Season 6 – epiBLOG 26:
Ho, ho, ho… Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog on one of the biggest holidays of the year!
Today’s topic is about living a gracious life as an entrepreneur.
Before you think this is a blog post on positive thinking and saying thank you even when you feel you lack so much, think again.
Yes, it’s great to be positive in business, but not disingenuous. Don’t pretend that life is perfect at times when you have to deal with reality. Sometimes things don’t go the way I want them to. A potentially new client “ghosts” me without explanation. That client and I might’ve had the greatest of consultations, and yet they still disappear without a trace. That can be frustrating.
Talking about the reality of this obstacle in business with another established entrepreneur can help me come up with solutions to minimize this behavior in future potential clients as much as possible. That conversation may also lead to a little momentary venting, but no harm done if solutions are being sought and that I talk to an individual that is strong enough in who they are and who is more than capable of seeing the best in me even when I’m at my worst. Positive thinking by pretending that “ghosting clients” doesn’t bother me would be useless.
Deal with reality.
Business isn’t always perfect. And either are you. Either am I. We are human. Say how you feel. Look for solutions. Move on.
And is it healthy to be grateful in all that you experience as an entrepreneur? One could argue that case. A little gratitude goes a long way regardless of what you do for a living.
However, being grateful doesn’t mean that life is perfect and that everything is going your way. It also doesn’t mean that you’re so content with everything that you stop pursuing goals. It just means the experiences, successes, the clients, the rewards, a loving moment, a victory—small or big—can be something that simply had gone the way you wanted it to or exceeded your expectations in your favor. Be grateful for those moments.
There is such a thing to be grateful for what you actually have in your possession. For example, your family, your clients, your business, the income you earn from your business. Those are aspects of your life that you can be gracious for.
Sincerity with gratitude is what causes you to truly be content with where you currently are personally and professionally with the ability to set new goals productively.
I used to be confused about this concept. I used to believe that I was grateful, but I wasn’t. I complained a lot. About a lot of different things. (Not that all of my complaints in life have stopped. I’m a work in progress). Nevertheless, I was always focused on what I didn’t have, which led to me never being content in anything that I had accomplished. Career, family, and life in general.
Today I’m sincerely grateful for my family and friends, my clients, fellow colleagues, my business, income from my business, career accomplishments, awards, honors, moments of enlightenment, and the list goes on. My gratitude keeps me genuinely content and allows me to now set goals without anxiety, frustration, and anger about what I’m lacking. I get to be both ambitious and gracious.
Today’s LESSON is to live a life of gratitude—personally and professionally.
FUN ASSIGNMENT: Make a list of everything you’re genuinely grateful for in 2018. As you go through challenges in 2019, pull this paper out as a reference and reminder that there is always something to be thankful for.
Nitara Osbourne owns The Infinite Writer Agency, LLC, which provides content to producers, publishers, and sales people seeking help with developing their life stories into nonfiction books and movie scripts. Editing services are provided for clients as well. If you’re an accomplished sales or business professional, and are looking to tell your story, contact Nitara Osbourne. InfiniteWriterAgency@gmail.com.
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