How’s your ‘gratitude index’?

William Arthur Ward once said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

If this seems like a mid-week pick me up, you may not be wrong.

As we moan and groan about the things and material possessions that we don’t have in this Republic of Not Enough, flip the coin the other way to acknowledge what you have to be grateful for. When in doubt, default to gratitude. There is no better safety net nor a more energising trigger than expressing gratitude.

Gratitude begets more gratitude. It plays on loop and affects all involved positively. The ROG (Return on Gratitude) is immense. It could have been a venture capital’s delight considering the IRR it delivers and its ability to scale.Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

Gratitude is not something that you get choosy about, being grateful for only all the good things you have. It is to be grateful for all of life. If you permit me a bit of wandering into stoicism- In the Discourses, Epictetus says, “It is easy to praise providence for anything that may happen if you have two qualities: a complete view of what has actually happened in each instance, and a sense of gratitude.” On the surface, much of what we’re upset about or wish hadn’t occurred is so objectionable that gratitude seems impossible. But if we can zoom out for that more complete view, understanding and appreciation can emerge. First off, you’re alive. That’s the silver lining of every shitty situation and should not be forgotten. But second, everything that has happened and is happening is bringing you to where you are. It’s contributing to the person you have become. And that’s a good thing. This understanding, Epictetus said, helps you see the world in full color—in the color of gratitude.

We have so much to celebrate and feel grateful for especially:

-The magical  people in our lives who give us the unstinted support and boundless love we need to make a difference, without bias or judgement and…

– The opportunity to build something bigger and better than ourselves, something worth contributing to. The ability to make connections, to lend a hand, to invent and create. To lead, to show the way, to care.

Thanksgiving happens in November but you don’t have to wait!