Skip to main content

November Gratitude Wall


Happy November!  We are quickly approaching Thanksgiving, which is a time for expressing gratitude.  This month, I want to talk about the power of expressing gratitude.  This November, we have done a gratitude wall with the goal of having a wall full come the end of the month. The gratitude’s do not have to be big; they only have to be meaningful.  One staff member was grateful that she had co-workers who supported her when her baby was sick, and they did not guilt her for bringing her child to work.  Others were grateful for working in a drama-free office, or for supportive spouses. 

Giving ourselves the space to be thankful for all that we have helps us to see just how much we often take for granted. Lunch with a client; having clients; my three-year-old very passionately ending her dinner prayer with “Awe Ha!” instead of “Amen”; gas in my tank, having a car; the ability to exercise; family nearby; the love of friends and family; the humility and fear of parenting; a loving marriage; happy and healthy children; rain, sun, cloudy days, blue skies—so much to be grateful for! 

When we focus on the good, we might find that our perception of things will change.  One of my favorite quotes is, “We can always choose to perceive things differently.  You can focus on what’s wrong in your life, or you can focus on what’s right.”  It becomes increasingly more difficult to be negative when all you can think about are the positives. 


I want to share this because we all have things for which we should be grateful, and even if the company is losing money, you are out of work, or a loved one is sick, things could be worse.  I would encourage you to think about what you are grateful for this month.  And, as you close out the year, perhaps you can begin seeing the positive things that occur daily.   Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Power of Perception

Happy Fall! I love this time of year (except all that ragweed). This month I would like to discuss knowing and promoting your personal brand. I recently gave a key note speech (my first!) called “The Power of Perception”. In my presentation, I discuss the power of perception as well as the importance of being able to recognize and promote one’s personal brand. Perception is reality and your personal brand shapes how people perceive you. It does not take long for others to perceive you in a certain way… but you do have some power to shape that perception. Here are a few tips in doing that: 1.     Don’t assume that your boss, co-workers, or close friends know exactly what you do… and don’t assume that they know exactly what you do. You never know that your weakness could be a friend’s biggest strength unless you ask. Here’s an example: I reached out to a friend of mine to help me with my presentation and when I asked her, she said “Carey, of course I can help with that,...
2 comments
Read more

Strengths Finder

“Hide not your talents.  They for use were made.  What’s a sundial in the shade?” – Benjamin Franklin Happy February!  I hope that your year is off to a great start.  This month I am going to talk about staff development.  Having a diverse but solid team is so vital for the success of a small business.  However, you cannot take a one size fits all approach to managing a team. Oftentimes business owners or hiring managers fail to realize this and subsequently they drive away great talent.  At the end of last year my team participated in the StrengthsFinder survey from the popular book by Tim Rath.  It was a fun exercise for all of us and I think, speaking on behalf of the whole team, we all learned more about ourselves and our team members by going through it.  We also learned the common strengths that bind us all together.  To that end, it was an invaluable exercise for me and my management team to go through because we became more ...
2 comments
Read more

Preparing for the First Day on the Job

Happy June.  The month of June is a transition month for many—having graduated in May, they find themselves moving into careers. In light of that, this month I want to share how to make a great first impression to the new hires who join your team. Whenever a transition happens, making a great first impression is vital to an organization! Have you ever arrived for an appointment—at a restaurant, at the doctor’s office, for an interview—and had the feeling like they were not quite ready for you?  This can cause the business to lose a prospective client or potential valuable employee.  So, what can you do as a business owner to welcome and retain the best people? 1. Be prepared. Companies must be prepared. Lack of preparation can communicate a lack of appreciation or welcome. Preparation does not need to be extravagant; even simple things matter, such as having a work space prepared with all the relevant tools (computer, phone, etc.) ready to go, providing business ...
1 comment
Read more