Gratitude

This whole semester I've been blogging about the role of mental toughness in university life.  I have sited things like persistence, confidence, determination and motivation as definitions of mental toughness.  All of these things are both the cause and effect of staying mentally tough.  You need all of these abilities to survive the work load and ultimately succeed in college.  This week, I'm going to add a new word to this list of essential tools: gratitude.  At first, this one may not appear to belong alongside the others, but when I think about it, gratitude has helped me get through some of my toughest moments  during my first semester.  I can be persistent and motivated until my arms fall off, but without something to back this determination up, I'm just running in place. I won't be getting anywhere fast.  In my toughest moments, when I feel like there is too much work to handle, like everything is spiraling out of my control, and I can't get a handle on anything, one thing that has kept me sane is gratitude.  Actually, more accurately it has been the ability to slow down and catch my breath, because when you feel like you're spinning out of control, the first thing you need to do is steady yourself.  But once I'm steady and begin to think more clearly about the situation, I try to remember how lucky I am to be here at college and how grateful I really am to have this opportunity to learn and grow in a university setting.  Whenever I start to feel down, something always comes around that makes me put my struggles in perceptive.  According to the united States Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 66.2% of high-school graduates in America end up enrolling at college ("College Enrollment and Work").  When I slow down and get a better look at where I am, I have to be grateful that I'm here at all.  Even in the tough moments, I have to be grateful that I am in that 66%.  Being grateful for the opportunities I'm given while at college makes me so much more prepared to give my all to the work that's expected of me.  Gratitude belongs in the essential list of tools needed for success at college because it is the backbone of mental toughness.  Without the ability to slow down and be thankful for what you have, how can you continue to be motivated and confident?  There is no motivation without a little gratitude.  Don't be so busy pressing through college life that you forget to be thankful that you're here.  Gratitude is an important important part of staying mentally tough and staying motivated in college life.


Works Cited

"College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2012 High School Graduates." Bureau of 
     Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor, Oct. 2012. Web. 25 
     Nov. 2013. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nr0.htm>.