Gratitude trumped attitude

Week two of the Thankfulfor challenge taught me a lesson in the value of cultivating a gratitude-oriented mindset.

I have made a deliberate decision not to use this blog as a place to vent, gripe or complain (that is what morning pages are for), so I will not elaborate too fully on a situation that occurred over the weekend save to say that my new favorite coffee shop implemented a new policy over the weekend that was so inconsiderate and off-putting that I am strongly reconsidering whether to return. That is saying a lot, since I am mayor of the place on 4 Square, with nearly daily visits for the past two weeks, and the place is only a month old.

The entire situation left me feeling very unsettled and could have easily thrown the entire day off for me.  Not normally a big deal on a Saturday, except that I had a full day's work ahead of me.  I needed to get back to "ready" as soon as possible; I simply did not have the mental real estate for frustration and anger with so much to do.

So, what did I do? I turned to gratitude.   

I sat down and focused on the aspects of that very moment that I was grateful for: the weather, the other coffee shop options, that I had so much cool work to do in the first place etc. Within minutes I was re-focused, realigned and the entire situation was put in the proper perspective. .

Not sure how I would have otherwise handled the situation, but I'd like to believe that participating in the Thankfulfor Challenge has made me more inclined toward a gratitude oriented mindset and for that I am truly grateful.

Are you participating in the Thankfulfor Challenge? How was week two for you? Please share in the comments!

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