Oprah & The “Thanks for Nothing” List.
Here’s a non-comprehensive list of things that haven’t gone as I aspired this week:
My enchiladas were dry (should have bought more tomatillos. It’s all about the ratio.).
I didn’t hear back from a prospective, super exciting client.
After being IMMENSELY proud of myself for going on a walk, I realized in all my bundled layers I lost an earring.
I feel like I missed the “perfect follow up window” (which, maybe I made up) to reach out to a specific client.
I said I’d learn more about spreading the word on social media, and I sure didn’t.
So to wrap up my practice of gratitude this month - I thought I’d take these events on through a gratitude lens:
Thanks …
….FOR NOTHING!
Tomatillo ratio, scarf that knocked my earring out, hours I spent prepping for clients, calendar I should have paid attention to….
Oh wait, hah! That’s not gratitude.
In her wisest words, Oprah said, “True forgiveness is when you can say 'Thank you for that experience,” and provides a useful shift away from the thanks for nothing list.
When things don’t go our way, what would it take to follow Oprah’s guiding words us to:
Seek forgiveness, and
Appreciate the experience?
On my thanks for nothing list, the top item that’s circling in my mind is that I missed a “perfect follow up window” for a prospective client.
Seeking forgiveness: The forgiving I’ve got to do here is to myself - I missed my invented perfect window. What does it look like to let that go and stop beating myself up about it?
Appreciate the experience: I can appreciate this experience through the lens of learning - From dropping the ball once, I’ve learned to create calendar holds for even the smallest follow up, so I can be as diligent and timely as I want.