036: Leaders, See More Opportunities with Gratitude

How do you recognize the possibilities that business and life are handing you? In this leadership podcast episode, I expose an incredibly effective key to seeing more opportunities—gratitude. 

Be Present and Thankful to See More Possibilities

We are pre-wired for negativity. When faced with a challenge, our default perceptions and our automatic narratives kick in before we have time to consider options. 

To kick the negativity narrative and become more aware of opportunities, reframe your perceptions to recognize challenging situations as invitations to grow and become. A key that makes a better perspective possible is gratitude.

It may sound simplistic, but giving thanks for what you have—even when it’s insufficient—opens your eyes to possibilities, to opportunities that are hidden when you’re entangled in broken thought and behavior patterns.

Thanksgiving Reveals One Thousand Gifts

I’ve known and taught this principle for years, but I still need reminders. I recently read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It was like getting hit in the face with a bucket of cold water. Her story serves as a shocking wake-up call to remember that all of life is a gift for growing and that thanksgiving is the key that reveals the gift. (If you are one of the first five people to mention this specific episode on your Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn profile, I’ll send you a free copy of Ann’s book. Tag me so I see the post!)

Intentional Gratitude Opens Your Eyes

Gratitude is not a command, it’s an invitation. It’s an opportunity to see the best, to acknowledge the beauty, to capture the benefit of a moment or a situation. When you begin to practice gratitude intentionally, your eyes are opened to the possibilities around the moment or the relationship.

Several years ago, I spent an entire year focused on being grateful. The more gratitude I expressed, the more I found to be grateful for. 

I believe that intentional gratitude is an act of resistance and rebellion against the prevailing presence of anxiety in our culture. Psychologist Robert Leahy points out, “The average child today exhibits the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s.” Maintaining an attitude of gratitude isn’t easy. You will need some help getting started if this isn’t in your normal emotional regimen.

The Gratitude Challenge

My friend Kevin Monroe has developed a powerful kickstart to a lifestyle of intentional gratitude. The Gratitude Challenge is a free 10-day jumpstart, or catalyst, to living a life marked by thanksgiving. If you need a push in your process, this is a great, free tool to help you shift your perspective.

Gratitude Is Too Simple

This is one of those invitations that seems too simple to be effective. I promise that if you will begin to intentionally find things to be thankful for, especially in moments when you could express the oppo