Jeffrey Gitomer May 8, 2013

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Count your blessings.” I wonder howyou interpret that. I wonder how you count them. I wonder how you takeadvantage of them. My biggest wonder is how grateful are you for your blessings.

HERE’S AN IDEA: Re-look at your blessings from a different perspective. Arethey blessings or are they assets? Are they blessings or are theyattributes? Are they blessings or are they gifts that you can share with others?

GOOD NEWS: There are no right answers to those questions.
BETTER NEWS: You have to determine the answers for yourself.
BEST NEWS: Once you determine what those blessings, or assets, orattributes, or gifts are you can begin to build them, add to them, enjoy them, and turn them into a happier, better you.

HERE’S HOW TO DO IT: Sit down at your laptop and write your eulogy. Write down what youwould want your children or your significant other to say about yourlife. How you lived it, how you achieved in it, and what your bestqualities were. What kind of a person were you? What kind of a father or mother were you? What kind of a son or daughter were you? What kind of a friend were you?

Those are the questions that will reveal all of the assets, all of the attributes, and all of the gifts that you have.

In my opinion, the one blessing or attribute that will define you better than any of the others is what you gave. I don’t mean how much money you gave away. Rather, I mean what you gave of yourself. Did you volunteer? Did you participate in a charity? Did you help yourkids with their homework? Did you help an elderly person across thestreet? Were you a giver or a taker?

Giving defines your person.

Me? I give smiles. And I give them on purpose, every day.

I have a daily goal. Make ten people smile every day. That may not soundlike much, but it’s amazing what happens when you can make someone youhardly know smile at you based on your interaction with them. It meansthat you have been kind, or humorous, or thought provoking, or just agood guy or gal. Sometime it involves a bigger tip than you mightnormally give. Sometimes it’s just a matter of holding a door. Whateverit is, when you make someone smile it changes their whole physiology.They walk away feeling better than they did because they encounteredyou.

My daily goal also includes one other element: performing a random act of kindness.

Random acts of kindness are easily defined as proactive politeness, proactivehelping, or proactive giving. No one asked for anything. You justdecided to get up and do it.

I wonder if you ever think aboutrandom acts of kindness. I wonder if you regularly perform random actsof kindness. I wonder if you understand who feels best after the randomact of kindness is been performed.

If you perform them like I do, then you know who feels best. You do.

Oh, the recipient feels great because you helped them or honored them. Butyou feel greater. Random acts of kindness have a double win. And thefeeling lasts a long time.

I challenge you to make ten peoplesmile and perform one random act of kindness a day. I challenge you todo it for the right reasons: for yourself.

When you make peoplesmile, you smile. The power of that transfers immediately to all yourother thoughts and you become happier. In fact, you look for ways tomake other people smile because of the feeling that gives you.

And that’s a self-imposed blessing you can take to the grave.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The SalesBible and The Little Red Book of Selling. He just published two newsales books Win Now! and The Sale Re-Defined. They will change the wayyou think and sell. His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to moreinformation about training and seminars, or email him personally [email protected].

© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112