I had to leave the house because I knew I would not be nearly as productive if I stayed home. The boys had school cancelled due to an ice storm and when I work from home with them romping around I am not nearly as effective. I had some meetings scheduled and drove to one of the coffee shops and started working.
My wife had been hard at work at home that day. . . . she is amazing that way. I noticed she had hung some pictures up, organized, but one decoration caught my eye.
“Laugh.”
Right above the towel rack in our master bathroom she hung this word. I don’t think it was a secret message for me, but since then it has served as a great reminder. I see this word every morning now when I wake up and before I go to bed. This one word reminds me to relax and enjoy life.
What this really reminds me is to be thankful. As we move into Thanksgiving week three words come to mind to inform why a mindset of gratitude will help my self-leadership and maybe it will help yours as well.
- Perspective. When I choose to be thankful for my three sons, my wife, the house I live in, my body that functions . . . fairly well . . . clothes on my back, food on the table, and more my mindset shifts. I may not have the biggest house or best clothes or a perfect family (who does though), but I have a lot of opportunities and experiences that many others do not. When I maintain the right focus, it puts the petty first world problems I have in perspective.
- Positivity. Have you ever met a thankful person who was negative? I am not saying as a leader we wear rose-colored glasses, but might there be an opportunity out of the negative circumstance? I may not get the result I want in a business or family interaction, but if I choose gratitude and look for what I can learn I will be more positive and continue to move toward the goal.
- Passion. Gratitude, perspective and positivity all fuel passion. Passion is the desire to continue no matter what obstacles may be in front of us. This fuel enables us to persist toward the goal we are pursuing. I find a direct relationship between how thankful I am and the level of passion I feel. When I fix on the problems instead of pursuing the solutions, I become less grateful and effective.
What about you? How does being thankful help you in your leadership? What is one way you can laugh, be thankful, and be positive to help you lead better at work and home? Lead well and continue with me to grow in gratitude.
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