a little gratitude

Kind Words are Jewels that live in the heart and Soul and remain as blessed memories years after they have been spoken.

~~marvea johnson


I get a sales news email at work and this was in it today ! just fab and I am all for this type of attitude. The sales news letter was from J. Gitomer

Start Your Day with Gratitude and End Your Day with Acknowledgment
a guest column by Mike Robbins

When you wake up in the morning, do you immediately start thinking (and/or worrying) about all of the things you have to do that day? At the end of the day, do you find it difficult to celebrate what you've accomplished because you are so aware of the many things that still need to get done? For many of us, the answer to both of these questions is, "YES." The simple process of starting and ending the day in a positive, productive, and grateful way is quite challenging for many of us.

Why is this so challenging? First of all, we tend to put a disproportionate amount of attention on what we think is "wrong," what needs to be fixed, and what we perceive as "problems." We often take for granted the things that are working well. Second, many of us are highly trained "human DOINGS," and we constantly think of our lives as one never-ending to-do list. And third, we often do not have daily practices that support us to be truly successful and fulfilled.

By creating simple, powerful daily practices that support our success and our happiness, we can truly create the type of success and fulfillment that we desire.

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to start our day off with a deep sense of gratitude. Focusing our attention on what we already have and what we are grateful for puts us in a more positive and receptive state of mind. Gratitude is one of the most powerful energies and emotions we possess. In addition, gratitude is a state of being and a very powerful force of attraction. When we are in a genuine state of gratitude, we are more likely to attract positive things into our life - success, fun, happiness, opportunities, and more.

At the end of the day, it is so easy to just "crash," due to the many activities, stresses, and challenges of our day. However, if we take just a few minutes to acknowledge the progress, successes, lessons, and highlights from the day, not only are we able to more fully appreciate ourselves and our lives, but we begin to train ourselves to focus on appreciation. We begin to look for more of what we are doing well, what we are proud of, and what we appreciate about ourselves, those around us, and life in general. Since we almost always find what we are looking for, this process of "self-training" allows us to expand the depth of our appreciation, thus expanding our fulfillment and success.

Starting the day with gratitude and ending the day with acknowledgement is truly putting Appreciation into Action!

ACTION - What You Can Do:

Tomorrow morning, spend at least five minutes focused on gratitude. You can write things down in a journal, make a list on a sheet of paper at your desk, pray or meditate, think of things in your head while you take a shower, make a mental list of things that you are grateful for as you are lying in bed before you get up (one of my favorite practices), talk to a family member or friend, or any number of other things. It does not really matter what you do, just that you take the time to feel and express your gratitude as you are getting your day started. Remember, this will get you in a positive, receptive, and productive state of mind and state of being.

At the end of the day tomorrow, take another five minutes to focus on the good stuff from the day. This is time for you to acknowledge yourself, your life, your effort, and anything that you want to acknowledge from the day. Again, as with your morning gratitude ritual, there are many ways to express appreciation at the end of your day. You can make a list of all of the good things that happened and/or the things that you got done that day, you can talk to your spouse or friend about the great stuff from the day, you can take time at the dinner table to have every member of your family do some acknowledgements from their day, you can thank God in a prayer before you go to bed, or many, many other things. The specific action that you take is not important; it's the intention behind your action that really matters.

If you have an intention to start your day with gratitude and end your day with appreciation, however you chose to do that will make a huge difference in your life. Do it tomorrow and see what happens. Take this on a daily practice and watch your life transform!

Mike Robbins is an expert in success, life-fulfillment, and the power of appreciation. He is a former professional baseball player turned speaker, author, and life coach who works with individuals and organizations of all kinds. He is the author of the successful audio program, "The Power of Appreciation" and the forthcoming book "Focus on the Good Stuff" (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2007).

Visit Mike's Web site at www.mike-robbins.com, or contact him at 925-825-2319 or mike@mike-robbins.com.

© Mike Robbins - Speaker, Author, Coach