The Secret to Getting Back Up: Gratitude

Floyd Patterson, a heavyweight boxing legend and Hall-of-Famer, once said, “They said I was the fighter who got knocked down the most, but I also got up the most.”  Patterson found a way to get back up each time.  This is the mark of a good leader, and a successful person.  You get up after you get smacked.

All success stories involve knock down after knock down.  The question is why do some people have the courage and confidence to get up while many people stay down?  Let me tell you how I learned the secret.

Fourteen years ago on a Friday afternoon in New York City something happened to me at work.  It was one of those events that makes you want to run home, pull the blinds, get under the covers and put a pillow over your head. 

As luck would have it, my Mom was visiting me that weekend; she was waiting for me when I returned from work.  Now I have a mom with a talent for finding out what’s bothering you; she’s like a “psychological MRI.”  She gives you one hug, one look, and she knows what’s wrong with you.  Mom also knows just what to say.  This is what she said that night.

“When I was growing up in Maine I was teased for being poor.  The kids picked on me because we had an outhouse in our backyard.  They laughed at me because I went to a one-room school house.  They made fun of my mother because she warmed her feet in the oven on cold winter nights.

I know how it feels when people put you down.  But I learned that the key to a better life is not to focus on what people say you don’t have, but to focus on what you do have.”

And that’s when Mom talked to me about the power of gratitude.  She told me that if we think about what we’re grateful for when we’re overwhelmed, and when others are hurtful to us, we will always find the strength and courage to fight for the life we want to live.  That’s the secret.

Sunday night came and Mom left for Milwaukee.  A few hours later I was walking around Manhattan’s lower east side.  I began to worry about work, and I was feeling more than just the “Sunday Night Blues.”  That’s when I thought of Mom and what she said, “Think about what you’re grateful for.”

So I stopped right where I was on 20th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.  There was a red brick elementary school there.  I backed up to it, leaned on the wall, looked up and did just what Mom told me to do.  I said everything that I was grateful for.  I can still remember the feeling that came next.

Almost immediately my heart stopped racing, my chest relaxed, and I took a deep breath.  I looked up at the sky and felt as if the passing clouds were carrying my worries away.  My worries no longer seemed important compared to the many things I was grateful for in my life.  I felt relief like never before.

From that moment on I knew the power of gratitude and I have tapped into it every day over the last fourteen years – some days more than others!

So the next time you take one on the chin, do as my Mom says, “think of everything that you are grateful for,” and like Floyd Patterson, you’ll get back up before the count of ten.

Comments

[David J. Pollay]

Hi Max,

Thanks Max for the post. Floyd Patterson sure was an exciting athlete; he was a tough guy. How great that you saw him in action.

And Mom is very special; thanks for your warm comments.

Best to you,

David

[Max]

Hi David,

Another great article.
I'm old enough to have seen Floyd Paterson get up many times.
Your Mother is quite an inspiration. I'm grateful for your article. Thanks, Max

[David J. Pollay]

Hi Dick!

Thanks for the post! It’s great to hear from you. Thanks for the support! Stay with us, and get connected to our Monday Morning Momentum Posts; you’ll enjoy the weekly journey!

Best to you,

David

[David J. Pollay]

Hi Alberto!

Thanks for the great post! I am so glad my message connects with you.

You’re right; there are so many distractions. We really have to keep focused every day on what we’re grateful for in our lives. And I am grateful for your support!

Best,

David

[David J. Pollay]

Hi Brenda!

Great to hear from you! I am so glad my post came at the right time. Stay connected to us; I know you will like the rest of what’s coming on the blog!

Best to you,

David

[David J. Pollay]

Hi Lil!

Great to hear from you! Thanks for such an enthusiastic post; your energy is inspiring to me.

Have a great day!

David

[Dick]

I always learn something I can use in life with your stories. Thanks for sharing your invaluable insights.

[Alberto]

Hi David, I am grateful I read your writing today !!! Your post gives focus and meaning to what is important in life, rather than the distractions many just tend to get hooked by. Thanks again, Alberto

[brenda515]

This SOOOO good. I'm grateful to have found it and read it today.

[Lil]

Thanks David. Wow! This post really got to me. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude gives you the strength to get up and get on with business in your personal life, and in your work world. This article inspires. Many thanks. Lil