As we prepare for Canadian Thanksgiving this coming weekend, we find ourselves thinking about what we are thankful for, expressing gratitude for what we have, which is great. But, just as October is women in sales month, is it enough to celebrate women for one month? Express gratitude for one dinner surrounded by family and loved ones. How can we automate these thoughts and build habits around them? Express
gratitude daily, appreciate every moment and live in the present.

Coming out of the pandemic and feeling normalcy rearing its head all around us is a refreshing and familiar feeling. It is like sunshine on our bodies, after a long cold Canadian winter.

Are we aware of the effects negative energy and thoughts play on our mood, behaviours and our ability to act? When we focus on what we don’t have, we are constantly trying to live up to an unrealistic measure and most likely to someone else’s standards. We attract and operate from scarcity. This feeling of depletion impacts our conversations with our customers; coming across as desperate. Unable to let go of deals that should never have been in the funnel in the first place and ultimately trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

The beauty is we have the ability to change our state and flip the switch. Look around us and smile at the natural beauty, the things we take for granted but are there every day. This moves us towards abundance and fulfillment. Creating an opposite effect in our business interactions. Heightened awareness in our conversations, recognizing fit quickly, not holding on to things that are not meant for us. Being able to say no to one opportunity only to have a better one come our way.

How can we slow down in order to speed up? Observe ourselves, almost like an out of the body, what is our morning routine? How do we react when things don’t go our way? When do we compare ourselves to others? What triggers do we have?

If we can ground ourselves in healthy routines, we can regulate these thoughts and recognize triggers before we allow them to take over.
When I was on my solo retreat to Sedona in March this year, I sat with my guide along the riverbank. I could hear hikers and tourists passing by, yet I managed to keep my eyes closed and focus inward. These distractions were there to teach me something, this is real life.

My guide was asking me to take off the various hats I wore. After each removal, he would check in with me to see if “Karen” was still there.
The first one was a woman and the pressures we face in society, next was a business owner, then wife, mother and the list went on. After each removal, he continually asked “are you still there”? Recognizing these titles do not define me, I said “yes”.

With certain items, I was emotional, there was baggage I was unaware of and it was weighing me down. At the very end of the exercise, he had stripped me of all my hats, titles etc. and he said “are you still there”? as I sat there weeping I said my final “yes”. He said, “this is what it feels like to be present”. The sound of the water passing through felt so loud, however, nothing changed, my senses were heightened, I could see, feel, hear my thoughts, and my breath and I felt invincible. I had so much clarity, it was almost supernatural. After this activity, my goal has been to get as close to that experience as I can daily. Quiet my mind, check in with myself and a big one express gratitude for a minimum of 3 things in the last 24 hours, small or big. This trains our brain to appreciate and be grateful for the little things we experience and look for more like them. Like attracts like. We are centred in goodness and our energy radiates this.

In this state, it is difficult to become negative, see the glass half full or be angry. I challenge you to carry on this practice well after the holiday.
How can you build it into your daily habits, whether it’s through meditation, reading, quiet reflection or writing down your thoughts?
See how these changes make a difference in your energy, your mood, and the way you make decisions, lead your team and show up every day. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen

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