I read a short passage from James Kennedy the other day that, although spiritual, relates well to life and entrepreneurship.  It is a simple way for us to turn things into good in our lives.  

Have you ever wished for a magic wand that could change all the unpleasantness of life into something good? Wouldn’t you love a way to instantly sweep away all the trivial things that accumulate until they drag you down?

I believe the Lord has offered us something similar to a magic wand. It can change our outlook on the circumstances surrounding us. What is it? Gratitude. When we feel grateful, our perspectives toward things change. We see our circumstances in a new, more positive light. And when we have grateful hearts, we want to express our gratitude outwardly through thanksgiving. This can work in reverse, too. If we give thanks even when we don’t feel very grateful, we often feel our attitudes change in a more grateful direction, just as if we passed a magic wand over ourselves.

Thanksgiving transforms the secular or commonplace into the sacred. When we give thanks to God, suddenly we see God everywhere. We find ourselves living in an enchanted land, a land in the presence of our great Creator and Redeemer. With our spiritual eyes open, we can see that it is God who gives us everything, from our daily bread to the money we need. Our faith grows stronger as we express gratitude. All things become suffused with the divine presence.

And as we recognize God’s blessings, our thankfulness gives us victory over temptation and sin. How can we commit adultery when we are grateful for our spouses? How can we steal when we are grateful for and content with what we have? How can we envy others’ talents and abilities when we feel thankful for the way God has made us? How can we grumble or complain when we’re thankful for God’s blessings?

We should thank God, and we should also show gratitude for the ways others have blessed our lives. Everyone needs the kind of lift that gratitude brings.

What are you grateful for today? Thank God for all the blessings He has given you, and see how it changes your perspective on life. And don’t forget to express thanks to someone who has enhanced your life. I hope that in your thanksgiving you’ll experience joy.

I was looking for tools to help make my life easier and save time this past week and came across a post by @HeyAbhishekk on Twitter where he outlines multiple resources to help make your life easier and more efficient.  Check it out below!

Words are important.  They are powerful.  And they can make a huge difference in your life.

How is that possible?

Think about what you say.  What do you say to yourself?  What do you say to others around about your success and what is possible?  What do you tell yourself in your mind.  Do you put yourself down or do you build yourself up?  What words are you using.

Here is an example of how one word can make a big difference.

Most people will say "I have to do "X."  And this makes is sound like a burden.  But, what if you changed it and said, "I GET to do "X."  How does that change things?  Now, it goes from being a burden to a privilege.  It becomes special and worthy. 

Next time you find yourself saying, "I have to..." change it to "I get to" and see how that changes how you approach things and how it changes your attitude - because you are truly lucky to be able to do what you do.