Are we grateful?  Are we grateful for all things?

It’s that time of the year when we start seeing posts and messages about gratitude.  Thankfully we live in a time when gratitude happens more than just around Thanksgiving!   However, around this coming holiday it seems we see the word used more than just casually here and there. 

I always love when going to networking meetings or seeing posts in social media communities asking, “What are you grateful for?”  and sure enough there is ALWAYS at least one post and or person saying, “I am grateful for EVERYTHING.”  Do not get me wrong – I do think it’s possible to be 100% grateful for all things but I also believe to get to that point there needs to be a reworking of our brains.

Let me share.

Closed a client and got the sale!  – Grateful.

Gained more followers on social media!  – Grateful.

Received a new testimonial!  – Grateful.

Had a great referral come your way! – Grateful.

So far easy right?? 

Worked with a potential client for weeks and they went and bought from someone else!  – Grateful??  Here is the brain reworking needed – Practice makes perfect.  This potential client provided the opportunity to practice the pitch and calls to action needed to close business.  Why didn’t it close?  Talk about powerful if you can reach out and gather that data.  Grateful.

Had a client refuse to pay!  – Grateful??  Here is the brain reworking needed – oh the lesson here of having to put everything in writing and have a contract with all expectations laid out to protect oneself.  Grateful for the lesson.

No one is engaging or showing interest on my social media whatsoever! – Grateful??  Here is the brain reworking needed – I am grateful I have a community I can reach out to and ask them to like my posts and engage on them. I can ask my fellow business owners for some help and in turn see and feel the community surrounding me.  Grateful.

Is it possible to be grateful for everything?  I truly believe it is.  For me it does not come naturally or organically in some situations but if I pause long enough, I can find a reason to be grateful. 

I hope you always find a reason as well.

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The following words often are placed in front of the word Opportunity – looking for, free.

The following words often are placed behind the word Opportunity – needed, wanted.

Those words are pretty useless as well, in my opinion.

We can look for opportunities, we can find opportunities, we can want them and need them.  Opportunities may even present themselves and say, “hey, here we are”!   Yet what does any of that do for us as business owners?  Yes, I found one!  Yes, I see one!  Yes, I need them!  Yes, I absolutely want them!   Zero impact on my business is found in all those words and sentences.  Zero!  Zilch!  DeNada!

Many will tell you the power lies in the grab and take!   Think about it for a minute.  The action words!  Grab the Opportunity!  Take the Opportunity!   Reach for the Opportunity!  Seize the Opportunity!  If you were nodding your head while reading that affirming yes – I believe we are still wrong.

The power lies in the word ‘use’.  Grabbing, taking, reaching for – absolutely needed but holding on to them, staring at them, adding them to a storage closet – still has zero impact on me, my business, and my business growth.  I absolutely have to “USE” them. 

Now that word USE is where the true power lies!   We must use what we find and what is given to us.  This is where I think many of us, me included, have dropped the ball on Opportunities and the power they can have.  They are powerless unless we use them! 

I think of things that I see every single day like zoom meetings for networking, blog writing opportunities and so many free blog spots.  Let’s even add email addresses I see every single day of people I don’t know and yet I don’t make the connection happen either.  All of these sitting there going un-USED.

I think of things that I see every single day like friends and social media connections needing some help, a referral, a hand, encouragement.  These are amazing opportunities and yet they sit there going un-USED.

I think of things that I see every single day like friends tagging me, engaging on my posts, sending me a message or email.  These are opportunities for connection, engagement, adding depth to a relationship and yet they sit going un-USED and often undervalued for what they can truly do for us if we but label them OPPORTUNITY.

Don’t merely look for opportunities.

Don’t merely ask for them.

Don’t even just take them.

Use them – that is where the power lies!  Use them!  That is the verb we need to make opportunities count for us.

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Now what in the world would ever cause an entrepreneur to sing this song at the top of their lungs?  I won’t pause here for the dramatic affect because I am sure most of us can list reason after reason for the want and need of singing this song to ourselves every now and then.

Client interactions not flowing as we had hoped – “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

Inbox full and not being handled quick enough – “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

Texts and Direct Messages sitting on read – “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

Newsletter not created and sent – “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”

Papers all over the desk and not sorted – “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.”

“To every problem there is already a solution whether you know it or not.”  Grenville Kleiser

“For every problem, there exists a solution…and at the very least…an opportunity.”  Michael McMillian

The question becomes do we stay in ‘self-blame’ mode, or do we shift into ‘self-empowerment’ mode? 

How do we get it all done?

Simply put – we don’t.

If we ever get caught up with nothing to do – we are in fact out of business.  There should always be something to do and or something we can do as entrepreneurs.  That moment of “I have nothing to do” should be so terrifying!  Yes, more terrifying than a full inbox, messages sitting on read, marketing not done and papers all over the place! 

It’s me!  Hi! 

When we rise and claim accountability, when we rise and just say yes this is ALL mine to own and deal with, when we rise and say IT IS ME – it is so powerful!

Self – empowerment! 

Now it’s yours and yours alone – so let’s prioritize, let’s get a grasp on our time management, let’s find trusted resources to outsource some of our tasks too, let’s find collaborative partnerships, let’s find accountability partners, let’s FIND SOLUTIONS! 

Too often as a business owner with my business owner hat on I find I do what I ‘feel’ like doing rather than what I should do.  (Prioritization and Time Management woes) We have been taught to do what ‘feels’ right – where I agree with this 100%, I also know some days my ‘feelings’ are not accurate and misguided, and logic needs to click in!   Let’s face it my feelings say sit on a beach with my toes in the warm sand more often than I care to admit!   

Too often as a business owner with my business owner hat on I think I must do it ALL by myself and for myself after all it is MY business right?  Frankly when I hire someone to do tasks and outsource some of my business needs – that makes me feel so good and empowered!  Look at me – I have ‘staff’, I hired another company!   Huge!   I have found those moments I do not outsource it is not from lack of self-empowerment it is from a feeling of self-shame.  Why can’t I get it all done, what a mess this is and now someone else will see it!  
Truth is – NONE of us will get there alone. 

It’s me – HI!  It’s me!   Be proud it’s you – if you are the problem, you are the solution! 

#clarkstrategies #taylorswift #Selfempowerment #discipline #entrepreneur #businessowner

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