My grandmother went to be with Jesus this morning. Although she wasn't a sales person in the traditional sense, she had many qualities that salespeople could use. Even at 102 she was always laughing, teasing, encouraging, and complimenting others. Her best quality was quite possibly gratitude. I ran the following post about her during the series of articles on "Attitudes and Perspectives That Serve You" back on April 5th, 2008:"My grandmother (pictured above) who just turned 101 this year is my model for gratitude. I’m not sure she always had it naturally. Be she has it big time now. Somewhere along the line she cultivated it. It’s even a bit abnormal at this stage of life, maybe even supernatural. She has aches and pains. Her body doesn’t work all that well anymore. She is still sharp mentally for 100, but nevertheless declining as you might imagine. Still she maintains a discernable attitude of gratitude. She is grateful for the littlest things imaginable. A piece of candy, a visit, the smallest gift. She still enjoys, savors, and chooses to be grateful.I have to admit I’m still cultivating this one. I have to work at it. When I do, the pay off is big emotionally. There is nothing worse than a whiney, crabby life. Whining always locks in negative emotions. You guarantee feeling bad. So why do we do it? Why do we whine and complain if gratitude gives us the positive payback of good feelings? I think the answer might lie in the word “delay”. I think there is a quick immediate relief that comes when we whine and complain. We also sometimes get a quick response of pity. Friends and family will play the violin over our sorrows for a time. In the short run this feels good… maybe addictive good. But like a drug that works and gives a short term payoff you start needing more to feel good and then you are hooked, wandering around looking for any pity pusher we can find.The emotional payback of gratitude pays off slowly. Like any good nutrient for our body, it gets in our system and builds up over time. With repeated use, gratitude builds into a positive emotional fire that glows and spreads as we keep it stoked and replenished with fuel.Think about your job in sales. What do you like about it? Do they pay you? Mark that down. Do you have any health insurance benefits? Mark that down. How about a retirement program? Mark that down. Do you have opportunity to earn more as your effectiveness grows? Mark that down. Do you have customers that appreciate the value you bring? Mark that down. Do you have freedom to make your schedule? Mark that down. What else could you be grateful for if you chose to? Even if you’re considering a change or looking for an even better opportunity, you can still be grateful that you have a financial foundation from which to look. Continue this line of thinking into the other areas of your life. What’s good about your faith, family, and friendships? Do you have generally good health? Consider the country you were born into. Few places on the planet offer more opportunity. Most of us have so much more to be grateful for than we imagine. But we have to cultivate the perspective.And one more thing… Something magical seems to happen when you cultivate gratitude. You end up attracting even more things to be grateful for. It’s a virtuous cycle that spirals up. The more you are grateful, the more you have to be grateful for. Positive things begin coming into your life. The rate can even be exponential. Write me and let me know how this happens for you! "
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