You may have had the opportunity to read my last post on robbing yourself of the wealth you desire.

And if you did, you may be wondering why I stayed loyal to that bank job I despised, even after being robbed, literally. But the truth is, even though it feels crazy to type, I couldn’t make the decision to leave at that point because:

Being robbed in a bank once wasn’t enough.

I painted the picture for local police, the FBI, higher-ups, HR, the “crisis” counselors, family, friends, and myself in the days that followed. And it played over and over in my mind for months, along with all the ways I could’ve done things differently while at home and at the scene of the incident.

But it simply wasn’t enough.

I knew something was missing in all my efforts so I did something I hadn’t tried before:

I looked at the facts and began showing gratitude for being exactly where I had once wanted to be.

There’s a quote that say’s “Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for”. I realized I wasn’t limited to the job or the identity I’d created within it and I came to understand that neither I, nor my customers was limited to the “balance on our receipt”.

And with this understanding, I began to give myself permission to make the most of my time there. So I  gave myself a gift and forgave myself for staying put. I started listing what I’d learned and appreciated about my experience daily and took my gratitude and faith to the next level, sculpting thee perfect resignation letters and possible reactions to all the conversations that would follow.

It felt bittersweet, officially letting go of the place I’d grown to respect and grow so accustomed to. It drastically changed my experience and attitude.

But my new frame of mind didn’t go unchallenged.

3 days to the year of the robbery as I was mentioning my approaching departure to a colleague she changed topics, noticing a customer wearing sunglasses at night. He handed the slip to my colleague and when I noticed her inability to move or speak, I knew I was in the right place at the right time.

I found that my appreciation was no longer depreciating in value so I used it to get the team through the experience.

These experiences taught me this:

It’s impossible to ask for more when we’re unable to receive all that lies in front of us.

And it’s difficult to take ownership of what’s to come or create ways to get there when we’re unable to take ownership of our “now’s”.

In closing, I’d like to invite you to really take a good look at your level appreciation for your life as it stands and if you’ve found it depreciating in value, share one way you will increase your appreciation for the present in the comments below.