Adrian Starks:0:00Hi, my name is Adrian Starks and welcome to the purposeful life show on the champion up podcast. This podcast is for the courageous creators wanting to create a life of meaning at venture and fulfillment all while helping to make the world a better place. I’m happy you’re here and if you’re new to our show, make sure to give us that five star rating and subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. Also connect with us on Facebook and Instagram at champion up. It is always that one idea that could be your breakthrough. It’s time to step into your courage and believe the champion in you.
Adrian Starks:0:34Welcome back every one for joining the purposeful life show on the champion up podcast. My name is Adrian Starks and I’m the host. I’m happy to have you here and to make sure that you go to the APP store and to type in the word champion up to get that champion up app for some more amazing content. Also, give us that five star rating and make sure you subscribe to the show so you don’t miss out on weekly powerful episodes that we will be having and today’s a special day. Today we’re going to talk about gratitude being the new attitude and I have someone very special on our show and her name is Muskan Virk and she’s going to share with us her powers of gratitude. Hey Muskan, can you say hello to our audience here for us please.
Muskan Virk:1:11Um, hi guys, my name is Muskan.
Adrian Starks:1:14Well hello Muskan, and we’re happy to have you here and I am going to share a little bit about Muskan. Muskan Virk is the author of her book 365 days of gratitude at just six years old. She was curious to find out about a flyer she saw her grandmother had on a table that talked about the term gender equality. She asked her mother, Meera, and insisted that her mother explain to her what it meant. Muskan then was driven to action to change and to be a leader in this cause. From this cause, Muskan was able to develop a book 365 days of gratitude, which we’ll be talking about a little bit later today. But I’m so excited to be able to share this moment with you, with Muskan. Muskan, can you first tell the audience your age and what grade you’re in?
Muskan Virk:1:57Yeah, sure. I’m 12 years old and I’m in seventh grade.
Adrian Starks:2:0212 years old in seventh grade. She already has her own book. Imagine that. So if you’re wanting to know when should I be writing this next book or when can I get my book out there? Now is the time. No more excuses. All right, so Muskan, thank you for joining us today. And can you, share with our audience here a little bit about, you know, what you do as far as you talk about gratitude and, what did you do when you, like how did you first decide you were going to talk about gratitude in your book? When did the idea come to you?
Muskan Virk:2:36Yeah, so, um, when I learned about gender and equality, I started looking at all the bad things in the world. So what was bad and what I couldn’t do. So my mom helped me look at the good things and I started to write them down and then my perspective really changed. And that’s when I started to learn about the importance of gratitude and what it can do to help you in your life.
Adrian Starks:3:01I love that. The importance of gratitude and what it can do to help you and your life. Absolutely amazing. And what actually is gratitude? and why do you feel it’s so important for us?
Muskan Virk:3:16Yeah. Um, gratitude is being thankful for what you have in the moment to being thankful for the things that you have right now. Instead of saying that, I’ll be thankful once I get the new iPhone or a new car. So once you’re grateful now, then that’s what gratitude is. It’s been grateful in the moment, no matter what the circumstance,
Adrian Starks:3:38grateful in the moment, no matter what the circumstances are. you meet and you mentioned too about not waiting for the next iPhone, waiting for the next car. And by the way, with your generation, you guys are big on technology. What model of iPhone are we at right now? Speaking of,
Muskan Virk:3:55um, I think x access
Adrian Starks:3:59and I have no idea what that is(laugh). Yeah, I think I still have like iPhone seven or eight or something like that. You know, I remember when the first iPhone came out and I don’t even think you were born.
Muskan Virk:4:12No, I was not.
Adrian Starks:4:13Oh my goodness. It was like this really, like, it was like a brick. It was so big and we were like, oh my God, we can see things on the phone. We can actually watch a movies. It was so amazing to us. But we’ll get back to the matter. I’m going off on a tangent here about this IFO thing, but you know, being grateful for being in the now and what we have, you know, I had a chance to look over some information about your book and even inspired me to incorporate this 365 days of gratitude in my life. You know, we talked about the idea and how it came to you, but I also want to talk about, you know, why is this so important for us to know? I mean, I understand that people should be grateful, but why would it have an impact in our lives? Okay.
Muskan Virk:4:58Um, so gratitude, once you’re grateful in the moment, it has lots of benefits such as happiness, seeing things in different perspective and being able to see the good in everything. Like you’d see a light seeing light on a cloudy day. So being able to see the good in everything, wherever you are,
Adrian Starks:5:17see the good in everything, wherever you are. And that’s, I think one of the steps that we, that was going to ask you about. So I was going to ask you what are a couple of steps that we can share with our audience today? That we can start having and bringing some more gratitude into our lives daily. And so you’re saying that one of those steps, would it be being in the now, right?
