Remember that day the sky didn’t fall on your head? The day the stock market and cryptocurrency didn’t crash on you? The day you weren’t fired? The day your tenant didn’t default? The day you didn’t have a weird freak accident? The day you found what you lost? The day neither a storm nor a drought killed your garden? The day you survived the worst?
Chances are you don’t really think about these things. Perhaps, imprinted on your mind constantly surfacing with anger is all the reverse scenarios. The day your roof cracked in a storm. The day you lost money on investments. The day you didn’t get that promotion. The day someone reneged on a promise they made to you or didn’t return a debt. The day someone canceled. The day things went wrong.
I’m conscious of this human malady and always pray for perspective, real vision and eternal, deep, humble, unwavering gratitude. Perspective to see things for what they really are in their exact right proper proportion. And clear, real, undiluted vision to appreciate how thoroughly and totally blessed we are by God’s grace, no matter what vagaries life subjects us to. And eternal, humble gratitude as a constant permanent state of mind and frame of reference.
I also pray for eternal gentleness and compassion. What I mean here is the wherewithal to forgive, and graciously overcome slumps, dives, and dips in life without ever hurting, or offending, or compromising anyone. Economies move in cycles and all the expert foresight and most diligent forecasts on earth can still leave us vulnerable to troughs. Industries and companies can suffer unforeseen setbacks despite all our contingency planning. The weather can take us by complete surprise. Our health can be suddenly compromised. Life’s circumstances can shock us despite all the goodwill and careful, kind, intelligent, loving, and peaceful living on earth. This is why it is essential to never lose perspective for t is all we do have going in our favor every minute of every day, no matter how mundane. Health, climate, career, friendships, peace, wellness—I never take these things or anything else for granted. And I pray for gentleness, patience, compassion, and mercy, to prevail above all else if ever things go wrong.
At this point in time, I am infinitely conscious there are fresh graduates vying hard for a prize first job they find ever elusive, ever out of reach. There are career transitioners petrified about starting all over again at a ripe old age in a brand-new team, company, industry, city, or country. There are couples struggling with infertility. There are people facing health issues they are helpless to deal with. There are people who have lost jobs and homes. I always sincerely wish everyone all the good I wish myself. I pray for us all to never lose sight of all the positive aspects in our life every minute of every day.
As our careers grow, we tend to assume larger roles with bigger teams, expanded networks, added geographic territories, and increased responsibilities. Invariably, we are totally up to it and absolutely ready for the challenge. Our budgets are multiplied. Our flexibility, decision-making capacity, and free rein to innovate and create new products, processes, systems, protocols, procedures, and implement change also grow. Our rewards, compensations, and benefits tend to be augmented too. But I always hope, in parallel, that our empathy, patience, generosity of spirit, and maturity of soul can grow exponentially too. I hope our capacity to share and care and forgive and appreciate and be merciful can grow too. I hope we learn to be grander, bigger, better, kinder, and more thoughtful people always.
What can we all do today to ensure we are aligned toward this attitude of gratitude? Take one for the team perhaps. Step stoically aside in a project, or role, or competition, or even if you feel someone else can take the team to a lofty victory more surely than you can. Swallow your ego and pride and put collective communal good well above your own profit, or interests, or career trajectory, or personal ambitions. Admit you were wrong and correct your misunderstanding or misperception. Learn to be better at what you do. Incorporate best practices from others. Generously and wholeheartedly forgive. I don’t mean just making a superficial show of forgiveness. I mean really fill your mind and heart with it; totally forgiving everyone, every single dark spot in your memory. The most immediate thing anyone can do for communal good is to clear all dark spots in their heart, and mind, and soul no matter how minute, and sincerely, copiously, compassionately, forgive everyone. Goodness absolutely makes the world go round.
Remember the day the car behind you politely let you into the proper lane just in time. Remember the day it didn’t rain on your garden party. Remember the day broken things were fixed. Remember the day you achieved, and overachieved, and innovated, and excelled. Remember the day you met a deadline. Remember the day you arrived safely. Remember the day you were invited, included, welcomed, received. Remember the day you saw, ate, experienced, heard, learned something exquisite, something beautiful. Remember the day things went right. Remember most days are like that. I’m infinitely grateful. And I share my gratitude copiously with you.
