Have I Thanked You Lately?

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
—Melodie Beattie

Hi Persuader,

I like being ahead of the curve. I like being early. I like winning contests and arguments and being tops in my field. In short, I like to win.

Part of what makes me a winner is you. I should say that differently: you, my clients and students, sustain me and inspire me and force me to be the best I can be. You are responsible, in a large part, for how I continue to grow and expand.

I appreciate you and I am grateful for you. I strive to bring you the newest innovations, techniques and strategies in persuasion so that I can return the favor and help you to be all that you can be, to inspire, and help you grow and expand.

Gratitude comes in all shapes and sizes — a kind word, a short thank you note, a compliment. It also has the added bonus of drawing more things to us for which we can be grateful.

Gratitude should be part of our daily lives and not just reserved for Thanksgiving or receipt of a gift. It can have an impact on us mentally, spiritually, physically, and socially. It shores us up during hard times. Some studies have even shown that a daily serving of gratitude and optimism helps our immune systems. Not to say that we should forego the apple a day, but how about an apple a day combined with appreciation and a positive mental attitude? That would be incredibly powerful.

So thank you. Thank you for learning with me, thank you for teaching me things I may have never learned without you, thank you for your kind words of encouragement, thank you for posting to the forum and doing your homework and referring your co-workers, thank you for reading my blog and making comments, thank you for all of your hard work, thank you for your continued support and appreciation professionally and personally, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your success, thank you for contributing to and being a large part of my success, thank you for your friendship and love, thank you for your insights and constructive criticism on what I can do to better myself and my program.
I could go on and on, because I do experience and feel gratitude for you all on a daily basis.

Now, what are you grateful for? How can even the most chaotic, confusing times beget order and clarity when viewed through the prism of gratitude? And when’s the last time you told the people in your life how much you appreciate their support, their love, and their mere existence? I know they would love to hear it.

Until Next Time,

Kenrick E. Cleveland