Giving thanks with a purpose.

I know this is a US-centric holiday and I even had to do a Google search to find out which day it actually falls on. Sounds kinda ignorant of me, like “which day should I start giving thanks huh?”

I suppose Thanksgiving should not be a day, but an everyday attitude of gratitude. The self-development coaches and trainers may say we give thanks for every little thing that sustains our lives (and dreams and hopes), but most did not explicitly say to give thanks for what purpose. “They tell me to give thanks to God. I give thanks. Now what?” I actually once found myself questioning this.

Well, here is my personal answer/opinion: We give thanks so as not to take further risk.

Whatever things that come blessed unto us, they are results arising from our actions and productivity. We can give thanks by remaining consistent and congruent with how we do routines while finding ways to IMPROVE upon them (like stepping stones), not always finding NEW ways to do things as if starting from scratch. A person can only have so many starting points in life, so say a speaker. If we missed that one crucial starting or turning point, you’re going to wait quite a while for another milestone. By then we have grown older and may be perceived as a “late bloomer”. But by remaining consistent, you’re solidifying your position to usher the next foreseeable milestone closer to your destiny.

Blessings almost always come by God THROUGH the people around us, who give us chances and opportunities for expansion. So they are the ones who can see whether we are consistent or not.

So next time, if you don’t know who or what to give thanks to, at least give thanks to yourself as a reminder not to take any more unnecessary risk, and remain focused on building up that very first foundation you so aspired to. Do you still remember what it was?

Thank YOU for being an MOY follower.

Hang In There by Gerry Robert

"Don't sweat the small stuff. Remember, it's all small stuff."

Life can be tough on a person. It can be tough on a family. So many people lack the mental ability to hang in there in the tough times. You can control your thoughts. You can practice perspective by changing the way you interpret your circumstances, situations, and environments. "The task is not to see a new world but to see the world with new eyes." The person who can change the way they view their world will win without fail.

John Milton said, "The mind in itself, in its own place, can make a hell out of heaven and heaven out of hell." You will experience in life the results of the dominant thoughts within your mind.

Don't believe it? Let me tell you a story.

A stranger chanced upon several workers in a small town in Italy. Curious and interested, he began to inquire from the workers as to what they were doing. "I'm laying bricks", said the first worker. After a few minutes of idle chat, he asked of another, "What are you doing? Laying bricks, eh?" The other worker, somewhat indignantly responded, with shoulders straight and firmness of voice, "Laying bricks? No, sir. I am building a cathedral." Both workers were working on the same job. One saw his tasks as laying brick upon brick upon brick, while the other one saw a work being offered to the Glory of God.

Two people, two perspectives! Why is it that some salespeople choose to see the worst in a situation while others choose to see the best in the same situation? Why do some people constantly see what's gone wrong while others look for what's right? Which one do you think will succeed further on this great journey we're on?

Everyone has obstacles. Everyone needs perspective in the face of those challenges. Your response to dealing with the storms of life will dictate the results you achieve. What follows are practical solutions to dealing with those times in life when everything seems to be going the opposite to your preferences.

Challenges of life will come. The only place on earth that we know of where there are no problems is a cemetery. Everywhere else will be hit by the storms of life. If you remember that there is something to learn in every problem, then you can learn to grow by the storms rather than being crushed by them.

W. Mitchell said, "It's not what happens to us that counts, it's what happens in us." He was right and he should know. His story of courage (he was seriously burned and later survived a plane crash that left him paralyzed) is an inspiration of someone who has sought to become better through adversity. Mitchell is probably one of the most 'up' people on the planet, largely due to the lessons he learned about life and how to live it while recuperating from his injuries.

Take a good look at the obstacles in your path. Instead of cursing them and wishing them away, ask yourself what you can learn from your situation. How can you become a better person through your obstacles? Someone once said that we go on experiencing life's lessons until we learn what we need to learn, and then we can move on. Remember, above every stormy cloud is a bright sun which never fades.

There is something to learn in every adversity!

Hang In There And Find the Gem

There are two sides to every coin. The Chinese call this the Yin/Yang principle. Every negative has a positive opposite. You just have to look for it. One person's disaster will become the vehicle for another person to become wealthy. See your challenges in life as blessings in disguise and try to uncover the hidden opportunities.

During the Great Depression, not everyone went belly-up. Some people actually became rich. When you see a problem, you also need to see an opportunity. One of the fastest ways to become wealthy is to solve someone's problems or difficulties.

