An Attitude of Gratitude, No Matter What Has Happened in Your Life

For those of you who regularly read my blog, I want to caution you that this article tackles some very real and sensitive topics. But I want to share with you how I have been able to use what I’ve experienced in my personal life as motivation, and how you can use even the most difficult experiences in your life to drive your success.

As a boy growing up, my parents beat me. Hard. When I was younger, my mom was able to spank and slap me with her bare hands. As I grew older, she resorted to a Glamour Stretcher. Some of you may remember Jack Lalanne, the original fitness guru in the '50s and '60s. He sold an exercise band for people to use when watching his show. The Glamour Stretcher—a thick rubber rope with handles at both ends.

As I grew even older and learned to survive the Glamour Stretcher beatings, she would call my father at work and then announce, “Just you wait ‘til your father gets home.” That created hours of dread as I waited for my father to come home from work. He beat me with his fists. He beat me with his belt.

As a boy and young man I was very angry and resentful about those beatings. Now, as a grown man I have found a way to be grateful. I am not encouraging spanking or beating children. I am encouraging all of us to find the good in what may initially seem to be bad.

During the course of growing Proforma, I have taken many “beatings”—prospect rejection. loss of customers, uncollectible receivables, disappointments with employees, disappointments with suppliers, and much more.

As I look back, I realize that all those beatings I learned to take as a boy actually helped me take all the “beatings” I have taken in building Proforma. I have found a way to be grateful in all ways for my parents and those beatings. Today, instead of carrying a grudge about my childhood, I am grateful.

Let me ask you, what are you carrying a grudge about? What negative things have you experienced that you blame for any challenges in your life?

As the new year begins, let me encourage you to identify those grudges you may be carrying and find the good in them. Release the grudges. Release anything outside yourself that you “blame” for your challenges in life and business.

Find a way to have an attitude of gratitude for everything in your life. The good, the bad and even the ugly.

What a great way to start working on your new year. What a great way to start working on your new you.