Some Days it’s More Difficult to be Grateful

Truth be told, some days it takes more effort to find things in your life for which to be grateful. Everyone’s on his or her own path and some people are more “enlightened” than others, but even those with a high level of awareness have their challenges. So what’s a person to do during difficult times?

Change how you’re looking at circumstances. Wayne Dyer said when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. The circumstances that surround you right now do not define who you are. If a client is upset with the service you’ve provided, it doesn’t mean you are a terrible, incompetent person or your business sucks at customer service. Maybe that client isn’t your ideal and is giving you the opportunity to see that and initiative to move on to find other people who are. Aha! You can be grateful for the insight.

Not to get all preachy and just to bring some perspective, I was half paying attention to the recent Carnival cruise line story and how atrocious the conditions on board the ship were after it was disabled. My friend Dawn, who does a lot of work with African refugees, posted a comment on Facebook about how much of the world lives in similar surroundings ALL THE TIME. Yes, I’m sure it was mighty unpleasant and it’s a shame their vacations were ruined. But it was for a few days. You will get off the ship and go home to all your modern conveniences. First world problem!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying anyone should feel guilty or bad about having everything we have in the developed countries! Let’s get back to the topic at hand, which is finding gratitude even on the more difficult days. Can you be grateful for running water, a warm blanket, a hot cup of tea? Focus on feeling good about whatever it is you DO have. Say a quick prayer of thanks for even the smallest, potentially overlooked thing.

That complaining client highlights how wonderful some of your other clients are. Send those wonderful people a heartfelt note or gift to let them know how much you appreciate them. Consider the deal that fell through, the one you’ve been working on for months and really, really wanted, to be a blessing in disguise. Something better is on its way.

I was reminded of such a situation the other day when I saw a For Sale sign in the complex where I’d made an offer for my first townhouse. I was so disappointed when they rejected it and frustrated for days. But a few months later, my husband and I found one that was nicer and a much better value. Thank goodness those first sellers rejected the offer because now, years later, I see how that place would never have worked as well as where we ended up.

Yes, some days the things you have to be grateful for appear to be less significant than other days. Be grateful for them anyway.

The Power of Paying Attention to Your Environment

Yesterday I was out running through the forest. Okay, not so much a forest as the Custis and W&OD bike trails. But it may as well have been a forest. I first saw a rabbit frolicking amidst a grassy side area. As you might guess, with a company named Zen Rabbit, rabbits are my totem animal. I LOVE seeing rabbits.

And then about 20 minutes later, I saw a deer! There was one biker who also saw the deer enjoying her mid-afternoon snack in the foliage. Then there were a whole bunch of other people on the trail who didn’t even notice. They zoomed right by, not paying any attention to what was around them.

That experience got me thinking about how many times people don’t see what’s right in front of them. How many opportunities are missed because they’re too busy getting where they’re going to pay attention to the cool stuff that shows up unexpectedly? I admit I’ve made this mistake many times and will likely make it again. You get caught up in getting stuff done, staying focused on the task at hand and not allowing any outside distractions. At times, that’s the only way to operate and it ensures that you reach your goals.

Other times, though, like a beautiful Sunday afternoon, you need to allow yourself to meander. To be distracted. To get out of your head and into the moment. To allow your attention to wander to whatever is playing on the sides of the trail right now. Who knows what you might suddenly see or what great ideas may come to you.

Can Anything Make You Happy?

Ever since reading “Delivering Happiness” a few weeks ago, I’ve been pondering the whole concept of happiness. With all due respect to Sheryl Crow, many people will say something or someone “makes” them happy. But if you believe your thoughts create your reality and you are responsible for your own life creations, then nothing can “make” you happy or unhappy. It’s all in your perception.

I was in the Washington, DC area last week, where I was incredibly happy. In the past, I might have thought or said that being there makes me happy. However, the change in perspective now leads me to say being there CONTRIBUTES to my happiness. Sure, it’s semantics, but choosing the right phrasing is important in conveying what you mean. As Mark Twain said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

Changing this phrasing can change the whole way you see people, places and events in your life. It’s like a new benchmark of evaluation. Try it out. Think of a person and say to yourself, he or she contributes to my happiness. Does it ring true or not? If not, you may want to see how you can reduce time spent with or around that person. Do it with the place you live, the people you work with, the activities you participate in every week. Finding anything interesting? For me, it’s about to change everything.

