The Law of Gratitude
By Lori Klauser

When you are feeling your lowest, I’m sure you can’t imagine one thing to be grateful for. When you think you are deprived, your feelings and thoughts revolve around what you don’t have. You may not believe you deserve for good things to happen to you. Being grateful and thinking along the lines of the good that is in your life brings more good to you. Admit it, even you are sick of hearing you whine. It gets you nowhere and it just brings more negative upon you.

Why not give gratitude a try? Look around you and notice the good that is in your life. Even if it isn’t perfect, acting “as if” will bring you immeasurable things. We must be grateful for and appreciate the things we do have before more will be given to us. Say thank you for what you do have. If you concentrate on finding the good in every situation you encounter, you will find a life filled with gratitude and wonder. You have nothing to lose, so why not?

If you don’t know what to be grateful for, be grateful for everything. Everything presents an opportunity for us to be grateful. It is an opportunity to learn and to grow. When you look at the things in your life, even if they do not measure up to what you perceive as perfect, be grateful. Appreciate what you do have. Pretend, fake it, force it if you must. It may not seem logical to you, it may not seem practical, but you will start to see changes. Your attitude may be the first to change. You will start to accept what you do have. You will start to act “as if.”

If you expand your thinking in gratitude, it will boost your well-being. It is the forgotten factor in your happiness. It means taking nothing for granted. Be thankful that you woke up in the morning and have another day before you with limitless opportunities. Once you make a habit of looking at things and being grateful for them, it will help you begin receiving the abundance that you deserve. It will open you up to the fullness that life offers you to be a part of.

Gratitude seems to be the secret that successful people have that the rest of us don’t. But it doesn’t have to remain that way. Gratitude is a very powerful force. After you accept what you do have and feel gratitude for it, everything will change. Things that you need will come to you. You have practiced and acknowledged feeling grateful for what you do have. That will free you and bring better to you because you have cleared the way for more. Whenever you encounter a problem, summon up gratitude. There are lessons to be learned everywhere. Be grateful for the problem and the lesson that you will learn.

You may have gone without, you may be deprived of certain things, and you may have difficult circumstances and feel as if you have nothing. Accept what you do have. Be grateful for what you do have. It doesn’t mean that is what you will always have. It just means that where you are today is where you are supposed to be. Before you can get more, you must be grateful for what you have right now. Make it a point to write down three things you are grateful for in your life every night. It will open a path for more to come.

Be aware of your feelings and never believe that all you have is all you can have. Make awareness a goal. You were destined for great things. Believe that is true. Be aware that thinking alone is not enough. Act as if. What you believe will come to you once you are grateful for what already is. It’s the law of the universe.

Book Review
Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul
By Robert A. Emmons & Joanna Hill

There are times when gratitude comes over us as a wave, lifting us higher than we can normally stand, then setting us back down on our feet after bringing us closer to God, write Robert A. Emmons and Joanna Hill. At other times it is our companion during our darkest moments, causing us to be grateful for the good in the midst of tragedy, encouraging us to believe that good can come even when we cannot understand our own suffering or the suffering of others. Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul by Robert A. Emmons and Joanna Hill with an Introduction by Brother David Steindl-Rast offers words of encouragement and guidance, proverbs, and prayers, interspersed with highlights of recent psychological research measuring the effects of gratitude.

Why is it good to feel gratitude? Are there things we can do to pull ourselves out of a state of anger and loss? Can we choose gratitude? What are the hindrances to gratitude?

Clinical studies show that gratefulness tends to build and strengthen social bonds and friendship, while narcissism impedes the feeling of gratitude. Not only are those who practice gratitude happier, they are also healthier, exercise more frequently, and are more apt to be hopeful to others. Practicing gratitude does not buffer individuals from experiencing unpleasant emotional states.

“Gratitude is…more than a feeling, a virtue, or an experience; gratitude emerges as an attitude we can freely choose in order to create a better life for ourselves and for others,” explains Brother David Steindl-Rast. “The Nigerian Hausa put it this way: Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.” There is a paradoxical aspect to gratitude, Emmons and Hill point out: the more grateful we are, the more reasons we have to be grateful.

Lessons on cultivating gratitude come from most religious traditions. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, gratitude is an essential part of the religious experience. Psychologists are also looking at methods for helping people develop and experience gratitude. Emmons, who is professor psychology at the University of California, Davis explains several methods of cultivating gratitude, ranging from a conscious psychological tool; to a personal, creative path of self-expression; to a focused, spiritual practice, such as the Buddhist meditation technique, Naikan. And prayers can help people experience gratitude.

