An Unexpected Lesson about Gratitude from Our Family Bunny

Happy Thanksgiving. This week has been an interesting one, and I learned something valuable that I want to share with you.

It’s Monday. I’m having lunch with my wife and my youngest daughter, like I usually do. My oldest daughter is at college, but she’s actually coming home tonight. We’re talking about that at lunch. She’s been counting down the days to come home. This is her first time home since she left for college in August. My wife and I continue to talk about plans for the week while my youngest goes back into the sunroom to continue her schoolwork.

As I’m wrapping up lunch, I have a little bit of my carrot left. I go into the sunroom, and Jellybean, our chocolate Holland Lop, perks up the moment she smells the carrot. She’s five pounds of floppy ears and velvet-soft fur, and she loves carrots more than just about anything. Her diet’s mostly hay (oat hay, Timothy hay, orchard hay), but she always comes bounding out of a corner for a carrot.

She snatches the carrot from my hand and devours it, as usual. Even with the three desks and shelves of books in the sunroom, Jelly’s oversized crate, toys, and cardboard boxes claim half the room. She loves the corner by the window where she loafs in the sunlight. She feels safest there, in that corner. She doesn’t venture onto the hardwood floors, I assume because she doesn’t feel safe without grip on her little furry feet.

The sunroom had been her home since February of 2020, when a neighbor convinced us to adopt her. That’s how Jellybean became a part of our family. She was very timid at first, rarely leaving her crate, but she finally settled in. When the world shut down, she became a part of the rhythm of our life. She’d hop around in the mornings, loaf in the afternoons, and then in the evenings when she’s really happy, she does these binkies. Binkies are where bunnies kind of hop and kick their feet to the side. It’s pretty fun to watch.

The Moment Everything Changed

After giving her the carrot, I head back into the kitchen. I continued talking to my wife about the plans for the week and the fact that I’ll go pick up our oldest from the airport about midnight. While we’re talking, my youngest daughter screams for us. We run to the sunroom and find Jellybean lying on her side. She’s not moving. My daughter says that she made a terrible noise and flopped over.

My wife scoops her up and sits with her on the recliner. She dies in her arms, but not before leaving a little parting gift as she peed in her lap. I made a joke about it, trying to lighten that difficult moment, because I really couldn’t understand the timing. My oldest daughter’s flying home tonight. How could this happen just hours before she arrives?

I don’t tell her right away. I want her to have a peaceful, sad-free trip. When I pick her up from the airport, I don’t tell her then either, because I want her to be able to sleep through the night without any concerns. The next morning I break the news to her and ask if she wants to see the bunny before I bury her. She declines, which I completely understand.

Neither my wife nor my youngest daughter could even step into the sunroom. It was too painful for them. That afternoon, when they went out, I took off the afternoon to clean it up so that they wouldn’t need to. I packed up Jelly’s crate, her cardboard boxes, her litter boxes, and her toys. As I was vacuuming up the last bits of her fur, my oldest daughter came in.

We talked about Jellybean, but not just about Jellybean. We talked about my daughter’s future, her school, and her future career. It felt like a gift in itself to have that time with her.

A little later she went to a friend’s basketball game, something she was looking forward to before she came home. I finished getting the room in order. When my wife and youngest daughter got home, shortly thereafter I went outside to bury Jelly.

Even though the English ivy roots resisted as I worked the shovel, the ground itself was actually soft from the recent rain. To my surprise, as I’m digging the grave, my youngest daughter comes out and starts talking to me. We had a sweet time there, remembering Jelly and the happiness that she brought our family.

When she went back inside, I paused for a moment. I looked at that sunroom window, at the corner, knowing that she’s not going to be there anymore. That was a bittersweet moment. But among the sadness, I felt something unexpected: gratitude.

Gratitude Doesn’t Erase Pain

Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard things in life. It doesn’t make loss or pain disappear. But it does change the way that we experience them. As we reflected on Jellybean’s death, I realized that true gratitude doesn’t deny sadness, but it does deepen our appreciation for what we had.

In business and in life, we face moments like this all the time. Maybe we lose a client, or a project falls through, or we hit a wall of overwhelm. It’s easy to focus on the negatives. What happens if instead we pause and reflect and think about what we’re grateful for?

Gratefulness actually shifts your perspective. It turns challenges into opportunities for growth. It reminds you of your why. For me, it was freedom to spend an afternoon clearing a space so that my family could heal. For you, maybe it’s a chance to build a business that supports your family, or the relationships that you’ve built with your clients.

