Becoming Gratitude

Hi again! I’m Maya.

You’ve already learned a bit about me, but here’s a deeper look into my story.

I was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, to a Sri Lankan mother and a Czech father. I also have an older sister who is now a doctor specializing in Palliative Care.

Since I was little, I dreamed of becoming an actress in Hollywood. But to many, especially me, it seemed impossible. I was living halfway across the world, battling severe OCD, and had no direct path to the industry. But I never stopped dreaming. Big-time daydreamer over here!

Growing up, I played golf on the Swiss Junior National Team, which eventually led to a golf and acting scholarship at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. There, I majored in Actor Training at the prestigious Hartt School Conservatory and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. l I knew what a privilege it was to study acting in America, and I was getting one step closer to my dream.

After college, I moved to Hollywood, where I faced the harsh reality of just how tough the entertainment industry was, not to mention the challenge of securing my work visa every year without getting sent back home.

The more obstacles I encountered, the more people told me to give up and go back to Switzerland. And the more that happened, the more determined I became.

Then everything changed.

I discovered The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, and it became the catalyst for my gratitude journey. That book opened the door for me to explore and develop my own gratitude practices, ones that would eventually shape my entire life. On June 14, 2012, I began practicing gratitude every single day, and that one decision transformed everything. One of the most incredible by-products? I became a working actress, producer, and activist.

I went on to land recurring roles on ABC’s Castle as Tory Ellis, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the Marvel character Agent 33, and played the lead antagonist in the first-ever NCIS crossover episodes. I also guest-starred in Grey’s Anatomy, Magnum P.I., The Resident, and various films.

Beyond acting, I worked with nonprofit organizations such as The Midnight Mission, Humanitarian For Empowerment, Boo2Bullying, and The Butterfly Family Fund.

Ever since I began my gratitude practice in 2012, my life has never been the same. By the end of that year, my friends and family started noticing the changes in me. Over coffee chats and late-night phone calls, I shared my practices, and soon they began experiencing their own breakthroughs. That’s when I realized: my results weren’t accidental. Gratitude was creating real, tangible transformations, not just for me but for everyone around me.

From there, I began leading gratitude workshops for charitable organizations, speaking at seminars, and sharing my practice with communities worldwide.

Now, after 13 years of daily gratitude, not because of my OCD but thanks to it, I know it’s time to share these practices with the world. Who would have thought my OCD would become my superpower?

Today, I live in Long Beach, California, with my husband, Todd Clever, our two-year-old son, Leo, and our dog, Winston. And I’m currently expecting another baby boy, due in April 2025.

My father passed away on September 5, 2024—the same day I found out I was pregnant with my second son. In that moment, I knew it was time to finally bring this digital course to life. I wanted to give you the tools to experience your own radical transformation.

I’ve filmed this entire course while being six to eight months pregnant, and I pray that both my father’s and my baby boy’s energy flow through this course to create even more miracles in your life. That is my deepest wish for you.