Americans will be celebrating our annual Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. Many will be modifying their traditions because of the pandemic, gathering in smaller groups or even over Zoom. 

But one thing won’t change: Our practice of giving thanks for the blessings we’ve enjoyed this year. It’s a practice that I encourage you to adopt and bring to your life every day — whether you live within the U.S. or elsewhere around the world.

What You Focus on Expands

As great leaders, we must understand the power of our attention. We must know that what we focus on expands. 

Are we going to focus on problems, conditions, and circumstances? Of course not! We’re going to focus on the opposite — on the things that are going well, on evidence that our dreams are transforming into reality, and on the progress we’re making toward our goals.

Focusing on what is right — vs. what is wrong — is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to change your mindset. 

Your mindset is critical to success. Everything we want to create is first created in our mind. Once your vision is clear, your mindset continues to influence results, by affecting how you perceive challenges, how you feel about circumstances, what you believe to be true about your ability, and even in the actions you take.

All effective leaders understand that one of the greatest gifts we have as human beings is the opportunity to determine our own mindset. You don’t have to let whatever is coming at you determine your mindset. You can let what is trying to come through you determine your mindset. 

And the best way to tap into what is coming through you — and therefore cultivating the mindset of success – is by tuning into your gratitude.

When we are in the energy of being grateful, we are actively looking for what’s good and right in our lives. We are looking for something that will actually increase our vibrational state — our energy. 

Tune Into Your Gratitude for Everything You Have

We’re used to expressing gratitude when something significant happens, such as when someone gives us a gift or does us a favor.

But gratitude is something you can – and should – cultivate throughout each and every day. The more you can shift your vibrational state to that of gratitude, the more easily you’ll shift your mindset to one that is aligned with the success you desire.

Look around you and find something to be grateful for. For example, when recording the video message on this page and writing this blog, I was tuned into the people who might find their way to this page – people like you!

Who are the kind of folks who will want to increase their own level of leadership and their own effectiveness? 

People who are heart-centered and want to make a difference in the world. People who want to improve their own results, their own abundance, their own effectiveness, and their own success. People who are striving to become better on a daily basis. 

That’s you. And that’s me. And I’m grateful for that — and for you — today. 

I’m also grateful for the flowers that sit behind me as I write this. (You can see them in the video on this page.) The red flowers were a gift that I gave my wife. The white flowers were given to my wife and me, by my mom, as a celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary. There are 25 roses in each of those beautiful bouquets. 

The roses are beautiful and represent the blessing in my life that my marriage has been. Our relationship hasn’t been all rosy (pun intended!). It’s been up and down, and right and left. But it’s definitely been a blessing for 25 years, and I’m looking forward to 25 more years. 

Express Gratitude Even in Challenging Circumstances

Expressing gratitude doesn’t mean we don’t have challenges that we’re facing. It doesn’t mean that we’re not in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that has ramifications we would love to change. 

But even in challenging circumstances, it’s possible to find your way to gratitude. In fact, it might be even more critical to find your way to gratitude. Gratitude and abundance are on the same high-level frequency. So if you want to attract more of what you want into your life, start by centering yourself in gratitude.

At the end of the day, there are lots of good things that are going on in my life. And there are lots of good things that are going on in your life. Tune into your gratitude for those blessings, and see what unfolds for you.

An Experiment in Gratitude

This week, I invite you to join me in a gratitude experiment.

First, invest five minutes watching this video of Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk. His life’s work is about gratitude.

I watch this video several times a week, and I’ve done so for years. It’s a testament to how powerful this video is in helping me tune into gratitude. 

As you watch the video, focus your mind on gratitude. In your mind’s eye, go through your life, and think about things that you’re grateful for. Then write down the things, people, and experiences that you’re grateful for. 

Do this daily for the next week and see what shifts for you. I guarantee that you’ll increase your leadership effectiveness. 

Gratitude Is a Success Habit

Success starts with your mindset. And rooting yourself in gratitude is a practice that shifts you into the mindset that is aligned with abundance – and with the dreams you want to create.

As we head into our Thanksgiving holiday weekend, know that an entire day devoted to giving thanks is certainly worthwhile. But if you want to increase the blessings and abundance you enjoy, give thanks every day – in every moment. 

Join me in our gratitude experiment this week and witness the changes that result. Please add your observations and thoughts in the comments below!