Welcome back to Graceland Ontario!
Here, we link the success lessons
of Elvis Presley back to your life. Today we’re going to talk
about gratitude and three ways to show it to those you love at this festive
time of year.
Elvis Presley was all about gratitude. Sure
he had faults − we all do. But lack of thanks was not one of them. The stories
of the Cadillacs he gave away to strangers are legendary. And, while in the
army, the King paid thousands to refurbish his company's day room. And that's not mentioning the parties...
Gratitude is a way to show others that you
are thankful for having them. And you are… aren’t you? I mean, those people are
on your team and have helped you get this far.
You do want their help in the future don’t you?
Is that a yes I’m hearing?
Ok, gratitude.
God knows why the Holiday season's a great time to
be thankful. Perhaps because of all the presents that get circulated to family
members these days. Perhaps because everyone’s celebrating the world exists
and they’re on it − alive.
Regardless, if you want an excuse to be
grateful (or gasp! aren’t usually
grateful and, like Dicken’s Scrooge, want to clean up your act), here’s your
chance.
So, let’s start with the number one holiday
way to be grateful.
Cards
Knew I was going to say that one, didn’t
you? Well, so what if it’s predictable. It works. And it’s becoming a lost art.
Because of email and Facebook and Twitter, everyone is only interested in cyber
"thank you's". Well, sure that’s nice. But it lacks the personality of a hand
signed card, sent through the mail with a stamp in the upper right-hand corner.
Cards are the easiest way to thank those important people in your life without
having your house foreclosed on in the process.
Small
Gifts
Notice the ‘small’ on front of that?
Sure, Elvis gave away Cadillacs, but he also had a larger gross income than you
probably do. I didn’t want to put this in because the holidays are meant to be a
spiritual time, even if they're highly commercialized. But, heck, in our society,
people do tend to appreciate gifts, especially
if it’s something they’ll use. Now, watch what I’m going to say carefully:
you don’t have to give out expensive things to make people’s day. I know you
should know this, but you might forget it. If everytime you go to your friend’s
place they can’t find a pen, give them a pack of pens (or a cup to store pens
in). If they read a lot but complain they can’t read in bed, give them a
booklight. If you’ve got the means, record them a version of you singing “We
Wish You a Merry Christmas”. I use the free recording program Audacity (Here's a link to their site, if you're interested). Buy a cheap mic and you're set (give me an email at alexghilson@gmail.com if you want to take that on but aren't sure how).
The
point is people, the good ones who’ve saved your thumbs the last year or ten,
will appreciate the thought out gifts you give them. Even if it wasn’t from
American Eagle and cost under $100.
Meeting
Up/ Parties
My personal favourite. Now look, this
doesn’t have to be hard. You write an email, or pick up a phone or whatever and
ask the guy on the other end if they’re available at this place and time and
whether they’d like to meet up and chat. They say yes or no. If they say no,
you offer a different date. If they say yes, you look both ways
and do a happy dance.
Alternatively,
you ask a bunch of friends over to your house (or a booked, outside place) at
this date and time, the same way you’d ask them if they were by themselves. If
they can’t make it, you wish them a Merry Christmas and move on to the next
person. If they all can’t make it, you change the date.
When you've got people coming, you buy a cake, some biscuits, vegetables and
coffee. If you can get someone to play some Christmas guitar (or other musical
instrument), you get them. You can also add a board game if you have one you
want to try. Then, you get together and have a ball.
The
greatest asset you have is time. You lose all your money, you can earn it back.
You get to the end of your life, you’re done. No pleading out of that one. Busy
people with meaningful lives realize this. They realize putting your time
aside to make them happy is the greatest show of gratitude there is. And they
return the favour by giving their time to see you.
Elvis’s
Lessons:
Gratitude is important, and Elvis Presley
showed it magnificently. When people realize how much they’re appreciated in
your life, they’ll want to help you again the next time. And I’m sure you won’t
complain about that. My top three ways for make people feel the love at this
time of year is by giving cards, small
presents, or meeting up/ holding a party. Good luck with the results; I
can’t wait to hear your success stories!
P.S. If you’d like to hear Elvis singing If Everyday Was Like Christmas, here’s a Youtube video of it.
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