Gratitude vs. Bad Attitude – The choice is ours
The difference between gratitude and a bad attitude is night and day. A person who, despite the challenges that come, chooses to be grateful is investing in their long-term happiness. What I plant today I will harvest tomorrow.
Gratitude; I will find the reasons to be joyful
Bad Attitude; Will take away any joy I possess
Gratitude; I will find something positive in everything or situation
Bad Attitude; It will make everything lousy, even the good
Gratitude; I will find even small reasons to be satisfied and content
Bad Attitude; I will become the person who is never satisfied
Gratitude; Grateful and other positive people will want to be around me
Bad Attitude; Will drive those positive from me and I will only attract negativity
Gratitude; I will build up those around me and be of greater service
Bad Attitude; I will corrupt and pollute those around me
Gratitude; I will be a positive role model to my family and those I love
Bad Attitude; I will negatively affect all those around me
For those of us who suffer from addiction the difference can be even more dramatic and serious than those I have listed above. For me and others I have known over the years the depth, level and even the length of my sobriety can be measured in direct proportion to my gratitude.
Gratitude will always bring me more than a bad attitude. Gratitude gives life, joy, peace, serenity and a sense of personal reward. A bad attitude can only make something simple hard and the hard impossible to bear.
In early sobriety, we are given a wide berth without much expectation, but that all changes when we get a little time. As we begin to pick up chips with one, two, three years and more we have a responsibility to the newcomer to exhibit the life of a person walking in recovery. Gratitude is one of those areas we want to exhibit this new life. “If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence they wouldn’t want it.”
The choice is ours.
Robert Pardon
Robert is the Recovery Guy. Getting clean and sober on April 25, 1986 has given me the insight and practical skill set to not only stay sober, but to also re-invent myself to the person I always wanted to become. Showing others how to do this is my life goal.
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