Always Thankful

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it! William Arthur Ward

First, I’m ever grateful to be in your Inbox. Thank you.

My family doesn’t know this, but I always stop (inside) and look at the group gathered in front of me at Thanksgiving and feel grateful. My heart is full as I realize just how much I–WE, as a family, have to be thankful for. This is and has to be my “operating system.” Without it, and without frequent reboots in my gratitude practice, joy dissipates.

Understand this and you will have a wealth that this world knows nothing about. I promise. Joy trumps 20%+returns in your $675k 401k any day. Again, I promise.

I’m grateful. When I think about my many life experiences, I realize I’m blessed beyond belief. I look at my daughters, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion, love, and pride in all that I see. I’m thankful for their father and all the travels and lessons he’s brought to us and those from my parents. I see my growing multi-branched family and immediately realize that I’m rich in ways that I never believed possible. After all, not everyone has someone during the holidays. I know first-hand that we are all wired to connect. Connect with one another. I’m grateful for those that choose to gather with me and my family each year.

Are you truly grateful?

This year was a biggie. Right? For me, with my Everest summit seemingly long behind me and my oldest by my side at Everest Base now applying to colleges and the baby now driving. Its been a year! The experiences, and thoughtfulness from family, friends, clients and, well, strangers make up my sincere feelings of gratitude, especially now as we turn the page on the calendar and head into December and Christmas—one of the busiest times of the year. I, truly, don’t want this year to be over.

In Perfect Day I wrote “The things we are most thankful for are not financial in nature.” Don’t get me wrong–Everest, a competent staff/portfolio manager and many other things would not have been possible this year without dollars–We DO work hard for a reason, yet most need constant reminding to keep first things first; Family. Connection. Self. Gratitude.

I’m thankful for my journey-more so for the lows than the highs, because without them, I never would have found my strength. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude, and gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. How we show our thankfulness, is in the smallest of things we do for others each day. Connecting and seeing others.

Wealth is not measured by the things you have.

I’m still walking to this drum beat because I have seen how it works and how it has heightened my awareness of what I call Lifestyle Deficit Disorder, or LDD. Funny, right? LDD. In a world where few seem present and as one who struggles with wafts of self-diagnosed ADD (or SEV, serial entrepreneur vision), LDD resonates. And it creeps back into your life ft you let it by being a slave to the job and not honing your time vs. your values. Prioritize; Family. Connection. Self. Gratitude. LDD is real and you’ll feel it when gratitude is lowest. When self-care is lowest. When you’re giving your family your (turkey) leftovers. While everyone loves turkey leftovers–don’t give your loved ones your leftovers. Its so easy to do this time of year, especially.

What makes me the expert? 25 years consulting, advising and managing hundreds of millions of dollars for people who remain unhappy. I’ve seen it. I’ve also helped cure it. I’m committed to righting the “money-business shell game.” Have you won the game? Have you found your impact-gig? THIS is mine. Shepherding young, old, rich and poor off away from a seat at the Monopoly game table and to that of the game of LIFE where the scoreboard is fueled by impact. The one thing that leads to lasting happiness is not what you have in the bank or how high you get up the corporate ladder–or even how tall the mountain is you summited; it’s what you have in your heart, gathered at your table, and how you choose to impact others.

In the end, wealth is never measured by the things you accumulate. Dave Ramsey has it right: “Wealth is measured by the things for which you would not take money.”

4-1-1 your way to curing LDD.

Touch these four areas of your life before 11 am (a suggestion of experience or like that 4 mile run, it might not happen!) every day and watch how you can LDD at bay and up your gratitude meter peace.

Core: Take time to reflect on who you are deep inside, and work on this every day. Strengthen your core by getting in touch with you and with those who mean the most to you. Family, health, values, relationships, and your spirituality are reflections of who you are and what true assets you have. We live in an upside-down world, but you can “right“ yours by focusing on what really matters. Above all–commit to taking the health pledge and re-prioritizing your health with staying up to date on your well checks like mammograms and skin checks!

Experiences: We usually think of places we have traveled to, relationships that have been built, and more. But on a Perfect Day level, the smallest experiences can have the greatest impact. So, make each experience count! Have breakfast with your family or at least one meal a day. Talk, but set a goal to listen even more. You will be surprised how this one experience changes the dynamics of your life and this holiday season, which can be tough.

Contribution: We just passed “Giving Tuesday.” Did you give to the charities in your community? Charitable contributions can be given at any time of the day or year. Time and money are “gratitude” assets. Volunteer, and do something out of your normal character. In other words, get involved with helping others. Have you learned to give to others without looking for a return on your investment? Give, and your internal stock will go up dramatically.

Financial: assets include cash, stocks and bonds, retirement accounts, businesses, real estate, and other material possessions. Always keep an account of all you have in your portfolio and know what you would like to do in the future, but don’t allow any of this to become an obsession. Trust your advisor. If you have chosen wisely, you will feel confident. Download my book The Liberated Investor and learn what you may have overlooked.

Place Core Values First

Once you identify what truly matters, the rest will fall into place. Assess and nuture—live deeply in your core values …and, then the money, retirement, and the sense of security will follow in abundance.

If you invest in yourself and others, and impact will be yours!

Let’s connect: 15-minute consultation . Its on me.