Get Grateful

In order to maintain the energy level required for job hunting it is crucial to seek out positive sources of inspiration. One major source of energy is gratitude. It may sound silly but taking ten minutes a day to think about all the things you have to be grateful for can make all the difference in the world. The reality is if you were born in Canada or a country of similar wealth you've already won the country of origin lottery. Over 80% of the world's population lives on less than $10.00 a day. Please let that sink in for a moment.

If you were born in a wealthy country like Canada just by default you're already doing better than 80% of the people in the world. It's hard to get down on yourself when you remember that over a billion people go to sleep hungry every night. I am extremely fortunate to be born in such a wonderful place. A place where I have the right to healthcare and an education, the freedom to pursue an interesting career, and a vote in deciding what direction my country will take politically. We all take these freedoms for granted at times. It's easy to go negative when things aren't going exactly how we want in life. It's important to remember just how good we have it.

The Occupy movement has been one of the most compelling news stories of the year. One of the main themes of this movement was that of the 1% versus the 99%. The most curious thing about this theme is that those supporting it in Canada seemed to forget they were part of the wealthiest 20% of people living on Earth. A group that regularly takes advantage of inexpensive products produced by way of cheap labour from poorer less developed countries.

Things won't always go as you plan in life, but you can choose what perspective to take. I choose to be grateful and to be aware of how good I have it. No matter how difficult the economy in a country like Canada I am certainly living better than 80% of the world population today. That realization makes it feel almost petty to be upset about something so trivial as having to hunt a little longer to start my career.