Do you know the advantages of a Gratitude Mindset?
And what might be holding you back?
One of the major challenges we all have today is a pervasive sense of “overwhelm.”
An increasing abundance of opportunities and a dizzying rate of technological progress can often blind us to many of the simple joys in our lives.
What was once a miracle we now take for granted.
In part, this is because technology allows us to do so much more, so much faster, so much cheaper and easier.
But it wasn’t always this way.
As a species, we used to work 80+ hours a week just to survive. To get access to basic food, water, and shelter. All of our technological advancements are giving many of us a vacation from basic survival.
Being grateful means feeling and expressing thankfulness and appreciation for just how far we’ve come and for what we have.
From a basic “standard of living” standpoint, each of us now has access to more fresh food, clean water, educational content, and medicines than kings and queens had just a century ago.
From an entrepreneurial standpoint, each of us has access to more communication capability, more knowledge, and more computational power than the heads of Fortune-100 companies had just a couple of decades ago.
From an impact and Purpose-Driven standpoint, each of us now has the privilege to work on some of the world’s biggest problems, a capability previously only addressable by heads of governments or the preeminent philanthropists.
Problem solving itself has been democratized, and we’re all better off because of it.
We should be grateful.
A Gratitude Mindset involves regularly making the shift from expectation to appreciation and thankfulness.
It means constantly recognizing that we’re living in the most extraordinary time ever in history… that today is better than yesterday, and that tomorrow will be better still.
I believe that a Gratitude Mindset is especially important for entrepreneurs. We have so many expectations for the future and our role in creating it that we get impatient… why isn’t it here yet?!
A Gratitude Mindset is 1 of the 6 critical Mindsets that I explore and coach entrepreneurs and leaders on during my Abundance 360 Mastermind every January.
Here is a summary of WHY you should develop a Gratitude Mindset:
(1) You know that being grateful enhances your mood and makes you feel genuinely happy. Expressing gratitude causes our brain to release dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions. They make us feel “good.”
(2) You recognize how incredibly lucky you are on both a personal and professional basis, and you take the time to feel and express thankfulness and appreciation.
(3) As a leader, you understand the power of encouraging your team to be grateful. You know that being thankful and appreciative improves the relational well-being for both individuals and the overall group.
(4) You invest in relationships. As my dear friend Joe Polish says: “Time is not money. Relationships are money.” You have to develop and nurture your relationships. Every day, you try to be as useful as possible to those around you. And in your leadership role, you focus on what positive results you can create for others.
(5) You have created daily routines that allow you to reflect on how lucky and thankful you are. And you share those reflections with others in your life in a way that brings you joy, and uplifts those around you.
Regarding this 5th key point above, allow me to share two of my personal practices that I use.
First, at the start of every Abundance Team meeting (whether on Zoom or in person), we begin by going around the room and asking each member the question, “Who on the team are you most grateful for and why?”
Second, when I go to sleep every evening, before I drift off, I recall the 3 things I am most grateful for from that day.
So, how would your life change if you had a Gratitude Mindset? What are the 3 things you’re most grateful for in your personal life? In your work life?
If a Gratitude Mindset is important to you… If you want to understand how regularly expressing gratitude can improve your personal life and your business, then consider joining my Abundance 360 Mastermind.
Every year, my team and I select a group of 360 entrepreneurs and CEOs to coach over the course of a year-long program. A360 starts each January with a live event and continues every two months with Implementation Workshops, in which I personally coach members in small groups over Zoom. (In 2021, you have a choice of live “in-person” or “virtual” participation. See the A360 website for more info.)
My mission is to help A360 members identify their massively transformative purpose, select their moonshot, and hone an Abundance, Exponential, and Longevity Mindset. Together we will actively select and reinforce your preferred mindsets.
To learn more and apply to A360, visit abundance360.com.
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P.S. I've just released a podcast with my dear friend Dan Sullivan called Exponential Wisdom. Our conversations focus on the exponential technologies creating abundance, the human-technology collaboration, and entrepreneurship. Head here to listen and subscribe.