Every year about this time I nag you about your goals — ideally, you should have your 2004 goals set and written by October 1, and if you did, bravo! If not, you have another strategic date approaching that will help you focus on the goal setting process.
Of course, I’m speaking of Thanksgiving, the celebration of gratitude where we demonstrate our thankfulness for all of our blessings. It is on Thanksgiving Eve that I recommend you dial in (or back in) to your goals, to see them in the light of that gratitude, for that is one of the secrets of success — being grateful for what you already have is very attractive, and being grateful in advance for what you don’t yet have, crystallizing your positive expectancy into certainty and appreciation, is one of the most attractive vibrations I know of. I suggest you write or rewrite your goals Wednesday evening.
Make it a point this week to acknowledge those around you who contribute to your success and quality of life in some way. There are dozens or even hundreds of them, from the professionals, public servants and merchants in your neighborhood who help you with their products and services, to those in your inner circle, who go out of their way for you repeatedly and sometimes may get taken for granted. These people are all part of the fabric of your life, and support you in small and large ways — recognize them at this happy time of year, and let them know you care.
Write notes of friendship and thanks, distribute small gifts and mementos of the time, and for those few who mean the most to you, go the extra mile this year to let them know how special they are to you. If not for them, you wouldn’t be all you can be, and with them, you feel better about yourself. Don’t let that kind of person go unnoticed.
While you’re at it, remember to be good to the person without whom you wouldn’t be anything at all — you. If you’re the type who gets lost in the shuffle of helping everyone else, pause to collect a few accolades on your own behalf. You are unique and loved for it, so give yourself your due.
Personally, one of the things I am most grateful for is the vast spectrum of entertaining sensations that exist for our pleasure — the sights, sounds and feelings that enrich our experience and give us the building blocks of meaning. I am grateful for our amazing brain and nerve system, which helps us make sense of a universe that is mostly nothingness, that we see, hear and feel in our own way, from our own individual vantage point.
Finally, whatever your spiritual orientation, be grateful for this marvelous opportunity called life — the beautiful, terrifying splendor of being human. It’s not easy, with so many agendas and so many right answers. Yet, what would happen if, instead of judging and defending, we express ourselves with integrity, optimism, security, and self esteem? Let us all do everything we can to respect and honor life — love each other, be kind, and do the right thing. We’ll all have even more to be grateful for.
Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle
PS If you’re planning your 2004 seminar schedule, remember to include the first quarter MVP seminars, entitled “Raising The Bar On Chiropractic Practice.” These power-packed two day seminars will challenge you to look at your practice objectively and identify the places you must improve, whether it’s leadership, marketing, patient education or confrontational tolerance. Our guest speaker is Richard Flint, and we’ve even added continuing education for many states — to register, or for more information, please call 800-451-4514 or go to themasterscircle.com.
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