Be Grateful For The Little Things In Life

Well, I failed a goal. I did not successfully complete the 100 Random Acts of Kindness Challenge that I set out to achieve only two weeks ago. 

But just like with any goal that you fail, what do you do next? Do you give up and move onto the next goal? No! You get right back up and pick up where you left off. And that’s exactly what I intend to do. 

Maybe this challenge won’t be completed within 100 days, but I assure you, I will finish the 100 Random Acts of Kindness Challenge that I set out to achieve.

Unless we learn to overcome the obstacles that stand in our way and get right back up every time life tries to knock us down or get in our way, we are not going to achieve anything close to our true potential. 

So onwards and looking upwards, let’s get back into the swing of things. 

Celebrating A New Job

I have what I think to be the world’s greatest family. Through all of the many ups and downs that have consumed my life, they have never left my side or stopped supporting me. Without my family, I would not be where I am today. 

Last week, I accepted a new position at a local university working as an enrollment counselor. The night I got the job, one of my sisters took me out to dinner and let me choose where we went. 

Here’s the post if you want to read it: If You Want A Happier Life, Surround Yourself With Kindness

It wasn’t where we went that made the night special, but it was the fact that my sister and her family were willing to drop everything that they had going on in their lives to celebrate my new job. It made me feel accomplished and successful, all while feeling blessed and grateful at the same time. 

Last night, my other sister bought me dinner at another one of my favorite restaurants. This time we ate at home, but after more than a week since accepting my new job, she still remembered and celebrated. 

Again, knowing that her family had gone out of their way to celebrate one of my accomplishments had left me feeling like I was still on top of the world – all of while feeling, of course, blessed and grateful. 

Be Grateful For The Little Things In Life

Both of my sisters had stopped their incredibly busy lives to celebrate their younger brother. While they may not know it, it was their acts of kindness that had helped to shed a tremendous amount of light into my life. 

Getting a new job is a stressful process, or at least it has been for me. I have never had to leave one job while making the transition to another one, so in a time where a lot is changing around me, there is also a lot of stress that has added up. 

But for these two nights, a lot of that stress had dissipated. I wasn’t focusing on all of the change that was going on in my life, but instead, I was focusing on all that I am blessed with: my family, the fact that they were celebrating me, and the fact that I was blessed with a new job to celebrate in the first place. 

Find Gratitude and Be Kind

There is so much to be thankful for in the world that we live in. The only issue is that we rarely take the time to slow down and realize all that we have in life because we are too prioritized focusing on all that we want or don’t have. 

Life isn’t always going to be easy. In fact, there are going to be a lot of times where the weight of the obstacles you face are going to weigh you down. But don’t let these obstacles stop you from living the life that you deserve to live. Find something to be grateful for in your life (there is always something), and then go out of your way to do something kind for others.

When you do this, the weight of the obstacles that you are holding you down will lift ever so slightly. Not only that, but you will also be helping to make the world around you a better place for all, all while attracting the good that life has to offer. 

To me, that sounds like a win-win.

Michael Bonnell

Yesterday’s post: 4 Mindful Ways To Love Your Life More