This Growth Coach business coaching blog will be short and sweet. It will focus on today, Thanksgiving.  This is one of my favorite holidays...it's simple, pure, and all about loved ones and giving thanks.  As your virtual business coach, I wish you and your family a very relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving...and may you truly recognize and count your many blessings.  This Growth Coach blog will help you to slow down, reflect, and appreciate all the wonderful people and simple pleasures you have in your life.

But first, let's face reality.  Has the challenging economy made you feel a little less thankful, grateful, and appreciative?  Probably so.  But if not, congratulations...you have a healthy and wonderful perspective on life, understand what truly matters most, and are a rare and wise individual who can be thankful in the best of times and worst of times.  Keep doing what you are doing and share your strategies with others.

For the rest of us, we probably feel a little less thankful and blessed during these challenging times.  But why?  Does this make sense?  Business may be a little tougher right now, but the special people and simple things closest to our hearts still exist and are close at hand.  Isn't that so?  What matters most is still close. 

You most likely still have your faith, family, friends, health, and basic necessities.  While they may be clouded over right now by some anxiety and stressful times, they are still very much in your life.  We all just need to burn off the fog of adversity to gain a better perspective and clearly see our true and meaningful wealth.  As your business coach, I want you to slow down, catch your breath, reflect, and count your bountiful blessings this Thanksgiving.

Let's get specific in order to do just that.  My dear business owner or professional, who and what are you thankful for?  Most goal-oriented, hard-charging and successful professionals have a hard time slowing down to reflect and count their blessings.  They tend to be focused on the next goal, next sale, next project, next result.  They seldom stop to smell the roses, enjoy their victories, or count their good fortune.  Sound familiar?

There is a great quote from Zig Ziglar that says, "The more you are thankful for what you have, the more you will have to be thankful for." I so believe this...please do not take the people and blessings around you for granted.  Have a genuine attitude of gratitude and good blessings will continue to flow abundantly your way.  Again, who and what are you thankful for?

Again, let's get specific.  We have lots to be thankful for...a few quick ones come to mind...our faith, families, friends, customers, employees, health, home, our livelihood, a life of purpose, a warm shower, comfortable bed, enough food, career fulfillment, our country, our freedoms, our rights to own a business, fun activities, sports and hobbies, to belong to a group, etc.  Again, who and what are you thankful for?

For me, on the business front, I am thankful for all my passionate franchise owners (business coaches) who serve and help several thousand small business clients each and every year.  I am also grateful for all my dedicated Growth Coach employees and vendors who help support our critical mission of helping entrepreneurs throughout North America to have greater success and balance in their lives.

As business owners and professionals, we need to learn to count our blessings and not just our burdens.  To see opportunities, not just problems.  To thank the people around us.  Even in challenging times, we need to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.  We need to pause to celebrate our progress and victories.  Again, who and what are you thankful for, especially on Thanksgiving?  Be sure to tell them in your words and actions.

Daniel M. Murphy
President, Founder & Business Coach
The Growth Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System
Certified Business Coaches throughout North America