Lydia on Leadership

The Benefits of Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

--Melody Beattie

 

It is so important to remember to be grateful.  Not only will it make you happier and more content with your life, it will improve your relationships with the people around you.  Remembering to thank someone for something they have done for you, or simply for being a part of your life, can make a positive difference for both.  People like being appreciated for who they are and what they do.  You have the power to make someone else happy simply for sharing with them what they bring to your life. And making someone else happy will make you happy.

 

Why should the simple act of thinking about who and what I’m grateful for make such a big difference in my life?  Reminding yourself about the positive things in life will bring you positive energy.  And you can then bring this energy to things that may normally be negative.  Gratitude can turn the bad things in life into good things, just by looking at them from a different perspective.  Be grateful for the challenges that face you and for the learning experience they bring that have the ability to make you a stronger person.  

 

Create a personal gratitude journal for yourself.  List everything that you are thankful for in your life and keep adding to it every day.  Eventually you will become more aware of all the little things to feel grateful for that happen in a day.  You may also realize that there are many people in your life who deserve your gratitude and this will help you share it with them.  Recognizing all of these things will soon become a habit and gratitude will become second nature to you. 

A Gratitude Prayer

There are many reasons to be grateful. 

Remember these:

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

Practicing Gratitude

Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot."

--The Hausa of Nigeria

What can you do to bring more gratitude into your life?  Like everything else, creating that shift in your attitude can take practice.  It can be difficult to remember to look for the good in every situation and not get caught up in things that don’t matter.  Gratitude is defined as an emotion, but it is also necessary to consciously think about gratitude before you can feel it. 

The Buddhist word for gratitude is “katannuta,” which is translated from Pali to English as meaning “knowing or recognizing that which has been done to you for your benefit.”  The connotation here is a more intellectual one and centers around the knowledge of what has been done versus the English connotation of emotions and “feeling” grateful or thankful.  Therefore, if we do not know that something has benefited us, we will not feel gratitude.  This means we must make an effort to be aware of the things we are receiving that benefit us.  How can we better live a life of gratitude?  There are many simple things you can do that can make a huge difference.

The website “Why Living A Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy,” suggests some steps you can take every day to bring you closer to a life of gratitude.

Morning gratitude session. Take 2-3 minutes each morning to close your eyes and give thanks for whomever or whatever you’re grateful for.

Say thank you. When someone does something nice for you, however small, try to remember to say thank you. And really mean it.

Give thanks for “negative” things in your life. There’s always two ways to look at something. Many times we think of something as negative — it’s stressful, harmful, sad, unfortunate, difficult. But that same thing can be looked at in a more positive way. Problems can be seen as opportunities to grow, to be creative.

Learn a gratitude prayer. There are many prayers, religious or not, that can remind you to be grateful. Find one you like, and print it out or make it your desktop wallpaper.

A Life of Gratitude

"If the only prayer you say in your life is "thank you," that would suffice."

--Meister Eckhart

The definition of gratitude is: a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.  You can feel gratitude for such a huge range of things; from a nice gift from a friend to the love of your family to the gift of life itself.   

Feeling gratitude for all of the things in your life will help you to live in the moment and experience joy.  To be able to step back from the superficial aspects of your life and look deeper at what really matters means that you will be able to appreciate every moment for what it is truly worth.  Research has suggested that feelings of gratitude may be beneficial to emotional well-being.  People who tend to experience gratitude more frequently than others also tend to be happier, more helpful and forgiving, and less depressed than their less grateful counterparts.   

Do you ask yourself on a regular basis what you feel thankful for in your life?  We have an entire holiday devoted to giving thanks, but what about all of days in a year other than Thanksgiving?  Reminding yourself every day of the things in your life that you are lucky to have keeps you humble, happy, and feeling lucky.  It helps you let go of the little stresses in your life and of the things that may frustrate you but, when looking at the bigger picture, can be recognized as being small and insignificant.  It’s hard to complain about the small things in life when you give thanks for your family’s safety.  When you feel a sense of gratitude, you feel a sense of happiness.  Challenge yourself to look for the good in every situation and live with gratitude.

Love and Kindness in the Workplace

When you get along with the people around you, life is easier and more fulfilling.  Shouldn’t the same be said for the workplace?  Most people believe that love and business have nothing to do with one another.  How often have you heard the phrase, “it’s not personal, it’s just business”?  It seems, in the corporate world, people will stab their own families in the back just to make a profit. 

 

So how can love find a way into the workplace?  It can only be accepted if it is shown to be good for business, especially in terms of profit. 

 

To me, the benefits of love in the workplace seem obvious.  When trust, compassion, cooperation, fairness, and support are introduced into a working environment, the only possible outcome will be a positive one. 