Muskan Virk:5:34Yeah. So being in the now is one of those steps, but also what you want something really asking yourself, why do I want it? So something like a champion hoodie, that’s something that I, I wanted like I think maybe last week then I thought, why do I want that Hoodie? And then I thought it was because a lot of kids in my school have that Hoodie. So, but is that a good enough reason? Just because everyone else has it that I want it. So then I thought, oh, maybe I don’t want it. Maybe I just thought I needed it, but I didn’t. So I think seven back when you really, really want something and that’s when it’s hardest to be grateful for the things that you, that are around you because you really, really, really want something. But so like I really want to phone, but then I sit back and think, well what are some of the reasons that my parents haven’t gotten your phone too?
Muskan Virk:6:32Um, it’s probably because my parents dropped me off from picking me up from school and I don’t go anywhere by myself. So, so like that’s a reason maybe there, I don’t need a phone. So that’s why I think when we really, really want something, being able to step back and look at it from an outside perspective and why you really, really wanted that thing. And then being grateful and that’s when it’s hardest. But it’s when you need gratitude the most to be grateful for the things around you. So you don’t feel like you need something like that
Adrian Starks:7:05to be grateful for the things around you. So you don’t feel like you need anything outside of yourself. And that’s so important. And by the way, you have some spectacular parents.
Muskan Virk:7:13I do. Yeah. They
Adrian Starks:7:15They are absolutely wonderful and how they’ve been, you know, raising you and it just shows in this conversation of the intelligence and the amount of wisdom that you have. So I want to thank your parents for doing that for you and also keeping you away from this technology that seems to get us all very distracted. I know for me, when I can’t find my phone, I just want to rip the place to pieces because of like, where’s my phone? Where’s my phone? Where’s my phone? And I can’t really think straight. But what you’re telling us is that in what you’re sharing today is that, look, you know, you need to be in the now and not be so distracted. And I love that you’re able to have a sense of that at this age in your life and for the people that are listening right now, maybe you’ve got distracted with something else.
Adrian Starks:7:57Let me remind you, you know, the age of Muskan, she’s 12 years old and she’s in the seventh grade, but yet this person on this line with us today is teaching so much and I want you to be very mindful of the fact that wisdom is not about age necessarily. So don’t be turned off by this conversation. Wisdom is about experience and what you’re willing to apply into your life to help yourself and help other people and Muskan is actually doing that. Speaking of helping other people, you know, being in school, I know it’s very hard for children these days to fit in because it seems to be the paradigm to fit in, to try and have everyone like you and not to be different. And just to, you know, remaining groups so to speak, kind of like how society is really, you know, but in school, when you are this person that you are this powerful individual, this courageous creator, you are working levels of gratitude into your life on a daily basis and you see people, you, some of your friends and peers maybe. Do you ever like want to help them or give them some advice about gratitude or do you just wait for them to come and ask you because they probably they know you have a book.
Muskan Virk:9:07Yeah. Well, um, I do try to help some people, but the thing is that I can’t force this on them. So once they’re ready to hear the messenger of gratitude, it important then, then they’ll be, and they have, then they’ll listen and then they’ll be, then they’ll come and ask when they’re ready to hear it. But I feel that we can’t really force something on somebody like that. So you’d have to wait until they’re ready.
Adrian Starks:9:35You can’t force anything on anyone. You have to wait until they’re ready. I had a discussion with someone about this, about the difference between encouragement and suggestion. And a lot of times when we suggest things, you know it’s seen as you’re forcing something versus encouraging someone. That means they have come to you and ask you for help. And I love that you are already recognizing that because it takes years for people to get that down. And so, you know, when I was your age in school, I didn’t have a book. I didn’t really know what gratitude, what I thought gratitude was just saying, Oh yeah, thank you. You know, I really didn’t embrace the fact of it is a meaning and an embodiment of, of being in the present moment. So just to recap here for our audience today Muskan you were saying that to work gratitude into your life, one of the first steps is being in the now, right? Being in the now and then another step is being grateful for what you already have, the things around you. Yes, I love that. And so what has gratitude allowed you to experience more of in your life? I mean, has it brought you some, some benefits? Has It, have you noticed your life changing since you’ve been working gratitude daily into it?
