This is the first in a series of blog posts about results from our nationwide survey, entitled “Lessons in Coping with Economic Anxiety –  A Gift from Our Elders”.  The survey results were announced in conjunction with the annual conference Aging in America 2009.  To read the story of the interesting and inspiring findings, see http://www.walkerwonder.com/pages.php?pageid=24

Sometimes things become clichés not because they’re trite but because they’re true. “Be grateful for what you’ve got” is one of those.

Twelve step programs, new age prosperity philosophies, the simplicity movement, and all major spiritual traditions include gratitude as an essential element. And on a light note, how about the role gratitude has played in Britney Spears’ unbelievable comeback?

In our Lessons in Coping survey, 79% of survey respondents cited “gratitude” as a key to helping them cope with today’s economic uncertainties, and they say they learned this vital coping skill from their elders:

A 30-year old man said simply:

“I was taught to be grateful for what I have and not be wasteful.”

A woman in Alabama shared this:

My aunt was in her early 20s during the depression, living in the country as a doctor’s daughter. She has told me many stories about her dad getting paid for services (if ever) with chickens and sacks of potatoes. She learned to make do with whatever was available and appreciate it all.

A 44 year-old woman in California commented:

My grandma was always happy with what she had. She didn’t need material things to make her happy. That’s helped me cut back on my spending and stay satisfied with what I already have.

For myself, I’m reminded of my dad teaching me to fish when I was little.  If I was frustrated because we weren’t catching anything, he would remind me just to look around and enjoy our time together by the water on a warm springtime afternoon. 

Nowadays, I have to remind myself of that old lesson.  I have not yet found a way to focus on gratitude without slowing down, at least a little bit, just like when I was fishing. If my mind is saying, “I’m so grateful for these comfortable slippers,” then at least for those few moments, I’m not reordering the to-do list or sorting the bills…a moment of calm in the midst of stress.

Anything you’d like to say about this lesson of gratitude from your elders?  Any memorable experience of which you’re reminded?  And how is gratitude playing out now in your life now? Share your ideas, experiences, and comments below.

Check back soon for the next post in this series.

In the blogosphere, it’s generally considered a no-no to oversell your products or company. I promise I won’t, but in this first blog post I’d like to say a little bit about WalkerWonder and the philosophy that brought it to life (see press announcement). This is important because the philosophy also influences the content you’ll find on this blog.

Most people would probably acknowledge that our daily lives are filled with things that are essential to basic functioning – a pair of somewhat worn shoes, a frayed but sturdy chair.  But for people who use mobility aids or medical equipment generally, things can be even more Spartan.  Most folks would concede that such medical products are anything but cheerful, upbeat or encouraging, even though they may be essential for basic functioning.

WalkerWonder was started based on the belief that things could be better than this, things could be different.  We don’t have to accept that products which help people get around must be useful but dreary.  As idealists we believe tools for daily living can be more. They can enhance life as well as assist with function.  And out of this belief grew the idea for the walker banners and bumpers that make up our decorative walker accessories.

But being pragmatists as well as idealists, we tested these ideas with the real experts – users of medical walkers and rollators and the families and friends of walker users. We were delighted to find that so many agreed with us.  Most of the people we met during our interviews were positive, upbeat, optimistic and loving.   They responded so well to our walker product ideas because they saw the products as fresh, cheerful and encouraging.  And so WalkerWonder.com was born.

Of course we hope you’ll enjoy our walker products that way too, but let me return to what this has to do with the blog itself.  In writing this blog, I’ll be striving to serve up a little scoop of those same characteristics – freshness, optimism, cheerfulness and encouragement. In other words, I hope that each visit to this blog will be a visit to “The Bright Side” for a few moments of your day.

Next week I’ll be starting a series of posts to share some encouraging and even inspiring findings from a nationwide research survey WalkerWonder sponsored recently.  The survey was entitled “Lessons in Coping with Economic Anxiety –  A Gift from Our Elders”.  We asked people what lessons they had learned from their elders that they are now using to help cope with today’s economic challenges.    We will be announcing the results of the survey in conjunction with our participation in the national conference Aging in America 2009.  Check back next week for the start of this new series. You’ll see that the many survey responses were both interesting and uplifting – definitely the spirit we want for The BrightSide blog in the months ahead!