't. We just slept through the whole night. Another hour, hour and a half. Isn't gonna change anything.

Kristina: 26:25

Right, right. I remember someone, giving me, an analogy. Think about when you're walking in Manhattan, in New York and all the people, and just think of like little bubbles over their head and the thoughts that they're thinking and it's, you know, chaos and, you know, if you attribute. To all the thoughts in your day, so you, you know that you're gonna have a lot going on and plus you are having people contact you and they're having problems, so why not take that time to just kind of sit and be grounded and then move on with your day,

Leslie: 26:57

right? Yeah. Do you feel like that practice helps you throughout the day? We talked about the morning, but how does that help you? In the middle and end of the day,

Kristina: 27:09

it definitely does. And even, sometimes during lunchtime, I'll meditate, I'll take a couple minutes. And again, it's just, it's grounding yourself, because things can get crazy and I just think it's so important to, again, take care of you. Whether you're working for a corporation or you're. Or yourself and, a friend, when I worked in corporate America, it would be so crazy and he'd say, let's just go outside and do a lapper on the building and just look at the clouds. And you could just feel your heart rate go down and it was like you hit the reset button and it could only be for 10 minutes. Um, so I think that's really important for people too.

Leslie: 27:48

Yes, yes. And that is the impact of connecting to the environment. It really is. Yeah. It's going outside and looking at the stars or the clouds or the snow. It's snow. There's snow on the ground here now at the time that we're recording this, so

Kristina: 28:05

yes. Yeah. And I, I do, I walk the dog, I try to walk him every day. Obviously if it's like 20 degrees out, I won't, but I do feel like that helps reset. Um, and I've met people on the trail that I've become friends with, or originally they didn't know my name, they just knew my dog's name and they'd say, hi, Vito. So I love that too. I love, again, coming back to the connection and people, and, you know, bringing people together. I, I love that.

Leslie: 28:31

Yes. Yes. It does feel like your purpose is really intertwined in your business, in your personal life, in your community. It's, it's a part of all the things that you do.

Kristina: 28:46

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. And

Leslie: 28:48

we can't separate it at work. Right. We don't put a purpose to the side and then go to work. Right. Right. Yeah, I'm imagining that there are people in this world that go to a job and they do have to put their purpose aside. Any advice for them?

Kristina: 29:08

I would just say, um. Just think about again, what you're good at and, and you know, every, like I said, everybody was born with a talent, whether you know it or not, and just really delve into that and think about it and what you enjoy and just. Dream and, and think, you know, if I didn't have to come to this job, what would I do? Um, I love to travel, so again, that ties into real estate. I get to travel to different areas. Um, I, I had a listing that was two hours away and my husband came with me and I did an open house, and then we, we went out to dinner after that. So try to, try to make it fun too. Just get creative and, and have fun.

Leslie: 29:50

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Any other things left unsaid on the topic of purpose in the workplace or purpose in general from your perspective?

Kristina: 30:02

In terms of advice, just whatever you do, um, with your purpose, always do it with integrity. Um, and again, honor yourself and, and I always say go with your gut. So if something doesn't feel right, follow that because it's like a, an internal tuning fork. So, um, you know, it's, it's, you. Telling you something, whether you know it or not. So listen to that. Don't ignore it. Um, and, and just follow your heart and, and I know you'll land where you're supposed to.

Leslie: 30:32

Yeah, and you did that when you turned that car that one day, you know, in response to the sign. Right. It sounds like that was gut just saying, well, let's go.

Kristina: 30:42

It was I, yeah. I didn't even know I was turning. I was like, oh, I guess I'm doing this. I'm committed.

Leslie: 30:50

Oh, well, I love it. I do. I believe that we spend so much time at work and. Uh, I do think that why, even in a job where it might not directly align with their purpose, that we can make connection points to it. And so, looking for those connection points, doing it with integrity and enjoying the benefits of it.

Kristina: 31:14

Right, right. Yeah. And having fun and, and, and living in the moment too, that's important. Mm-hmm. Um, sometimes I feel like when you're, when you, especially if you're working for a corporation, you get into their goals and you're trying to accomplish them. And then again, it's like time to make the donuts. So if you sit back and have fun and think, okay, this is almost over and then we're gonna do this. Um, so just don't, dread things, have a positive outlook. Um, my mom would always say that with about math, I don't love math. So, and I remember taking a calculus class and she would say, think of it as the most exciting thing that you've ever done. And I was like, I don't know about that. But it does, it changes your thought process. So again, we're the master. Of, of our own creation. So we have to think about that and what drives us and, and just, you know, have hope and faith that it's gonna take us in the right direction.

Leslie: 32:13

Yeah. Well, and the power of the mindset, you know, and I think of it as the power of the words. And this example, I love it of, you know, I have to do this, I have to take math class. Right, right. Versus I get to, I mean, so many people would love to get to take math class, um, right. You know, and just, uh, uh, the power of the words. But it's a mindset thing. It is the, what we say to ourselves. Right. Just switching it can really take something up a bit.

Kristina: 32:48

I've always heard that too, about if you, if you're having a bad day, say you get up and you stub your toe, and then it seems like the rest of your day is like that. If you just kind of sit back and hit the reset button or go outside, go for a quick walk, um, it changes your mindset. So I, I agree. I feel like everything is driven by your mindset.

Leslie: 33:07

Yeah. When you're in it, like I'm imagining, you know, stubbing my toe and then everything just kind of falling apart. How do you push the reset button when you're just so. So wrapped up in all the things that are happening and you're in that head space of just, this is awful, this day's awful.

Kristina: 33:29

I, again, it comes back to the connection. So, you know, I could be driving in one state and showing like five houses and then I have to go over to the other side of the fence and, and show four other houses. And it's just connecting with the people and then say they had a bad day and they're telling me about it, then I'm thinking, mine's not really, not that bad. I stubbed my toe. You know? Mm-hmm. So just putting it into perspective, I think that that helps.

Leslie: 33:55

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And checking in with yourself there. Yeah. Yeah. Being mindful of what you're saying. Yeah. It comes back to the listening to those stories and then adjusting'em. Mm-hmm. Definitely love it. Anything else, Kristina? I, I, I don't think so. I think we covered a lot. I do too. I appreciate you being on Purpose Project and sharing your experience, your tips, your, um, advice. I, I think that everyone deserves a job that aligns with their purpose and you've shared. Some practical ways that we can do that. So I appreciate you.

Kristina: 34:38

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Leslie: 34:40

Kristina is the first guest on purpose project to bring up the topic of limiting beliefs. She reminds us that limiting beliefs can be found in most people. It's that inner voice in the back of our mind saying, you don't deserve, you can't. You're not enough. She reminds us that when that negative energy is connected to our passions and to our purpose, it holds us back from fully stepping into our life's purpose. But what if we could reshape those limiting beliefs into limit? List beliefs into a voice in the back of our head saying, I can. I am enough. I deserve this purpose doesn't ask us to be perfect, but it does ask us to be present, to be aware of that voice in our head, and it asks us to step forward with a mindset of positive energy. So what beliefs do you have that are limiting your potential? And how can you reshape those? Redefine those into a voice of positivity, a voice of opportunity. Kristina, thank you for being on Purpose Project, and thanks to all of you for tuning in. Purpose Project is brought to you for education and for entertainment purposes. This podcast is not intended to replace the advice that you would receive from a licensed therapist or doctor or any other qualified professional.