Why being Grateful gives you More Opportunities to be

The things I’m grateful for

There are two groups of people in the world today. Those who know how to be grateful and those who know how to complain. In which category do you identify yourself?

For the last two weeks, I have a been sleeping at an exclusive guest house. While here, I have enjoyed a sumptuous supper and breakfast, all paid and taken care of. 

Well, this is not something happening out of the blue. Probably many of you have had a similar or even better experience.

Similarly, an equal majority may not have had the same experience or something close to this.

I say this not to brag, but to show gratitude to what life can offer if you maintain your grateful attitude.

I’m also aware of the many homeless and hunger-stricken who to whom life has given painful experiences. But they haven’t lost everything just yet.

Count your Blessings

In saying all this, I must emphasize that it is more important to count your blessings.

Whining and sulking is a wilderness mentality that kept the Israelites stranded in the wilderness for 40 years. Yet, their journey was to last for a mere 11-day journey to the promised land. (Canaan)

You are better off developing the culture of gratitude no matter how tough the going might be than joining a bunch of complainers along the streets, pub, church or you mention where.

You are better off developing the culture of gratitude no matter how tough the going might be than joining a bunch of complainers along the streets, pub, church or you mention where.

More to the guest house experience is also the fact that I have changed my place of residence to move closer to my workstation.

Embrace what makes you be Grateful

While many people I know were uncomfortable with my preference or choice of the place to stay, I chose not to look at things from their point of view but do what makes my heart comfortable.

I’m a firm believer in the principle of frugal living to create more avenues for saving and investing my money for the next 60 years (all factors constant) that I still have to live on planet earth.

One factor that would have turned me off from choosing this flat as a place of residence is its proximity to the office. Interestingly, though, I saw it as an added advantage to my principle of frugal living.

A few colleagues were of the opinion that it is more like living in the office from Sunday to Sunday because you are never away, literally because you live closer.

Close here is really close in the sense that when I stand at the door of my house, I’m able to see the main entrance to the office. Hahaha.

However, I saw things differently first because of my rental fee, which is way below the normal rates charged here.

More beneficial is the fact that I won’t spend a nickel and dime to get to the office, which helps to cut on my expenses even further.

Given the nose-bridge distance between my place and the office, that also means cases of being late because of busy traffic and facing a disgusted boss are now behind my back.

Let me also mention that I have a free and secure Wi-Fi connection 24/7 thanks to being a neighbor to the office.

Jim Rohn

Just yesterday I was listening to one renowned motivational speaker in the name of Jim Rohn.

Rohn says that one philosophy of success that made him rich was “wages make you a living, but profits make you a fortune” 

And in saying so, Rohn mentioned the  70.10.10.10 principle of spending a dollar. That you must strive to ensure you live on 70% of what you make. The next 10%, spent it on charity and tithing.

The other 10%, put it to active investments, let’s say a business or a venture that has a quick turnover.

The last 10%, spent it on passive investments lets say buying a house and collecting assets.

Practically speaking, the money you make will never be enough to meet all your expenses and maybe take care of your savings and investments. But you can make the money be enough to cover all that if you want to. The buck stops with you.

Comparison, the Thief of Joy

Unfortunately, it is so pathetic that many of us get caught in a web of comparison, therefore, feeling our hearts with so much jealousy and “it should have been me” attitude.

Where is the joy in all that?  I’m an employee, but I think most victims of this quagmire are employees.

Rarely the self-employed entrepreneurs and business people have the time for such comparisons because they are busy interacting with customers, sales, and themselves.

But they too can’t escape comparison syndrome because they are human beings with life in social media.

If you are in a social grouping of people, be alert and shield yourself against comparing yourself with other people.  Run your own race.

Athletes when running stick to their lanes and focus on the finishing line without looking sideways. Why should you be the one to sabotage your own efforts to win by looking at the new mansion or BMW your neighbor gained?  That should not be you at all.

Final Thoughts

I greatly so the need to exhort you this day on counting your blessings and being grateful for having them in your life. If I were to write all my blessings in this post, then I could still write them. In counting your blessings, you are not doing anybody a favor but you.  Every day strive to count the three things that made you happy, or you were grateful for, and life will give you more opportunities to be grateful.