Don’t Worry, Be Happy

What is there to be grateful for?

You’ve heard the song.  Maybe the tune is even playing in your head now after reading the title of this blog.  But have you ever really thought about those four words and wondered, how do we do it?  Especially on those days that it seems like everything that could go wrong does; from the extra traffic that caused you to be late for work, made you miss a meeting, and has your boss a little perturbed at you. 

We all have those days, maybe not exactly like that, but one thing after another tries to steal your joy.  Want to know something, though?  No one person or situation can steal something you don’t allow them to take.  Let me say that again…if you’re allowing things like this to affect you, then you are giving them too much power over you.  

Instead of focusing on all of the things going wrong or that could possibly go wrong, shift your focus to what is going right.  Of course, on some days this might require more intentionality, but it will do more for you and those around you than giving up on the day before you have the chance to really live it. 

There are people out there who are choosing to be grateful every day.  They are living life to the fullest and probably never seem to be having a bad day.  What you’re not seeing, though, are the moments they have chosen to look beyond the situation and move forward anyway.  They walk with confidence in the direction they know they’re supposed to be headed and push past the pressures that come at us all.  Their attitude of gratitude makes a significant difference in how they handle the difficult moments in life.  

People who are grateful:

• Look at life as a blessing rather than saying, “Woe is me.”  
• Look forward rather than backward
• Forgive easily rather than hold onto the offense.
• Appreciate material things and celebrate non-material things.

By focusing on the positive aspects of life, you’ll build stronger relationships, you’ll approach things more proactively, and you’ll notice that you’ll feel satisfied more often than not.  With gratitude comes hope, self-confidence, and enjoyment that coincide with choosing to determine that the good really does outweigh the bad.

The President and Owner of PEG Staffing and Recruiting said, “No matter how bad it is, you can always find the blessing.” 

Rather than dwelling on the negative, we have to think about the positive aspects of our day-to-day.  Even though some things come to mind more easily than others, there truly are so many things to be grateful for.  If you’re having a particularly hard time, here are some things to be grateful for.  Start there.  You may not be in the position to be grateful for everything on this list, but what can you be grateful for?  What can you add to this list?

25 Things to be grateful for (in no particular order):

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Pets
4. Employment
5. Your home
6. Food
7. Transportation
8. Fresh air
9. The seasons
10. Laughter
11. Clean water
12. Rest
13. Technology
14. Road Trips
15. Music
16. Teachers
17. A good book
18. People in the service industry
19. Financial stability
20. Electricity and indoor plumbing
21. Fuzzy socks
22. A day off
23. Toilet paper
24. Google
25. GPS