Gratitude and the University of Hard Knocks

When life thows you a curved ball and it seems like Lady Luck is notable by her absence. That is the time when gratitude can help you turn things around.

It is also the time when it might seem there is little to be grateful for . Yet as Richard Branson told Darren Hardy when he was asked if luck played a part in his success,and he answered, "Yes of course, we are all lucky. If you live in a free society, you are lucky. Luck surrounds us every day: we are constantly having lucky things happen to us, whether you recognize it or not. I have not been any more lucky than anyone else. The difference is when luck came my way, I took advantage of it." My point here is that even when you are going through the University of Hard Knocks, just be grateful for the positive things and luck will come your way.

To illustrate the point just before my son was born I went to the AGM of Fintry Amateur Dramatic Society, of which I was a member, purely to support it. Before I knew what had happened they elected me as Chairman. I was terrified, but thanks to the people in the club it was the greatest opportunity I have had in a long time. The next two years were fantastic and the club went from strength to strength. I had a fabulous committee both years, who took my mad ideas and gave them legs.

My 5 year plan really worked and thanks to the very enthusaistic members was soon booked up with great productions; including a 10 night sell out run of The Full Monty. Thanks to the hard work of John Laing and Tony Flisch my idea for a blogg initiated the creation of the best amateur dramatic website in Scotland. (www.fintrydrama.org.uk).

I am very proud of my time as Chairman, however that is only because of the visionary, talented, and wonderful people I had around me in the club and on the committee. I am very grateful to them.

Since then their friendship and support has helped get me through a very hard time. I realise what a great opportunity the club handed me and am grateful for it. Lady Luck paid me a call then and has since.

I am lucky to have two great kids, and as my daughter was born premature I am lucky to live in a country where there are fantastic staff working in Special Care Baby Units where the treatment is free under the National Health Service.

So how can gratitude help you survive the university of hard knocks?

Well I am grateful for many things including those mentioned above, but gratitude can help your attitude and personal growth. This gives you the first two parts of Darren Hardys' formula for Getting Lucky:

"Preparation (personal growth)+ Attitude (belief/mindset) + Opportunity (a good thing coming your way) + Action (doing something about it) = Luck".

For more information visit www.mykleeneze.com/51466241 or www.utilitywarehouse.org.uk/peterrobinson.

Thank you for reading this post.