Many successful businesses today have been born out of someone's problem. Take the man who took surplus sawdust from the lumber mills free of charge and formulated several wood-burning products from it. He saw that lumber yards had a problem with excess sawdust. They didn't know what to do with it. He acted and began a wonderful business.

"If it's going to be... It's up to me."

Hang In There And Be Patient

Every problem will go away. Either it will change or you will. No problem is permanent. It can't be permanent because everything is in a constant state of flux; everything changes. Worry is useless. Instead, of being ready to give in, just remember that every problem has a limited lifespan. Things will get better. Seek to grow.

"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert Schuller

How about Communism? Or the Berlin Wall? Who could have guessed that within days, the entire Berlin Wall could be demolished? Within weeks, Communism would crumble. A problem which many people feared would plague the earth for centuries disappeared in a flash.

Look at your problem and ask, "Will this matter in five years from now?" "What about next year?"

"Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere."

Hang In There And Think

THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS, THERE'S ONLY A SHORTAGE OF IDEAS.

Problems are not the problem. Ideas are the problem. Every single problem, challenge, or storm you face today has as its solution an idea waiting to be used. If you could only understand that the only thing standing between your current problem and the wiping away of it is nothing but an idea.

So get your eyes off your problems and onto the solution. You may not be able to do anything about what has happened, but you surely can and should do something about finding a solution. That solution may seem like a fantasy right now, but keep in mind that the airplane was nothing but a fantasy until two brothers started searching for ideas to solve their fantasy. Fantasies can become facts.

It was Christmas Eve. The large country church was filling up. The air was worshipful and festive. Families came from far and wide to enjoy the majestic organ playing the beautiful carol of the holidays. But suddenly a problem arose.

The service was about to begin when the organist discovered that a church mouse had chewed through the inner workings of the massive air chamber. With only minutes to spare, the organist quickly composed a replacement carol which he played on his old acoustic guitar.

The cords were simple and the melody sweet. That evening was the first time the world had ever heard the famous carol Silent Night. By focusing on the solution instead of the problem, the end result was spectacular.

Hang In There And Be Grateful

EVERYONE HAS PROBLEMS.

"The man with no shoes grumbled in the street, until he met the man with no feet."

You're not alone. Even the most together people have storms to face. In fact, the people who are winning the most in life often have the biggest challenges in front of them. The people who win the most in life are often the biggest risk-takers.

Since you're not alone, why not align yourself with others who may be facing what you are facing? You could perhaps solve your problems together.

Upon returning from an extended international business trip, I had an overwhelming amount of urgent telephone messages to respond to. Most of the calls were from successful business contacts or partners who were waiting upon my direction for projects we were working on at the time. It was the last thing I wanted to deal with; I was tired and just wanted to relax, but I had to.

I quickly put things into perspective when I realized that this is a problem I would have given anything to have only a few years ago. I was successful and people wanted to work with me. My point is that the more successful we become, the greater the challenge. Never forget that the greater the obstacle, the greater the opportunity.

Gerry Robert is a bestselling author of "The Millionaire Mindset" and a seminar speaker.

Making Impromptu Talks

Time comes when we are asked to speak without any warning: we could be asked for our opinion at a meeting or we have to deliver a toast at a wedding. Impromptu speeches for most of us are harder to make than prepared oral presentations. We are forced to think on our feet and have no time to prepare. Here is how we can make these experiences more positive:

1. Condition yourself mentally to speak impromptu on all occasions.

If you're in a meeting keep asking yourself what you would say if you were called upon at that specific moment.

2. Get into an example immediately.

There are three reasons for this. 1) You will free yourself at once of the necessity to think hard about your next sentence, for experiences are easily recounted even in impromptu situations. 2) You will enlist in the audience's attention right away. 3) You will give yourself an opportunity to warm up to the subject.

3. Speak with animation and force.

Your body and mind are interconnected, so if you speak with energy, your external animation will have a beneficial effect upon your mental processes. It also projects enthusiasm to the listeners, which makes your speech a lot more interesting.

4. Don't talk impromptu; give an impromptu talk.

It is not enough just to ramble on and string together a number of unconnected events. You must keep your ideas logically grouped around a central thought, which is the point that you're trying to get across. Your examples should support the central idea.

Contributed by Dale Carnegie Training.