5 Ways I Show Gratitude

December 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

5 Ways I Show GratitudeEarlier this year, my wife and I went to a benefit sale at a local church. As things were winding down, one of the volunteers said she had to leave which prompted the pastor to raise his voice and lay a guilt trip on her. Even after she said she had to study for an exam on Monday, he told her that volunteers were supposed to be there for the entire time, and that included clean up.

There were plenty of people to help out, from what I could see. I thought what ever happened to “we’re glad you could give us the time you were able to. Good luck on your exam.” As she walked out the front door of the church he got in one last parting snide remark. I’m sure that showed her. How’s that for gratitude? That pastor wasn’t demonstrating at all what I’m sure he preached to his congregation on Sundays.

This incident made me think, “do I appreciate people in my life enough?” Here are 5 ways I show gratitude:
1) Be thankful for what life gives you. 
We are not guaranteed anything. I’m better off than a lot of people in this world. My struggles aren’t the same as someone who can’t find clean water to drink, or who has to worry about finding a place to sleep for the night. I’ve been downsized from a job but it didn’t destroy me; it ended up being a blessing because it opened me to other possibilities. I’m thankful for the life I’m living, right now, at this moment. Not the one in some future scenario.
2) Be thankful when people show up. 
No one has to be there for you; this includes your family. If someone wants to be with you, cheer for you, comfort you, or listen to you, accept it as a gift. They have their own life and issues to worry about and they set those aside when they’re with you. I’m lucky to have the people in my life that I do.
3) Appreciate any and all help.
People who go even further, those people that stick their neck out for you, help you, advocate for you, or mentor you are your biggest supporters. Don’t take their time and effort for granted. Never make them feel like they didn’t give enough. I want to be around people like that all the time, but realize that what ever they give me, that’s enough. They don’t need to give anymore than they do.
4) No one owes you anything.
I was taught when I was younger to think of others, to not be selfish, to share. I’m sure a lot of you were brought up that way too. But sometimes people don’t want to share. They don’t have to. I can’t get upset about the things people don’t give me that weren’t mine to begin with. If someone wants to share, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s acceptable. Don’t put your moral upbringing on someone else’s shoulders.
5) Know when it’s time to move on. 
I think often about why certain people appeared in my life at certain times. They appeared when I needed them most and then quietly went on their way. I’d like to think they went on to help other people. We gave each other what the other needed and when there was no longer a need we moved on. And that’s okay. The relationship was what it needed to be at that moment.
I have an amazing group of friends and family who have been there for me. Thank you! I’m grateful that you entered my life.
Who are the people in your life that you’re grateful for?
Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With:

4 Business Lessons from the Bee Gees

November 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
4 Business Lessons from the Bee Gees

Photo courtesy of the Bee Gees Facebook page.

For Christmas in 1979 I received the Bee Gees Greatest Hits, which was the first album I ever owned (thanks Aunt Susie and Uncle Rick!). I spent the rest of my Christmas vacation and much of 1980, sitting on the living room floor crossed legged in front of the stereo with my headphones on. I listened to that album for hours. I’ve always been a fan of the Bee Gees, even when it wasn’t cool to be one.

