It’s one of those bets you could take to
Las Vegas and clean up with.
You, I and everyone else has had those days
when it seems more went wrong or at least
not much went right.
Our attitudes are challenged, we physically
are tired or feel worn out and it’s tough
to get back on the positive track!
We’ll there is one word that has so much
power and can change all of this!
Read on to discover and reaffirm the power
of this word……….
So what is the word?
It has several forms such as thanks,
thankful, gratitude, count your blessings
etc.
For those of us in the United States we
have a national holiday, Thanksgiving,
this coming Thursday. One day a year
to remind ourselves to be thankful for what
we have rather than what do not have.
In several conversations in the past week,
comments about more holidays coming up and
how it disrupts business flow have come up.
I too many times take this sentiment.
It seems we have Halloween and then it’s
Thanksgiving in 3 weeks and then Christmas
in another 3 weeks and New Years in another
week! In this northern region we also throw
in hunting season for Deer and Fowl amongst
it all as well.
People become exceptionally busy, have
tighter schedules and seem to get
overloaded because of expectations. There
is more travel to family gatherings, some
having to cut the days short to return to
work. More money is spent in the last
quarter of the year on family and holidays
than any other time of year. Some wonder if
the stress is worth it!
Here is the real key to all of it!
You do have control even if it seems out of
control!
The challenge is to actually stop long
enough to realize you have control and then
act on it!
Big question: When is the last time you or
I stopped, looked around and said “I am
thankful for …….”. That which we are
thankful for is right in front of us all
the time, yet we are too caught up in the
other stuff to really notice!
Here are a few things I am thankful for,
perhaps they fit for you as well?
1. The fact that I have choice: Now I could
write about starving children in other
parts of the world, a deaf, dumb and blind
person or a mired of other examples of
people with larger challenges than you or I
have. But you see, we all have the ability
to choose no matter what our circumstances.
We can choose how we act or react to the
outside world and what it throws at us.
We can choose how we view others and events
around us.
We can choose our own thinking and
attitudes at any given moment.
We can choose to take action or not take
action.
We can choose to allow fear to control us
or work to overcome it.
How many more can you add?
2. The fact that I can change: Once more I
could give example after example of how
others have overcome adversity or not! We
see ads, stories and pictures of people
that have weighed 400 pounds and now weight
in at 130! They obviously changed something
in their lives! We too can change.
We can change our attitude in a moment.
We can change our thinking and how we view
something.
We can change our habits and behaviors and
change our lives.
We can change our interactions and possibly
change things for ourselves and others.
We can change what we are thankful for.
How many more can you add?
3. The fact that I have abilities: You and
I have heard many stories about people who
have discovered ability and left their mark
on the world. We also probably know of
others with ability and yet they seem
unable to make it work. I am thankful for
these abilities…..
We have the ability to influence others and
change their lives.
We have the ability to make our lives
better if we choose too.
We have the ability to love others as well
as ourselves.
We have the ability to share our talents
and knowledge with others.
We have the ability to hope for a better
world and life for ourselves and others.
How many more can you add?
My hope is these three lists have
challenged you to think about and be
thankful for the things that all of us
have, no matter what our situation.
If we can focus on being thankful for the
core abilities we all have, not only can we
change our world, but the world for others
as well.
- My wish for
you as we enter this US Holiday Season is
to counter the stress and pressure with an
attitude of gratitude for what we have and
are able to do.
- My wish is
for you to not be caught up in the
unrealistic expectations of marketing,
business and others that do not fit with
your life’s mission.
- My wish for
you is to have one thankful moment each day
that connects you with another person in a
positive way.
- My wish for
you is to find one thankful thing in even
the most devastating situations.
- My wish for
you is to find more ways to help others be
thankful each day.
To everyone, enjoy everyday with an
attitude of thankfulness and success will
follow.
The best to all till next week,
Harlan Goerger, National Director of
Training
© Harlan
Goerger 11-2007
Feel free to share this material, just
maintain the source.
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