Gratitude

It may be cliché to write a post on Gratitude for Thanksgiving, but I’m doing it anyway. But really, shouldn’t we be giving thanks consistently and not just once a year? I try to incorporate gratitude in my daily routine. I feel that i have a lot to be thankful for.

When I read posts on other blogs that resonate with me, I tend to thank the author in the comments. If you’ve ever commented on a blog before, you know that it’s common to see things like ‘Great post’ or something to that effect in a lot of the comments. I do this myself, but I try to follow it up with a thank you. Why? Because I think it’s important that we all show our appreciation for the people out there that are doing great work and providing inspiration for the masses. It’s so easy to say, and I think it makes the people on both ends feel better about themselves and the work they are doing.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted an entry called Four things that are inspiring me today, and I thought it would be nice to pick up on that theme and mention some things that I’m thankful for today.

TweetDeck – I don’t know how I would be able to keep up with the volume of info that I’m trying to consume without this incredible resource. I used to have a monitor on my desk at the office that was dedicated exclusively to TweetDeck. Some of my coworkers thought it looked a little freaky, but I’m seriously thinking about revisiting that setup. TweetDeck is a free program/service – that deserves a special thank you in my opinion!

Amber Naslund – I’ve been following Amber on her blog, on Twitter, and I’ve had the pleasure of participating in a webinar that she hosted recently with Radian6. She’s a very smart lady that has been providing some incredibly useful and thought-provoking content. I highly recommend checking out her blog. Amber, thanks for pushing us all forward with your insightful posts.

Simon Mainwaring – I happened upon Simon’s blog last week and was really energized by what I read. He is definitely a forward thinker, and reading his entries is always an inspiration to me. His recent video interview on his blog, How to face the future of advertising is definitely worth checking out. I’ve said this to Simon privately, but here again – thank you for your inspiration Simon!

Adam Waid – Adam is one of those guys that always seems to have a positive attitude. We met on Twitter a few months back and he consistently makes me smile with his tweets, posts, and even his commentary on my cooking photos on Facebook. Thanks for the positive reinforcement Adam. I’m cooking Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow – if you get hungry, we’ll have plenty. 🙂

Supportive Colleagues – lately I’ve received some incredible support from colleagues that truly want to give me a hand and move forward toward the goals I’ve laid out for myself. I want to mention Jeff Duvall in particular today – he really helped me through a situation yesterday when I needed someone the most. Jeff, thanks again for your support!

Friends and Family – I’m especially thankful for my friends and family today. I’m fortunate enough to be able to spend some time with family tomorrow that I don’t see often. These are the moments that really make life truly enriching. This year, we have 20 people around the table. I believe this is the most we’ve ever had together on Thanksgiving, and for that I’m very thankful.

In business, expressing gratitude can be rewarding to everyone involved. Depending on where you fall in your organization, it might make sense to share appreciation for your boss, your client, your vendors, your employees, your customers, or the people who pick up the trash at the end of the day. Saying thank you breaks down barriers and brings people closer together. It’s a liberating experience. Just imagine how much better you feel when someone says thank you for something you’ve done. Now apply that to the business you are in. Sometimes, a well-timed thank you can go a long way toward increasing morale, productivity, and general happiness of everyone in the organization.

What do you think? Is there anything in particular you are thankful for today?

Thanks for stopping by!

photo credit: istockphoto