From Darkness to Light: Laura Bratton's Journey of Grit and Gratitude
When life throws a curveball, how do we find the strength to keep moving forward? In this powerful episode of Living the Dream, host Curveball interviews Laura Bratton, an inspiring author and founder who lost her sight due to an eye disease at age nine. Laura's journey from darkness to light offers profound lessons on navigating life's most challenging transitions with grit and gratitude.
Laura's story begins in a doctor's office between second and third grade when her parents received the devastating news about her deteriorating vision. While the nine-year-old Laura couldn't fully comprehend the magnitude of what was happening, by age fourteen, the reality hit hard. Sitting in geography class one day, she suddenly couldn't make out the letters on the board—just black blobs where clear text should have been. This marked the beginning of her grief process, starting with denial and moving into the overwhelming feeling that "I can't do this." The anxiety and depression that followed were intense, but something remarkable happened along the way.
What transformed Laura's experience wasn't an overnight shift in mindset, but rather the steady presence of community around her. Her parents approached each day with determination, her older brother treated her no differently than before, and her friends remained constant. This external "grit" slowly transferred to Laura herself. Instead of thinking "I can't do this at all," she began believing "maybe I can do this for the next hour" or "maybe I can get through today's classes." This gradual shift laid the foundation for her resilience. Similarly, gratitude didn't come naturally at first. When a mentor suggested Laura write down three things she was grateful for each day, her initial reaction was skepticism. How could she feel grateful while losing her sight? Yet through consistent practice, she discovered gratitude wasn't about being thankful for the blindness itself, but for recognizing what helped her navigate through each difficult day.
This profound personal experience led Laura to found UB Global, an organization dedicated to helping people navigate change and diversity using the principles of grit and gratitude. Through speaking and coaching, she provides resources for people to acknowledge the difficulty of their circumstances while simultaneously choosing to move forward. Her book, "Harnessing Courage," serves as another resource for those facing major life transitions. The title itself carries dual meaning—referring both to the physical harness Laura uses with her guide dog and the emotional process of gathering courage to face challenges.
What makes Laura's approach unique is her emphasis on balancing grief with forward momentum. She advocates giving yourself space to acknowledge difficulty and pain, sitting with grief for a time rather than trying to push past it immediately. This acknowledgment, she explains, actually provides the mental power needed to move forward. But instead of trying to solve everything at once (which leads to overwhelming anxiety), Laura recommends taking life moment by moment, hour by hour. This measured approach makes forward progress possible even in the most challenging circumstances.
Laura Bratton's story reminds us that significant change doesn't have to derail our lives permanently. With the right mindset, community support, and practical strategies like cultivating gratitude and taking things one moment at a time, we can navigate even the most difficult transitions. Her message offers hope and practical wisdom for anyone facing life's inevitable challenges and changes.
