***Thanksgiving is about Gratitude, not Turkey

“Some people have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.” - A.H. Maslow. As I reflect on the upcoming Thanksgiving Day celebration, I reflect on the above quote and think about Lisa. Lisa Ryan is The Appreciation Strategist and is my best friend. She is the Maslow quote personified. Her mission in life is to help people realize the power of gratitude in their businesses and in their lives. She lives it daily and challenges others to do the same. I just wanted to share a bit of her philosophy with you and encourage you to check out her blog at www.theappreciationstrategist.com for more of her wisdom. Notice the Invisible People: Today, when you go through your day, smile and say thank you to the check out lady, the UPS or mailman, the restaurant server. These are the nameless, faceless people that serve you every day. Tell them that they look nice; thank them for their service. You will make their day. Surprise someone today: Send an unexpected note, card or gift today. Let someone know what impact they have had on you that they may not have realized. Follow your heart on this one. Someone needs to hear from you today! Thank your customers: Did you know that it costs 65% more money to get a new customer than to keep an old one? Make sure that your customers know that you appreciate their business. Thank them today for their loyalty. Appreciate your Circumstances: You know even your challenges are something to appreciate. We would never grow if we were not challenged. So, even if the economy is rough, or are having trouble in your marriage, appreciate the learning opportunity that exists within the challenge. There is a blessing in every challenge if you choose to look for it. Take Lisa’s Challenge: (The following is an excerpt from Lisa Ryan’s blog at www.theappreciationstrategist.com ) “Take the 30 day challenge. For the next 30 days, either when you wake up in the morning, or before you go to bed at night, take 5 minutes and write down 3-5 things for which you are grateful. As an extra challenge – don’t repeat. In just 30 days you may or may not notice a difference – but the people around you will start to see it. Keep up your practice of daily gratitude for 90 days and you may notice that you’re sleeping better (count your blessings, not sheep!), you have more energy, you’re exercising more, you’re easier to get along with, you’re feeling better physically; Just a few of the benefits of gratitude. Oh, and you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more as well!” ~ Lisa Ryan In the spirit of Lisa’s philosophy, I would like to thank the many readers of this blog, my customers, family and my God for giving me so many blessings. I pray that all of us can live, as Lisa does, with every day being Thanksgiving Day.