Gratitude…a Wealth Formula Variable?
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Being Grateful…..a variable to the wealth formula?
I
love Thanksgiving…..The story of Thanksgiving is an amazing story to
begin with. Then there is everything that goes with it….family, food,
football, food, drunk uncle, food, drunk aunt, food, vurps (Sorry…I
cannot explain what a VURP is), food….etc…but…I digress.
On the
way to El Paso, TX from Cedar Crest, NM…..My kids were listening to the
story of Tisquantum (better known as Squanto) which, in part, is the
story of Thanksgiving. It is an amazing story in so many ways…..but I
digress.
Anyway…
As I was listening to the story of
Tisquantum, I drifted into the meaning of Thanksgiving. I then pondered
on all that I am thankful for. As I recalled on those things that I am
grateful for….I discovered how fondly I started to think of the people
that have so graciously helped me along the way….it put me in a state
of gratitude…..a great place to be.
Then it hit me…..I remember
reading how important gratitude is from a holistic perspective…..from
the teachings of Jesus Christ to the words of John Wooden…Napoleon
Hill. It is universal law that gratitude is to be embraced….not only
because of what it can do for you but what it can save you
from….yourself.
Attention Deficit Disorder Moment #1:
I
arrived in El Paso, TX early afternoon, day before Thanksgiving. I had
it in my mind that I would go to the gym that evening….to prepare my
body for the Thanksgiving punishment it would endure the next day. I
also made it a point to find out what, if any, the hours of operation
on the day of Thanksgiving…..and to my thankful joy….I could go workout
on Thanksgiving day morning as well…..all this…to subside the results
of a “license” to feed my face until exhaustion. A day where I am
encouraged to stuff as much food into my body to the point of unnatural
discomfort….to the point where my smile is wiped from my face in pain
and the color green consumes my flesh.
What is unreal to me
about the holiday season is that everyone (the nation as a whole)
embraces and encourages the “no holds bar” approach to gluttony this
one day of the year…which, in reality, happens to extend until the end
of the year ….right up to New Years eve….all, in time for the New Year
resolutions….. That is right….not only are you allowed…but encouraged
to indulge in every heart clogging food available for almost 35 days
straight. I rarely hear the words “I am on a diet” during the holiday
season. Diets are almost frowned upon during the feeding frenzy of the
year. “On a diet?….don’t be absurd…it is the holidays for crying out
loud…eat..enjoy…be merry.”
All this….for the one New Year
resolution that most of us share each and every year…“This is the
year…I drop 40lbs so I can fit into my Jordache jeans that I used to
wear in high School…..” To be frank….I do not remember owning Jordache
jeans….but I digress.
Now…you may say…”Rob….what is your
problem?” The problem is my friends…I am a recovering “overweight guy”.
I use the word “recovering” loosely. I have a paranoia of my body
returning to the body of my sixth grade class picture where I looked
like a large gourd with braces. Compound this with the encouragement of
my father….the words are as clear as they were 25 years ago…“if you do
not lose weight, you will not be able to get into the
army”……unreal…”the army!” Then…the ultimate fear….my mother threatening
me that I would have to join her in doing Jane Fonda workouts if I did
not lose weight……how about that for encouragement?
Anyway…..
Why is gratitude so important? Well…let’s hone it down to three reasons……
1) Gratitude keeps you grounded. In other words, gratitude gives perspective.
If you do not give credit where credit is due…success will go to your head…..
I
notice many successful people labeling themselves as “self-made
millionaires.” “Self-made”….how can this be? What is he or she
saying….this is what they are saying….”I did it all by myself. I take
all the credit for my success. I accomplished this all by myself and I
did not need anyone to help me.” Garbage!
Everyone that I know
that is successful in one way or another…had help along the way….some
way some how….other people were involved. Whether it was advice, a
book, encouragement of one kind or another….others played a vital role
in the person’s life. Calling one self a self-made millionaire or self
-made anything for that matter is taking all the credit for what is
good in his/her life….and not giving credit back….which leads to self
reliance….which eventually is one’s down fall.
Having a grateful
heart puts one’s life in perspective…..and leads to a state of being
blessed even more…which is my next point…
2) Gratitude…or being in a state of grace puts you in a position to receive.
When
one is grateful for the goods things in life, the good things that
other people have done for them, and most importantly, grateful for the
tough times in life….he/she has a open mind for more positive life
experiences. What I mean by this is gratitude puts you in a position to
receive. As you reflect on those people or situations that you are
thankful for…you will remember your need for others….your mind opens up
to what other people may have to offer. You remember that you are in
need…you remember you do not have all the answers….you remember that
you are not a lone ranger….most importantly…you remember that you
cannot rely on your own resources. Even the great red wood trees in
California…did not become great by
themselves….sunshine….water….soil….you get my point.
In
contrast….not being in a state of grace…puts you in a mindset of not
needing others….you think you have all the answers…you think that YOU
are the reason for your own success. This mindset is
dangerous..,,because you ultimately shut yourself off , your mind and
your heart, to receive new ideas and experiences…you become a stale
pond with no new water coming in…and as a result…nothing coming out.
You eventually evaporate.
The key is not to evaporate…….
3) Evaporation Prevention: Self reliance – a bullet through the foot….if not the heart.
Self
reliance, in the overall view of things, is respectable and needed…you
do not want to rely on someone to brush your teeth every morning right?
(even though…the day may come where you will need someone to brush your
teeth)….but never should it be a mindset.
Self reliance as a
mindset is selfishness at its finest. A better word is EGO. When your
ego is in full force…you are not a team player. People do not want to
be around you. Even if people wanted to help you…you are too full of
yourself to accept it. This is…in its fullness…self destruction…which
leads to evaporation…..need some examples….Dennis Rodman, Pete Rose,
Saddam Hussein, the Roman Empire, Kenneth Lay, O.J. Simpson, Rob
Powell….you heard right…Rob Powell. I am I worst enemy…
Every
time I go speak at a seminar or conference…or when I get to talk a lot
about myself…. or get in circles where my words seem important….my head
starts to expand. I get so full of myself….I cannot see straight. My
mind gets cloudy. My wife hates it. My kids hate ….I hate it. Possibly
some of you hate it…..but worst of all….I become ineffective as a
husband, father, business partner, and as a friend. How can one be a
friend when the only friend you want is yourself?
But yes….I am guilty of being an egomaniac…..I know you are shocked!
“So Rob….how do I embrace gratitude? How do I put myself in a state of grace?
Well, let me say this….gratitude, in itself, is one of the variables in the wealth formula……master gratitude….
Here is the exercise….
Take
time….everyday….to think about what you are grateful for. Your parents,
your school teacher, your kids, your health (a good reminder if you
lack it), your current spouse, your practice spouse (you ex), etc.
Meditate on the positive impacts those people have made in your life.
When you come to a point where you feel blessed, thankful, and when you
are in a mental position to receive more….then….you are in a state of
grace…in a emotional state of where you can receive grace as well as
give it.
With this….let me take the opportunity to say thanks to
you…for reading and for the kind emails of encouragement. To my
wife…who is an example of grace to me everyday. To my kids…who remind
me of who I should be. My partners at Grasslands….who empower me
without knowing it. To MFG….for teaching me and letting me do what I
love to do. Most of all my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….I am thankful
for the hope I have in You, the mercy that You show me, The grace that
You give me….and the daily reminder that I am a man in need of a Savior.
Until next time…..rob
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