“I want more money. I have to be the best there is or else I suck. I have to buy a new car, house, wardrobe. I need more… more… more…” repeats the robot over and over.
In this modern world, we are programmed to want more, buy more, need more. We compare ourselves to others and always think that we don’t have enough. The problem is the finish line is always a few meters ahead of you, never to be crossed. There is always more.
While it’s essential to set goals and have dreams, it’s a fine line between motivation and ceaseless wanting. As a small business owner, it’s important to be conscious of this. And to appreciate and say THANK YOU for what you do have.
In your business dealings
Gratitude and appreciation is an important part of your marketing strategy. Seriously.
For online marketing, think thank you for interaction! For retweets, comments on your blog and Facebook page, or any other type of social media recognition. These are people who have taken the time, even if just a second, to support you. A thanks goes a long way.
For offline marketing, think thank you to your customers! To those people that refer business your way or give you person to person feedback.
Saying thank you is good marketing communications.
Even more powerful is finding the gratitude for so-called “negative” experiences. Think thank you for complaints. Feedback is valuable. Without it, how would we grow? Think of email unsubsribes: this may seem negative, but really helps to clean up your list and helps you to better understand what content works, or doesn’t, for your potential customers. There is always, always a silver lining and a lesson to be learned.
In your personal life
But don’t just stop at your business. Think about EVERYTHING in your life.
Taking the time to express your gratitude daily is a very powerful practice. It has absolutely changed my life and has helped me get more control of my thinking and the quality of my thoughts.
I personally like to do it every night as I’m going to sleep. I’m not one of those people that hits the pillow and is immediately asleep. It takes me a little while usually and I need time to quiet my mind. So instead of letting my mind buzz around, thinking about what I need to do tomorrow, what I didn’t get done, what I want to get done, I try to focus my mind on a gratitude exercise, thinking of every little thing that day that I can be grateful for.
Or perhaps you can start your day off on a positive note this way.
Another powerful exercise is to journal and write it down, setting the encryption in the words you write. And then, when you’re having one of those bad days, you can pull out these notes as a strategy to calm yourself down and bring the light of positivity into your day.
I personally send my gratitude to god source. I’m a spiritual person so this works for me. If you’re religious, then bring that into it. Make this a personal practice. What feels right to you?
Why do this?
It helps to completely change your perspective and focus to a positive mind set rather than using a negative filter to interpret everything that happens to you . This will affect your business as well as your day to day life. Every time you express your gratitude for something, you are energetically pulling in higher, more positive frequencies. Statements that start with “I want” and “I need” communicate to the universe that you are lacking, and the universe will comply by sending more lack you way. Saying thank you is a way to take control and shift that right around.
Try it for yourself and see how it affects your attitude, your mind set, your outlook, your sense of well-being.
In the comments, let us know one thing you are grateful for today in your small business, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. Enjoy the exercise, and start making it a part of your life.
I would like to say THANK YOU for…
Comments, likes and tweets are always appreciated! Did I mention that I LOVE your feedback?
Image source: The Mogul Mom/Facebook
My name is Martina and I’m a 
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