Develop appreciation for opportunities and progress. Learn how gratitude supports resilience and continued growth.
Practice appreciation as a daily discipline, not a mood
Appreciation stabilizes us when external forces threaten
People are more inclined to support progress than grievance
On August 12, 2013, I concluded my obligation to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. From age 23 to 49, I lived as federal prisoner number 16377-004. Despite decades in confinement, I always felt grateful for opportunities that came my way.
Living in gratitude did not minimize the hardship of a lengthy sentence. It strengthened me, giving me a different perspective. Rather than perceiving the sentence my judge imposed as an injustice, I considered it part of the journey.
This lesson on "Appreciation" does not suggest that circumstances are better than they are. Rather, we should recognize what remains possible, even in the worst conditions. Like ballast in a ship, appreciation stabilizes us when external forces threaten to capsize our progress.
After my arrest, a judge denied bail. Authorities locked me in solitary confinement, where I spent my first year. After sentencing, authorities transferred me to a high-security penitentiary, where 40-foot walls surrounded the entire prison.
The environment felt ominous. Yet I appreciated the small things that I didn't previously have while in solitary:
I appreciated the increased liberty.
Looking back, I can identify many blessings that sustained me through confinement:
Gratitude does more than improve attitude. It influences outcomes. When we live in gratitude:
Appreciation is the emotional equivalent of compounding interest. The small acknowledgments, repeated daily, accumulate into perspective, strength, and opportunity.
Complete the following exercise in writing:
Appreciation does not end the journey. It gives the journey meaning.
