The secret to not take things for granted
Last weekend Hurricane Fiona ripped her way through our region left a path of destruction in the wake of the centre of the storm. We were a hundred miles or so west of the eye so it wasn’t as bad here—but there were lots of trees down, shingles blown off roofs and we were without power for 34 hours.
Throughout the weekend, I was reminded how important electricity is for routine daily activities. Think about it:
A hot cup of coffee or tea
Lighting
Heating or cooling
Cooking
Cleaning—dishes, clothes, people
Charging electronic devices
Filling up the car with gasoline
Going to the store for groceries and necessities
Connecting to the internet
Keeping food preserved—whether in the freezer or the fridge
Getting news
Safely controlling traffic on city streets
Working
And for others, this list might include:
Powering water or sewer pump
Sterilizing containers for infants
Powering a sleep apnea machine or other life-critical medical device
And more…
And while it seemed we were out for an eternity, restoration crews from neighbouring provinces and states were on the ground and ready to go by the time the storm ended. It’s a massive undertaking to restore power after a storm, especially when more than 80% of your customers are without power.
No surprise, this experience was a time for gratitude. Without exception, the essence of every conversation I had over the weekend included two themes:
Extreme gratitude for all the work being done to restore power and repair damage
Our tendency to take things for granted when things are good
There are many benefits of not taking things for granted when things are good and I know of only one way to prevent taking things for granted or being complacent.
How ?
It ain’t rocket science but it is very simple. Build and develop a Habitual Ritual—a regular practice of gratitude that includes two habits:
Make a list of what you’re grateful for
Read or listen to what other people are grateful for
If you don’t have a Habitual Ritual, I encourage you to give it a try for 30 days and see what happens for you. If you need support, join our 1 Billion Happier People community here.
