Do You Solely Reflect on the Positive?

When you practice gratitude, do you solely reflect on the positive events?

Once, a guest at one of our 7:47 dinners in London told us the story of an unfortunate scuba trip in which he nearly lost his life.

After coming up from the depths of freezing North Atlantic waters, he spent hours waiting for a boat to take him back to shore.

Out of nowhere, a boat approached him, and the captain pulled him out of the water to give him food and a blanket as he recovered.

The guest expressed gratitude to the captain not only for saving his life, but also for encouraging him to get back into the water again one day, despite this experience.

He showed that a simple acknowledgment of gratitude for another person can reframe even our most negative memories.

When we express gratitude for unpleasant events, we remember the resilience it took for us to get through that tough time, nurturing our self-confidence and preparing us for future challenges.

We might even incorporate that negative event into our overall life story to connect with others more deeply and help them get through tough times, too.

Is there someone in your life story that you’ve forgotten to thank? Are there any positive benefits you can attribute to a negative event in your life?