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Gratitude & Giving Thanks

It’s great to see all of you. And it’s particularly special to welcome back so many of our Alumni. And a big thank you to Amy — I saw the outreach again on Facebook. You’re unstoppable. I know I speak for everyone when I say we’re grateful. Thanks for always putting your heart and creativity into these meetings.

Speaking of thank you’s, and being grateful, the Thanksgiving holiday is just about a week away. And especially because it’s likely to be quite different this year than it has been in the past, I thought today would be the perfect time to speak about giving thanks and gratitude. And it’s value in our lives, our relationships, and of course, our businesses.

I want to remind all of us that while it is easy to be thankful on any given day — especially when our tables are covered with turkey, cranberry and stuffing — gratitude really comes down to a choice. And that choice has to be made constantly. We all have our proverbial glasses. And they all contain both water and air. The question of half full or half empty is completely up to us, and how we decide to view them. Do we choose to focus on the air — what we want and don’t have, what our neighbor has and we feel incomplete without? Or do we appreciate the water — the gifts life has given us, the people, the love, our health?

Just like no two objects can occupy the same physical space at any given time, the same is true with our emotional energies. We can either feel happy, positive and grateful, OR sad, negative and lacking. In any given moment, it’s going to be one or the other. Show me a person feeling gratitude and I’ll show you a person who is happy and satisfied.

Regarding our businesses, gratitude is fuel, and choosing to be grateful will set you up for success. Think about how you’d show up in the relationships and meetings with your clients and potential clients if you were whole, complete, happy and positively charged, reliably and consistently. The same is true for interactions with colleagues, bosses, partners, employees and vendors.

This is particularly important for those in service based businesses. Being grateful can support your well being, your state of mind, and your ability to make a positive difference for the people around you.

Especially given the events around our country — and around our world — in the past eight months, I invite you to find the time to look around and appreciate whatever you have.

Hopefully I speak for all of us when I say that I’m grateful to be together this morning in the spirit of growth and community. And grateful to see what I believe is around fourteen former members back to visit.

Let’s look for the water in other’s glasses. And find it in our own.

No matter how big or small our possessions are, if our life and health are among them, and if those close to us are safe, we have enough to recognize the gifts we have.

And should you want to cultivate even more impact from gratitude, take action in the spirit of giving. It’s called *giving* thanks for a reason. We would never give something away if we didn’t have enough. So the act of giving actually forces the mind to relate to what we have as plenty — so much that we can give some of it away.

This works for charity. It also works in the referrals department. Givers really do gain — not just because others will give back to us. But also because the very act of giving has us more directly experience a sense of abundance.

Here’s wishing you a warm, safe and auspicious start to the holiday season.

I’m grateful for many things, including you.

Have a powerful day!

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