In 1993 I spent a month
working in Bombay, India and what I saw there practically ripped
my heart out. It would be impossible to count the number of people
begging; they seemed to line every street in the city.
It is good to practice what you believe, which for me means
giving to those in need, especially the homeless. So there I was,
giving out...money...food...clothes, but it didn't feel right. I
knew the need in Bombay was endless, so I wasn't expecting to
'change the world,' but something seemed wrong. I felt as if my
giving was having NO EFFECT AT ALL.
After my second week there, it finally hit me - no one ever
said "thank you," not even in their own Hindi language.
I looked hard to find it in their body language, but there was no
gratitude, not even in their eyes.
This was radically different from previous experiences. It made
me want to stop giving. Suddenly, I saw the reason for their
abject poverty - they had somehow lost their ability to be
grateful, so they lost everything, even their hope was gone.
After that experience I did some research and I've discovered
that people have abundance to the degree in which they express
their gratitude for what they receive from both human and divine
sources. That is why 'Thanksgiving' is so important to us.
"Gratitude [Thanksgiving] is a beautiful word because it
describes a state of mind that is deeply spiritual in
nature." This statement from Napoleon Hill, is going to teach
us Proactive Thanksgiving, because it contains 3 tips that form
the Master Key to unlock the storehouse of success and abundance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip no.1 -
Gratitude Makes You A 'Beautiful' Person
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation describe an amazing
attitude that has a magical power, capable of transforming even
the most ordinary person into one of regal beauty.
The Spanish word for 'Thank you' is 'Gracias,' which means
graciousness. By consciously developing an attitude of gratitude
you will be looked at by others as being dignified, courtly, and
gracious! Thankfulness enhances your personality and gives you a
"magnetic charm" that makes other people WANT to be
around you.
Saying thank you also builds trust so people naturally pay more
attention to what you have to say. This is important, especially
if you are a parent, spouse, speaker, sales person, business
person, or leader.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip
no.2 - Gratitude Is A State Of Mind That Can Be Learned
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attitudes can be learned, so you should consciously practice
Thanksgiving until it becomes a common part of your everyday
speech and life. You will know that you have succeeded when 'Thank
you...,' 'I appreciate...," and "I am grateful..."
are phrases that are frequently heard from you.
Expressing thankfulness is certainly not limited to words. Send
a simple note. Do an extra chore. Give a little gift. Display a
genuine smile. Be creative; be proactive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tip
no.3 - Gratefulness For What You Have, Will Get You More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gratitude taps into spiritual powers because it follows the
universal laws that have been established by the Creator. For
example, there is an unseen connection that happens when you
'thank' someone, because it immediately satisfies their emotional
need for self-worth; their need to be needed. This empowers both
"thanker" and "thankee" to help others, and
the attitude of gratitude spreads.
Being grateful for your circumstance, no matter how good or
bad, also creates a positive affirmation of your own major purpose
in life. Even if you have just suffered a set back, expressing
thankfulness as an act of faith will open up opportunities for
turning every adversity into abundance. It will empower you to
achieve your own dreams and goals.
Job, the person in the Bible who "lost it all," is
the perfect example of how Proactive Thanksgiving works. He never
cursed God, his friends, his family, his neighbors, the weather,
the government, NOBODY! Even when his health was taken, Job
continued to daily thank God, the giver of all things. This helped
him to see goodness where others saw only negatives. And, before
long, Job received back twice as much as he had lost before
adversity struck.
My wife Cathy, says I'm an eternal optimist, but it's only
because I am TRULY thankful for the blessings, both good and bad,
that God has bestowed on me. Therefore, I see opportunities where
others see obstacles.
Proactively 'give thanks' for what you have and the reasons for
being thankful will come to you in great abundance. It is like
having your own Master Key to God's storehouse of blessings and
abundance.
Happy THANKSgiving!!
P.S. - Thanksgiving is correctly thought of as the beginning of
the Christmas season. When you practice Proactive Thanksgiving,
then joyful giving to others naturally follows - so stayed tuned
for a 'Proactive Giving' article.
Randy Gilbert may be contacted at http://www.DrProactive.com
Randy@DrProactive.com. Click
here to view more of their articles.
Randy Gilbert, a.k.a. Dr. Proactive, author of "SUCCESS
BOUND" http://www.Success-Bound.com and the supercharged
e-course "PROACTIVE THINKING SECRET: How You Can DOUBLE Your
Wealth And Happiness In ONLY Weeks" http://www.DrProactive.com/proactive_thinking_secret/