Muskan Virk:10:56Yeah. Well, I feel that I’ve been a lot more happy and I was happy before, but I feel like I’m, I’m even more happy and just like little things can make me happy. I also feel that I will enjoy and make more memories with family because I am thankful for what they do, what they do for me. And I feel like the more time I spend with them, the more memories that we make. And I feel that’s another thing that I’ve gotten out of being grateful for them and what they do for me. Um, another thing is being able to see more opportunities so things they wouldn’t have seen before, like, um, maybe new friendship or late, something that I could do better. So that’s like one of the other things that have gotten, been working group gratitude into my life.
Adrian Starks:11:47I so hope when I have children someday that they can be like you, oh my goodness, I only wish that. Okay. So being grateful for your family and being here on this planet is all signs of gratitude and you’ve learned how he’s brought this, this accomplishment of things into your life. What would you like other people your age, and I’m going to keep saying this because I really feel like the younger generation right now, I mean the, the older generation generation, we have our concerns we always have, but I really feel like you and your generation, you are the champions of the future. Speaking of champion Hoodie, I want to go back to the word champion. The champion word is something that I really want you to embrace because you are a champion, you are a courageous creator. That’s why I wanted you on this show because what a champion is basically is an individual. It does not matter
Adrian Starks:12:43Your background, your gender, your race, your age, your culture, whatever it may be, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re a human being. You’re here on this planet and you have something that you’re wanting to do and to serve people with on a positive level that makes you a champion. And I really consider you a champion Muskan in what you are doing across this world. Even with your book tours and speaking with people, you know, I really feel like we are losing that sense of, of understanding of what it takes to be a creative person in this world. And I consider you to be someone very unique, but what would you like the people of your age to know about themselves?
Muskan Virk:13:32I want people to at my age to know that they are perfect the way they are. Even if the society or social media doesn’t tell you that because like social media has been designed to show you only the best parts of people’s lives. So you think that that’s what their life is all about. So you needed realize that that’s just the best 10 seconds or three minutes of their lives. But if you, but you are perfect the way you are and trying to fit in is way harder than just expressing your true self. So just being able to be who you are and no matter what and everything will fall into place.
Adrian Starks:14:16Oh Wow. Trying to fit in is much harder than being your true self. And that’s so important. So do you find in your group of individuals or peers that people are trying to fit in too much and that they’re kind of losing themselves in pursuit of trying to fit in?
Muskan Virk:14:38Yeah. I like, I also try to fit in all the time. Like I really want a phone and everyone else in most all my peers have a phone, but there’s only a few people who don’t. I want, when I told mom, then she’s like, oh my God, we should celebrate. We should call it over and we should celebrate. And um, but like in that moment I was like, that’s not something to celebrate because we’re the ones that don’t fit in. But then I realized that maybe the reason that we don’t have our phones because we don’t need one. And also that we need to learn how to express ourselves before we can express yourself like in real life before we can do it on social media or something.
Adrian Starks:15:21Learn to express ourselves in real life before we do it on social media. This, that was probably one of the most powerful phrases I have heard in quite some time and I’ve heard a lot of powerful phrases and this is coming from Muskan. So if you’re listening to this, and I’m sure you are, if you’re hearing us speak right now and you are a parent, I would love actually I more than love, I want you to play this episode over and over for your child because Muskan is the leader of her generation and she’s helping other young peers be leaders in this generation as well too. And she just said that it’s so important to express yourself first before you start doing that on social media. And how do we, and we know how social media has taken over everyone’s life, you know, the selfies and I love what you said about it, it’s only like five seconds of happiness or you’re seeing that person, I’m like, Oh, I wish I had their life. No, follow them around for a whole day. You probably won’t wish you had their life. (laugh) So I’m glad you brought that to light. Are there any new projects that you’re currently working on?
Muskan Virk:16:30So I have a few book ideas, but my next book will be a children’s picture book about kindness.
Adrian Starks:16:36Oh, a children’s picture book about kindness. Ah, that’s a really interesting perspective on kindness. Hmm. And is there anything else that you’re working on currently? Right now
Muskan Virk:16:49I’m not at the moment, no.