But gratitude is more than a feeling. It’s a practice. A practice that can transform your business. When you approach your work with gratitude, you see clients not as obligations but as opportunities. It motivates you to deliver excellence, and that leads to being able to charge what you’re worth.

Gratitude also fuels resilience. When you feel overwhelmed, you can just take a moment and pause and consider what’s going right. Maybe it’s clients that actually trust you. It’s the freedom to set your own schedule. Or it’s just lessons that you’ve learned along the way on this entrepreneurial journey. This mindset doesn’t just help you overcome stress. It helps you build a business rooted in meaning and in purpose.

Reframing the Toughest Moments

Gratitude has this incredible ability to reframe even the toughest moments. It can take loss, frustration, overwhelm and actually turn it into something meaningful.

Gratitude is not about ignoring pain. It’s not about pretending that everything is perfect. It’s about shifting your perspective by recognizing the good in your life, even during difficult times, and then using that recognition to actually move forward with purpose.

Jellybean came into our lives almost five years ago, and I initially thought it was just an impulsive decision I’d later regret. But looking back, I realized how much joy she brought into our home. For my wife, Jellybean was a companion during some long days of teaching our daughters. For my girls, Jellybean was a source of comfort and happiness. Even for me, her quirky little presence was a reminder to slow down and appreciate the small moments in life.

Losing her was hard, especially right before Thanksgiving, a time when we’re meant to focus on gratitude. But gratitude doesn’t erase pain. It doesn’t make loss or hardship disappear. But it does reframe those moments. So instead of dwelling on the fact that Jellybean is gone, I’m choosing to focus on the joy that she brought to my family. I’m grateful that we had her in the first place, that my youngest daughter got to experience the bond of caring for a pet, and that my wife had a little comfort companion on some of the difficult days.

This isn’t just about pets or personal loss. The same perspective applies to challenges in business as well. Think about a client that you worked hard to serve, only for that relationship to end unexpectedly. Or a project that you poured your heart into that didn’t deliver the results that you hoped for. It’s natural to feel disappointed, frustrated. But what happens when you pause and ask yourself, “What am I grateful for in this situation?” Maybe that client taught you something about your boundaries. Maybe the project helped you refine your skills or revealed a better way forward. Gratitude shifts the focus from the pain of what didn’t go right to the value of what you gained through the experience.

Here’s another way to think about it. People often say, “I can’t believe in a God who would allow my mom to die of cancer,” or, “How can I be grateful for something that caused me so much pain?” But the truth is, that type of pain didn’t start when it became personal. It existed for others long ago. The difference now is we’re connected to it. While gratitude doesn’t dismiss the pain, it reminds you to focus on the joy and the love that existed before it. It’s about asking, “Why is my life better because of what I experienced?”

For entrepreneurs, this mindset is a game-changer. Gratitude helps you see beyond the daily grind. It reminds you that every challenge, every setback, it’s all part of a bigger journey. Whether it’s a difficult client, a financial struggle, or a moment where everything just feels overwhelming, gratitude grounds you in the progress that you’ve made and the opportunities that are still ahead of you.

Gratitude is powerful because it connects us to what really matters. It helps us see past the immediate frustration and into the deeper meaning of our experiences. When we focus on that, we’re not just surviving. We are actually thriving.

Gratitude as a Business Tool

Gratitude isn’t just a personal practice. It’s a business tool. It transforms the way you approach work, how you approach clients, and even how you approach yourself. When you root your business in gratitude, you build stronger relationships, you deliver better results, and ultimately you create a business that aligns with the life that you want to live.

First, gratitude shifts your perspective. Instead of seeing your clients as obligations or tasks, you start to see them as partners in something meaningful. When you’re grateful for the opportunity to serve someone, it changes the way that you show up. You’re more intentional, more focused, and more committed to delivering your best work, to provide the best value you can. Your clients can feel that.

When your work comes from a place of gratitude, the quality improves. You’re not just trying to get through the day or check off some items on your to-do list. You’re striving for excellence. And when you deliver that kind of value, you’re no longer competing on price. You have the confidence to charge what you’re worth because you know the impact of the service that you’re providing. Gratitude is not just a mindset shift. It’s actually a business strategy.

