It's so easy to complain.
Like, legit, that's often my go-to, to the point where I don't even know I'm doing it. And then sometimes we have the audacity to mask it as venting. Obviously, there's this thought in the back of my mind that I used to pray for the things I'm now complaining about. And when I let that type of gratefulness and positivity go to the forefront of my mind, it's so much easier to find the good in any situation, even the ones I didn't ask for.
Here are a few reasons you should drop the attitude and count your blessings today:
Can't Be Happy Without It
If happiness is the goal, gratefulness is the key. Like the Married With Children song says, you can't have one without the other.
Being grateful and thankful can help you get through the funk of the tough season and process what the aspects that feel like they're trying you in every step, and it helps you endure through it all. I've had to realize that once I get content in a situation that I clearly can't fix, there's so much more peace about it. And it's not about settling and just going with anything that comes to you. But when it comes to those situations that you once really wanted but eventually got comfortable with, it's easy to get complacent and not realize you're taking it for granted and no longer grateful for it. When you get into a mental space of gratitude in any situation, nothing will be able to steal your happiness and joy.
Don't stop get it, get it.
Related Stories:
- How to Wake Up Happy In 6 Simple Steps - Read More
- How 30 Days of Positive Speaking Changed My Life - Read More
- What It Means to Take Responsibility for the Chaos You Create In Your Life - Read More
- Positive Affirmations Helped Ciara Manifest the Man of Her Dreams - Read More
- How Gratitude Can Change Your Life for the Better ›
- 7 Crucial Reasons Why Gratitude Can Change Your Life ... ›
- 9 Powerful Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life | Psychology Today ›
- 7 Things Gratitude Will Do to Change Your Life (If You Do This by ... ›
- How Gratitude Can Change Your Life - The Power of Thank You ›
- How Being Grateful Can Change Your Life ›
- How Gratitude Can Change Your Life - Dr. Rick Hanson ›
RELATED
Yet, the 49-year-old's background sets her apart from other first ladies. Shaunie brings a unique perspective as a public figure, which stems from her previous marriage to NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and her experience in reality television.
In an interview with xoNecole, while promoting her memoir Undefeated, the Basketball Wives creator discussed what being a first lady means to her and how she has lived her life non-traditionally.
When asked if she had always been nontraditional, Shaunie revealed that throughout her life, she has made it her mission to better herself by learning from experiences and breaking harmful cycles.
Shaunie Henderson and Pastor Keion Henderson
Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
“I think that's just who I am. I can’t say I intentionally go against the grain. In the book, I talk about things from my childhood, like my dad being late all the time. I was totally opposite with my kids when they were in school. I was always there early. My mother is not affectionate, and she doesn't verbally say, ‘I love you,’ but she does things to let you know. That's the way she shows her love,” she said when describing her relationship with her parents.
“But because I missed that 'I love you' and hugging and kissing, I do that with my kids. I try to always give what I needed myself. There were basketball wives who weren’t very nice to me, so I went out of my way to make sure that once I was a wife that I didn't treat anybody else like that. No one was going to feel like that on my watch.”
Toward the end of the conversation, when discussing her first lady responsibilities and the pressures of upholding that image, the mother of five explained she isn't too hard on herself to fit the mold, given her significantly different background from most first ladies and her relatively new role.
“As far as being first lady, now, I'm not knocking how any first ladies decide to operate but I just knew that the idea of what that usually is was not me. And, to be honest, rightfully so. I'm probably the only first lady that created a reality show that has been on television since 2010. My life is not remotely close to that of most first ladies. We've experienced completely different things. Most of them have been pastor’s wives for a long time, this is all new for me. I come with an entirely different journey; that wouldn’t lend itself to being a traditional first lady,” she stated.
Shaunie's nontraditional approach appears to work in her favor, as she has been welcomed with open arms just as she is.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images