Feeling gratitude, we attract goodness and good people into our lives; our gratitude turns into action. “Count your blessings and you will find them to be countless, even in the midst of adversity and tragic circumstances,” says Brother David. .
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(Book Summary from www.Amazon.com)

Ryan N. Harrison, MA is a Holistic Health Practitioner in private practice (http://www.BeWholeBeWell.com).

Motivational Tips
Make Sure you Connect with Your Clients  
By Victoria K. Munro

Studies show that the majority of customers leave not because of problems with services or products, but because of perceived indifference. They just don’t feel valued or appreciated. If you want to keep your clients and turn them into raving fans, you need to make sure they know you care about and appreciate them!

You’re probably not looking for yet another project to pack into your already overloaded schedule, but establishing a plan to nurture your current clients could easily prove to be your most cost-effective marketing strategy. To use your time efficiently, create a regular monthly plan to keep in touch with clients, and automate recurring reminders to follow up. If you don’t already have contact resource management software (CRM), such as ACT!, Gold Mine or Maximizer, consider investing in one.

Employ the Power of Personal Hand-Written Notes

Written notes are a meaningful yet inexpensive way to communicate that you really care. Perhaps challenge yourself to consistently write three or five notes every week, and do it without fail! Try writing your notes first thing in the morning before your busy day begins and the phone starts ringing.

Thank your clients often! At every opportunity, express your gratitude. Send notes to thank them for their order, their confidence in you as a professional, a referral they gave, whatever is appropriate. Sincere notes convey your feelings in a powerful way. Melanie Smithson of Smithson Clinic, Inc., went out of her way recently to thank us for a note they received from Dave. “It was such a treat to read his note! It was so personal and that just makes you feel good! Makes you want to go out of your way to help him!”

Note Writing Tips

Be personal – focus on the client and what’s important to them: their health, their family, their business. Use attractive note cards, not a full-sized sheet of your business stationery. Always address the envelope by hand -- don’t you open those first? Consider including your business card.

Additional Ideas on Connecting with Clients

• Remember special occasions: birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. • Send letters and emails. Share with them something that will be of genuine value to them. • If you’re in their area, stop by their office, just to ask how they’re doing and if there are any ways you can help. • Call them sometimes without any sales agenda, just to see how they’re doing. • Occasionally, arrange to meet in person. Ask questions and listen. Always give them your undivided attention. Make them feel loved and important. • Introduce them to others who could be of help to them. • Watch for articles, events or books that might be of interest to them, and drop a note and let them know. • Follow up promptly on referrals they give. Thank them and keep them apprised of your progress. • Give them referrals. • Ask for their help. • Host client appreciation events. • Give gifts. No need to spend a fortune – be creative, use your imagination. Perhaps tie the gift into your business or theirs. • Always keep your promises to them! Follow through on what you said you’d do. • And always, always, always be sincere! Be real, authentic and true to who you are.

Your customers really are the heart of your business. Don’t assume they know you appreciate them and their business. Begin now to create your plan to let them know you care!
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About the Author: Victoria Munro is co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly® LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for small business owners through creatively designed programs and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different businesses. To receive FREE business success articles with tips to help you with your business, sign up for their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,” at: www.Make-it-Fly.com and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics & Tips.

Printed From: http://www.articlesbase.com

Poet's Corner

Thank you Life
By Gary van Warmerdam

Thank you for this Breath
Thank you for this Inhale
Thank you for this Exhale
Thank you for this Life

Thank you Heart
Thank you for this Pounding
Thank you for this Pulsing
Thank you for this Love

Thank you Feet
Thank you for this Walk
Thank you for this Run
Thank you for the Dancing

Thank you Eyes
Thank you for the Sunrise
Thank you for the Sunset
Thank you for all the Colors

Thank you Ears
Thank you for The Music
Thank you for the Rhythm
And Thank you for the Stillness

Thank you Hands
Thank you for the Caressing
Thank you for the Clapping
And Thank you for the Holding

Thank you Mouth
Thank you for the Nourishment
Thank you for the Wine
Thank you for the Kisses

Thank you Nose
Thank you for the Flowers
Thank you for the Pines
Thank you for the Sniffles

Thank you Arms and Shoulders
Thank you for the Carrying
Thank you for the Burdening
And Thank you for the Hugging

Thank you Voice
Thank you for the Expression
Thank you for the Word
Thank you for the Gift of Creation

Thank you for this Day
Thank you for the Light
Thank you for the Stars
Thank you for the Night

Thank you Self
Thank you for the Laughter
Thank you for the Play
Thank you for You

Thank you for the Emotions
Thank you for the Joys
Thank you for the Tears and Sorrows
Thank you for the Richness

Thank you for the Abundance that is.
Thank you for the Abundance that is given.
Thank you for the so many Experiences and so many things
Thank you for this Dance.
Thank you Life

(From http://www.toltecspirit.com/thank_life.htm)