Need I say More?

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

JFK has been quoted as stating some amazing insights and yet this one always pulls at my heart. How many people do you know that pay lip service to the practice of gratitude? They may say thank you to a waiter or someone that holds a door open. They may state how grateful they are for the sunshine or a raise in the stock market. They may even tell you how grateful they are for the job you have completed, or the way you have made them look good. The real question remains are they living a grateful life and do their actions prove their gratitude?

If you were arrested and charged with being a grateful person would there be enough evidence to convict you? If we began prosecuting all the ungrateful people in this world there would not be enough prison beds to accommodate them all. If you were to study the habits of truly grateful people what would you find? Well one study conducted at UC Davis suggests that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy. Additionally, you could expect to experience less depression and stress, you would be more likely to help others, you would exercised more regularly and make more progress toward your personal goals. According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to feel loved.
Who wouldn’t want more of these aspects in their life or in their workplace? Can you imagine how different your daily experience would be when everyone in the office is practicing gratitude? Imagine the shift in energy and the amount of quality work that can be accomplished if the majority of your co-works or staff were more likely to help each other. When everyone is making more progress towards their goals your company will flourish in ways you may not event be anticipating. When your team is working with higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy you can rest assured that the work is getting done and the company is prospering. Is this not the type of team we all dream to have on our side?
How then can you as a leader foster the practice of gratitude in the workplace, or as an entrepreneur remember to add gratitude to your daily rituals? I just gave you the first step. Make gratitude a ritual. If your organization is small enough try having a morning gratitude e-mail chain. Ask everyone to contribute something and reply to all. As the leader you can start the message and encourage everyone to add in as the chain makes its way around the office. Such a practice is much healthier than the morning joke circle that we all know circulate most days. I have been witness to many teams that begin their meetings with a round robin of gratitude before they sink into the work at hand. In larger organizations, consider making gratitude part of your internal communications or employee newsletters. As a leader you can easily include a thought of gratitude in the company wide communications. Simply add a sentence or two and let the every employee know how grateful you are for their loyalty, their dedication, and their enthusiasm.
As you practice gratitude in every aspect of your life and business you become the model, the example of gratitude and thus your employees, team mates, collaborators and friends must pick up on the energy you are sharing. This is a Universal Law and you ought to be grateful for the opportunity to practice gratitude everyday. The invitation is before you to do as JFK implored us all those years ago. Will you simply utter the words of gratitude or live as an example of gratitude?
In closing allow me to say Thank You for your time an attention to this article and Thank You for your support of The Inspired Business Center.

Robert Brzezinski is an expert team member of The Inspired Business Center based in Lakewood Colorado. The Inspired Business Center collaborates with Entrepreneurs and Executives to transform their companies through a balance of practical spirituality, value-centered leadership and consistent profitability. Our team of experts guides clients on a path starting with an articulated, shared stakeholder vision to the results of fulfilling their organization’s purpose, satisfying customers, increasing profit margins and enhancing owner equity. Our approach combines purposeful people, best business practices, and proven systems.

You are welcome to more fully explore Where Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability meet by visiting: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com

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by: Rev. Marla Riegel

Sustainability is defined as the capacity to endure. Entrepreneurs, executives and their employees have endured a lot in the past 18 months. What has sustained you during the cut backs, downturns and layoffs? What will keep you going during the long recovery process ahead?

Certainly it’s something internal, a higher vision of meaning and purpose derived from making a difference through your organization’s products and services. Take time now to review and re-awaken the company vision and values statements. What do you really stand for? It’s common to worry about how you are treating your customers, but how well are you treating yourself? Are you being honest about how much you or any one person can accomplish? Have you focused your priorities on what really matters when it’s all said and done? What is really driving you and when will you run out of gas?

