PRINCIPLES
FOR PERSONAL GROWTH, CHANGE,
AND TRUE
SUCCESS IN OUR LIFE AND SERVICE TO
OTHERS
How
to become all we can be and live at peace in our
world.
Principle
7 - Successful living based on purpose, achievement,
and joy requires us to be grateful, forgiving
people.
A life well lived that is truly successful is based on
many things. It begins with a deep sense of
purpose and meaning about who we are and our place in
the universe. From that, goals are set and plans
made. We move forward to achieve the things that
are important to us. When these achievements are
in alignment with our true selves and with the deep
principles given to us by eternal wisdom -- we cannot
only enjoy life, we can experience great
joy.
But purpose, achievement, and joy do not come to us
simply because we seek them. There are qualities
of character, attitudes of spirit, and words of grace
that need to be present with us in order to possess and
enjoy the good things of successful living. Vital
to them is the proverbial attitude of gratitude.
When we understand that we are entitled to nothing and
that all good things are gifts to us, everything
changes. Grateful people help others out of
gratitude. They are not possessive. They
are less defensive and offensive to others. They
are happy and more attractive to others; and in so
doing, they attract many good things into their
lives. But there is
more.
Their grateful hearts and spirits make it easier for
them to forgive, forget, and move on. These
people will experience all of the slights and injuries
that are part of our human experience, but they do not
waste time and energy complaining, grousing, nursing
grudges, and getting even. They understand that
these things will sabotage their success. They
are well in tune with the great spiritual traditions
that remind us that forgiveness does not just benefit
the person forgiven, but it more than benefits, it
changes profoundly, the person who offers the
forgiveness.
Grateful and forgiving people do not live lives
differently by degree. They live different in
kind. The difference is profound, and it is
foundational to true success and peace of
mind.
So,
successful living based on purpose, achievement, and
joy require us to be grateful, forgiving
people.