The best gift is gratitude

I was struck by the words of Seth Godin, so I have borrowed them below.

But before you read them, I would like to let you know about the way I want to show my gratitude to you. We’re giving you the chance to win a gift pack from one of New Zealand’s most deserving charities, Will & Able. 

Scroll down this blog post, and be in to win.

But first, here are Seth Godin’s thoughts I’d like to share with you this Christmas:

Entitlement is heartache.

It’s not forced on us, it’s something we choose.

And we rarely benefit from that choice.

That emergency surgery, the one that saved your life, when the ruptured appendix was removed - the doctor left a scar.

We can choose to be grateful for our next breath.

Or we can find a way to be enraged, to point out that given how much it costs and how much training the doctor had, that scar really ought to be a lot smaller. And on top of that, he wasn’t very nice. We’re entitled to a nice doctor!

Or we can choose to be grateful.

Marketers have spent trillions of dollars persuading us that we can have it all, that we deserve it, and that right around the corner is something even better.

Politicians have told us that they’ll handle everything, that our pain is real and that an even better world is imminent.

And we believe it. We buy into our privilege as well as the expectation that our privilege entitles us to even more. It’s not based on status or reality. It’s a cultural choice.

And you’re entitled to your entitlement if you want it.

But why would you?

Entitlement gets us nothing but heartache.

It blinds us to what’s possible. It insulates us from the magic of gratitude.

And most of all, it lets us off the hook, pushing us away from taking responsibility (and action) and toward apportioning blame and anger instead.

Gratitude, on the other hand, is just as valid a choice.

Except that gratitude makes us open to possibility. It brings us closer to others. And it makes us happier.

There’s a simple hack at work here: We’re not grateful because we’re happy. We’re happy because we’re grateful.

Everything could be better.

Not because we deserve it (we don’t, not really).

But because if we work at it, invest in it and connect with others around it, we can make it better. It’s on us.

It’s difficult work, counter-instinctual work that never ends.

But we keep trying.

Because it’s worth it.

- Seth Godin, 2017

I was really inspired by these words when I read it, and have decided to make my intention for Xmas 2021 to be one of gratitude.

If you need a mortgage, or to re-fix your loan, we’ll be checking our emails once daily over the holiday break.

Our office is closed from 23 December 2021 to 17 January 2022. 

You can book appointments using my online diary.

Christmas Giveaway

Win 1 of 4 starter gift boxes from Will & Able.

We love the Will & Able range of eco-friendly products made by kiwis with disabilities. So we’re giving you the chance to win a Will & Able gift box for Christmas. 

To go in the draw, simply like and leave a comment on our Facebook post.

I will collect the names of everyone who posted and draw four winners at random.

In the spirit of Christmas, this prize draw is open to everyone – but do make sure you like and leave a comment by 5pm on Friday 17 December 2021.

And have a great holiday!