Gratitude is not about what is received; it’s about how you receive what is there.”  

— John Boggs

As soon as I read this quote from my business and leadership mentor, John Boggs, I felt the sweetness of these words. 

I don’t know if your response is anything like mine, but it evokes in me space and ease—sidestepping the striving and struggle thoughts that tend to greet me as I wake up in the morning when I’m focused on all the problems ahead.

Intentionally receiving what’s already there with gratitude in my heart. 

Wow, let that sink in.

This also reminds me of an idea I’ve been working with lately: working less, achieving way more.

The quality of energy with which we relate to what we already have is not only in our control, but based on our choice, we establish an environment of either flow or grind. 

We each have the power to set the stage of our day to be one of infinite possibility or predictable limitation. 

All that’s required is deciding in advance how we will relate to what we already have.  

This also applies to actions we believe are the right and strategic steps required to accomplish our goal. How you do what you do makes all the difference in terms of the result your action produces.

In other words, the enthusiasm felt, the intention held in mind, the coherence of focus and genuine appreciation that’s presenced as you do what you do, is more responsible for the result of that action than the specific action itself. 

Getting what you want can be a lot easier than we’re programmed to expect.

Because going through your day with this feeling tone of gratitude, even if it’s just gratitude for the opportunity to be alive and cause the things you want to occur, moves you into a different gear, shortening the distance and lightening the load to the desired destination. 

When I was 22, my grandmother gave me the gift of visiting family and friends in England and France. At one point, I was staying with friends on a remote island off the northwest coast of France. 

There was a community dance happening one Saturday night and getting there required driving. The only car available was an old Renault with a stick shift transmission and two gears, slow and slower. (I’m not exaggerating.) 

I was the only one who knew how to drive a stick shift, so it was decided.

There were hills and one lane narrow roads on this island. First gear got us out of the driveway and second gear crawled us up the hills, only making it to the tops with the engine revving and gas pedal squeezed to the floor, literally.  

The car shook and lurched back and forth and sounded like the engine was being torn apart, but eventually we got to the dance.

Imagine, you’re living your life, going after your goals and dreams using two gears, when you actually have six at your disposal. No wonder life feels like a grind. 

The great news is that we’re the ones who set the tone for our day and the work we get to do in a day.

It’s not about what’s going on, it’s about how you relate yourself to what’s going on that determines the quality of the results you receive.

Feeling grateful for what’s already here connects us to more of our power.