Daily Leadership Thought #125 – Why You Should Be Grateful
Begin each day by expressing gratitude for your many blessings and opportunities.
We get to decide what we focus on in life. We have the choice to view our reality as a glass that is either “half empty” or “half full.” It all comes down to your perspective. Regrettably, many of us tend to focus more on what we lack or our shortcomings than on acknowledging our numerous blessings. Moreover, without question, there is always something for which to be grateful. If you are honest with yourself and make the effort, you can always find something to hold on to, even in the depths of great personal or professional difficulty.
We all have people who care about us. It is a rare person who goes through life without forming some positive relationships along the way. The number and intensity of these relationships may vary over time and from person to person, but they exist nonetheless. Make sure you stay connected to others who make you feel good about yourself and hopeful about life. Reciprocate their efforts, and don’t let distance or pettiness spoil the connection. When and if close relationships end, accept this reality and seek new connections. The world is full of good people. Friendship is a genuine gift in this world and should be sought, nurtured, and treasured.
We live in relative health, comfort, and privilege in comparison to our ancestors. This does not imply that life is devoid of challenges, but the challenges we encounter pale in comparison to those faced by previous generations. In fact, the problem is that we have more time to ponder our happiness. Think about how much easier it is to go to college, travel, live where we want, change jobs, entertain ourselves, access information, stay connected with other people, buy what we need, and deal with complex health issues. Some aspects of life may have been simpler for our grandparents, but it is doubtful that their lives were easier or better overall.
I make it a point to acknowledge my good fortune every day. It never ceases to amaze me how many examples I can come up with when I put in only minimal effort. I can also produce a laundry list of complaints, but what good ever comes from that? Self-pity is an unattractive and useless character trait. Adversity may be inevitable in life, but so are love, happiness, friendship, and good fortune.
The world does not conspire against you or anyone else. We all have much to be grateful for if only we open our eyes, minds, and hearts to acknowledge the good in our lives.
Related articles
- Empty or Half full (streetsavoirfaire.wordpress.com)
- Optimist or Pessimist? (doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com)
- Is The Glass Half-Full Or Half-Empty: College Major Edition (presurfer.blogspot.com)
- Day 28 – Gratitude Challenge (cauldronsandcupcakes.com)
- Count your blessings, not your sorrows: showing gratitude on a daily basis (whereyouwannogofromhere.wordpress.com)
- 10 Things You Need to Learn to Live a Super-Happy Life (lifehack.org)
- The Relationship Between Happiness and Gratitude (psychcentral.com)
- Day 8 – Gratitude Challenge (cauldronsandcupcakes.com)
- The Attitude of Gratitude (alifearchitect.wordpress.com)
