PRINCIPLES FOR PERSONAL GROWTH, CHANGE,
AND TRUE SUCCESS IN OUR LIFE AND SERVICE TO
OTHERS
How to become all we can be and live at peace in our
world.
Principle
7 - Successful living based on purpose, achievement, and
joy requires us to be grateful, forgiving
people.
A life well lived that is truly successful is based on
many things. It begins with a deep sense of purpose
and meaning about who we are and our place in the
universe. From that, goals are set and plans
made. We move forward to achieve the things that
are important to us. When these achievements are in
alignment with our true selves and with the deep
principles given to us by eternal wisdom -- we cannot
only enjoy life, we can experience great
joy.
But purpose, achievement, and joy do not come to us
simply because we seek them. There are qualities of
character, attitudes of spirit, and words of grace that
need to be present with us in order to possess and enjoy
the good things of successful living. Vital to them
is the proverbial attitude of gratitude. When we
understand that we are entitled to nothing and that all
good things are gifts to us, everything changes.
Grateful people help others out of gratitude. They
are not possessive. They are less defensive and
offensive to others. They are happy and more
attractive to others; and in so doing, they attract many
good things into their lives. But there is
more.
Their grateful hearts and spirits make it easier for them
to forgive, forget, and move on. These people will
experience all of the slights and injuries that are part
of our human experience, but they do not waste time and
energy complaining, grousing, nursing grudges, and
getting even. They understand that these things
will sabotage their success. They are well in tune
with the great spiritual traditions that remind us that
forgiveness does not just benefit the person forgiven,
but it more than benefits, it changes profoundly, the
person who offers the
forgiveness.
Grateful and forgiving people do not live lives
differently by degree. They live different in kind.
The difference is profound, and it is foundational to
true success and peace of mind.
So, successful living based on purpose, achievement, and
joy require us to be grateful, forgiving
people.