We are entering the holiday season kicked off by Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is where we take time to express gratitude for the joys and blessings in our lives. Ever since I started posting content on my blog, I discussed the power of gratitude. At first, it was just a list of blessings in my life, but as I wrote more and thought about the true power of gratitude, I realized that it was an integral part of success.

Here is why.

To achieve success, we have to recognize what we can leverage. On the flip side, so many negative emotions can surface. If we are not careful, we can only focus on what's wrong or what can go wrong. This is where positivity and gratitude play a role. It is not wise to only focus on the negative. At the same time, it is not wise to ignore the negative altogether. You can't ignore bad traffic. You can't ignore something wrong with a family member. You cannot ignore a bad economy. If you ignore it and, worse, deny that it exists, it will rear its ugly head and bite you.

I can't deny my disability. I deal with it every day, and it is omnipresent. I can't go out for a night and pretend that it's not there. Yet, I am filled with joy and happiness.

The opposite of negativity is not apathy or indifference—it's positivity. Being grateful focuses a person to concentrate less on the negative and more on the positive.

With my left arm, I can drive an electric wheelchair, type on my big keyboard, and hoist myself onto my chair or my bed, or on the toilet. With my right arm, I can do next to nothing. My left arm is far from ideal. I cannot text on my phone, hold a cup, or do anything that requires fine motor skills.

Of course, I wish I had full use of both hands, did not speak with a speech impediment, and could do what most people do with a functioning body. What if my left arm was just like my right? I would need twenty-four-hour-a-day care. I could not be by myself for more than twenty minutes. I could not change channels on my remote. (Very important for a sports fan like me.) My life would be exponentially more challenging. What if my speech impediment was worse, or I were mute?

Gratitude does not magically fix everything, but it puts everything into a little better perspective. This Thanksgiving, I want you to think about not only the blessings that are commonly discussed—like friends, family, and career—but everything from the people in your life to your abilities, and everything that makes your life amazing.