MONDAY: WORKPLACE GRATITUDE:

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

Author and playwright Cynthia Ozick

What things are you thankful for in your place of work? Go to work today with the specific intention of finding all the things at work you could be thankful for—and then be thankful for them! Your boss, your friends, your colleagues, the intellectual stimulations, the chance to learn, grow and develop, the relationships, the people you meet, the challenge of your work—there are many, many things for which you may choose to be thankful.

If you don’t like your work or the people with whom you work—be grateful anyway. Actively look for things for which to be grateful—even if it is simply, “I am grateful that I am not out in the cold or hot or rainy weather. I am grateful I have a roof over my head. I am grateful I am paid for this.” (Remember that a lot of people out there would take your job and think they were the luckiest people in the world!)

If you clash with one or more “difficult” people, make the effort today to find one thing you think is good about them—one thing—and be grateful for that.

A very wise friend of mine (Gayle) told me a wonderful story. She was speaking with a young man who was dealing with a “difficult” lady at work—someone that no one liked or liked working with. My friend told him to see if he could think of one thing good about this lady. He thought for some time and finally said, “She looks good in blue.” She suggested to the young man that he go back to work and constantly focus on that good thought; and if he was able, to tell the person what he liked about her.

Several months later, Gayle caught up with the young man and asked him how things were going. With great surprise in his voice he said, “It’s amazing. Everything at work has changed. I connect with her much better and she is contributing to the team a lot more and everyone is happier!”

Just one tiny little change like that can transform everything! You can do it! It’s your choice.

You will be stunned at how your work life changes when you focus on gratitude and actively look for things for which to be thankful or appreciative. Others will notice the change and, wonder of wonders, you may even find yourself en-joying moments of work! (Do you know en-joy means in joy? You may find yourself being in joy.)

Gratitude is very powerful!