I recently found myself in a YouTube trap. I started listening to one Bee Gees song, which led to another, and I ended up on a Saturday adventure that lasted a few hours. Has that happened to you? Man, those songs are just so good!
Listening to hit after hit made me think of their lengthy and successful career and how we can incorporate what made them successful into our own lives. Here are 4 business lessons we can learn from the Bee Gees:
1) Start small and learn as much as you can from where you are.
The Bee Gees started singing before the Saturday matinee movie at their local theater. These appearances led to playing at larger events. They learned what worked on stage and what didn’t. An audience is a live focus group; giving immediate feedback. Soon came a record deal and gigs on Australian television, which had them scoring hits on the Australian charts.
We often think success comes over night, but that is rarely the case. The Bee Gees perfected their craft in front of smaller audiences when the stakes weren’t as high and the critics wouldn’t be as loud. We forget that we need to start small. Starting small gets us on the path to where we eventually need to be. Countless hours need to be invested before things can take hold at a point of critical mass.
2) Move on when you need to take the next step. 
Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb were born in England, but the family moved to Australia when they were young. They had achieved success in this new land, but wanted a bigger stage, so moving back home would open new doors. England in the 1960’s was a happening scene with The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Kinks all dominating the charts. They wanted to be among these artists. They could have stayed in Australia and been sensations, but they had bigger dreams.
Once in England, they were quickly spotted by a good manager and got a record deal, which translated into having hits, and those hits quickly traveled to the US. When you move to a bigger playing field, more is at stake, but there is more to win when you gain traction.
3) Do whatever it takes to overcome obstacles.
After their massive success in the late 1970’s, radio turned on the Bee Gees and refused to play their songs. This didn’t stop the Bee Gees though. They wrote and produced songs for other artists. In doing so, they were still able to have massive hits on the radio, only instead of it being a Bee Gees record, it was that of another artist.
The Bees Gees are one of the most successful recording acts of all-time; with over 200 millions records sold worldwide. In the US they scored 43 top 100 hits, 30 top 40 hits, and nine #1’s. But if you look at their success as songwriters, these numbers get even more mind blowing. 87 top 100 hits, 55 top 40 hits and 16 # 1’s. They looked at other ways to continue their success without fighting what was out of their control. What other avenues can you try when one road closes in front of you?
4) Keep your foot on the pedal.
Don’t rest on your past successes and think those will carry you. You have to keep working; all the time. Not only do things get done when you don’t let up, but that’s when your greatest ideas and creations may come to you. When you work,  that’s when inspiration comes. To paraphrase Steven Pressfield,  “you don’t wait for inspiration to strike before starting, you start, so inspiration will strike.” Because you’re actively doing your art (whatever that may be), you’re open to receiving gifts of inspiration.
Productive people are productive because they don’t stop. The Bee Gees wrote “Too Much Heaven” and then wrote “Tragedy” right after that, in the same day. There’s a rumor that they wrote “Shadow Dancing”, which would become a #1 hit for their brother Andy, later that same evening. Three #1’s written in one day! Talk about productive! Achieving great things takes work and effort. Nothing comes from inspiration itself. You need to work, even when you may not want to. You will be rewarded!
These are 4 important lessons for all of us. Whether it’s in life or business, we can work these lessons into our own arsenal to make us unstoppable.
What are you going to work on?
Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With:

Doing the Right Thing: Is it Self-Evident?

November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Doing the Right ThingIs doing the “right thing” self-evident? Is it something we all know instinctively? And if we do know what the “right thing” to do is, why don’t we do it?

I believe that as individuals, we know instinctively what the “right thing” to do is. There are countless stories of people doing amazing and often heroic things, and when asked why they did what they did, they inevitably respond, “It was the right thing to do.” They sure make it sound easy, don’t they? What holds us back, then?
The biggest barrier is time. Too much time to think makes us second guess ourselves or look at our options. We lose that immediacy with the thing we want to do. If we don’t think about something, we instinctively react. That’s why a homeless man can return $42,000 or someone can run into a burning building to save a life. They didn’t agonize over it, they just did it. When time passes doing the “right thing” loses it’s importance. We think that we’ll do it next time, or that we’re too late; someone else has probably done it already.
Another factor applies if you are a part of a larger group (it could be a family, a company, or even a government); it’s bureaucracy. You generally need to win the endorsement from one, or several key decision-makers. If you can’t get your team on the same page or some members have a different agenda, then that can cause problems. Often there are questions to be answered: How will this look to others; both inside and outside the organization? What are the costs and benefits of doing this? What are others doing? Attempts from these large bodies (especially governments) often come up short and feel hollow. The intention far outweighs the actual benefit to anyone and the best anyone can say is, “at least their heart was in the right place.”
Life is about making choices; daily, hourly, even by the minute if you really think about it. Choosing the words I typed here was a choice. Granted, most of the choices we make aren’t major life decisions, but add them up over time and they make a statement about who you are as a person.
We are too worried about making the “wrong” choice and that’s actually the obstacle. It paralyzes us from taking action, so we end up doing nothing, and feeling guilty about our inaction.
What if instead, we focused on the “doing” part. Just by doing something, anything, that’s better than doing nothing. And isn’t doing something the “right thing” to do? It’s up to you and me to do something each and every day to make the world a better place. We are the ones that make lasting impact, not by thinking about it, but by doing it.
Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With:
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