Being grateful and expressing gratitude are both behavioral practices of a personal leader.
It is the spiritual awareness of meaning that gratefulness brings which makes expressing gratitude a high level personal leadership skill to be developed.

When we express gratitude we inspire more than just ourselves - we also inspire those around us.

Here are 5 ways to develop a personal leadership gratitude practice:

Make it habitual. Making expressing your thankfulness a habit in your life can reap many benefits. The benefits could be everything from personal fulfillment - to having the capacity to help anyone you come in contact with, feel a little better about themselves or their day.

Make it meaningful. Meaningful gratitude means that it touches your heart in some way. It's something that matters to you. It's important. It brings something with it.

Make it relevant. Relevancy is a super criteria to add to your gratitude practice because it may prevent you from getting into a comfort zone with gratitude.

Make it light. When you just cant wait to think about gratitude at the end of the day - it is a sign that you have made your practice enjoyable. It's also an indication of your personal grace.

Make it people focused vs thingy-focused. When we shift our awareness from things to people, we become more and more aware of oneness.

If you haven't already begun a gratitude practice for yourself, begin simply. A small investment of thought at the end of each day - and over time the behaviour of gratefulness becomes a state of being.

Constantly Catch Your Kids Doing Something Right
Dave Kovar

This is an excerpt my book, "A Dad's Toolbox for Better Parenting". This story is titled "Constantly catch your child doing things right" and it illustrates a great example of what not to do with your relationships.

As a child, I spent a lot of time down the street at the Gray family's house. They had a pool, a billiards table and a whole lot of ice cream in the freezer. The only drawback was Mrs. Gray. All the kids referred to her as the "neighborhood nag." She was constantly on both of her boys and, for that matter, her boys' friends. Nothing was ever done well enough to suit her. She constantly found fault.

One day, Mr. Gray asked his sons and me to clean up the kitchen before Mrs. Gray got home. We went to it, almost excited as we anticipated Mrs. Gray's compliment on a job well done. Upon her return, the boys raced out to meet her, excited to show her what we had accomplished. Instead of appreciating our efforts, she complained that the floor hadn't been swept and the garbage had not been emptied. I remained friends with the Gray boys for years to come. I didn't see them try to please their mother after that incident. After all, pleasing her was impossible. Why even try?

Over the years, their relationship with their mother continued to deteriorate until, last I heard, they no longer had contact with her. I know she loved her boys, but in her attempt to "make them better," she never praised their efforts or caught them doing things right. Mrs. Gray taught me a lot of what not to do as a parent. Correcting my children is necessary at times, but I spend more time looking for what they're doing right. The more I look, the more I discover.

10 Tips for a Thinner Thanksgiving

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, so why not go ahead and splurge? Because gaining weight during the holiday season is a national pastime. Year after year, most of us pack on at least a pound (some gain more) during the holidays -- and keep the extra weight permanently.

But Thanksgiving does not have to sabotage your weight, experts say. With a little know-how, you can satisfy your desire for traditional favorites and still enjoy a guilt-free Thanksgiving feast. After all, being stuffed is a good idea only if you are a turkey!

Get Active

Create a calorie deficit by exercising to burn off extra calories before you ever indulge in your favorite foods, suggests Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, former president of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Make fitness a family adventure, recommends Susan Finn, PhD, RD, chair of the American Council on Fitness and Nutrition: "Take a walk early in the day and then again after dinner. It is a wonderful way for families to get physical activity and enjoy the holiday together."

Lighten Up

Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner or bringing a few dishes to share, make your recipes healthier with less fat, sugar, and calories.

"There is more sugar and fat in most recipes than is needed, and no one will notice the difference if you skim calories by using lower calorie ingredients," says Diekman.

Police Your Portions

Thanksgiving tables are bountiful and beautiful displays of traditional family favorites. Before you fill your plate, survey the buffet table and decide what you're going to choose. Then select reasonable-sized portions of foods you cannot live without.

Our next Belt Presentations
will be held on a special split schedule;

Children: Lil Dragons & Goshin Juniors will be presented on Friday 16 December 2011

Adult Martial Arts & Jiu Jitsu testing will be held on Saturday 10 December 2011 and belt promotions will be awarded during

"SUPER SATURDAY" after class on
Saturday 17 December 2011 featuing an
**EXTRA SPECIAL GUEST INSTRUCTOR**

and a SPECIAL END OF YEAR PRESENTATION !!!

----- DON'T MISS IT !! -----

ALL Adult students are invited to attend and participate in our celebratory open mat times following each promotion ceremony.



Please review the testing schedule, exam roster, and upcoming events to see how it may affect you by visiting our website @ http://www.americanblackbelt.org/student.html

NOVEMBER BBC DATES !!

FRIDAY 4 NOV 11

FRIDAY 18 NOV 11



DON'T MISS IT !!!

FRIDAY 4 NOV 11

FRIDAY 18 NOV 11

THURSDAY 1 DEC 11 -- Performance
** ATHENS PARADE OF LIGHTS

American Black Belt Academy will be

CLOSED

on the following dates in NOVEMBER:

Thursday November 10th through Sunday November 13th in honor of Veteran's Day the academy will be closed and our world class staff will attend a training seminar with the Educational Funding Company.

Thanksgiving

Thursday November 24th - Sunday November 27th to reflect on our many blessings and good fortune Regular scheduled classes will resume on
MONDAY 28 November 2011

Bring in a friend
to enter & WIN our VIP referral contest

You are invited to participate in our VIP Referral Contest. Because we get our best quality people, like yourself, referred by other students at the Academy we'd like to show our appreciation with a chance to WIN PRIZES.

Over 80% of new students at the AMERICAN BLACK BELT ACADEMY come from your referrals!

Know someone who could benefit from the the healthy lifestyle and positive influence, both physical and mental, gained by the Martial Arts?

Your sponsored guest will receive a FREE Two Week Trial Membership in our Martial Arts program at Absolutely No Cost or an extended Trial Program in our Jiu Jitsu program at regular price! Special discounts will also be available to any sponsored guest who qualifies for entry into our regular program.

For every person you refer that completes the FREE Trial Program and Two Week Trial Membership you will receive an entry into our contest to win our monthly drawing for a $100 Gift Certificate; good for merchandise from our ProShop or toward Private Lessons.
If that person becomes a regular member you'll receive another chance to win and be entered in our
grand prize drawing at the beginning of December for a FLAT SCREEN TV.

SAT DEC 3
3-6pm

This December we will be having our annual Drop and Shop for parents at our school. We will be watching a movie, playing some karate games, and making Christmas ornaments. Parents will be free to do some holiday shopping without any prying eyes! Please pre-register your child for this event by signing up at the front desk no later than Wednesday, 30 November. Everyone is encouraged to bring a friend along. We are really excited to spend some fun time out of class with our "karate friends" and hope to see you there!