How an Attitude of Gratitude Will Keep You Reaping the Rewards

By Kristina L Hanson

As a child, my mother always taught me to say please and thank-you, much like that of other mothers teaching their own children. I learned, from repetition, that using basic and simple manners usually would get me what I wanted and the outcome for me was generally positive. However, aside from the discovery of a small portion of the golden rule, I don't think I ever truly understood the impact that saying thank-you really had on my own personal success as a child. Undoubtedly though, I know that within the last five years, I have come into a wealth of information and have experienced, first hand, the rewards that come from simply having and attitude of gratitude. I would like to share with you what I have learned and show you how you too can reap the rewards of gratitude.

An attitude of gratitude makes you more willing to give.

A very wise and successful business owner once told me that "you need to be willing to give, without want, before you can receive." (Mike Dillon) I would like to expand this knowledge and add that the first step to having the ability to give without want is to have an honest attitude of gratitude. When we are in the habit of looking at our lives and seeing the positive, we are more likely to be grateful for our blessings and therefore gain a natural tendency to want to pay it forward. Those who are selfish are also greedy and never happy with their current circumstances. Selfish people think only of themselves and usually focus on what they don't have rather than what they do have. These kinds of people have a hard time being grateful and giving of themselves to others.

An astounding truth in everyone's life is that we all have something to give. Many of those who live a humble lifestyle and currently have little for monetary donations can make up for it greatly with donating their time, efforts and knowledge. People who lose themselves in the service of others, are automatically able to switch their direction of thought away from themselves and what they don't have. In return for their selflessness, they often find themselves receiving back as much or more of what they gave. It is true that what goes around, comes around and I know for a fact that what ever you send out in the world, it will come back to you, many times more.

An attitude of gratitude improves your relationships.

Everyone in the world loves to be recognized and appreciated. Saying thank-you to the people in our lives gives them a feeling of acceptance and acknowledgment, and makes them feel good about their efforts. As a result, they discover that they like that feeling and yearn for more. They will repeat the things that they were thanked for, more and more, just to have that feeling again. When we take the time to recognize the positive things about the people in our lives and take the time to thank them for those positive things, we are going to get more of those positive things coming back to us.

This is even true for those relationships that are struggling. If you have a difficult person in your life, one who is hard to get along with or who seems determined to make your life miserable, try finding something about them that you appreciate and thank them for it. Do it over and over again, and eventually your efforts will pay off. Unless there is a serious mental illness involved, eventually that person will either change their attitude towards you, or they will somehow be removed from your life, so their presence no longer has an impact on you. Take the time to say thank-you to the people in your life.

An attitude of gratitude creates successful rewards in your business.

Have you ever recalled how you felt about a business after your experience at the check-out? Unfortunately, most people will not always remember a cashier thanking them for shopping and bidding them a good day. That's just the nature of people. But, many do remember when they were not thanked or if a cashier was grumpy, indifferent, or stuck-up. The common courtesy of saying thank-you and treating your customers in a friendly manner is just something that is expected in business today. So, this is usually something a smart business owner will train his or her employees to do. But, when a business owner takes the challenge to raise the bar, and go out of their way to make sure they are keeping and attracting customers, being grateful is one of the best ways to ensure future success.

One thing a business owner must always remember is that although they are providing a valuable product or service to mankind, it is mankind that keeps their business going. If people were to quit purchasing the products and services provide by a company, the company would cease to exist. Gratitude is absolutely required for anyone to be successful in their business endeavors. Without it, the competition will eventually take the lead, no matter how irresistible an offer seems to be.

An overall attitude of gratitude in life will lead you to heights you never imagined.

I think the belief that we are all a part of something greater than us is widely accepted. Whether you are one who believes in a deity or the power of the universe being that greater force, chances are, you often reflect on from whom or what you came, and the controlling force behind this world of ours. There are many explanations and theories out there for our taking, but there is one common law of attraction that applies to everyone on this earth. That law basically says that we reap what we sow. Therefore, what ever kind of energy we send out, we get the same in return. Saying thank-you to whom or what ever we believe is that driving force will bring us great rewards.

I would like to express my gratitude to my parents for teaching me to say thank-you, and my gratitude to God for the blessings he has placed in my life. If we take the time every day to reflect on the positive and redirect our mind to the good, we will be happier, healthier, and more successful in life. If nothing else, the simple act of being grateful will change our perspective from negative to positive, and even if others don't think we have it all, at least we will. And that's all that matters.

Kristina Hanson is a successful entrepreneur who works from the comfort of her own home. As a wife and mother of four, Kristina searched many years for a way to contribute to the household income, while still seeing to the responsibilities of her home and family. Kristina has a love of writing, especially when it means sharing her wisdom and talents with others to help them discover the great potential that lie within themselves. Although Kristina has accomplished many of her goals in life, she still continues to dream big and stive for those endless possibilities that await her. If she were to give any words of advice to anyone it would be, "do what you love and go for the gold". Please visit Kristina's website at http://www.counting-my-blessings.com for further tips on how to find prosperity in your life.

Posted in: motivation,self help