Attitude of Gratitude

ABC News had a breaking news thing at the bottom.  It declared that Dylan Alcott the tennis player had announced his retirement to take effect after the next Australian Open.  Later on, he was seen being interviewed and answering a few questions.
I was amazed at his attitude of gratitude. This is the Australian wheelchair champ.  He has won the Australian open 15 times and last year achieved the Golden Slam which means wining every major to be won and the Olympics in the same year.
There is no doubt in my mind tennis has been good to him but most people I know would prefer to be able to walk.  Yet there was not a hint of “woe is me” or “I am hard done by”.
I thought it was great how positive he was.  He acknowledged that what he had achieved was not a “him” thing but an “us”.  Like everyone he achieved more with help – being wheelchair bound was not going to stop him.  It is so good to see that displayed rather then tantrums and players acting like the world owes them.
For me one of the keys in having an attitude of gratitude is recognising that whatever I have was a gift in the first place.  I recognise it is up to me to nurture and develop it, but in the final analysis I am making the most of what I have been given.
No difficulty is to be treated as unimportant.  For some it may be a major accident or where is the money coming from to pay the rent.  For me it was the tumour and stroke and later being disappointed in myself.  Whatever the case I have always found that difficulties need to be faced head on. 
For me that has been a case of heartfelt prayer and asking the help of others when needed.  I have a habit of just asking.  If I do not understand something I tend to just ask.  I know that is not always the case from what I have seen.  Yet I know I know more than many because of it.
I had one guy recently say to me “how’d did you know that.”  I just spent time with the person and asked.
Yet for sure knowing some stuff could cause this boat to sink.  I have a feeling that is why there is so much depression and anxiety in the world at the moment.  The news causes me to know stuff.  All the bad stuff.  It could be overwhelming and depressing.
Yet to me so much depends on what I major in.  If I major in bad news I will be overwhelmed.  It is not pretending it is not there but it is not all that is there.  As far as I am concerned if I was to make bad news front and centre I would be majoring in minors.
An attitude of gratitude makes the bad news a minor.  It does not negate its importance but for me it does put it in its rightful place.
I try to major in gratitude.  I have found the more I do it the more reasons I find to do it.