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I woke this morning in a contemplative mood… a good one, which is nice. I wandered downstairs, popped the kettle on and then searched for my favourite mug and thought about how often the small things can make such a happy difference.
A mug, you would think, has little about it that could brighten your day. But my mug is rainbow coloured and always puts a smile on my face and makes my beverage of choice (this morning a cup of hot water and lemon but quite often a yummy hot chocolate!) a much more positive one as I sit warming my hands and enjoying my drink.
My lovely mug got me thinking about other ‘little’ things that make me happy and I came up with a few instantly, including;
- Climbing into a bed with freshly washed sheets
- An ice lolly or cold drink on a hot day
- The roses currently blooming in the garden
- My dog being overjoyed to see me every single time I come back into the room
- A hot bath after a busy day or a lovely shower after a particularly energetic gym session!
- Visiting Facebook and seeing lots of positive comments from friends
- A cuddle with my partner and/or daughter
- Standing outside, looking up to the sun with eyes closed and just basking in its heat/light
- I could go on for pages…!
There are a TON of things that we come into contact with on a daily basis that can give us joy, we just need to notice them and allow that joy to be acknowledged and appreciated.
When you start focusing on the positive little things in life then you open yourself up to being able to truly enjoy life a whole lot more.
You see, all too often we find ourselves automatically focusing on the negative, whether it be ‘I can’t do that’ or ‘I don’t like that’, it applies across the board. If you were to ask a friend what their goal is for this summer the likelihood is that it will be to stop doing something, cut something out of their lives or give something up. It’s rarely focusing on the positive. Yet the best way to achieve anything is not to ‘give up’, but instead to focus on what you want!
If you want to lose weight then focusing on cutting everything out will only make you obsess about wanting those things. Instead dedicate your focus to eating lots of fabulous nutritious food and exercising for at least 30 mins a day… by doing this you are focusing on the positive and you’ll be amazed how that mindset shift can help make your goal manifest.
This also applies to business. How easy is it, when things are getting you down, to focus on all the things that are going wrong:
- I haven’t got enough clients
- I can’t pay the bills
- I don’t know what I’m doing with social media
- I hate marketing
- and so on…
I’m a strong believer in Law of Attraction and essentially, whatever you focus on you create more of. So it’s SUPER important to focus on the good stuff!
If you hate marketing, the chances are it’s because you just don’t understand it enough to enjoy it. So you have 2 choices: outsource or learn how to do it. Stop worrying and thinking about the negative and instead take action to reframe how you think about it so you can focus on the positive and MOVE ON.
If you’ve not got enough clients then there’s a few things to consider:
Do you have any clients? If the answer to that is yes, then be grateful for those clients and consider who they are and what it is they like about your business – then work with that and focus on attracting more people just like them.
Look closer at why you feel you don’t have enough clients. How many do you need/want? That’s a great place to start! When you know what you want you can start to attract it. If you keep telling yourself you don’t have enough clients then you’re focusing on the negative. Instead flip it and work out exactly how many you want and what they look like to you. Then you have something to get your teeth into attracting!
Be honest with yourself; are you doing all you can to attract clients or are you hoping they’ll magically appear? Connect with people who’s businesses are successful and copy what they do, even speak to the owner and find out what they are doing that is different to you, then do that. Find the positives and run with them and you’ll see the energy shift and things begin to improve.
Gratitude is hugely important for a healthy business and a happy life. If you’re not grateful for what you have, you’ll never be grateful for the things you want when you get them… and this shows to the outside world.
That’s one of the big differences between a business person who is living and working authentically and one who is in it for the wrong reasons. You can sense it when a business wants their clients to be happy and is grateful for your custom. It oozes through every part of the business and makes you want to come back again and again. Again we come back to positive versus negative – if a client asks you “who’s business” and you bombard them with negativity then they’re not going to leave feeling very positive about you and your business. If you can give them a wonderful, positive experience then they’re going to want more and spread the word for you.
Once you begin to look for positives you’ll find them everywhere! What’s interesting is that you’ll also start to notice how negative some people can be and that will spur you on to be even more positive – because there really is SO much in life to be thankful for!
One of my top tips for getting a more positive outlook on life is to keep a gratitude diary and I write in mine regularly, if not daily. I have a gorgeous little notebook filled with colourful pages of the things that I am thankful for each day. It’s a wonderful way to end the day, reflecting on what has given you joy that day. And if you’re feeling particularly rubbish and you’ve had a crappy day then it’s a great thing to force yourself to do because you can’t not feel better afterwards.
My homework for you today is to go away and write a list of the ‘little things’ that you’re grateful for. Write two lists; one for you and one for your business. Spend a little time just working out:
- What you’re thankful for
- What excites you
- What you’re looking forward to
- What makes you smile (don’t even get me started on the wonders of stationery! LOL)
- What you’ve done that makes you feel relieved (i.e. outsourcing)
And if you really want to give yourself a positivity jump start, get your client testimonials together and start screen-shotting when people say positive things about you or your business and keep them in a file so when you’re not feeling 100% you can look through and be reminded just how fabulous you really are!
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I’d LOVE to know some of the things you’re grateful for so please do comment below, tell me on Facebook/Twitter with the #BKGratitude or send me an email.
Sending lots of positive vibes your way! 😀
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