The Personality Insights Lounge (blog)

As most of you know, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving here in the United States this week.  It is the day we set aside to specifically remember to be thankful for all of the blessings of life.  I am sure that everyone reading this Tip has things for which they are truly grateful.  I am also sure that some of you have experienced challenges this past year or are facing them right now.  That is just the nature of life.  However, I do believe that having an attitude of gratitude is one unyielding truth that can take us through any situation.
 
When I say gratitude, I mean that we are genuinely grateful for what we are learning through the circumstances we may be facing.  I am not saying that we should be glad for something bad happening in our life or circumstances.  However, I am saying that the things that we learn through the circumstances that we face all make us better.  And, the key to getting better, rather than bitter, during the process is maintaining an attitude of gratefulness and thanksgiving in our heart.
 
Stop and think about it for a moment.  What are your alternatives?  When things do not go the way you want them to, you can easily become frustrated, angry, and bitter.  But, is that really going to help?  Will that make matters any better?  Will it help your health?  Will it help your relationships?  I think the answer to all of those questions is a big NO!  You and I realize that having those negative attitudes will do nothing to bring about positive results.  The only real hope that any of us have during difficult times is the healing power of a grateful heart.  That is all that will sustain us or get us through hard circumstances.
 
I was recently speaking to someone who went through a terrible divorce many years ago.  He shared that he had spent many sleepless nights reliving all of the difficult experiences he had faced during his marriage.  He recounted to me the good times and the bad.  He told me that if he had to do it all over again, even though it was extremely painful, he would be willing to do so, simply for the things he learned about himself and about life during the process.  He went on to say that he now knew how to better communicate with not just other females, but with everyone in general, because of the things he had learned that he had done wrong in his marriage.  He concluded our conversation by saying, “I don’t think there was any other way I could have learned these things except through this failure.  I am actually grateful for everything I have gone through and experienced.”  Did you catch the last thing that he said?  It was the attitude of gratefulness that carried the day.  That was the issue that gave him peace in his heart and was the defining factor in the entire situation. 
 
It is certainly true that all of us need to remember that the secret key to dealing with anything that is hard in life is gratitude.  I know that during this Thanksgiving season, the focus is on our freedom, our country and our well-being as a nation.  But, I am also aware that on a more personal basis, the real key to our own happiness during this Thanksgiving season is looking past the turkey and all the good food deep into our own hearts to find a spirit of gratefulness for all that life has brought our way. 
 
Again, I think it is important to make changes and to avoid problems whenever possible.  Although it is true that pain is inevitable, I believe that suffering is optional.  And, the thing that keeps us away from suffering, while at the same time greatly reducing the pain, is a grateful spirit.
 
I hope that this is your best Thanksgiving ever!  Regardless of where you live throughout the world, remember that thanksgiving and having a grateful heart is not just for one day of the year.  It is ultimately the secret that actually takes us through every day of our life!

Have a great week! God bless you!

Robert Rohm Ph.D
Personality Insights, Inc.