 

Peter Stranger, a former Advertising Agency President/CEO has said that when love is introduced into a business, “people work harder, egos are brought under control, collaboration and cooperation blossom, productivity and creativity emerge. Long-term profitability is going to improve."

 

What can you do to bring love into your working environment?  In her article, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” Marie Kane encourages us to ask ourselves five questions:

 

1. When was the last time I did something unexpectedly nice for someone at work – just because?

2. When was the last time I thanked or recognized someone for a particular special effort for the company?

3. Whom have I not thanked who has done something really nice or been especially helpful to me recently?

4. Who goes the extra mile routinely (for example working late or doing things technically not part of their job) that I take for granted?

5. What one thing, within my power to do, could I do regularly to add “love” to my workplace?

Kane then challenges her readers to pick at least one action to take at work within the next 3 days.  If you can make these five actions a regular part of your work habits, you will find that you, your co-workers, and your company as a whole will benefit from a healthier and happier work environment.

Kindness For Yourself In the Workplace

Being kind to yourself in the work place is a key beginning for being kind to others.  What are some things you can do for yourself to make sure your work experience is one that you love and enjoy?  One of the important factors to learn how to manage is stress.  I’ve compiled a few questions and steps for you to go through so that your work environment is stress-free. 

 

Are you clear on your priorities?

Do you have people you can trust who support you and who you can call on at anytime? 

Do you manage upwards?  Do you schedule regular meetings with your partner/co-worker/superior?

Do you celebrate when you’ve achieved a goal that was important to you or your work?

Do you have a courageous conversation with yourself when you know it’s time to move on?

Are you honest with yourself about what is really true for you?

Do you invest in key strategies to lower your stress levels at work?   

 

MaddoxSmye has some great steps to use in order to lower stress in the workplace. 

Here are some to think about:

·        Invest 30 minutes in exercise 3-5 times/week

·        Learn relaxation techniques

·        Cut down on caffeine

·        Eat right

·        Meditate, get still

·        Develop time-management habits

·        Play, have fun, recharge

·        Get plenty of sleep

·        Ask for help!

·        Smile more, laugh, use humour

·        Count your blessings

·        Say nice things to yourself

·        Simplify

·        Set personal goals, increase sense of purpose

·        Forgive, grudges are heavy

·        Practice optimism, hope is a muscle, develop it!

Leadership = Love

Tom Peters says “I created a slide that surprised me.  I said leadership was all about love.

Love as I define it: Passion.  Appetite for life.  Engagement.  Commitment.  Great causes and the determination to make a difference.  Shared adventures.  Bizarre failures.  Growth.  Insatiable appetite for change.”

 

Where does love belong in the business world?  Tom Peters believes in the importance of loving what you do.  When you have that passion for your work, then you can completely let go and do what is needed.  If you can’t love, you can’t lead.

 

True leadership comes from the authentic expression of what is really important to you.  When we are clear about our internal passions, we look for creative ways to express them out in the world.  Usually, that is what differentiates leaders from managers.  Leaders care about what they do, they care about expressing their vision with clarity.  In his book called “The Leader’s Voice,” Boyd Clark says that “vision is a love affair with an idea.  Vision is about wild and intemperate love.”

 

Leaders care about quality and excellence; they want the job to be done well.  They care about involving others, supporting others, and moving their vision forward.  This involves caring about details as well as caring about the support that is needed to make their vision come to fruition.  Because they are so passionate about their vision, they also naturally help develop the leadership potential in those who support them.  Caring about the people who work with them involves looking for opportunities to help them grow, and this is what a true leader does.    

 

So, when you truly love something, there is nothing that will ultimately stop you.  Loving what you stand for means that your energy will be totally devoted to achieving your goals.    

 

 

Love What You Do

Are you committed to being and expressing the best of you in your work?  Do you really love what you do?  Find out by asking yourself the questions below.  We know that when you feel at your all-time best, you are capable of achieving your dreams and goals beyond anything you ever thought possible. 

 

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you absolutely love what you do and how you contribute in your life? 

Do you tap into you potential and do you use the best strengths that you have?

Do you find your energy level is at an absolute high or do you have to fire yourself up every day?

Are you working with people who inspire and stimulate you to ask more of yourself than you ever thought you could do?

Are you achieving your dreams and do you still continue to dream?

Are you working on your edge (the place of discomfort and daring to go into new territory) or are you comfortably in your comfort zone? 

Do you have a cause that inspires determination and commitment? 

When you say the word love, does it describe every part of your life?

Are you leading your life or is your life leading you? 

Are you living the values that are inside of you or are you just living?