Lesson: Learn to be grateful, even when times are hard.
Thoughts: Negative thinking is contagious. If you've ever walked into a room of co-workers after a particularly rough meeting, you know exactly what I mean. The mood is low, and a single negative comment can lead everyone in there down a path to their own pity party. While this may be cathartic, too much of it reinforces our negative thought patterns. In many settings these days, it seems that people gravitate towards self-identifying as oppressed to gain social status. But this does very little to actually help us improve our lives. When you feel your inner victim popping up, pause, take three deep breaths and search your life for something you are grateful to have.
As an added exercise: Stop at lunch today and write down three things in your life that you are grateful for. It's a simple task, but it trains the mind away from the cycle of negative thought, forcing us to focus on what we have instead of what we think is missing.