THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

People often ask me: "Anysa, how are you always so lucky?" upgrades on flights, meeting my idols, scoring the perfect discounted holiday, free coffees, and the list goes on. Growing up, my mom used to always tell me I was born lucky. I laughed it off but deep down I also believed it.

I now recognised the secret ingredient to my luck: the attitude of gratitude. Being nice gets you places. It gets you in a happy place, and when you find that happy place even the events that might seem so terrible to others, are turned into something good. No, I’m not talking about the Pollyanna effect nor toxic positivity because life will have its ups and downs. I’m talking about the genuine desire to be nice to others and be grateful for this life you are gifted.

When approaching someone to start a conversation, I bring in my best smile to help leave the other person feeling better without any expectations in return. The goal is not to get anything in return from the other person. It is more of a selfish reason because that interaction, when a conversation may have given someone something to smile about, makes me