Key to Lifelong Success

"I'm utterly convinced that the key to lifelong success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: gratitude," writes Geoffrey James in his Inc. Magazine article, "True Secret of Success (It's Not What You Think)."

"People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what's wonderful in their life.  Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success.  And when things don't go as planned, people who are grateful can put failure into perspective.

"By contrast, people who lack gratitude are never truly happy.  If they succeed at a task, they don't enjoy it.  For them, a string of successes is like trying to fill a bucket with a huge leak in the bottom.  And failure invariably makes them bitter, angry, and discouraged.

"Therefore, if you want to be successful, you need to feel more gratitude.  Fortunately, gratitude, like most emotions, is like a muscle:  The more you use it, the stronger and more resilient it becomes.  The best time to exercise gratitude is just before bed.  Take out your tablet (electronic or otherwise) and record the events of the day that created positive emotions, either in you or in those around you.

"Did you help somebody solve a problem?  Write it down.  Did you connect with a colleague or friend?  Write it down.  Did you make somebody smile?  Write it down.

"What you're doing is "programming your brain" to view your day more positively.  You're throwing mental focus on what worked well, and shrugging off what didn't.  As a result, you'll sleep better, and you'll wake up more refreshed."

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