Practicing Gratitude at Work: Bring Something to the Table Every Day!

Thanksgiving is upon us – but perhaps you’re having trouble being thankful year-round? Here are some great things to focus on to help you maintain a mindset of gratitude no matter what time of year it is:

You Have Job Skills

Everyone brings something to the table. Know your value, and see the value in those around you. For example, sales, marketing, and finance departments don’t always see eye to eye, but they all need each other like a desert needs water.

Look around: You probably have some excellent coworkers. When it comes to the not-so-excellent ones, think of one thing about each one of them that is outstanding and brings something to the equation (even if it is just his great cowboy boot collection!).

If You Have a Job, You Have Customers

There are never enough of them, but you do have some customers, and some – if not all –bring you meaningful work to dig in to. That’s what every human craves!

You Have a Boss

Yes, some days, you secretly think the boss is a ding-dong idiot. Other days, they are the great driving force of your favorite project. Sometimes, the boss is a mix of the two.

In reality, many days, your boss is the buffer between you and someone higher up. This can be a frustrating thing, but also a great, great thing. Put yourself in your boss’s shoes. Learn from their good qualities. Understand what drives them to succeed on their toughest days.

You Have Family, and Laughter

Not all of these are consistent (especially family, and especially at the holidays.) Your crazy family, and the ability to smile at beauty – and to laugh at absurdity – will heighten your enjoyment throughout the holiday season! 

We Do Live in a Land of Opportunity

It is a truism that opportunity in employment is not consistently and fully there for all of us (women, people of color, older workers.) However, we do all have more opportunity in this country than in some other places on the globe. We live in a place and time of the “great experiment” – so let’s all work to better the odds. Some things work very well, and some things we have to improve upon together. Understanding, reaching out, celebrating what makes us each unique – this employment  of our time will prove to be meaningful work for all of us!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This article originally appeared at Build It Marketing’s website.