Gratitude is a key ingredient to happiness. It is the antidote for pride. Have you ever seen a proud person who is grateful? I haven't! It's the catalyst for joy. It's pretty tough to be grateful and miserable at the same time, isn't it?
When we look around us, there is always something for which to be grateful. We don't even have to "own" anything to be grateful. We can be grateful for the clear blue sky on a winter's afternoon, or the sunlight streaming through the clouds. We can be grateful for the colors in a sunset or the blessing of a new day at sunrise. None of this costs us a dime. As we connect to God through gratitude, we connect to the Source of all that is good. Gratitude brings us in harmony with this Source and blessings naturally flow as a result.
I have found in my business that gratitude is critical. When I am grumpy or depressed, my business suffers. When I am grateful and looking for the good, things flow toward me. Michele PW our online marketing expert wrote a great article entitled, "Small Business Success - 3 Ways Gratitude Can Grow Your Business." In it she gives 3 tips for using gratitude to boost your business. Her first tip is: "Feelings are important. It’s not enough to just think about being grateful, you have to feel grateful as well. When you think about all the things you’re grateful for, really feel that gratitude throughout your body. Focus on it, and feel it radiate everywhere, from your fingers to your toes. Another tip is to imagine you have a dial in front of you, and when you turn up that dial you’re amplifying that emotion. It only takes a few moments to do, but the results are amazing. Try it and see if you don’t feel so much better afterwards." To read the full blog entry, go to 3 Ways Gratitude Can Grow Your Business.
Another aspect of gratitude that few people think about is being grateful for your obstacles! There are so many times in my life when I thought something was a horrible challenge, but in hindsight I see it as a precious blessing. My husband losing his job back in 1990 set me on a path to building my own business that now completely supports our family. My husband and I can both be home with our kids. Had we never gone through those initial hard years, we wouldn't be where we are today.
Had I not received severe criticism for one of my novels about 3 years ago, I wouldn't have sought out an editor. Had I not gotten the editor, I wouldn't have learned important writing rules that almost immediately opened publishing doors for me. I have learned to look at every customer complaint, every seemingly "negative" experience as a possibility for learning, growth and priceless treasures. I can't count how many web site innovations have come because a customer complained or had a question about something.
To learn more about this concept of being grateful for your challenges, read Leslie Householder's "Prosperity Disguised: My Favorite Rejection." . While you're at it, get your free electronic copy of Leslie's book, "The JackRabbit Factor:Why You Can!" Back in 2000-2001 Leslie mentored me in these principles and they totally transformed my life. Through the power of gratitude and other principles she teaches, one of the worst financial calamities to befall our family morphed into my greatest blessing... because it brought me this knowledge. Be sure to dig around on Leslie's site and learn all you can from her. I promise you won't be disappointed!
I have found gratitude to be tremendously powerful and also it brings BALANCE. If I'm on a high,I can sometimes tumble to a low when a challenge strikes. But with gratitude I stay out of the "pits of despair".
LOL, looks like my blog post yesterday had a theme in common with yours!
Posted by: Karin | February 20, 2008 at 03:02 AM