Daily Gratitude: Who would have thought Oprah would be so wise. As I told someone the other day. Usually the most important things in life are very simple. And sometimes they are even easy. This quote is both simple and easy to understand and use. If you remember the quote when things aren’t going perfectly, you can use the concept of “contrast” to help improve your mood and outlook. For example, think about all the complaining people do about how cold it is in winter. Then in a month or two the same people are wishing it was winter because it’s so hot. Without one you wouldn’t know and appreciate the other. When you haven’t slept well, take the time to appreciate good sleep. When you’re tied up in traffic, be grateful you aren’t in an accident. I always remember when I worked in Washington, DC I lived 75 miles away. One day a snow storm was moving in and I asked my boss if I could leave early since I had to drive that distance AND drive on Interstate 95, a perpetual parking lot anyway. He said “no” because we were having a guest speaker or something. I was upset and angry. By the time I left it took me 8 hours to get home because of a 100 car pileup on I-95. Had I left when I wanted to, I would have been in the middle of the accident and probably would have been out there in the snow all night long if I hadn’t been injured. I didn’t mind the 8 hours in traffic at all when I heard about that. Always think of the opposite and find something good about your situation now.