Adrian Starks:16:51Okay. But you’re still busy. I mean this like, once again, I’m going to say Muskan’s age. Muskan is 12 years old. She’s in the seventh grade and she’s creating some major impact here in the world. And the reason why she’s on this show , because she’s what I consider a courageous creator. And she has an idea about gratitude, about kindness, about really impacting the world. And she really wants to work on elements of helping people see that they don’t need to fit in and how many of us are trying to fit in. So this is absolutely wonderful. Muskan was there ever a time when you were, you know, in the midst of doing this, like creating your book from Your Journal and going on this journey of gratitude. Was there ever a time that you maybe felt some doubt, maybe like, oh, I don’t know if I can do this? Like some people feel,
Muskan Virk:17:45um, well, one of them, the book I was never doubtful about it selling because I didn’t really know what that meant because when I was eight, when the book came out, I didn’t really know that side of the book and how it got sold. But I did have doubts when I first shared, um, my, um, the, about the book and my message in like in my peer group, um, I felt that they didn’t really understand what was behind just those few words on a page. I felt that, um, they didn’t really get the message. But then, um, then once, like I talked about it with my mom and family, I realized, and I know this now is that maybe they weren’t ready at that moment to hear this. Maybe they weren’t ready, but they will some way somewhere down the road. So, and now I have no doubts because I know that people that might my book and my message need to impact it will impact them. But other people that doesn’t need to wait. And one day they might be those people who needs to impact. But maybe it wasn’t their turn or their time yet.
Adrian Starks:19:02So this is a key trait here. Everyone that is a successful individual who has got down the secret of success, of understanding that your mission is to stay on your path and to not be concerned with who doesn’t want to hear it or who won’t get it at the time, but only be concerned with delivering the message, delivering the service and knowing that eventually those who are meant to hear those were meant to understand it. They will come to and Muskan that is so valuable to have and I can see why that you have been so impactful and why people are really just, they’re all over this book that you have because I, I really enjoy the fact that you said 365 days of gratitude because, you know, we always heard the word gratitude, but I to say gratitude is the new attitude, but we do, it’s, you know, sparingly.
Adrian Starks:19:48We don’t really have ourselves, you know, be conscious of it on a daily basis. And what you are helping us to realize is that gratitude is an activity that we should incorporate into our life. Just like eating right. It should be done daily. Um, like sleeping. It should be done daily and we should be present, aware and grateful for the things and people around us. And so I want to really commend you on the courage that you have had in order to do that. And that’s why you’re such an amazing person. I have a courageous creator question for you and I call them courageous creator questions because I really feel like it’s a big question that only the people that I have on the show can answer because you guys are so wise and you think fast on your feet. Because you have to in order to to create things here in the world. But this is a good question and you don’t have to answer it right away, but just got to think about it just for a seconds, not too long, but just for a few seconds. What does your generation need to be more aware of in regards to life? Like what did he need to know about life?
Muskan Virk:21:01Um, I think what people in my generation need to know is that life is not going to stop moving at the rapid speed. It moves that way every day. But being able to stop and look around you and being able to be grateful when you truly need it most is the most important thing that you can do. Just being able to stay and step back and look from an outside perspective at everyone. Going, I like the speed of light, like being able to see everything and then being able to work on yourself and being able to be grateful for everyone around you at that very moment and for everyone who does things for you and that the things that you have. I think being able to grateful when you need the most is the most important thing that people should know.
Adrian Starks:21:58And that is a great important thing for people to know, to be grateful for the things you have, be grateful for the people in your life because we do, we live as if we have, you know, I think a great philosopher said this a thousand years to live and we don’t, and it’s so important for us to really understand that you have to be grateful for every single moment of your life and that’s hard to do for a lot of people because they’re living in a world, you know that everyone’s moving fast.
Muskan Virk:22:23Yeah. And it is hard for me to, to be able for grateful all the time. I like sometimes when I, when I want something or someone said something mean, I’ll just be like, oh, it’d be like Whoa, like, and then, but then I have to realize that like maybe it came from somewhere else and that I have to be grateful for everything that I have. And if I want something that I don’t need or don’t get like quickly, I should be able to be thankful for the things that I already have that maybe some people don’t. And for the people around me that support me every day.
Adrian Starks:23:03And that is it. And that’s why you are a courageous creator. Muskan how can people reach out to you and find out more about you?
Muskan Virk:23:10Yeah, so my website is muskanvirk.com and my Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Adrian Starks:23:18And it is officially said that this is the way to live life. Gratitude is the new attitudes. So for my people listening today, remember what Muskan mentioned earlier, being aware, being in the moment, being in the now. And paying attention to the things that you already have it for. The young people listening, follow Muskan on social media pages.
Adrian Starks:23:46You guys are already on social media pages. Just follow something constructive and positive. So follow Muskan learn more about the gratitude and work that into your life and to stop trying to fit in, but to be your unique self as Muskan has mentioned. Until then, everyone, I encourage you to be the courageous creator in your life. This is the purposeful life show and on the champion up podcast with myself Adrian Starks and thank you for listening. If you’ve enjoyed our podcast today, don’t forget to give us that five star rating and subscribe to the show so you don’t miss out on a powerful life. Changing content on future episodes also make sure to go to champion up.net for even more life changing content. Until then, I encourage you to be the courageous creator in your life.
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