Every year when the Christmas season arrives, I am overwhelmed with moments of powerful reflection—as an entrepreneur, a father, an entrepreneurial leadership advocate and as a grateful member of our Okanagan community, I am thankful.
It seems clear to me that it’s always the right time to live life from a place of gratitude. Let’s enjoy some reflection of what this may mean to each of us at this year end.
One of the simplest, yet often overlooked contributors I have discovered, and sometimes overlooked, is the expression of appreciation.
Taking the time to say a simple “thank you” cost nothing but resonates powerful positive intention throughout any organization, any company and in everyday living.
Expressing gratitude is a fundamental quality of conscious leadership and is yet another facet of empathy.
It reflects to me our leadership consciousness of natural human desire to be validated and appreciated.
Even the most stressful of times in challenging situations and environments may be relaxed through the expression gratitude.
John Maxwell, the international leadership author and speaker, thinks so highly of such expressions that he wrote a recent book called Encouragement highlighting the power of expression of gratitude to light the candle in the lives of those around our daily lives.
Gratitude, as commonly defined, is a state of being, an emotion.
In any given moment, you feel it or you don’t.
So is fulfillment available only to those who are naturally disposed toward feeling grateful, as happiness is available to those who are naturally disposed toward feeling happy? Not fair and not true, I suggest.
We can’t force ourselves to feel gratitude, but we can force ourselves to practice gratitude. And practicing gratitude will lead to feeling grateful.
We might express such gratitude to honour that one person who changed our life. Give them the thanks they deserve through a unique exercise in gratitude and magnify that thank you in a way that will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs coming our way in our beloved Okanagan.
This is an opportunity for you and I to recognize a entrepreneurial hero in our lives through a powerful gesture that he or she will cherish forever.
By writing a letter of gratitude to such a person/s and then sharing it with them, you can change their life— and, surprisingly, your own as well. Frankly, no email or phone call can equal the sincerity of meeting someone in person and showing your gratitude.
Nurturing a strong sense of gratitude allows us to see the good in others and enables us to recognize and seize entrepreneurial opportunities when they arise.
In the spirit of Christmas, you might use this chance to express your gratitude and in doing so discover the secret to leading a more fulfilling life as an entrepreneurial citizen of the Okanagan.
For me, first off I am thankful for being truly blessed with a soul-filled group of “ inspirers”—men and women who never cease to amaze me with their inner strength and caring.
Their steadfast commitment to personal growth, their dedication to fostering growth in others through their own experiences, and their ability to meaningfully connect with those around them gives me immeasurable strength.
Such people are a priceless gift to me in my roller coaster ride though life.
I am thankful for the larger entrepreneurial community of the Okanagan and afar—filled with people who see opportunities in place of obstacles, who take ownership of their actions, who are on a never-ending quest of learning and self-improvement and who are committed to making our world a better place, one venture at a time.
I am thankful for the ability to give back, and the plethora of wonderful colleagues and associates that have recognized my value, and provide me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences with others.
Helping others succeed is truly my passion, and the gift of sharing is one that I will forever appreciate and cherish.
And I am thankful to all of you dear readers for your loyalty and support as I strive to contribute to the building of an Okanagan entrepreneurial culture.
