How often can you say that you felt inspired by something you saw on the news? It seems that happens less and less often these days. In fact, that’s part of the reason I started writing this blog. I wanted to create content that was positive, helpful, and inspiring. But earlier this week, I was inspired by the morning news. Actually, it was the Today Show, which you could argue is not strictly a news program. But it does cover its share of sadness, contentions, and destruction.
My posts are often inspired by something I read or hear in passing that sticks with me. The other day, I was going about my morning routine, checking email, having breakfast, feeding my dogs. The television was on in the background. I almost always turn it on in the morning, but it’s often just background noise as I putter about getting things done. This morning, however, I heard a guest say something that caught my attention. Hoda Kotb was interviewing a man who said something like “ count your contributions as well as your blessings.” He was a guest for a “wellness” segment. After watching the remainder of the interview, I googled the guest’s name to see what more I could learn.
Adam Grant
It turns out the guest is a pretty well known and popular speaker, author, and professor of Psychology at Wharton. His name is Adam Grant. He is the author of the bestselling book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
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If you want to skip the read or get a shortened version, you should check out Grant’s TED talks. His talk about original thinking is here. It ties in to his Originals book. His talk about being givers and/or takers is here and relates to his latest book. The give and take book has some really interesting research on what kind of people make up the best work force. It’s on my “to-read” list now too. Hopefully, I won’t waste another 6 months before I get to them.
I’m a huge fan of TED talks in general and these are two of the best I’ve watched. Each one is only about 15 minutes long so if you feel like you can’t dedicate the time to read one of Grant’s books, try a TED talk. Maybe you’ll even end up changing your mind about the books.
Counting My Contributions
Since I often write about gratitude, Grant’s comment on the Today Show really resonated with me. I have been practicing gratitude on my journal for a coupe of years. I strongly believe in counting my blessings and cultivating gratitude. There is plenty of research that shows gratitude is beneficial to our mental and physical health. I wrote about gratitude in journaling here. I also created a gratitude challenge for anyone who needs a little extra help getting started.
But Grant recommended counting our contributions as well. Why? Well, recognizing things and people we should be grateful for is often a passive thing. We are usually, grateful for things that happen to us, are given to us, or that just seem to work out for us. Our contributions are active. These are things we do, we choose, and we give. Counting our contributions can inspire us to do more and give more. In turn, we feel more accomplished, more capable, and better about ourselves overall. We are active participants in creating good things.
I’m sold on the idea. I will be counting my blessings and my contributions from now own. Both will be good for my self-worth and self-care. Let me know what you think.
More Good Advice
During the initial Today Show interview, Hoda Kotb mentioned that Grant said it was okay to argue in front of your kids. This seems to be a hot button topic among parents and my ears perked up. Grant’s take on arguing is that if you never see your parents have a constructive argument, you’ll never learn how to have one themselves. It is important for parents to model positive behaviors for their kids. In addition, kids who never see conflict often go with the default option in life. They think there is only one right way to do things. This can set them up for a lot of confusion and disappointment in their future because life doesn’t usually turn out that way. I agree with the basics of his position. But it was another piece of advice he gave that really hit me. Here it is: Argue like you’re right and listen like you’re wrong.
I am very good at arguing like I’m right. Just ask my husband, my kids, my parents. But I really need to work on listening like I’m wrong. Can I just say, most of us need to work on this. And if we did, how much more peaceful would our world be?
Be An Original
The second Ted Talk (actually, it is Grant’s first, but I watched it second) is about habits of original thinkers. I’d like to see myself as an original thinker, but I’m not sure I really am. That probably why I bought his book and then let it sit on my shelf for six months. But something Grant said in this Ted Talk gives me some hope. It turns out procrastination is a sign of a creative mind. Hurray for me!
Going to go start that book now. If it goes well, you can expect to see it in one of my book recommendation posts. If you haven’t been inspired to read one of Grant’s books, but are still looking for a book to read, you can check out some of my book recommendations here and here.
Check out Grant’s Ted talks and let me know what you think. He’s easy to listen to, really positive and upbeat, and seems to fit what I’ve been trying to do with My Cup of Cocoa.
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