Last week the subject was gratitude ~ taking time to reflect on our lives and our work and feeling grateful. There’s a significant secondary gain from practicing gratitude; it improves our ability to see opportunities. By focusing on what’s good and valuable in our lives and at work, we strengthen our “opportunity recognition” capabilities. Pessimists and cynics often miss opportunities because their focus is elsewhere.

Food for Thought ~

Most good leaders are optimistic and consciously grateful. Recently, I was with a client who had just successfully moved her large organization into beautiful new offices. As she took a rare quiet moment to gaze at the vista from her window, she expressed gratitude for all the factors that had come together to make the move possible. This is a person who is an expert at opportunity recognition. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.

Question of the day ~

How optimistic are you? Do you easily see opportunities? Do you need to strengthen your gratitude habit?