CURE FOR THE "I WANTS"

Dear MMC Readers--

Occasionally, as I ponder what I'll write each week, I get the signal to pull an MMC from the archives, freshen it up and let it speak again. Such is the case this week as we are now just over a week away from Thanksgiving. Several years ago I wrote about the cure for the "I wants" and it certainly seems appropriate to take another look at the topic. So here it is, updated for 2008. I hope you'll take up the gratitude challenge it recommends!


Here it is November, Thanksgiving month, we're unofficially in an economic recession, so there can be no better time to address the subject of gratitude! There are an abundance of reasons to practice gratitude everyday (not just at Thanksgiving). Among the most important is that gratitude is a way to stem the seemingly endless tide of "I wants" that drive our consumer-obsessed culture. In fact, focusing on the "I haves" and appreciating all that you do have (and in some cases don't have) is a surefire cure for a case of "I-want-itis" or its sister ailment "I don't have-itis."

It's incredibly easy to get swept up in wanting more or bemoaning what we don't have. We're bombarded daily by thousands of media messages through television and radio, catalogs, infomercials, magazine, newspaper and internet ads all touting the latest and greatest. It's hard to resist. And when you succumb to the purchase pressure, you may also find yourself (like me) promising you'll stop making impulse buys or spending money you don't really have, or that would be better directed elsewhere. Or perhaps because of current economic conditions you have lost "big stuff" ranging from the value of your retirement accounts to even more dire losses such as a home, job, car or other high-value item.

At the risk of offending some who have lost much more than others, I still propose that practicing an attitude of gratitude and reminding yourself of the "I haves" can become your greatest abundance ally. You see when we suffer from I-want-itis, it's like having an itch you simply must scratch. Unfortunately, scratching it by embarking on the quest to get more, or indulging in extended periods of self-pity over what we've lost, provides precious little relief. The result of staying in "want" or complaining about what we lack is that we actually create more of the very void we are struggling to fill!

So I challenge you to start now to make November the month you practice active gratitude for everything in your life. When the little voice inside your head starts whispering, then speaking and eventually shouting: "You really want/need/deserve this whatchamacallit," or feeding the fear monster and reminding you of how awful things are, you can calmly, gratefully respond by reminding yourself how much you already have. Look around your home or office right now and I'm certain you'll be able to instantly name at least 10 things to be grateful for. If you're reading these words then you have access to a computer, an incredible resource. Step outside for a moment and appreciate something beautiful and abundant in the natural world. Do you have family and friends who still love and appreciate you? Then your riches are truly priceless. Keep the gratitude ball rolling throughout the day.

One other bonus that comes with practicing gratitude is that it frees up some of your most precious resources--creativity, time and energy--to get busy thinking up ways to grow your business, enhance your relationships and find creative ways to do more with less. And a powerful way of tapping into gratitude's "magic" is to be thankful in advance for what has not yet manifested in your life. Someone has wisely said "we are not grateful because we have, we have because we are grateful."

As we enter into the next six weeks, where the "I-want-itis" and "I don't have-itis" epidemics reach a fever pitch, stop wherever you are and simply be thankful for all that you already have. Declare November your gratitude month, and start now to eliminate the "I wants" from your mental conversations. Replace them instead with the much more satisfying and fulfilling "I haves." And watch true abundance, your ability to produce and multiply blessings in your life and the lives of others, grow in the process.

Have a "great full" week!

Quote of the Week:

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"

~~William A. Ward

"Transforming Your Potential into Performance!"
Betty Mahalik, PCC Life & Business Coach, Trainer bettym@dynamic-coaching.com www.dynamic-coaching.com	Dynamic Solutions 5240 Mustang St. Las Vegas, NV 89130 tel: 702 658-4425 fax: 702 658-5802 mobile: 702 443-0175
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