We Have It So Good!

"Daddy, why do we watch fireworks?".... "Daddy! Why do we watch fireworks?!" With that, my son managed to snap me out of my iPhone-induced trance, and without knowing it, he inspired this blog. 

We had been sitting on the tailgate of a truck for at least an hour, waiting for the fireworks show to start in a small Southwest Oklahoma town about eight miles from where I grew up. While we were waiting, I knew I had some time on my hands, so I began sifting through the list of ideas that I have for future blog posts (we've got some good ones coming!). I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about today. I bounced back and forth between a few ideas. In fact, I started writing two different posts while we sat there. It's amazing what you can do with your phone these days.

Then he hit me with that question. I had not anticipated it. That was a mistake on my part. It only makes sense.  He's three years old, and he has just started the "why" phase. At this point let me take a moment to say that I deeply regret laughing at all of my friends when their toddlers were going through the "whys."

When he asked me about the fireworks, I tried to come up with something brilliant enough to capture the significance of Independence Day, yet simple enough that my three year old could understand it. I failed. I went with "Well, it's a celebration!" He looked at me with what could only be described as a "Gary Coleman, Whatchu talkin' bout, Willis" face (I apologize if you're too young to know what that is). I quickly recovered with "It's like a birthday party for America." That helped. After a LONG string of "whys" (and questions about Captain America), my son was satisfied. Luckily the fireworks started before he could think of any more questions.

I must confess that I almost always get a little bit choked up when I watch fireworks on the 4th of July. As I watch them, I have a loop of myself singing "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air..." that plays in my head as I think about all of the things we have to be thankful for in our great country. Sometimes that loop becomes audible, and I'm sure my wife wonders whether I know the rest of the words or not.

As I did this last night, I was also thinking about some of the answers I had given my son about this "celebration," and that's when I decided what I would write about today:

The importance of having an Attitude of Gratitude

One of my favorite authors is Jon Gordon. His books have had a profound impact on my life, and one of the most important concepts he writes about is having an attitude of gratitude. In his books he often cites various studies that reveal the benefits of being grateful. For example, in "The Energy Bus" he points out that it's physically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same moment. How many of us could use a little bit less stress in our lives?

Another thing that Jon shares in "The Energy Bus" is the following formula:

E + P = O

In this formula, E stands for "events" in your life. P stands for "perception" of said events. O stands for "outcomes." Our outcomes are determined by how we perceive the events in our lives. There is a lot of power in that formula (and a lot of truth). If we look at every event in our life as something to be grateful for, our outcomes will certainly be more positive, and that will lead to a surge of positive momentum in our lives.

Think about it. How much better will life be when we stop complaining about the difficulties we have at work and start being grateful for the fact that we have a job in a struggling economy? What if we stop complaining about how frustrated we are with politics and start being thankful that we live in a country that gives us the freedom to openly voice our political opinions? If you're struggling to be grateful right at this moment, think about the fact that, most likely, you are currently reading this blog ON YOUR PHONE. We have plenty to be thankful for.

One of my friends and mentors, Joshua Medcalf, is one of the best I know at being grateful. As the founder of "Train To Be Clutch," he works with people all over the country on "mental training." Often times, when he gives a keynote, he tells a story about a time when a very large man punched him square in the nose, knocking him out and sending him to the hospital. He says that when he gets his bearings together at the hospital, he tells his friends "I'm really glad this happened to me. It's an opportunity to learn and grow."

I have to admit that the first time I heard him tell that story, I was a bit skeptical. It sounds good when you are speaking to a large group of people, but who really thinks that way? Well, I was wrong. As I've gotten to know Joshua a little bit better and spend some time with him, I have come to realize that he lives out what he teaches. He practices gratitude on a regular basis. In his new book, "Burn Your Goals," he and his co-author, Jamie Gilbert, explain what they believe it means to have "true mental toughness." One of their four keys to true mental toughness is "having unconditional gratitude REGARDLESS of your circumstances."

I love that definition! That's certainly not what most people think of when they think of "toughness," but think about how tough you actually have to be in order to be grateful all of the time no matter what. That's a tall order. Having this kind of gratitude is certainly easier said than done, but there is hope:

"Gratitude is like a muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it gets." - Jon Gordon

The more often you practice gratefulness, the easier it gets to be grateful. So how do we flip the switch permanently in the direction of gratitude?

Here are four easy suggestions to get you started:

Write it all down
As soon as you finish reading this, take a few minutes to write down as many things as you can think of that you have to be grateful for. When you put pen to paper and actually make a written list, you might be surprised at how many things you can come up with.

Do it daily
Joshua and Jamie recommend keeping a "What Went Well" journal. At the end of each day, write down everything that went well that day. It's easy to find things to be thankful for if we start looking for them on a daily basis.

Go for a walk
Jon Gordon recommends taking "Thank-You Walks" on a regular basis. The neurological effects of both walking and gratitude combine to create a one-two punch that will jump-start your car on the road to happiness.

Do it early
Try to start your day off by looking over the things you've written previously. Wake up a few minutes earlier each day and spend some time focusing on all of your blessings before the stresses of the day come calling. It's hard to stop somebody who starts their day off with an attitude of gratitude.

To wrap this up, I'd like to say how grateful I am for the time that you've spent reading this blog. There are a lot of other ways you could have spent the last few minutes, but you stuck it out with me. THANK YOU! I am blown away by the response that I've gotten since I started writing in May. If you have found this blog useful at all, please pass it on to somebody else.

See you next time!

If you are interested in getting more information about Jon Gordon and his books, visit: http://www.jongordon.com/
I cannot recommend his books enough. I've heard phenomenal things about his newest book "The Carpenter," and I can't wait to read it!

If you are interested in "Train to be Clutch" and the work that Joshua Medcalf and Jamie Gilbert are doing in the field of mental training, visit: http://www.traintobeclutch.com/, and make sure to check out their new book "Burn Your Goals."