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Gratitude for What Hasn’t Happened (Yet)

For all the times we’ve wondered why, and then discovered the blessing or opportunity on the other side... The things that haven’t happened yet are often as powerful as those things we already have experienced and achieved. Let's express gratitude for the lack.

Leslie M. Bosserman

5 Min Read

Missed opportunities

Delayed responses

“Bad” timing

Failures

Waiting…

For all the times we’ve wondered “why,” and then discovered the blessing or opportunity on the other side (or maybe we are still looking for it…)

Let’s look at gratitude through the lens of lack – not gain – as we acknowledge how the things that haven’t happened yet are often as powerful as those things we’ve already experienced and achieved.

LET’S START WITH SOME REFLECTION:

What have you been waiting for?

How do you feel when things are unfinished or unfulfilled?

Where do you feel this most in your body?

What is one thing you’re hoping will happen soon?

How can you find gratitude in the lack?

I can remember so many times when things didn’t happen according to my timeline. These often were the times when my personal agenda was left unfulfilled and my attitude became bitter.

Stuck here, I couldn’t see past my present reality to realize how it was actively shaping my future because it wasn’t what I had wanted or thought I needed.

For nearly a decade, I was stubbornly committed to making things happen when and how I wanted them to, pushing and hustling and striving until I achieved.

But what I didn’t see were the times I missed opportunities because I was too busy or was not even aware of their existence.

I was so focused on making my agenda my reality, I wasn’t present.

This played out in my 20s in my quest to find the elusive “dream job,” perfect partner, and ideal opportunities to be engaged in my community and make a difference.

I was always looking for more, rather than being grounded in what I already had and could rest in with sufficiency.

Now, I’ve learned how to create more space and practice pausing instead of pushing forward if things aren’t working.

I listen instead of force.

I accept instead of fight.

I wait.

And in waiting, I discover more gratitude for the lack instead of waiting to be thankful when (or if) the gain arrives.

Through this shift in mindset and action, I’ve taken the worst moments in my life – unexpected tragedies and unplanned misfortunes – and turned them into some of my best seasons of growth and learning.

When you can choose a perspective of thankfulness for the present, instead of pining and planning for the future, life feels fuller and more peaceful.

And your future still happens.

Leaving room for life to surprise me has been one of my greatest lessons in overcoming myself and finding gratitude for the things that are yet to happen. It’s not easy, and sometimes it’s downright painful.

But it’s always, always worth it.

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CHOOSING GRATITUDE

Name one thing that you are harboring now and not able to move past.

  • What would be your ideal outcome?
  • Now imagine what would be possible if you knew today that this thing would never happen…and you would be better because of it!!
  • How does this make you feel?
  • What are you afraid of?
  • What are you ready to accept and let go of?

Notice what you’re thankful for here, rather than focusing on what’s missing.

YOUR INVITATION

Imagine a reality where you knew you already have exactly what you need to find peace, fulfillment, and gratitude with your life.

Here, you slow down and savor the moments, while still getting things done – it’s just that the things look and feel different. Less pushing and proving, more peace.

The things you are so desperate for now don’t seem to matter here. You feel a sense of release, ease, and flow.

And somewhere, in the middle of all the acceptance and thankfulness, you find everything you need and even more than you want.

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Originally published at leadwithintention.com on November 1, 2025

Leslie M. Bosserman, M.Ed., CPCC, is an Executive Coach + Lifestyle Strategist for innovators and creative professionals leading dynamic and diverse teams. After working for a decade in higher education and student development, Leslie launched Lead With Intention® – a boutique coaching and consulting practice that specializes in leadership coaching, customized training, and organizational strategy for clients and their teams around the world. She collaborates with a range of creative professionals from entrepreneurs launching their startups to executive leaders at Fortune 500 Companies. With a background in strengths-based leadership development and applied positive psychology, she enjoys helping individuals and team realize and become their best. Leslie teaches on Business and Leadership at the University of California, Davis Continuing and Professional Education. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and leadership trainer, and a TEDx speaker with over 1.3 million views. Committed to enhancing her local community, Leslie and her husband, Joel, co-created and launched The Makers Place™ – the regions first coworking space with onsite childcare. She also currently works as the Director and Site Supervisor of Mini Makers™ Preschool. Leslie lives in Northern California and travels internationally for coaching, organizational trainings, and retreat facilitation. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube or send her an email at [email protected] to learn how to partner together.

Author(s)

  • Founder and Executive Coach

    Lead With Intention®

    Leslie M. Bosserman, M.Ed., CPCC is an Executive Coach and Lifestyle Strategist for innovators and creative professionals leading dynamic and diverse teams. As a creative thought leader, Leslie has spoken at TEDxEustis and is currently writing a book on a decade of research around the science of Emotional Endurance. After working for a decade in higher education and student development, Leslie launched Lead With Intention® – a boutique coaching and consulting practice that specializes in leadership coaching, customized training, and organizational strategy for clients and their teams around the world. She collaborates with a range of creative professionals from entrepreneurs launching their startups to executive leaders at Fortune 500 Companies. Leslie is committed to enhancing her local community and co-created and launched The Makers Place™ with her husband. As the regions first coworking space with onsite childcare, this innovative multi-use space supports parents who need a professional workspace along with flexible childcare options. She also currently works as the Director and Site Supervisor of Mini Makers™ Preschool. Leslie has also served locally on the leadership team for TEDxSacramento as the Event Coordinator and volunteered as a coach for emerging female leaders through The Women's Impact Alliance (formerly The Coaching Fellowship). As a two-time UCLA alumna, Leslie graduated with her Bachelor’s in Mass Communications (B.A.) and a Master's of Education (M.Ed.). She is also trained as a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) through The Co-Active Training Institute, international leaders in Coach Training and Leadership Development. Before becoming a Professional Coach, Leslie worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she taught leadership and diversity classes as well as ran a campus-wide Leadership Certificate Program for over 500 students, faculty, and staff members. She also has worked professionally in residential life and academic research at UCLA and in Public Affairs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy. Leslie loves to travel and explore new places and has visited over 30 countries, including living abroad in the Middle East for a year where she volunteered at local schools in Amman, Jordan with her husband. She is an avid artist and creative who also enjoys karaoke, cooking ethnic food, supporting local coffee shops, and practicing yoga. Leslie is a novice pickleball player and an expert bargain shopper! She lives in Northern California with her husband and three young children, and travels internationally for coaching, organizational trainings, and retreat facilitation.