I was affected by this recession just like everyone else.  I experienced reduced sales, reduced income, evaporating profits, higher debt ratios and business losses.  In one case, the losses were enough that I chose to close one of my businesses.  These are not the sort of things I enjoy.

Most mornings I get outside, before the heat gets too intense, to excercise and meditate.  As a regular part of this ritual, I spend some time deliberately focusing on things that I’m grateful for.  Usually its things like my wife, my family, my health, the resources available to me, the friends and mentors in my life, my success, my business.  This morning, as I was going through these things in my mind, really feeling the gratitude growing inside, I started thinking about the recession.  I don’t know where it came from, but as I started thinking about all of the positive outcomes I’ve seen as a result of this recession, I realized there was quite a bit to be grateful for.  Here’s how I started my list.  What am I missing, and what would you add to this list?

I’m Grateful for this Recession because…

1. it prompted me to re-evaluate my priorities, giving me a clearer sense of which things are most important in my life, and helped me to re-focus on those areas.
2. it forced me to look for new opportunities in new places, opportunities I would never have seen otherwise.
3. it gave me a greater appreciation for what I have achieved.
4. it made the weaknesses in my businesses quite apparent, so I could address them.
5. it provided the stimulus I needed to learn and grow in areas where I had become complacent.
6. it reduced the competition in the marketplace, providing greater opportunity than before.

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” ~ Napolean Hill