See my review of the book “Delivering Happiness” by clicking HERE.

What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From World Cup Soccer

Did you watch the World Cup match up between the USA and Algeria yesterday? Wow! What a game. In the past, I know a lot of Americans have complained about the “boringness” of a game that doesn’t have a lot of scoring. In this game, there were plenty of shots on goal, but it wasn’t until the 91st minute that the ball actually went in. (Click here to see the highlights.)

WooHoo! I was jumping out of my chair with excitement and it was even cooler to see the excitement Landon Donovan and his teammates felt.

The USA wasn’t favored to win. They hadn’t won any of their previous World Cup games this month; the best they’d done was tie. And for 91 minutes it looked like they were going to go home despite their heroic efforts. The score was 0-0, which on paper looks like nothing was going on. But as the announcer said, everything can change on a dime and all of a sudden, sweet victory!

Immediately, I thought holy cow, look at the lessons here for entrepreneurs and business people. So many times, we’re working, we’re working, we’re taking shots on goal, and nothing is coming up. We keep missing, coming so close. And then there are the unfair referee calls. (What was he thinking?!) The times when that account should have been ours. Or the vendor doesn’t deliver as promised and we’re the ones who pay the price for someone else’s incompetence or mistake.

Keep preparing. Keep going. Keep playing your heart out. It’s all about persistence. Well, that and then the use of the “secret weapon” that everyone with success I’ve admired has implemented.

Certainly Landon Donovan, the player who scored the goal, physically trains for this game. All the players are in top form. One of the announcers mentioned that he also mentally prepares using meditation and visualization. Aha! Not surprising to hear, just another reinforcement that quieting the mind and connecting to that unseen force, or spirit or whatever you want to call it, is at least as equally important as all the physical preparation.

The takeaway here is this. Make consistent mental preparation a part of your strategy. Then stay on the field, giving it your all, for as long as it takes to win. Because it’s not over till it’s over.

Need help with your meditation practice? Maybe you’ll find this ABC News video, “Going Inside the Meditating Mind” helpful.

Authenticity

I was recently introduced to Chris Guillebeau’s blog, The Art of Nonconformity, when he posted an article on authenticity. The ideas and thoughts he put forward there are so good, I want to share them with you. And since he’s already written it, and done such a good job, it doesn’t make sense for me to reinvent the wheel. Go read it on his site.

Here’s the link:
http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/authenticity-you-has-it/

What Need Do You Fill?

The sole reason a business exists is because it meets a human need. ~Harvey Firestone

I saw this quote over the weekend and it got me to thinking, again, about what human need a box of cookies fulfills. Yes, we’ve been over this before. That Gratitude Cookies are not so much about the cookie part and much more about the concept of gratitude.

Is feeling gratitude an actual need? It’s not specifically on Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but friendship, giving and receiving love, and recognition are on his chart. Feeling connected to others is certainly a human need. And expressing appreciation is one important way to connect.

Keith Ferrazzi was on Good Morning America today, promoting his new book “Who’s Got Your Back” and his 16-city road show. He said that 75% of Americans don’t feel that someone’s got their back; not even married couples. Wow, that’s a lot of disconnected people. Furthermore, he says that the most important thing you can do to succeed is to build deep and trusting relationships.

So then, if you could create stronger connections in your personal or profession life and satisfy that need in yourself and for others, why wouldn’t you? You have a great opportunity here! No matter what other human need your business exists to fulfill, you can improve your business by addressing this one of connection and recognition through gratitude.

One Grateful Thought Per Cookie

Zen Rabbit cookies have been known as “Gratitude Cookies” for some time now. They’ve been called that because the people giving the cookies are expressing their gratitude and appreciation for the people they’re giving the cookies to. But this week the term “Gratitude Cookies” takes on another dimension. Starting today, each box of Zen Rabbit cookies contains a card inviting the person eating the cookies to take a moment to be grateful for one thing in life. No need to make a whole overwhelming list, just think of ONE thing for which to be grateful per cookie. Could be your pet, your family, a blue sky, the ability to read, anything.

By thinking of the few or many things in life you can be grateful for, maybe, just maybe, we can counteract the massive negativity that often seems to surround us from all angles. For one moment in time, as you eat a Zen Rabbit cookie, I encourage you to think of and thank for what you DO have.