It has been a very trying few weeks.  I’ve been working extraordinarily long days, six and seven days a week, feeling a lot of pressure on a couple of projects I’m on, and consistently finding myself behind the eight ball at the end of the day.  I’m not sleeping well.  OK, I’m exhausted.  And, if that’s not enough, I’m putting a little bit of weight on, because that’s what I do when I’m stressed. 

I struggled to focus on gratitude.

My husband, perhaps trying to give me an “out” from my writers’ cramp (gratitude cramp?), told me to stop trying.  “You don’t have to write something every single Thursday!  Maybe there just isn’t something to be thankful for today.”

Wha-a-a-a-at?

Today, I am thankful that every day there is something to be thankful for.

I started to compile a list of the usual – family, health, home, food, comforts.  But really, every day, it comes down to just one thing:

Simply being alive.  

I like to collect sayings on different topics.  You never know when a little extra inspiration might be needed!  Below are a few of the items I’ve pinned to my “Positivity” board.  Enjoy!  (Then, go set up your own Pinterest account and start pinning!)

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing— don’t do it), prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

And, I would add…mix well and share generously.  Happy new year!

The movie is the true story of recently widowed father of two, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), who decides to buy a run-down wildlife park and move his family there to give everyone a fresh start away from sad memories.

Of course, memories aren’t so quickly left behind and running a zoo isn’t easy, either!  This heartwarming story takes viewers through the evolution of the family’s grief and recovery, with a sprinkling of humor.  One of the life lessons in the story is something handed down from Mee’s father to him, and from him to his children:

You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.

Think of these words when you’re about to have a difficult conversation; be brave enough to say the first words.  When attempting to do something you’re unsure of, twenty seconds of courage will get you started.  When choosing a new path, bravely take that first step.

When making New Year’s resolutions later this week, be brave enough to think big!  What do you want to change?  What do you want to start?  What do you want to stop? Remember, all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage.  Something great will come of it.

Happy 2012!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Why wait until a gift is given to be thankful? In the spirit of “Thanks-living,” I am filled with gratitude for gifts already present in my life. These gifts don’t come with ribbons and bows, are not wrapped in silver and gold, silver and gold, and they are not shared only on December 25.

Stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but I don’t have to wait for friends to be there. I encounter them everyday at work, online, or at various gatherings throughout the year.

It’s not the reindeer up on the housetop that I need to wait for, it’s being thankful that I even have a roof over my head. I have a wonderful home in a very nice house in a great neighborhood and know that many others do not have even the most basic shelter.

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh, but it is also fun to drive to my daughter’s nearby home or hop on a plane to visit our son farther away. It’s wonderful to spend time with our daughter and son-in-law; we are lucky they are close by. We are fortunate that we can afford to travel to see our son and his family. Many others can’t – either due to finances or poor health – leave home.

We may sing praises of a long ago baby away in a manger, but technology helps me enjoy the new baby in our lives; our first grandson, just born last month. There is nothing like getting a quick snapshop in a text from my son. Our daughter-in-law sent a video last week of the baby cooing and smiling. We can skype or facetime with the entire family.

If we are lucky enough to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, I am blessed with a great husband who will go walkin’ in the winter wonderland with me. He may not be quite as excited about some of the small wonders and joys of life as I am, but he indulges me! I think, in his own secret way, he has learned to appreciate them, too.

There are many reasons to be a jolly, happy soul – every day of the year. Don’t wait to find the presents underneath the Christmas tree; look around you for the gifts you already have.

What gifts do you have today? What are you thanks-living for? Please add a comment and share your joy!

Success

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

What would you add to the above definition of success? 

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

On her website, Emily Post offers some great tips on everyday manners.  What I like best is this line:

It’s not just about knowing these manners,  it’s about being intentional in their use.

As she also says, no one wakes up deciding, “Today is the day I’m going to be rude to everyone I meet.”  Yet, in all the hustle and bustle, bargains and giftwrap, menus and garland,  it’s easy to forget the love and generosity at the center of the season.

What can you do?

Smile at people you meet.  Let the woman with the restless kids go ahead of you in line.  Hold the door for the person behind you.  Let someone else park closest to the store.  Be patient with seasonal help at the mall.  Say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas as you checkout.

You can serve others simply by intentionally sharing common courtesy.  Make this last week before Christmas a merry one!

One of the harder things to measure and impact is a person’s attitude, yet it can be one of the most important things that contribute to a favorable reaction.  You may have heard this story before, but it is a favorite illustration about positive attitude:

Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a British shoe manufacturer to Africa to investigate and report back on market potential.

The first salesman reported back, “There is no potential here – nobody wears shoes.”

The second salesman reported back, “There is massive potential here – nobody wears shoes.”

Both salesmen saw the exact same thing.  Nobody wears shoes.  Yet, one salesman viewed that circumstance as an overwhelming challenge to success while the other saw it as a clear opportunity.  Their attitude toward the situation made all the difference.

How do you look at challenges that face you?  What attitude do your team members observe in you?

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Today, I will do what others won’t so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t. ~Jerry Rice

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. ~Louis Pasteur

Much good work is lost for the lack of a little more.  ~Edward H. Harriman

Most people, upon reaching the top, look down and enjoy the view.  The smart money is on looking up and finding new mountains to climb.  ~Jeb Dickerson

Happy December!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.

Many of us will be doing the same thing today; taking a moment between turkey and touchdowns to be thankful.  Some of us may consider our good health, happy families, steady employment, or comfortable homes.  We may simply be thankful for the food on our table today.  Perhaps we are enjoying the day with friends and neighbors and are thankful for their presence in our lives.

Some of us might be in the middle of a health crisis, but appreciate the support of doctors and caregivers.  We might be in a financial crunch, but have enough to feed our children today.  Perhaps we’ve been enduring a personal struggle, but we see the light ahead.  Even in difficulty, one can find reason to give thanks.

But, what happens tomorrow?

I am challenging myself to not only give thanks today, but to live thanks every day.  Over the last year, I have found that concentrating on the practice of gratitude has enriched my life in many ways.  My emphasis on gratitude has also positively impacted other people. Some have read the posts and commented about them, or observed my practice and chose to adopt it, or even in just one situation realized gratitude mattered.

Attitude is a choice, and I choose gratitude.  I hope you’ll join me.

Give thanks today and live thanks tomorrow. 

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is no to utter words, but to live by them. -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live in gratitude is to touch heaven. -Johannes A. Gaertner