Victor Frankl, Holocaust Survivor, wrote: ”Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

The reason many resilient bosses and employees are still standing, I believe, is their drive to make a difference, to find meaning and good in a situation. But I sense a danger. Many companies have cut back too far and have put the burden on the loyal staff that remains. I recently saw a company posting that read “It’s important to balance safety concerns with operational needs… employees cannot work more than 24 consecutive hours, 70 hours in 7 consecutive days or more than 11 consecutive days. “ Doesn’t that paint a picture of what’s going on in many organizations today?

It’s not just your employees who are pushing beyond limit, but also you business owners and managers who have had to reduce the staff that supported you.

The question is how do you get back to a sustainable balance? It’s one thing to conserve resources; it’s another to allow your human resources to implode!

A recent LOHAS blog post on consumer behaviors and economic sustainability explained that new dimensions of ROI are now include emotional and social values as well as investment, functionality and cost.

Another report by Rundtland emphasized that sustainability is a three legged stool of people, planet and profit. My concern is with the leg of the stool called “people”. The stool will not stand if the “people” leg is broken.

As a business owner, professional or employee, you can begin to look at your current work practices as “sustainable” or “unsustainable”. Wikopedia was right on and I quote: “For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of being”

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Step back for perspective. Where have you cut too far in staff, in capital improvements, in vendor support? What is it truly costing? (As you begin to ramp up sales, there needs to be a balance of people to deliver and produce the product.)

2. What would it take to return to meaning and purpose in your organization?

3. How can you begin to reclaim personal balance?

Alan Cohen wrote, “We get in trouble not for what we don’t know, but for what we know and don’t pay attention to.”

Register Now for our upcoming Tele-seminar Five Ways to Prosper in the New Economy, Tuesday, July 28 @ 2 p.m. Mountain. The Session is Free, but you must register. To learn more and sign up click here: http://www.theinspiredbusiness.com/5-ways

Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/4521300451/

On June 22nd Rev. Marla was the Guest on Ken Ludwig’s internet radio show “What We’re Thinking About” This twice weekly show brings together leading metaphysical teachers, authors, ministers, visionaries and luminaries to share their unique style and perspectives on spirituality and life.

Rev. Marla was invited to share her perspectives of bridging business and spirituality. The recording below is a shortened version of the show. You can learn more about Ken Ludwig at his WEBSITE, or listen to the entire interview at the “What We’re Thinking About” archive page. Please stroll through the archives and listen to some of the past shows as well. There are truly some amazing conversations stored there.

As always The Inspired Business center strives to provide you with the most current information, perspectives and opportunities to express your unique form of Spirituality, Leadership and Profitability.

Feel free to share your comments below. If you have a topic you would like Rev. Marla to cover please let us know.

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Being in business over the past several months has required leaps of faith, acts of courage and expressions of gratitude!

The answers have not necessarily been found in the Harvard Business Journal, but more often in the hearts and convictions of the business leaders.

One thing’s for sure, getting back to business as usual will be very unusual. We’ve seen significant shifts in consumer expectations, business models and the marketplace.

How do you turn the concept of “FEAR” into simply Forgetting Everything is All Right? When you’re mired down in fear, it’s easy to keep doing the same old business practices over and over because they used to work; only now you’re not getting the same result. Creativity and new solutions come from right thinking.

As Einstein once said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

How will you know when it’s time to re-invest, rehire and re-invent?

The time is NOW! But, in order to do it successfully, you have to look at the attitude and thoughts you are projecting into the Universe. If you’re part of the pervading mantra that things are awful and will never improve, then guess what….That’s the result you’re going to produce.

You can throw money and people at the problem, but, if you and your organization are not investing for the positive future, creating new opportunities for yourself and your employees and thinking outside the box with new products and services, you will not attract the prosperity you desire.

Suggested Action Steps:

· As we look to the future, what are our true priorities?

· What’s our new game plan?

· How will we know it’s time to rehire and for what positions?

The time is now to take that leap of faith into the new economy. Examine your thinking, release the fear, and be one of those companies who makes a fortune in the coming months and years!

The Inspired Business Center can help propel your organization to profitability.

Call us at 303-456-0388 or visit our website at www.theinspiredbusiness.com