What are you thankful for this holiday season?

I believe gratitude is the ultimate sign of an individual’s growth and development. If you think about it, when you’re raising your children you have to work really hard at getting them to say ‘thank you’. Ultimately what you’re doing is helping to give them perspective so they can stay grounded and show appreciation.

As adults it is very easy to lose perspective with all the challenges we face on a daily basis. Being in the business world we see the difficulties of our market and the challenges our clients face. It’s so easy to forget what we’re thankful for.

Don’t get caught up in what’s going wrong; get caught up in what’s going right. What are you thankful for today? What are you thankful for right now? Maybe on finishing this blog you should make a list of the ten things you are most thankful for today. I promise you’ll have a better day. One of things I am grateful for is all of you and having the chance to serve in a time like this.

In times like this, it’s essential to have a new paradigm for success. Many people believe that in pursuing success you grow, your income grows and your numbers grow each and every year. That’s absolutely not true. In times like this you need to know what the average number of sales in your market is compared to last year, and compare your numbers to that. Now comparisons to other people are not always a good way to go but comparisons to the market are essential. Success in many businesses in 2009 looks like this:

* Stay in business.
* Have a good first quarter.
* Use your first quarter momentum to finish the year strong.

I’m excited and thankful for opportunities to come in 2009.

Oh by the way… I’m never too busy for your referrals.