Gratitude | noun | a feeling of appreciation or thanks

Be grateful for our blessings:

This is step 1. Besides being in a good mood, being grateful is one of the best next steps to keep you positive. The moment you start to feel overwhelmed, anxiety, or nervousness, just stop and think about what you’re grateful for. It could be as simple as the fact that you have the eyes to read this note. Maybe it’s the fact that you get to eat a meal today.

Sometimes when I start to feel a little off, I stop and take a moment to refocus on all of the good things in my life. Right in the middle of the day. This can take as little as 15 seconds. Try it. If you get frustrated today, take a deep breath and find 3 things that you’re grateful for. This is a tactic that easily separates the optimist from the pessimist.

There is no denying it. You will feel frustrated and out of sync every once in a while. The question is whether or not you look at your obstacle as Mt. Everest or a minor speed bump. What do you choose to focus on?

Gratitude for your challenges

I remember when I first heard of this concept shortly after I graduated high school. I was in my first real sales job and had to learn to take “no” more often than I was used to. A major shift occurred when I finally accepted that every “no” puts me one step closer to my next “yes.”

I remember thinking that I needed to be grateful for my challenges? Hmmm…that was weird. I could tolerate my challenges but being excited about them!? Who are you kidding?

Well, I realized that if you view your challenges a little differently, then my life got a whole lot better. Here are some examples:

• If you hit a rough spot in a relationship, this is an opportunity to make your bond stronger
• If you have financial challenges, you can use this time to become good at budgeting
• If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, you can improve your organizational skills
• If you have a delayed commute home, you can use the extra time for self-improvement!

I’m always reminded of a teaching from the famous philosopher Morgan Freeman as God in Evan Almighty.

“If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?”

These are the moments that help you become a newer version of the person that you were yesterday. It’s up to you to decide if that new version is better.

#AlwaysPoz

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