Gratitude is Attitude

I was watching a national news program last night and I learned that, “We are officially in a recession. We’ve been in a recession since December 2007.” Whew, I don’t know about you, but I’m glad they waited until now to release this startling news! There is no doubt our country is going through unprecedented financial hardship right now. That’s why it’s extremely important to be positive, especially if you’re a leader.

 

You are responsible for the people you lead. “OK, so I have to stay positive, but how?” you might ask, “Is it possible to BE positive if you’re really not?” I heard about a technique to help us remember to count our blessings. It reminds me of when I was a kid. I remember a candy store in Door County, WI that was called Uncle Tom’s.

 

Uncle Tom was an elderly fellow who was always there to share gratitude with everyone he met. He used to say, “Attitude is Gratitude!” I never really knew what that meant when I was a kid and even as an adult I need to think about it for a while. My interpretation of Uncle Tom’s life lesson is this: When you are truly grateful for the good things in your life you can’t help but have a positive outlook.

 

The exercise I’m encouraging you to do focuses on being grateful everyday. Every morning when you get out of bed have a little notepad handy on your nightstand. Take just a couple of minutes to write three things you are truly grateful for right now. They can be obvious things like: healthy kids or a great marriage, but you can also be grateful for not so obvious gifts like: hands! What if you had no hands, eyesight, sense of smell, hot water, or a running vehicle? Every day, write down just three things. Next, focus on those three gifts while you’re getting ready to start your day. What would life be like without those three things? How do they add comfort in your world today?

 

This exercise is designed to get you focused on the positive so you can spread it to others. It’s especially important during tough economic times, but when you think about it, it’s important ALL THE TIME!

 

Joe Kiedinger

 

ACTION PLAN: How do you like that? My action plan was in the content of this Wisdom! Get your pad set and be grateful!