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As You Begin the New Year in 2013 - Take 5 to Celebrate Your Talents
Books and resources to help identify strengths:
A couple of years ago I came across the following quote which I loved and have posted on my office bulletin board as a daily reminder: "I am too blessed to be stressed, and I am too anointed to be disappointed." – Author UnknownDuring these challenging times, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of dwelling on the difficulties rather than being grateful with the abundances we are blessed. Celebrate these abundances – recognize our strengths and leverage them in everything we do personally and professionally. Take a moment to reflect on and appreciate our accomplishments and achievements, and the positive impact we have made in the lives of others. Optimism and gratefulness are part of the celebration process. As we begin 2013, let’s take this to heart and embrace the thankful spirit in our careers as well and carry it throughout the year. Be grateful for our talents, our successes, our contributions and celebrate them! Every day, take five minutes to discover a deeper and new level of satisfaction and contentment sprinkled with lots of optimism and gratefulness by doing the following: Take Five and Celebrate Your Talents
In addition to being thankful for and celebrating our own talents, it is equally important to show gratitude to others. Not just a thank you, but truly and selflessly acknowledging the role someone has had in your success and expressing gratitude. Putting other people’s interest’s front and center and reaching out to be of service, initiating without being asked. Sincerity and authenticity in showing support and collaboration to express your appreciation is essential. Fast Company published an article by Howard Jacobson in November of 2011 titled, "Gratitude as a Business Strategy" and focused on this very topic. It discussed how people do a lot more complaining than showing gratitude focusing on what’s wrong rather than all the things that are good. It’s easier to jump all over something that doesn’t go the way we expected yet we take for granted when things fall right into place as we intended. It went on to describe how so many people from all different professions suffer from "Gratitude Deficit Disorder" and even referred to it as "a global epidemic" and challenged readers to "make a list of people you are sincerely grateful towards and create an action plan to communicate your thanks, with no hidden agenda," which inspired me to come up with my own which I’d like to share with you. Three Ways to Say Thank You and Express Gratitude 1 – Send a personal, hand-written note articulating how they played a role in making a difference to help me fill a specific need; taking time to include anecdotes, reflections and learnings that display the mark they left on me and/or the situation. 2 – Initiate an act of kindness to address a specific need or interest of the individual who made a difference for me such as: introducing them to a colleague in my network who could be a strong resource; invite them to a topical and relevant program or event; forward an article or link regarding an area of interest; and/or treating them to a meal to display my appreciation. 3 – Maintain an on-going relationship and dialogue on a long term basis – don’t stop after doing the first two but continue to stay in touch, follow up and show interest in their needs and challenges as well as celebrating their successes. Relationships are long term and expressing gratitude is a process of establishing and enhancing trust so that it is deeper than a one-time thank you but more of an on-going give and take that will naturally result in meaningful and trusting relationships. There were several relevant quotes in Howard Jacobson’s Fast Company article that spoke volumes to me and the following one was my favorite: "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." – William Arthur WardAs we begin 2013, let’s be grateful for all that we have and rejoice in thankfulness. Be grateful for our strengths, leverage our talents and rejoice in thankfulness every day of our career. Take five to celebrate your talents, thank others who played a role and have a more fulfilling career and a happy quality of life. Don’t waste energy on the negative things that occur every day and/or on the actions of people which you cannot control. Benjamin Franklin said it best, "Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it." Here’s to a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 2013 for all! Rita Balian Allen is the President of Rita B. Allen Associates, a provider of career management/talent management consulting and executive coaching services located in Waltham at www.ritaballenassociates.com and the President of ACPI – NE (Association of Career Professionals International – New England), www.acpi-ne.org |
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