Is Gratitude Part Of Your DNA?

Dissatisfaction, discontentment & ungratefulness are running rampant in our world today.  The media is consumed with painting a picture of the perfect person, (with the perfect body and the perfect personality), having the perfect family, driving the perfect car, living in the perfect house, and working in the perfect job.

When you compare yourself to all that, it is almost impossible not to become discouraged.

I will have to say, that growing up, I was one of the most ungrateful people on earth. While my single parent mom, worked her fingers to the bones trying to make sure my brother and I were provided for and happy, I was never satisfied. No matter what the accomplishment, I was always striving for more. And I constantly blamed others for my unhappiness.

After stressing and wearing myself out, I finally gave up trying. I realized God really did love me just the way I was. I didn't have to lose one more pound or accomplish one more thing. He loves me simply because He loves me. He also loves all those others around me -- no matter what they did or didn't do.

A friend of mine always said, "Thankfulness builds a reservoir of contentment.”

A reservoir is a natural or artificial place where water is collected and stored for use, especially water for supplying a community, irrigating land, furnishing power. A place where anything is collected or accumulated in great amount.

So think about it. As you begin to thank God and others for every little thing you can think of, contentment starts accumulating. Your contentment reservoir begins filling up. It's contentment that begins powering your life. Your mind is at ease. Striving and depression stop. Peace, satisfaction and fulfillment come. Sounds pretty good, huh?
Believe me -- if I can do it, so can you!

Here are the 6 Steps to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude.

1.    Believe and receive the unconditional love God has for you.

2.    Stop comparing yourself to others. God made you unique and special.

3.    Stop striving and pushing yourself and others.
4.    Shift your focus off the disappointments or what you don't have.
5.    Make a list and on purpose focus on things you can be thankful for.
6.    Start thanking God and others every day.

• Yep that means out loud. Every day. Even multiple times throughout the day.
• Don't bring up the negative. Just say, "Thank you for ___________.

This will be hard at first.  Because you are programmed to see the negative or what you don't have, you will have to reboot and reprogram.

You may have to work at finding things to be thankful for.  At first it may hard to think of anything. Eventually, everywhere you look, you will see that you are surrounded by people & things to be grateful for.

The same thing will happen to you that happened to me.  Gratefulness and gratitude will become a core value & part of your DNA.

 Think About It

•  What are the things you can be thankful for?

o   Are you healthy? If not is there a part of your body that doesn't hurt? For sure you are breathing. Start there.

o   Is the sun shining? Or is rain watering the ground. Can you breathe the fresh air?

o   What is something you can be thankful for about those around you? Start with one thing, and then add to your list.

Now Do Something About It

•  Follow the 6 Steps to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude.

Philippians 4:6-9 (MSG)

[6-7] Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. [8-9] Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious---the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Calling All Leaders

Calling all leaders. What do you think about when you hear that? Do you think, "Hey, that's me?" Or do you think, "She must be talking about someone else because I'm no leader."

 

If you are alive and breathing (and you are since you are reading this), then I am definitely talking about you.

 

Often times we view leadership as a title or position. But it's not. Leadership is influence. Good leaders will gain in influence beyond a position.  So whether or not you think you are a leader, all of us have the opportunity to influence those around us.

 

Think about it. Have you ever known a teacher or a boss who had the "title" of leader? Then there was that student or employee whom everyone followed. That's who had the influence. Title or no title, that's who the actual leader was.

 

So whether you are the head of a large corporation, a department lead, a teacher or coach -- you are a leader.

 

If you are a stay at home mom or a grandmother, you are influencing those children -- you are a leader.

 

If you are a student or have brothers, sisters, classmates or neighbors -- believe me, they are watching how you live your life -- you are a leader.

 

If you are an hourly employee with coworkers you see every day, you can influence their lives -- you are a leader.

 

If you are like my favorite cashier at our small town grocery store, who says, "God bless you" to everyone who goes through her line – you are a leader.

 

So be like our cashier. Think of the influence she has. I wonder who has come into that grocery store heart broken or hopeless and left with hope because of that sweet cashier.

She on purpose influences and blesses everyone who comes in. My friends, that is influence! That is leadership!

 

So whether you have the title or not, make a decision today to be intentional with your influence. Answer the call and make a difference in someone's life.

 

Think About It

• Who will you come in contact with this week?
• Who are the people with which you have influence?

Now Do Something About It

• Take time to make someone's day.
• Go out of your way to ask someone, "How can I help you?"
• Meet regularly with a young person, coworker or friend.

 

“The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or erase it.”  --John Maxwell



Dream On!

How many times have you heard someone say, "Dream on"? 

When they said that, it wasn't to encourage you to actually -- dream. What they meant was, "Yeah right. That's never going to happen." 

But, I am saying to you today, "Dream On!" 

And I'm saying, "Dream Big!" 

You know who else says that to us?  Our Daddy, God.  And not only does He tell us to dream, He says that no matter how big we can dream, He will do even more!

Check out Ephesians 3:20.  The Amplified says, He is "able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams."

The Message says, "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!"

Sounds like He is definitely for dreaming!

So Dream On!

If you haven't dreamed in awhile, then dust off your dreamer and start dreaming again.  If you have been dreaming, then dream BIGGER!  Spend time every day imagining the endless & unlimited possibilities.  And then expect God to do greater than that!  Because He will!

 

Think About It 

·         What would you do if you weren’t concerned about what others think? 

·         What you would want to do if money were no option? 

·         What would you do if there were NO LIMITS? 

Now Do Something About It 

·         Begin writing down your Big Dreams.

·         Begin taking steps toward accomplishing your Big Dreams.

·         Set goals with timelines.

·         EVERY day spend time praying about and working on your dreams.

“Your dreams could be God’s answer to the world!” –Sandi Krakowski

Add Value

Add value is such a common term used in the marketplace today. Usually it refers to increasing the value or worth of a product or a service.  Ultimately it is about increasing revenues or profits.

As leaders, if people are our greatest resource -- which they are -- then wouldn't it make sense that adding value to people should be our number one priority?

So what does that mean? 

 It’s really simple. 

You add value to people when you truly value them.  If you don’t value them, then bottom line, you will devalue them.

When you add value to people you are literally increasing their value, worth or importance.  You invest in them to become the very best they can be.  You do whatever you can to help them achieve what they were placed on this earth to do.

I hear from so many great people from all types of companies how devalued they are.  They are unappreciated, underutilized and have leaders who attempt to motivate with fear. 

You will shine if you are a leader who values others. 

Take time to find out what’s important to them.  Help them achieve their goals.  Believe in them.  Encourage and affirm them. Listen to, care about and love them.  Help them grow and impart to them.  Ask, “What can I do for you?”  “How can I help you?”  Then do it!

If you do this, not only will you add value to others, you will become invaluable!

 Think About It

• Who can you add value to?  A family member?  A friend?  A coworker?  A fellow student?  A team member?   A teacher?  A boss?

Do Something About It

• This week intentionally add value to someone!

 I’d love to hear your comments on what you have done to add value to others.

“Leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves, but how far we advance others”  –John Maxwell