| Have you ever had something taken away from
you only to realize how much you appreciated it after it was gone?
I ask this question every time I start one of my
appreciation speeches and seminars for Fortune 500 companies. As I pause and wait for
people to respond, many hands go up.
Most of us have taken someone or something for granted. We
only truly realized how much that person or situation meant to us after the fact.
For example, at the age of 23 my professional baseball
career ended abruptly when I blew out my pitching arm. I was in my third season in the
minor leagues with the Kansas City Royals, and just like that my childhood dream was over.
I realized looking back on my 18 years in competitive
baseball that I had only one major regret. I pushed myself so hard that I'd forgotten to
enjoy the game. I was so focused on "making it" and on overcoming my weaknesses,
I had not taken much time to appreciate what I was doing along the way.
We often waste way too much of our time and energy focusing
on what we don't like, what we're worried about, or what we think needs to be fixed,
changed, or enhanced. We live in a culture obsessed with "bad stuff." Just turn
on the news, listen to the conversations and negative attitudes of the people around you
at work, or pay attention to the thoughts in your own head.
The Power of Appreciation on Your Life
What if we stopped this negative obsession and started
paying attention to what and whom we appreciate, right now?
Imagine how this simple but profound shift in focus could
transform our lives, our careers, our work groups, and more. Our life experiences are
functions of what we pay attention to. Each and every moment we have a choice to where we
place our attention.
I am not advocating that we deny, avoid, or run from the
challenges, issues, or even the pain in our careers or businesses. It is important that we
are able to confront, face, and deal with these difficulties. However, we don't have to
obsess about the bad stuff and let it run our lives. We each can consciously choose to
focus on the good stuff in our lives, with others, and most importantly towards ourselves.
There are great things happening in your company all the
time. At work you interact with amazing people each and every day. And, this is only
"true" if you choose to recognize it, acknowledge it, and live it through your
thoughts, words, and actions.
Here Are My Top 5 Principles to Discovering Everyday
Gratitude at Work & Living a Life Filled With Appreciation and Enjoyment:
1) Be Grateful – Focus on the many blessings in your
life and all that you have to be thankful for.
2) Choose Positive Thoughts and Feelings – Make a
conscious decision to transform your negative thoughts and feelings into ones that empower
you. Your negative thoughts will hold you back from growing your business or advancing
your career
3) Use Positive Words – Pay attention to the words you
use with others, about things, and in speaking about yourself. Speak with the most
positive words possible. Our words have the power to create, not just describe
4) Acknowledge Others – Focus on what you appreciate
about the people around you at work and let them know. Be genuine and let others know the
positive impact they have on you and your life.
5) Appreciate Yourself – Celebrate who you are, what
you do, and the many gifts and talents you bring to the company. Self-appreciation is not
arrogance. It's an awareness of your own power and it's the key to self-confidence,
success, and fulfillment.
There's a saying, "argue for your limitations and
they're yours." Instead of that, what if we celebrated the good stuff around us, in
others, and in ourselves? When we focus on this good stuff, our world transforms and we
are able to see and experience the GREAT FULLNESS of our lives.
We don't have to wait until everything is handled. We don't
have to wait until we get it all perfect. And, we don't have to wait for people to do
things exactly as we want them to. We can start appreciating life, others, and ourselves
exactly as we are, right now.
Don't wait 'til it's too late! The power of appreciation
will help you grow your business or advance your career. |
