Opening Up Greater Opportunities
John Kralik, at age 52 owned a struggling law firm. Having lost money that year, he could not afford to pay Christmas bonuses to his employees – a failing that greatly embarrassed him. His firm was losing its lease and could not afford a new one. After a painful divorce, John was living in a cheap apartment instead of his own home and a woman he had been dating ended their relationship suddenly before Christmas. In addition, a million-dollar jury verdict that would have bailed him out was nullified by a judge’s ruling. How pathetic, right?
On January 1, 2008 – frustrated and desperately looking for something to be thankful for, he went for a walk up the Echo Mountain trail in Pasadena, California. Then he heard a voice that told him to learn the Lifestyle of Gratitude; that he needed to be thankful for the things he had rather than focusing on the things he wanted or had lost. Thereafter, though very slowly, he started a daily gratitude journal and began handing out “Thank you” notes to people around him. After about a year of writing 365 “Thank You” notes, John discovered that his life had transformed in ways he never expected.
He saw how his children, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and even fellow barristers had blessed his life. He later said in his book A Simple Act of Gratitude; “My blessings seemed to multiply. When I was grateful for clients paying their bills, they paid faster. When I thanked lawyers for referring clients to me, they referred more. By showing others how their lives had meaning in mine, I found them reflecting back to me that my life also had meaning in theirs. I gained an overall sense of peace, a belief that my life was, and had been, a good one.”
John’s remarkable story underpins the importance of developing a Lifestyle of Gratitude. Many times we are tempted to go around life, whining and complaining about what seem not to be working, focusing on things we feel are not the way they should be. Yes, there are many things you want to be better in your life but I want you to know that a lifestyle of gratitude not only leads to a life of peace, it opens the door to bigger opportunities for you.
As this year 2019 winds down and you reflect on events in your life, I want to share three tips that will help you see things differently and develop a Lifestyle of Gratitude.
- Focus on the Positives in Your Life
It’s very easy to focus on what appears not to be working and completely ignore the many thing working. One of the things I do regularly is to look at my life as “a cup half full instead of half empty”. Focusing on the positives in your life fuels the development of a lifestyle of gratitude which eventually leads to a happier, healthier and richer life.
- Do Not Take Anyone or Anything for Granted
Do you know that your present status is another person’s ultimate desire in life? While you might not appreciate your situation, someone somewhere in the world will do anything to be in your shoes. You should learn not to take the people in your life for granted, whether it’s your spouse, your family and friends or your boss, colleagues and even subordinates. Always remember, they had other options but chose you; be grateful for that. We should also not take anything we have for granted; while we should aim at doing better and getting more, we should bear in mind that the little things in life – if valued and utilized – will usually lead us to the bigger wins.
- Never Have an Entitlement Mentality
Isaac Liev Schreiber, an American actor, screenwriter, and producer captured the effect of entitlement mentality aptly when he said “Entitlement is lethal”, it kills. Entitlement mentality is a state of mind in which an individual believes that privileges enjoyed are rights earned. This naturally makes us think that someone owes us something, so we tend to take anything they do to/for us for granted. We shouldn’t do that. When you consider your life and whatever you have as a privilege, you will appreciate everything you get – no matter how little.
I’ll leave you with the words of Zig Ziglar “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”
Remember, You Have Only One Life to Live, MAKE IT COUNT.
