When this is her natural instinct, #iamgrateful and #iamthankful
Tag Archives: grateful
THANKFUL V GRATEFUL
I’ve tried to define these two. I get questions all the time about why I chose both. I’m not sure. I like the idea of some rhythm and reinforcement. I think a single point could get lost. But two, there’s something harder to lose in that message. (Those who know me are probably surprised I didn’t go with three — but that’s simply out of space limitations and a desire to respect the economics of a FB post.) Nevertheless, I thought I’d spend a few moments digging in on the two words. And this post came up: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/difference-thankful….
So let’s do this and understand the difference. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for this clear definition of both words. Thankful, is a feeling. It’s easy. It’s natural. If you embrace it, it can be supremely honest and momentum building. Humbling not to imply a lowering or lack of importance of oneself, but rather the elevation of the actions of another. Not a zero sum game either mind you. But grateful. That’s the hard one. Being grateful requires taking an action. Being grateful is manifested in actions. < It’s an area where I repeatedly fall short. Here’s to doing better.
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GODIN ON GRATEFUL
Entitlement is optional. It’s not forced on us, it’s something we choose.
And we rarely benefit from that choice.
That emergency surgery, the one that saved your life, when the ruptured appendix was removed—the doctor left a scar.
We can choose to be grateful for our next breath.
Or we can find a way to be enraged, to point out that given how much it costs and how much training the doctor had, that scar really ought to be a lot smaller. And on top of that, he wasn’t very nice. We’re entitled to a nice doctor!
Or we can choose to be grateful.
Marketers have spent trillions of dollars persuading us that we can have it all, that we deserve it, and that right around the corner is something even better.
Politicians have told us that they’ll handle everything, that our pain is real and that an even better world is imminent.
And we believe it. We buy into our privilege as well as the expectation that our privilege entitles us to even more. It’s not based on status or reality. It’s a cultural choice.
And you’re entitled to your entitlement if you want it.
But why would you?
Entitlement gets us nothing but heartache. It blinds us to what’s possible. It insulates us from the magic of gratitude. And most of all, it lets us off the hook, pushing us away from taking responsibility (and action) and toward apportioning blame and anger instead.
Gratitude, on the other hand, is just as valid a choice. Except that gratitude makes us open to possibility. It brings us closer to others. And it makes us happier.
There’s a simple hack at work here: We’re not grateful because we’re happy. We’re happy because we’re grateful.
Everything could be better.
Not because we deserve it (we don’t, not really). But because if we work at it, invest in it and connect with others around it, we can make it better. It’s on us.
It’s difficult work, counter-instinctual work that never ends.
But we keep trying. Because it’s worth it.
#Iamgrateful and #Iamthankful that you thought enough to send this to me Mike Kotler. I appreciate the hell out of it. Wish I’d written it. Hope to catch up soon, man.
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TYMMPB… | #iamgrateful and #iamthankful
Two years ago I hit a rough spot at work. I have many of those. I hope one day I can explain why … so you don’t have those yourself.
Two years ago, I hit a rough spot at work, and I made an active choice. I was going to spend every some time every single day talking about what made me grateful and what made me thankful.
I did this for a long time.
About a year later, we realized we were going to have you.
And today, two years later, here we are. Here you are. And you’ve plugged yourself into the perfect place. You are the love your sister’s life, from moment one; and your mother and I feel the same.
Two years removed, I look at this moment and say unequivocally: #iamgrateful and #iamthankful. I say I am, and I tell you Jaanu, no matter how I may act in precise moments, I always and I always will be. You (and your sister) have made certain of it.
Today you make me proud because, today, you have given me yet another reason to be forever grateful and forever thankful.
I love you, homie. We were a family before you; but we are only a complete family because of you.
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Suneet Bhatt 