Are you searching for something more? Do you want to achieve better results? Do you want to have a more meaningful relationship with your partner or children? Are you searching for fulfillment?
Well then, let me remind you about the power of gratitude.
This weekend marks Canadian Thanksgiving. Typically this is a time we give some thought to the wonderful blessings in our lives. But sometimes in North America where our blessing are so bountiful , we sometimes take them for granted and this wonderful holiday is over shadowed by attempts of producing the perfect Turkey dinner and hopes that all of our family members will get along.
Gratitude, however, should not be limited to one time a year. It should be practiced as often as possible. The really interesting thing about gratitude is, the more we practice it, the more often things to be grateful for seem to automatically appear in our lives.
Gratitude at Work
As high performers, we tend to spend a lot of time looking forward. What needs to be achieved? What haven’t I accomplished yet? What is the next promotion and what do I need to do to get there? Looking forward and keeping clearly focused on your vision is a critical piece of being successful. So don’t stop doing that. Just add another element – take time to practice gratitude.
It may sound a bit challenging at first; however, it’s actually quite simple. Each week, perhaps on a Friday afternoon consider, “what have I accomplished this week?” or “what have my WINS been this week?” Take time to write them down and you will likely surprise yourself by how much you have accomplished. Then feel grateful for everything you have accomplished. Feel appreciation for all of the people you worked with to accomplish what you did. Feel thankful for the opportunity to add value to the business. Feel gratitude for the ideas and inspiration you received to produce these great results. The practice of checking in and feeling gratitude will not only feel good, it will inspire continued and enhanced performance moving forward.
Gratitude in Life
Now take this concept into other areas of your life. When was the last time you bought your wife flowers? I am guessing it might have been on her birthday or perhaps Mother’s Day. Why not surprise her – no occasion required. Actually the occasion is called “Gratitude.” If we stop and think about what we are most grateful for in our lives and then think about what we have done to communicate or show our gratitude, we usually come up short.
How have you expressed gratitude to your children this week? What about your friends? Your parents? Your daycare provider…this list goes on. And if the words, “yeah, but they never show me any gratitude” are creeping in – let them go! To receive we must first give.
This holiday weekend is the perfect time to think about all of the things you are grateful for. I challenge you to make it the start of a regular practice of gratitude in your work and your life.