[The Ripple Effect] The Power of Gratitude
Published: Fri, 11/16/12
If you are having trouble viewing this, click here to read online Hello everyone and welcome to November's issue of The Ripple Effect. We are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. so in honor of that holiday, I wanted to first, to express my appreciation for all of you who take the time to read this each month. I know everyone is busy and I appreciate you making the time and showing an interest in the information I share.
Being appreciative and expressing gratitude plays a big role in my life, not just at thanksgiving but all the time. I am always amazed at how being grateful, even for the little things, can make a big positive difference in our lives. For example, we were recently in the path of Hurricane Sandy and although we did not get impacted anywhere as badly as NY and NJ, we did experience power loss for many hours. We live in the country so our water comes from a well, which means we need electricity for the well to pump. No power means no running water. After losing power for any period of time, I find myself extremely grateful for something many of us take for granted: running water.
For those who were more severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy (I have close relatives and friends who live up in NYC), I am inspired by their ability to be grateful while experiencing such devastating loss. It is a reminder to us all that having good health, roof over our heads, running water, and a warm bed to sleep in every night are things to be grateful for every day, despite how "normal" they are to us. In the spirit of thanksgiving and in appreciation for the many people up in NYC and NJ who have inspired me with their attitude of gratitude during a very difficult time, I wrote this month's article about the power of gratitude.
I hope you enjoy it and, as always, feel free to pass this onto anyone you feel will benefit from reading it. Keep spreading those positive ripple effects and the power of being grateful!
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! Best always,
Andria
The Power of Gratitude In the spirit of Thanksgiving next week, I've been thinking a lot about gratitude. Of course, it's easy to think of it the week of Thanksgiving, yet, the practice of gratitude is something I learned many years ago and try to remember each day. I am a firm believer in the concept of, "you get what you give" and have seen it play out in my life (and the lives of others) on a regular basis. In everything we do and say in our lives, we are emitting energetic vibrations and those frequencies that we emit come back to us in the same fashion. (Some refer to it as karma). Therefore, being kind and loving will bring that back to you, as will being angry and frustrated. The more angry and frustrated you are, the more you experience things around you that are frustrating and make you angry. The more kind and loving you are, the more you get back experiences that include kindness and love. If you think about it, I'm sure you'll recognize how this concept plays out in your life. And, that is why this practice of gratitude is so important. The more you appreciate what you have in your life, the more you receive and experience things that you can appreciate. Why? Because typically you attract into your life that which you focus upon. It is amazing (but not surprising) that during the recent presidential election two different individuals had completely different reports about the presidential debates. One interpreted things President Obama said as very condescending and inaccurate whereas the other interpreted what he said as applicable and respectful. Both watched the debate and saw completely different things because they were focused on different things. One focused on what Obama was doing wrong and one focused on what he was doing right and that is exactly what they experienced. That's why expressing gratitude and appreciation is so important. Each day, despite how awful the day might have been, I find and write down (in my gratitude journal) at least five things for which I am grateful. Sometimes I am simply grateful that the day is over and for the unconditional love of my animals, but regardless, I list five. The more things I list, the more I find to be grateful for because that is what I am focusing my energy and attention upon. I use this concept in my coaching practice with my clients. I find that many of my clients who are in high level leadership roles and high pressure positions deal with a lot of negativity and are often focused on what is wrong in their environment and the problems that need to be solved. While this is clearly a part of their job, it is also important for them to focus upon what is right and what there is to appreciate. When I suggest focusing upon what is right and ask them what they are grateful for in their position, I am sometimes met with a bit of resistance; however, when they take a step back and pause for a minute, it becomes quite easy for them to articulate what they appreciate about their leadership positions. Does this eliminate the problems they have to solve? No, but it does allow them to approach the problems from a more positive perspective which then makes the problems easier to solve. They also notice that when they focus upon what they are grateful for with their teams, they begin to elicit more of those behaviors from the team. Focusing upon the positives and appreciating those characteristics draws more of that behavior into their environment. Yes, THAT is exactly why I keep a gratitude journal. The more I focus on appreciation, the more I receive things to appreciate. The same holds true for you. Even if you are in a job situation or on a career path where you want to make changes or are unhappy, try to find five things about your current situation for which you are grateful. Even if it's that you are grateful that you know you want to find another job or a new career path; be thankful for that! Keep a gratitude journal for the next 60 days and each day write down five things to appreciate. I guarantee that by day 60, you will have many more things showing up in your life for you to keep appreciating! This month's development tip: Start a gratitude journal specifically related to your career or leadership role. Every day write down at least five things you are grateful for related to your career or your role as a leader.
Andria Corso is the founder of C3 Coaching and Consulting. an Executive Leadership and Career Development Coaching and Consulting firm. C3's mission is to help our clients reach their highest potential. Read more about C3 here or contact us to find out how we can help you and your organization reach your greatest success. Contact information: Andria L. Corso ~ 888-432-4245
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