Making Room For Gratitude Can Determine Your Altitude

Before we dive in, I would like to ask you a question, "Are you grateful?"

Almost every one of us, deep in our hearts, will respond, “Yes! I’m very grateful for everything God has done for me!”

I would like to ask you to reflect on your answer if my question is tweaked, “Are you still as grateful in the tough times?”

I bet you will take some time to really think about that question. After some soul search, many might respond, "Well, no."

If we’re honest with ourselves, gratitude doesn’t always come naturally to us, particularly when we experience tough times.

When the covid-19 pandemic hit the world like a tsunami, almost every family has experienced a family member hit with the disease, and their first response was not "Thank you, Lord."

If you have lost your job in the 2008 global financial crisis or the 2020 pandemic, I am sure you didn't say, "Thank you, Lord! What can I learn from this ordeal?"

When we are facing tough times, our natural response is to ask questions and feel unrest. However, when we learn to focus on being grateful and not on our problems, we strengthen our faith in the midst of what we face. It is only at this stage that we can redirect our focus away from our "big problem" to our "better alternative".

Please pause and reflect...

First, as part of this pause, I want to thank you for reading this article, as well as my other articles, for giving me comments and suggestions, and for inspiring me to share more. I am grateful to be connected with all of you.

In fact, that’s what this “pause” is all about — being thankful and having an Attitude of Gratitude. This is something all of us should make a conscious effort to practice multiple times every day — to be grateful for the smallest things in our lives. It’s yet another way of building inner energy and vitality for us to use in our quest for personal development.

In my opinion, the healthiest human emotion is "gratitude", because if we learn how to be thankful in the valley, imagine the magnitude of our celebration on the mountain top.” Gratitude is the best attitude that takes us to the next altitude!

Here are powerful concepts, if well practiced, that can transform your attitude from an "Attitude of Self-Absorption" to an "Attitude of Gratitude".

Appreciation

Appreciate everything for what it is (and not for what you would like it to be), and appreciate it “at the moment.”

That means being thankful for the smallest little things that we usually take for granted — our family, our friends, our health, our career, nature, and even those tiny rays of sunshine through the clouds on a stormy day.

While it is not usually our default attitude, learning to cherish anything and everything we experience in our daily life can go a long way toward alleviating our daily problems and challenges. Once we have this inner peace of "appreciation", the magic happens when we get into the habit of expressing our appreciation for such joys to everyone around us. Just imagine the positive energy we will be transferred to people around us.

Approval

Many of us lose energy on the endless process of seeking the approval of others, whereas we should have had the inner peace of feeling good about ourselves, without the need for anyone else's approval.

When we have self-belief we appreciate, value, and accept ourselves; we have self-confidence. But, when we believe that nothing we do is ever good enough, it takes its toll on our mental and emotional well-being. It can lead to emotional stress.

Stop comparing your successes and achievements to others. Stop despairing right now. Remember: you are unique and you have special qualities.

To help you recognize your worth, here are 5 steps to follow:

1. Get focused on what you are doing right and what you do have, instead of what you are doing wrong and what you don’t have.
2. Ask a close, trusted friend to help you identify what makes you unique. Just remember, what you do well can be small or large.
3. Stop putting everyone else above you, so that you don't end in an endless quest for the approval of others.
4. Ignore all destructive criticism and make your opinion of yourself the most important one. Do not internalize anything that negative people say about you. Their opinion is just that - an opinion, not a fact.
5. Do not let other people weaken your spirit or ridicule your ambitions. Work on your ambitions and then let your results speak for themselves.

Once you have mastered self-approval, it will always pay off to convey approval — “believing that someone or something is good or acceptable”. You can start doing this by making a mental list of those whose contributions to your own life you value, and then making a point of openly expressing it back to them. Just imagine the positive impact you will make in their lives!

Admiration

Expressing admiration is like the next level of appreciating others. It is about being generous with your praise for all the great things going on around you.

A simple gesture of paying simple compliments to everyone you think deserves them — from the waiter who served your meal to the janitor cleaning the office, to the barista preparing your coffee, to the person who smiled at you in the elevator, and all your colleagues who make your ability to do your job so much easier. Compliment them and let them know just how much you appreciate them and what they do. Look for genuine reasons to compliment people and watch the positive responses you get in return.

Attention

Giving attention in this busy world full of distractions could be a tough task. Let's face it, you try to give your undivided attention to someone talking to you or to this article you are reading, and then you get a notification from your social media, a message on your phone, an ad pops out on your screen, a sales agent calls you, or your mind is worried about something else at home or work.

We all know that we have to give others the attention they deserve by not only listening to what they are saying but most importantly processing that and acknowledging what is being said. There is no greater sign of respect for the other person than listening intently to them and understanding them.

Another component of attention is having awareness of all that's going on around you, realizing how the most seemingly unimportant, inconsequential, or trivial things can really impact your life, either positively or negatively, and can even lead to big opportunities if you show gratitude for them. But to do that, you have to pay attention, or you’re liable to miss out on them entirely.

An Attitude of Gratitude Determines Your Altitude

We all have challenges. We all have struggles and face hardship at different times in our lives. How we face those unpleasant life situations will impact our lives. We can either allow them to knock us down or positively face them, pick up the pieces, learn from the experience, and move on.

Of course, hard times can be emotionally draining, however, if we reflect on the situation, we can always find the lesson in everything that happens to us (and for us). The question is, are you willing to look for it?

Related: What is Your "Big Why"?

Life is filled with lessons, each allowing us to learn something from it and improve ourselves. When we choose to have an attitude of gratitude and be grateful for even the smallest things, we can change our lives.

“An attitude of gratitude will determine the level of altitude at which you are able to soar.” - Tomyka Washington

You become what think about all the time. If you allow yourself to procrastinate and surrender to fear on every downfall you will face, the more those negative attitudes become your reality. On the other hand, when you have an attitude of gratitude and can find the positive even during trials, you become available to receive the lessons life wants to teach you.