The Day My Book Lit Up Times Square: A Journey in Gratitude and Receiving

There I was, standing on a platform in Times Square, my book in hand, about to go live. Around me, thousands of people rushed past—tourists snapping photos, street performers drawing crowds, the organized chaos that is Manhattan on any given day. And above me, on one of those massive digital billboards, was my book cover. Whispers Within Us.

My heart was pounding. Not just from excitement, though there was plenty of that. But because this moment represented everything I’d spent years working through—being seen, being visible, stepping into the spotlight instead of shrinking back into the shadows. For someone who used to try to hide herself whenever possible, this was… well, let’s just say it was a lot.

I had Jake hit the button to start the Facebook Live, knowing my editor Hailey would be arriving any minute. And here’s the funny thing—I’d never actually met her in person before. We’d been working together for over a year finalizing the book and getting it ready for print. She had read my book 1,000 times and knew how I talked, how I thought, what mattered to me. And we became great friends along the way! But we’d still never been in the same room together.

So, when she walked up during that live video, it was one of those surreal moments where the digital and physical worlds collided in the best possible way. 

As we were live in Times Square, and my book shined on the billboards above us, my heart was full with gratitude. For everyone who showed up, live and in person, for everyone who supported me along the way, and for all of you, for reading and engaging with my content – showing me what is possible. And, that my voice is needed in this world. 

Showing Up for the Day of My Book Launch

But let me back up a little, because the magic of that day didn’t start when the cameras turned on. It started with the people who showed up for me.

My good friend Ben flew in on a red eye flight to be there. And let me tell you, his journey was a comedy of errors worthy of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. He tried the subway, then a bus, went the wrong direction, had to get off and reroute. He texted me updates that had me both laughing and feeling so incredibly grateful that he kept going, kept problem-solving, kept making his way to Manhattan just to be there for my launch day. When someone travels through all that chaos just to celebrate you? That’s love. That’s support. That’s the kind of thing that makes your cup runneth over as mine did that day.

And my son, Jake, was also right there with me from the start, making me feel special all day long. “It’s your day, Mom. It’s your day. Come on, get up here.” He knows me well enough to know that I tend to want to hide, to deflect attention, to make myself smaller. But he wasn’t having it. Neither was Ben. They both kept pulling me forward, reminding me that this was my moment to be seen.

The Unexpected Magic of Being Seen

The day itself was a blur of moments I’ll treasure forever. I wore my big white fluffy coat—I call it my polar bear coat, Ben calls it the llama coat—and at least four different people stopped me to say I looked like an angel. I’m not going to lie, I received that. I let those compliments land instead of deflecting them, which is its own kind of growth.

People kept asking who I was, if I was someone famous, what we were celebrating. Some guy in the background of our live video asked, “Well, who is she?” And I heard Jake respond with the most beautiful confidence: “She’s gonna be famous. You might want to get her autograph.”

The photographer James had us doing shots in different locations—up on those red bleacher steps with the billboard behind us, down in the W Hotel’s living room lounge, walking down the middle of Broadway when traffic cleared. At one point, I genuinely think people thought I was some kind of celebrity, and they were trying to figure out who I was. I found it funny, because I’m just an average person. But I’m also an average person who listened to the whispers within, who trusted the journey, who did the work. 

The People Who’ve Been Watching All Along

One of the most profound realizations from launch day came from something that happened before I even left for New York. A woman I know from yoga reached out to me on Facebook. She’d seen some posts about my book coming out and asked what else I did. When I told her I was a transformational mindset coach and explained a bit more, she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “You’re such an inspiration. I really enjoy following you on social media.”

The thing is, she’d never liked or commented on any of my posts except one—the one about the feather that resonated with her tattoo. I had no idea she was watching, no idea my words were landing with her, no idea I was bringing light into her life as she tried to figure out her next steps.

And she wasn’t the only one. After we posted that launch day video, an old friend from high school shared it—someone I hadn’t seen since our 25th class reunion years ago. A woman commented saying she’d sold my dad the house we lived in back in the 1980s in Monticello, Wisconsin, asking if I was “kitten Huebner from Monticello.” (That’s what they called me back then.)

Here’s what I want you to know: People are always watching, even when they’re not commenting. Your journey matters. Your visibility matters. You never know whose life you’re touching just by showing up and being authentically you. 

Receiving with Gratitude

After the billboard, we all got together for dinner and had such a wonderful time. I signed some more books, and we shared a lot of laughs and great stories amongst us. It felt like the perfect close to such a special day.

Then, when dinner was over, my good friend and mentor, Cleona, insisted on picking up the bill for our celebration. I tried to protest—I had people there, she had people there, I could cover it. But she looked at me and said, “No, this is your day. You’re not paying for your supper.” Then she added the words I needed to hear: “You just receive. It’s okay.”

And I did. I received it.

That’s been one of my practices lately—receiving with gratitude instead of deflecting. Gratitude journaling has taught me to notice not just the big billboard moments, but the small kindnesses, the unexpected connections, the ways people show up. When you’re in a practice of daily gratitude, you start to see how much abundance is already flowing toward you. You start to recognize the whispers guiding you toward the people and moments that matter.

I’m grateful to those whispers within—the intuition that kept nudging me forward even when it felt scary, even when being visible felt uncomfortable, even when I wanted to hide. I’m grateful for Ben’s planes-trains-and-automobiles determination. I’m grateful for Jake’s “it’s your day, Mom” energy. I’m grateful for Hailey showing up and making that moment even more special. I’m grateful for every person who’s been watching silently, every old friend who shared the video, every stranger who stopped to ask who I was. And every one of you reading who remind me that my ideas are worth sharing. 

Your Whispers Are Waiting

Years ago, I just wanted to inspire people. I wanted people to feel good about themselves. Standing there in Times Square, watching my book cover light up one of the world’s most iconic locations, I realized that dream is coming true. Not because I’m special or famous, but because I listened. Because I trusted. Because I did the work and then I showed up.

Whispers Within Us is available now on Amazon, and it’s my invitation to you to start listening to your own inner knowing. To practice gratitude for the journey, even the hard parts. To step into visibility, even when it’s uncomfortable. To receive the good that’s trying to reach you.

Because here’s what I know for sure: You never know who’s watching. You never know whose life you might inspire just by being courageously, authentically you.

Love, Light, and Gratitude,

– Kathleen 🩵