Gratitude Changes What You See

Gratitude Opens the Door to Opportunity

It’s easy to recognize opportunity when everything is going well.

It’s much harder when your mind is consumed by what’s going wrong.

Negativity has a way of narrowing our focus. We begin thinking about our fears, our failures, what we don’t have, or why we aren’t where we want to be. Before long, we can become so focused on the obstacles that we stop recognizing the opportunities around us.

That’s where gratitude can make a difference.

Gratitude Changes Your Thought Process

Gratitude is more than simply being thankful when something good happens. It’s a conscious decision to recognize what is good, valuable, and possible in your life.

When we practice gratitude, we interrupt the cycle of negative thinking and begin looking at our circumstances differently.

Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” we can begin asking, “What can I learn from this?”

Instead of focusing only on what we don’t have, we recognize what we already have and how we can use it.

That shift in perspective matters because our mindset influences what we see.

When all we see are problems, we miss possibilities.

When we choose gratitude, we become more open to them.

Opportunity Is All Around You

We often think of an opportunity as a major career move, a promotion, a new relationship, or some life-changing moment.

But some of the most important opportunities in our lives are much smaller.

Maybe there’s a book that has been sitting on your desk for months that could teach you something you need to know.

Maybe there’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding that could strengthen an important relationship.

Maybe there’s someone around you who could use your help.

Maybe there’s something you’ve wanted to accomplish, but fear or comfort has kept you from taking the first step.

Opportunities don’t always announce themselves.

Sometimes you have to be intentional enough to recognize them.

Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Fear and comfort can be two of the greatest obstacles to growth.

When we become comfortable with where we are, it becomes easy to find reasons not to move forward. When fear takes over, we start focusing on everything that could go wrong.

That mindset can keep us stuck.

Growth requires us to recognize opportunities and then have the courage to act on them.

You can own every leadership book ever written, but the knowledge inside those books can’t impact your life if you never open them.

You can have people willing to help you grow, but they can’t make a difference if you’re unwilling to listen.

You can be surrounded by opportunities, but they mean very little if you never take advantage of them.

Recognizing the opportunity is only the beginning.

You have to act.

Look for Ways to Help Others

One of the greatest opportunities we have each day is the opportunity to help someone else.

Leadership isn’t only about improving ourselves. It’s about what we do with our growth to positively influence the people around us.

Helping another person can change their day, but it can also change ours.

When we know that what we’re doing has value and purpose, it creates a sense of fulfillment. That fulfillment builds confidence, strengthens our relationships, and reminds us that success is about more than what we accomplish for ourselves.

Sometimes the opportunity that makes the biggest difference in your life is the opportunity you take to make a difference in someone else’s.

What Opportunity Are You Missing?

Take a look at your life today.

What have you been overlooking?

What have you been putting off?

What could you learn?

Who could you help?

Where could you grow?

And most importantly, what negativity, fear, or comfort might be preventing you from seeing what’s possible?

Life will continue to present opportunities. We have to train ourselves to recognize them, embrace them, and take full advantage of them.

Start with gratitude.

Pay attention to what’s good. Appreciate what you have. Look for ways to serve others. Stay open to learning something new.

Then look again at what’s in front of you.

You might realize the opportunity you’ve been waiting for has been there all along.

Learn it. Live it. Give it.

— H. Dean Crisp Jr.
Leaders Helping Leaders Network