Greg's Right FIT #517–This week: Thanks, Gratitude, Wood

Quick notes to help you grow your business in less time with less effort. . . starting next week. 

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on the day after Thanksgiving
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on the day after Thanksgiving (USA)

• Once a year, retake the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the perfect time. Your results will be similar, but not exactly the same as last year. You're not the same person you were.
• At bedtime, remind yourself to give thanks. We're not in control of the circumstances we're born into, but we are in control of how we react to it. Recognizing the little things that are going okay before we drift into sweet slumber is a great time to try.
• Thanking someone for a fleeting moment of delight guarantees they'll try to delight another person. The key is to be sincere in the thanks. It sparks a chain reaction. The fire starts to spread.
• Wise words from William Shakespeare in the Twelfth Night: "I can no other answer make but thanks, And thanks; and ever thanks." Let's give thanks.

Being Human – Annual gratitude reminder

Happy Thanksgiving! 

It's a good time to remind ourselves about the importance of gratitude. If you're not in the habit of doing this already, try this nightly exercise for the next week. It comes from Dr. Martin Seligman, and he calls it the "Three Blessings Exercise" in his book, Flourish.

"Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write down three things that went well today and why they went well. You may use a journal or your computer to write about the events, but it is important that you have a physical record of what you wrote. The three things need not be earthshaking in importance (“My husband picked up my favorite ice cream for dessert on the way home from work today”), but they can be important (“My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy”).

Next to each positive event, answer the question “Why did this happen?” For example, if you wrote that your husband picked up ice cream, write “because my husband is really thoughtful sometimes” or “because I remembered to call him from work and remind him to stop by the grocery store.” Or if you wrote, “My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy,” you might pick as the cause … “She did everything right during her pregnancy.”

Writing about why the positive events in your life happened may seem awkward at first, but please stick with it for one week. It will get easier." 

Every year I say I'll do it next week. I'm probably 3 for 4 on average for sticking to it a full week. To help, I have once again scheduled it into my calendar. 10 minutes a night for a week. I know it works. It's a simple exercise that does a lot for my brain, especially this time of year. I encourage you to try.

Good stuff.

Random Stuff

"Ashes denote that fire was;
Respect the grayest pile
For the departed creature’s sake
That hovered there awhile . . ." – Emily Dickinson, "Ashes Denote That Fire Was"

The weather turned on us this week. We've been unseasonably warm for the last month and it's allowed me to get little chores done while wearing short sleeves. I knew it wouldn't last. I tried to appreciate it, repeating the mantra, "enjoy it while it lasts. Soon it will be cold again."

When thinking of the cold, my empty firewood racks were a daily reminder that last spring I finished off all our firewood. Each year I get 1/2 cord and there were always a row or two of stragglers at the bottom before the next order. I'd tell myself, "when the new wood comes, put the old wood on top" but never did. Instead, this spring I held off on ordering and burned every last stick. This led to some uncomfortable stink eyes from my lovely bride who loves a good summer/fall firepit fire because I didn't get it going.

The guy we buy the wood from has a website advertising his "hard wood." He has laced the website with one pun after another like a 13 year old left alone with a sharpie in the mens room. He even has a tshirt section with gems like "More wood than a gentleman's club" and "My wood keeps the women hot all night." The art accompanying these witticisms is in the style of early MS Paint. (I wonder what will happen when he discovers AI?)

It cracks me up.

When he delivers the wood he brings his two pre-teen boys and they cart it to the back of the yard and stack it. I know what you're thinking because I thought it too. No, I have never seen them wear the tshirts.

My brother in law gets four times the wood for less than half the price. He lives in the forest, so it makes sense, but knowing this I went shopping. I found a guy that is much cheaper, but left the pile in the driveway. With the nicer weather, it worked well. I carted and stacked all by my self. ("Who's a big boy?!?") Now, we'll have roaring fires all winter and I won't be tempted to buy another tshirt. (though it may make a great white elephant gift. . .hmm.)

When I was shopping, before I found the other guy, I ran into Mr. Hard Wood's ads. He has a Craigslist post titled, "Where are all my preppers at?!?"

Like I said, he cracks me up.