The Whispers of Gratitude

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

I sat on the floor for 30 minutes, trying to convince myself to go for a run.

I typed out a text to my running group, letting them know I would see them in a week. . .or a month.

My finger hovered over the send button for a few seconds before I erased the text and suited up.

I spent most of the time on the run complaining about how hard things have been in my day job.

• Too much work to do.
• Inadequate human resources to get the work done.
• Inadequate systems to streamline the work.
• Inferior components requiring too much rework and re-engineering.
• Etc.

I came home from that run to a text message from my boss saying that an operations manager we’ve been recruiting for several weeks accepted our offer last night. In the short run, that means more work for me as I train him, but in the long run he’s going to make my life much easier.

Have you ever stopped to consider why complaints seem to echo loud and long while gratitude comes in whispers?

There are a number of factors that impact why this seems to hold true for so many. Here’s a quick list of three common factors:

1. Negativity Bias: Are humans wired to be more negative…