LodeStar Universal
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Grateful? 1 Minute in Writing Ignites Positive Changes

 
"Gratitude journals turn pessimism into possibility."
-- Alex B. Ramsey, November 23, 2004
Investors Business Daily 

November 2009  Newsletter

 
 
 Lodestar Universal
 
 
 
Greetings! 
Grateful? Put It In Writing
 
When Investors Business Daily interviewed me during Thanksgiving week in 2004 about LodeStar Universal executive coaching, they were curious about one particular executive coaching "secret." Once a controversial and edgy idea, the practice was none other than my take on the "gratitude journal." Five years later, it's again Thanksgiving; and I still recommend the practice. More than ever, but it is especially transformative when you have dug yourself into a rut where negative thinking is gaining ground.
 
If you've never done it, here are three simple steps I suggest to get started: 1. Buy a small spiral notebook. 2. Once a day, for four weeks, write down five items that you can be grateful for, every, single day. 3. The catch? You have to genuinely think and then feel thankful. You don't have to stick to business. Be thankful for the jet of hot water on your back in the shower, your favorite team's winning score, the sound of rustling fall leaves as you walk across the lawn.
 
The trick is to feel thankful for 10-15 seconds for each item, as long as it takes to write the words on the page. This adds up to about a minute a day. A minute a day is all it takes to ignite changes in your life and sphere of influence. It's one way to create little miracles, because you are turning pessimism into possibilities. Thoughts of what you can't do or achieve begin to dissolve. After several weeks, a transformation begins to occur where you see solutions you never considered before.

Tip: Don't forget to be especially thankful for things that have upset or angered you. Typically, highly emotional, troubling situations are a treasure trove of opportunity.
 
As for me, this Thanksgiving what am I thankful for? One of the many things I'm thankful for is this: My once "edgy" idea about gratitude is almost commonplace now, and that is deeply satisfying.
 
Schedule Your Annual Executive Retreat Now!
 
 
EXECUTIVE RETREATS
require an experienced hand from outside the organization to work through concerns, personality differences, and to hold the team accountable. It's hard for an "insider" to diffuse the behavior of a difficult personality. It's almost impossible for an "insider" to balance all the different interests and opinions. An "insider," by definition, has greater bias than someone from the outside.
 
Please let Alex Ramsey know when you would like to set a time to talk about creating an EXECUTIVE Planning RETREAT for you.  The benefits of a well-designed retreat are powerful and long lasting:
  • The executive team unites around a strong action plan
  • Employees are confident about what they need to do and are extremely productive
  • Even when the world turns topsy-turvy, a strategy is in place to weather the challenges

During several executive retreats we conducted recently, outcomes included:

  • Weathering near-collapse to completely revitalize strategy
  • Eliminating extreme divisiveness within the executive ranks and uniting into an effective team
  • Aligning conflicting objectives, creating the greatest economic success the firm ever experienced
Contact Alex by phone at 214.696.3510 or by email to discuss your upcoming EXECUTIVE RETREAT.
 
Upcoming Programs
 
January Coaching Program: Start your year on a strong footing with this affordable, month-long coaching program to set goals, enhance self-esteem, and create a game plan to accomplish objectives. You can't afford to miss this opportunity to create! Call 214.696.3510 for more information.
 
January Webinar: 10-Slides, 10-Minutes: Insider Secrets to Create the Perfect Investor Pitch. How Alex Ramsey has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs present winning investor pitches and raise millions of dollars. Call 214.696.3510 for more information.
 

Additional Offerings from Alex 
  
Packets and Pauses: Weekly Tips
You frame it. You speak it. They get it. Weekly communication tips.
 
LodeStar Universal Newsletter
Monthly ideas for improving performance and leadership.
 
www.alexramsey.com - Alex's blog on Leadership
 
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I encourage you to reprint my tips in your own e-mail, online newsletters, or conventionally-printed publications. It's free and legal as long as proper credit is given. All you have to do is include the following notation along with the reprint of my material: "Reprinted with permission from LodeStar Universal and Alex Ramsey's Internet newsletter. For your own personal, free subscription to the go to http://www.lodestaruniversal.com."
 
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Buy Now
Alex B. Ramsey
 
President
LodeStar Universal
 
Past-President
National Speakers Association
of North Texas
 
President

 

In This Issue
Grateful? Put It In Writing
Schedule Your Annual Executive Retreat Now!
Upcoming Programs
Additional Offerings from Alex
 
More Offerings from Alex
 
Want more Alex Ramsey "intelligence," read Leadership Mojo, her blog.
 
 
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