How to Be Grateful and Hold on to that Positive Perspective
My experience is the biggest difference between people who are thriving in life, versus those who are unhappy, is gratitude. Below are 25 contrasts to gratitude. Where are your strengths?
Being thankful gives you the courage to overcome, the wisdom to discover the answers, and the persistence to be complete, not lacking anything truly important.
Ungrateful people are lost. They can’t and/or won’t focus on the positives, so they allow real and perceived negatives to control them. It’s complicated, and sad. However, in most situations there are viable positive perspectives and solutions when a person is willing to pursue them.
How many grateful habits do you have?
Grateful people say, “Let’s find out.” Lost people say, “Nobody knows.”
When grateful people make a mistake, they say, “I was wrong.” When lost people make a mistake, they say, “It wasn’t my fault.”
Grateful people credit their “good luck” for winning, even though it isn’t good luck. Lost people blame their “bad luck” for losing, even though it isn’t bad luck.
Grateful people know how and when to say “Yes” and “No.” Lost people say, “Yes, but” and “Perhaps not” at the wrong times for the wrong reasons.
Grateful people aren’t nearly as afraid of losing, as lost people are subconsciously afraid of winning.
Grateful people work harder than lost people, and have more time. Lost people are always “too busy” to do what’s necessary.
Grateful people go through a problem. Lost people try to go around it, and never get past it.
Grateful people make commitments. Lost people make promises.
Grateful people show they’re sorry by making up for it. Lost people say, “I’m sorry,” but do the same thing the next time.
Grateful people know what to fight for and what to compromise on. Lost people compromise on what they shouldn’t, and fight for what isn’t worth fighting about.
Grateful people say, “I’m good, however I’m working on being better.” Lost people say, “I’m not as bad as other people.”
Grateful people listen. Lost people wait until it’s their turn to talk.
Grateful people would rather be admired, than liked, although they’d prefer both. Lost people would rather be liked than admired, and are willing to pay the price of mild contempt for it.
Grateful people are strong enough to be gentle. Lost people are rarely gentle, but are often weak, angry, or act like a petty tyrant.
Grateful people respect and learn from those who are in some ways superior to them. Lost people resent and claim there are faults in those who are in some ways superior to them.
Grateful people explain. Lost people explain away.
Grateful people feel responsible for more than their job. Lost people say, “I only work here.”
Grateful people say, “There ought to be a better way to do it.” Lost people say, “That’s the way it’s always been done.”
Grateful people say, “We can do it.” Lost people say, “I don’t know” or “I’m afraid.”
Grateful people pace themselves. Lost people have three speeds: stop, slow, and emotional.
Grateful people are thankful for what they have and others. Lost people never have enough and everyone else has issues.
Grateful people do work that is personally fulfilling. Lost people believe nothing matters.
Grateful people keep trying, in new ways, to overcome obstacles. Lost people give up shortly after starting, or repeat one year’s experience for decades.
Grateful people are systematic, reliable, and trustworthy. Lost people are inconsistent, don’t deliver top results, and can’t be trusted.
Grateful people think of how to serve others and work for the common good. Lost people serve themselves and focus on what’s best for them.
You probably have some more differences you’d like to list. Maybe you can have a contest with your team…
Here’s the value in this list
Use this list to become better.
Most of us are a mix of a grateful person and a lost person. Therefore, choose one grateful behavior that’s a strength you want to be stronger, or a bad habit of a lost person you want to overcome. Work on it on individually, or as a team for 90 days with daily accountability.
Celebrate how you improve, and never let the old habit overpower the new more grateful one.
Never stop developing yourself to be a new level of best.
Have an awesome week!
NOTE: Inspiration for this list is a 30+ year old document I found the other day. I had hand-typed it. The list brought a smile to my face as I recognized many of life’s important lessons. I believe it’s from a publication called, The Christian Athlete. They posted it in a format of winners vs. losers. I prefer my approach above. I kept many of their statements the same, edited others, and added some of my own.
