There’s an ancient Persian proverb that says, “I cursed the fact I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet.” I spend a lot of time discussing the importance of a positive attitude and how Dad made it a priority in our household. The reality is that a solid attitude has to be about more than just positivity. It also has to be heavily steeped in gratitude. The Colonel often said, “Mind your attitude, young lady. If it’s not an attitude of gratitude, it’ll trip you up every time.”
While there is a plethora of research on the physical, psychological, and emotional benefits of gratitude, I don’t believe Dad had read any of it. This is something The Colonel just knew instinctively. Being consistently grateful helps you appreciate the good moments in your life and gives you the strength to cope with the challenging ones. It helps you build stronger relationships and maintain a positive outlook in challenging situations. No one’s life is perfect, and yet there is always something to be grateful for. Everyone has to deal with adversity, complaints, burdens, betrayals, and obstacles. Still, when we discipline ourselves to look through a lens of gratitude consistently, we are more able to see the flickers of goodness in our lives and in others. Furthermore, focusing on gratitude allows us to recognize the large and small gifts we have been given by our parents, friends, neighbors, employers, and our Creator. It helps us maintain a necessary humility.
In the United States, this is a week – Thanksgiving week – when we pause to count our blessings. We pause to remember all that we have to be grateful for. So, not just during this Thanksgiving week, but every week and every day, let me challenge you. What would happen in your world if you focused on being grateful? When we are keenly aware of and thankful for all we have been given, we are more willing to give to others, and that is a path to significance.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.