Sunday, April 29, 2012

Gratitude: A Must Have Social and Business Skill


What are you grateful for? Why do you have to be grateful? Gratitude simply means being thankful. Gratitude is important in business and in everyday living. The fact that you simply said “thank you” can open doors for you most times. It shows that you appreciate a gesture or favor done to you. Let us reason together. Can you remember how many times this has happened to you? For me it is quite uncountable and in most cases it was accompanied with a smile and the phrase “you are welcome”. There is power in the phrase thank you.
Be grateful when you wake up in the morning. When a favor is being extended to you just show that you are thankful. When you are offered a seat in a crowded lobby please say thank you and be grateful;l and when you are been offered an opportunity to serve say thank you. A grateful heart is a rich heart. There are so many things to be grateful for. You have eyes that see, you are reading this article and it just a brand new day. This is a lot to be grateful for. There are so many gratitude killers; envy, greed, malice, selfishness, covetousness etc. even if you don’t drive a fancy car be grateful that you can move around and still meet your appointments. Even if your rent is about due and your boss is breathing down your neck, just be grateful. At least you have a job.
As I read about the protesters of Occupy Wall Street something really deep dropped in my mind. I still have a job and I have a lot of clients that are happy to see me. You see, life is viewed by most people as being half full or half empty. Viewing life as half full can be a more appealing perspective and I suggest you see life as half full. It grows your enthusiasm and willingness to aspire for more. It opens your mind to a whole new world of possibilities. I will not dwell on the protesters but between you and I there is something to be grateful. For the fact that protesters were given the opportunity to show their displeasure is a lot to be grateful for. Look at lives that have been lost in Egypt, Syria, Libya and Tunisia. The fact that things are not going as you planned doesn’t mean that you should lose hope on life. Whenever I look back and reflect how much I have been blessed I give so much thanks. Gratitude in business goes beyond saying thank you. It involves serving courteously, serving with a large heart and with all sense of enthusiasm.
Be grateful that you have a life; be grateful that you have a job even if the rate of unemployment is rising. In Nigeria, where I live the rate of youth unemployment is a staggering 40%. This is quite high if you ask me, but those who do not find themselves in this bracket are sure damn grateful. To serve is a privilege and a call of duty. Even if you are not yet gainfully employed be grateful that you are employable. In my few years of social interactions I have never seen a person with a great smile being turned down. A smile expressed opens the heart. A smile opens the door. If you are not a grateful person it will be difficult to move far in life. Look at all you have and have become and dwell less on what you don’t have. It pays to be grateful. I see you on top of your riches.


Kolawole Kehinde is the C.O.O of The Idea Embassy and R.E.E.L Inc and currently lives in Abuja. He can be reached on kolamagic@gmail.com and kolayore@yahoo.com 2348055159014 for speaking events and seminars on personal development, time management and marketing business services in the 21st century.


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