Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you just can't fall asleep and you have to get up early the next morning for a very important meeting of which you are the keynote speaker. Your alarm clock goes off early in the morning waking you from what little sleep you had. You stumble out of bed, have a quick shower, grab a coffee and some toast, and off you go to fight the traffic on the way to work.
Does that sound like the start of a terrible day? Most would answer 'yes'. Few people however, would answer, 'no'. These are the people, who are in my opinion blessed with a gift. A gift that determines how they view their life. These people live with 'an attitude of gratitude'. For them, the situation described could be worse. Much worse. For example, think of the man who doesn't have a bed, let alone a roof to over his head. When he is awoken from what little sleep he is able to get, it is by the rain falling on his cold body. He too stumbles to his feet and begins his journey to work in his bare feet. His work is in the field of survival. He searches though garbage cans for scraps of half-rotten food to eat and odd bits of clothes to keep him warm.
The purpose of this example is to illustrate that we all have so much to be grateful for. Even in times when it seems that nothing could be worse, there is always a reason to be grateful. And when you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness and content. My challenge to you today is to learn to look for the good in every situation and live with 'an attitude of gratitude'.
I assure you, if you were the fellow searching for food in garbage cans you too could find things to be grateful for. You just have to look hard enough and 'open your eyes' to what is around you. You have to focus on what's good in your life, not what's bad.
"I once was distraught because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." - Unknown
Life works in mysterious ways. Time and time again there have been stories of people who are in a dire strait yet they are found helping others who are experiencing greater turmoil. This is because once you have helped someone in greater need than yourself, you always feel better. You feel better because you have helped another human being, and this forces you to change your mindset from focusing on your problems to focusing on their solutions.
Always focus on the solution, not the problem and live with an attitude of gratitude! Mother Teresa was a primary example of this phenomenon. Her entire life revolved around helping others in need. As a result she experienced a great deal of love and self-satisfaction in her life.
I challenge you now to take a moment to think of five things in your life that you are grateful for today. For example, your friends, your family, your job, your sense of smell, touch, sight, and sound. The list can go on and on. Imagine what your life would be like without these things. Write them down on a piece of paper and really think about the things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how great you will feel!
This article may be reprinted with the following attachment:
Copyright (c) 1999 Glen Hopkins
About The Author
Glen Hopkins, owns Motivational-Messages.com, your Free resource for daily motivation and inspiration, including quotes, tips, and stories to help you lead a successful life. To subscribe fro Fr~ee visit http://www.motivational-messages.com/ today!
When I started my sales career over 25 years ago,... Read More
Who do you consider as your worst enemy? The criminals... Read More
Do you often feel lonely, anxious, or even depressed? Is... Read More
Early one morning, Robert awoke, made his wife of 41... Read More
When Do We Usually Feel Guilty? When:We're not feeling ok... Read More
Is Having a Professional Coach a Solution to Optimizing your... Read More
So, you're ready to start coaching. You either have some... Read More
(Channelled)Roy?I am sending you this quote from Sōtō Zen, Dōgen's... Read More
As a whole I think there is a sad tendency... Read More
You are going to meet a very important client for... Read More
Sometimes it is helpful to review several of the basic... Read More
The war, taxes, the economy, increased health problems, crime on... Read More
"There is a certain combination of desire and discipline in... Read More
Recently, when out to dinner with another couple, my husband... Read More
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, when... Read More
My name is Greg Ryan. For the last twenty years... Read More
How would you like to get along even better with... Read More
Playing Our Part:Sir Michael Costa was conducting a rehearsal, in... Read More
The fall harvest comes upon us once a year. The... Read More
My work in organizations involves dropping habitual ways of perceiving... Read More
We've all been through training events-workshops, seminars, and courses that... Read More
When you use what you go through to grow through,... Read More
What If You Could Ask Anyone For Help?Have you ever... Read More
Seeking improved performance at work? Wishing you could finally achieve... Read More
What are you thinking - right now? 'I'm reading your... Read More
Sound familiar? If you want to manage anger, the only... Read More
Masterminding is about a group of like-minded, achievement-oriented individuals who... Read More
I'm working on a coach training certification, and one of... Read More
I always do a lot of thinking about good intentions... Read More
Why should or would someone hire a life coach? Well,... Read More
1. An unshakable foundation:Create and build your life from the... Read More
Imagine for a moment one of those nights when you... Read More
Did you hire a "life coach" to help you sort... Read More
Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 29,... Read More
The world is full of phonies and scammers these days.... Read More
But first you've got to raise your standards.I know at... Read More
Have you ever thought about how sheep get lost? Even... Read More
As a whole I think there is a sad tendency... Read More
I have often heard motivational speakers say that the word... Read More
You know, what are you saying to yourself? There's always... Read More
Recently I have been watching a TV show called Blowout.... Read More
What If You Could Ask Anyone For Help?Have you ever... Read More
There is a Buddhist saying that goes like this: "If... Read More
Are you feeling overwhelmed, a lack of confidence or under... Read More
Each of us has our own set of personal values;... Read More
Sometimes life can seem like one long series of unsolvable... Read More
Every human feels anxiety on occasion; it is a part... Read More
Most of us play many different roles in the course... Read More
Being a coach is such a rewarding profession. The enormous... Read More
An recent article in Money Magazine said that "A coach... Read More
Coaching Coaching |