As we take time this month to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, remember it’s also important to take a moment to reflect on how grateful you are for all the good things you have in your life. For many of you, this could include the opportunities you’ve been afforded as a business owner.
It’s not something many of us think about often, but being an owner really is an opportunity that very few people have – even though it is something many people dream about. Perhaps one of the reasons for this, is because it’s not nearly as easy as many people think.
On a personal note, I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had that have led me to where I am today. This starts with the environment I grew up in as the son of a successful entrepreneur, and includes all of the offers I’ve received to speak, consult and serve as an advisor over the years. Perhaps most recently, is how grateful I am for the speaking opportunity I had a few weeks ago at the Sales + Marketing Executives annual lunch. The invitation was extended by a good friend and colleague to help me build my authority as a speaker. It was also a great way for me to pay it forward by offering my business expertise to a group of local professionals.
The theme of the speech was how to be a better business owner, which we discussed in terms of three key areas:
- Hiring the right people and establishing clear goals and expectations
- Building an environment of accountability
- Planning for the future in terms of your business’ growth, resources and exit strategy
I spoke about how an environment of accountability starts at the top – something that peer groups can help with tremendously. As a long-time peer group participant myself, I know my affiliation with Inner Circle has played a role in my success. It also taught me an important lesson in gratitude that I’m going to pass along to you today:
If you ever find yourself angry and you want to stop those feelings from taking over, simply stop and take a moment to think about something you’re grateful for. Whatever you can conjure up in your mind – your family, your health, your home, your business – will drive out the anger and allow you to refocus your energy on the good things in your life.
The reason this works, is because it’s impossible to be angry and grateful at the same time. If you are authentically grateful for who you are and what you have, those feelings will always win.
