Be Insistent with Gratefulness
To complain about our circumstances is something we do with amazing ease, consistency, and frequency.
It is human nature to open our mouths and express our disappointment, or displeasure with various happenstances, circumstances, or situations that we encounter on a day to day, hour by hour, or even minute to minute basis.
You could say that as a human race, we are incredibly insistent on complaining. On being vocal about what we don’t like, don’t want, or don’t enjoy.
That’s easy. We’ve got this down to a science.
But it doesn’t help us at all. In fact, studies have shown that what you repeatedly tell yourself can eventually become your reality. What your brain perceives as difficult, you will act on as being difficult.
Why not flip the coin on its head, and practice being insistent with gratefulness?
Working a job you hate? Consider the fact that millions do not have a job at all.
Dislike your current living conditions? Millions are homeless.
For many of us, our current circumstances, as they are, are quite honestly, first-class. Sure, maybe they’re not Lamborghini-style-infinity-pool-vacation-wherever-I-want class. But even the people who have those amenities are good at complaining about things too.
We have so many choices every day that we can make. This is, in itself, a luxury. We choose what we want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Three meals. Many people are going hungry.
Some of us can choose if we want to work from home today or go into the office.
The examples I could draw are endless. The point is — we have a choice to either complain about our circumstances, or we can choose to be insistent with being grateful about what we do have.
By all means, have goals. Set goals, make them specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-boxed. Etc.
But be present as well. Practice insistent gratefulness in the moments that you are currently occupying.
And even in the face of resistance, or during times of discomfort or stress — find things to be grateful for, and insist on rehearsing those items to yourself.
It will make the difference between a life half-lived, and a life lived to the fullest.
Be insistent with your gratefulness.