But gratitude isn’t just about clients. It’s about how you view challenges that come with running a business. Maybe you’ve had a difficult client who pushed your boundaries. Maybe you’ve had to turn down work that didn’t align with your values. These situations can feel frustrating in the moment, but gratitude helps you see them differently. That difficult client? Maybe it taught you where your limits are and gave you clarity to create better boundaries for the future. That opportunity that you passed on? Maybe it created a space for the right opportunity to come along. And when that does, you’ll be ready to serve at a higher level.

Gratitude fuels resilience. Entrepreneurship is full of highs and full of lows, and it’s very easy to get discouraged when things aren’t going your way. But when you take a moment to reflect on what you’re grateful for, whether it’s a loyal client, a supportive family, or even the freedom just to run your own business, it grounds you. It reminds you why you started and why you keep moving forward.

Here’s the most amazing part: gratitude creates a ripple effect. When you approach your business with gratitude, it is contagious. Your clients can feel it. Your team can feel it. It shapes the culture of your work. People want to work with someone who values them, and gratitude is the foundation for that kind of trust and that kind of connection.

Building a better business isn’t just about strategies and tools. It is about mindset. And when that mindset is rooted in gratitude, you’re not only building a better business but you’re building a better life.

Overcoming Overwhelm with Gratitude

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The to-do list never seems to end, and the pressure to succeed can feel like a massive weight on your shoulders that you’re carrying every single day. But the thing is, overwhelm does not have to control you. Gratitude is a powerful way to pause and to reflect and to reset when life feels like it’s just too much.

The next time that you’re feeling the stress build, take a moment to stop and ask yourself, “What am I thankful for right now?” It doesn’t have to be something big. Maybe it’s a client that trusts you with an exciting project. Maybe it’s the fact that you can take an afternoon off to be with your family. Or maybe it’s just the simple joy of being able to have a moment to think before your day starts.

Gratitude shifts your focus. Instead of being consumed by what’s going wrong or what still needs to be done, it brings you back to what’s going right. And more importantly, it reconnects you with your why. Why did you start your business in the first place? For many entrepreneurs, it’s about freedom. More freedom to work on your terms, to spend time with your loved ones, to create a life that’s meaningful to you. Gratitude reminds you of that bigger picture.

I spent an afternoon cleaning out our sunroom, and I felt the weight of sadness. But in that moment I also felt thankful. I was thankful that I had the freedom to take the time off work. Thankful that I could create a space where my family could start to heal. And thankful that Jellybean was actually in our life at all.

That is the power of gratitude. It doesn’t make the hard things disappear, but it does make them bearable. It gives you strength to face the challenges head-on because you’re rooted in what truly matters.

Gratitude is also a filter. It helps you prioritize and focus on things that actually align with your values. When you’re clear on what you’re grateful for, it becomes easier to say no to things that don’t serve you. Maybe it’s turning down a client that doesn’t respect your boundaries. Maybe it’s letting go of a task that’s draining your energy. Gratitude gives you the clarity to make those decisions without any guilt.

When you approach overwhelm with gratitude, it helps you not just survive but thrive, by reclaiming control. You’re reminding yourself that you have the strength and the perspective to move forward no matter what challenges you face.

Looking Forward

This Thanksgiving, I’m reminded that gratitude isn’t just about counting blessings. It’s about how we choose to see the world, even in its hardest moments.

Jellybean’s death was difficult, but I’m grateful for the joy that she brought into our lives, and that outweighs the sadness. I feel gratitude for the comfort that Jelly brought during the pandemic. Gratitude for the memories of her bounding out of that corner at the smell of a carrot. Gratitude for the ability to take the afternoon off work and focus on what mattered most.

Sometimes life’s hardest moments teach us the most about gratitude. Jellybean’s death reminded me that true freedom isn’t just about running a business on my terms. It’s actually about being present with the people and the moments that matter most.

Gratitude is not just a feel-good concept. It’s a powerful tool for transforming your business and your life. By embracing gratitude, you can navigate loss and challenges with grace, show up for your clients at a higher level, and stay connected to the things that truly matter: your family, your purpose, and your freedom.

The next time you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, take a moment to pause and reflect on what you’re thankful for. Remember the joy that you experienced, the lessons that you’ve learned, and the opportunities still ahead. Gratitude is not going to solve every problem, but it’s going to give you the strength and the clarity to face any new problem head-on.

Curious how this site was built?
Watch the 5-minute walkthrough at devnitro.com →