The key to happiness is reflection and gratitude.
Remember your first day of school?
New shoes. A new backpack filled with notebooks, pens and pencils. Outside the air is crisp and leaves crunch under foot. Butterflies keep the giddiness in check.
I went back to school this week. At the University of Richmond, Robins School of Business.
As the MBA Executive In Residence. I advise MBA students and alumni.
A year ago I relocated to a new town and didn’t know how it would work out. I spent tons of time network dating, trying to figure out where I belonged in the business community. It was challenging and exhausting to keep putting myself out there. Daily gratitude kept me grounded in my belief that we do indeed live in a friendly world.
HOW TO PRACTICE GRATITUDE WHEN LIFE IS CHALLENGING
Just because you don’t feel serene doesn’t mean you are not making progress. You only know it in retrospect. Daily gratitude is the bridge to help you keep going when you can’t see your progress.
When you grow frustrated with your progress toward a goal, look at where you were a year ago. Ask a friend how they’ve noticed that you’ve made positive changes. Sometimes others can see what you cannot.
Write down evidence of how you’ve changed. You didn’t take the bait from a colleague and get in a pointless argument. You stuck to your commitment to exercise even when you felt guilty leaving your home and family with lunches unmade and dishes in the sink. You said no to people and activities that you didn’t want to participate with and in.
Gratitude helps you know and embrace the experience of being alive in each moment, whether good or bad.
Persistence pays off!
I am grateful to be a part of the Robins School of Business, to be of service to the students and alumni, and to receive the abundance the Universe has to give me.
What are you grateful for? Email me at moira@moiralethbridge.com.