When we talk about being grateful, we tend to be focusing on what we have and all the good things that are happening.

Celebrate the good and the great, of course! DO be grateful for what you have, however much.

But, being grateful for your challenges and the obstacles that come up along the way of making your dreams a reality, that takes gratitude to a deeper level because you’re still grateful for all that you have, but you’re also simply grateful. You’re not labeling something as good or bad. It just is. It is fact.

When I was in Atlanta for a conference for one of my clients five years ago, I had my purse stolen right off of me. I was in a nice part of town meeting up with a friend from college after a full day of a inspiration, so I was feeling pretty good.

It all happened pretty quickly and I looked the young guy in the face as he startled me with the sudden grab and ran off. In hindsight, perhaps it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but I RAN after him (4-inch wedges and all). There may have been some cursing as I yelled after him. All that I could think was, ‘how am I going to get home?’

Needless to say, I wasn’t in gratitude during the experience or even soon after as I was shaken up by being confronted with a threat to my safety and then dealing with replacing my phone, my purse, my driver’s license, etc.

As I processed it and when I look back on it, I consider it very differently, largely because of how my client helped me shift my perspective. Back in her hotel room for some final decisions on her outfits, I relayed what had happened and wondered WHY it had happened.

She so wisely said, ‘maybe there isn’t a reason.’

Boom! Let go of all the ‘it happens for a reason’ and you let go of all judgement of a situation as good vs. bad to simply being something that happened.

He didn’t know my story. He didn’t know how hard I’d worked for everything I had and everything I was wearing. He didn’t know that I was at a point in my life where every dollar counted and I counted every dollar. I was a well-dressed white woman who he perhaps saw  as having more than he did, so he maybe didn’t think I’d miss anything if he took a bit from me.

Still, that’s putting judgement on him. His story isn’t my business. I can’t know his story.

Ultimately, it cost me far more than what they got to replace what they took. They only bought $60 worth of gas and McDonald’s. They got a Sephora gift card, $10 cash and an old iPhone.

The process of replacing everything helped me shift to gratitude.

Even just a few month earlier and it would have been a financial stressor to replace my phone et al. But that same month that I had my purse stolen, I’d experienced a sudden breakthrough in my business.

I was forced to pause, recognize and appreciate all that I have and what I was able to build for myself. I can assure you I wouldn’t have paused if I hadn’t needed to. I would have kept moving forward, as that’s what I do.

Is there a challenge you’ve experienced recently that you are actually grateful for? Is there an obstacle you’re facing that you can try to think about differently?

Maybe you’re like me, where all the challenges you’ve moved through are what ultimately created opportunities, strength, resilience, confidence and peace.

If you don’t feel that way, simply start with the consideration of the question I’ve asked today: Can you be grateful for your challenges?