Gratitude
Posted on 25. Nov, 2010 by nevans in Gratitude, Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving Day, I am giving thanks. I invite you to join me in this ever fruitful exercise.
I am thankful for. . .
1. Customers that care about their living environments.
2. The beautiful earth that supports life for all of us.
3. The wonderful working weather the San Francisco Bay Area provides us.
4. Customers who are friendly.
5. Customers who pay on time.
6. Competent people to work with.
7. Kindness and sensitivity while working.
8. The fun of a job well done.
9. The ease with which a professional solution restores sanity to a formerly pest-ridden living space.
10. The availability of green solution for pest management.
11. The privilege of keeping trees healthy and green.
12. The joy of serving others.
13. The amazing homes and gardens of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, which is my place of work and play.
14. A family that raised with me an intimate understanding of pest control.
15. A father who loves the earth and who showed me how to cultivate the earth.
16. Friends who started as customers.
17. Clients who refer us to other clients.
18. The ease with which the internet can be used to spread the word!
19. Reliable transportation and high quality application equipment.
20. The best training in pest management available.
21. A philosophy of business which is about taking care of people, not just making a profit.
22. The insects which continue to proliferate, for better or for worse.
23. The beauty of spider webs.
24. Customers who are grateful.
25. People who trust us.
26. The opportunity to learn.
27. A way to meet many, many people.
28. The opportunity to meet interesting, intelligent, creative people.
29. The opportunity to learn every day.
30. The people who make the products we use.
31. The smell of the air by the sea on a winter morning.
32. The warm sunshine on my skin.
33. Work boots which fit comfortably and keep feet safe and happy.
34. A family who has gone before me in business and in life.
35. The opportunity to present a well-dressed, well-groomed, well-spoken approach to pest control and tree care.
36. Knowledgeable arborists to consult.
37. Knowledgeable scientists to consult.
38. Accurate analysis of soil whenever necessary.
39. Know-how to augment soil for each situation.
40. Knowledge of deep-root fertilization and access to the best fertilizer in the world.
41. Colleagues in business who are trustworthy, reliable and kind.
42. The architecture of well-built homes.
43. The opportunity to make an immediate improvement in people’s quality of life.
44. The way foliage becomes green and vibrant when it is supplied with proper nutrition.
45. The opportunity to learn about plants.
46. The opportunity to learn about trees.
47. The satisfaction of saving a tree from sudden oak death when it would have died without our help.
48. The opportunity to save trees from becoming infected with sudden oak death.
49. The way it feels to know how to solve and problem.
50. The satisfaction of solving problems on a daily basis.
51. The way in which running a business teaches me every day to manage information.
52. The way running a business allows me to learn to relate to people.
53. The way running a business supports me in living well.
54. The way running a business supports me in playing with other people.
55. The way people look at me with surprise when they say they have never seen a pest control man who is so well-dressed, or friendly, or intelligent, or caring.
56. The opportunity to exceed people’s expectations.
57. The way it feels to be useful.
58. The way it feels to have a consistent, reliable vehicle through which to flow my energies.
59. The opportunity to notice God’s involvement with every sphere of life, business included.
60. The opportunity to network with others who share a conscious philosophy of doing business.
61. The feeling of curiousity about each new customer I meet.
62. The feeling of hope that it’ll work again this time!
63. The elation of having been effective.
64. The chance to see someone again sooner than expected for a follow-up visit.
65. The way in which we contribute to clean living, both in awareness and in the world of stuff.
66. The interaction with the environment and the learning that that provides.
67. The rain which takes away working outdoors for a while.
68. The clouds in the sky.
69. The blue of the sky above me.
70. The light as it is filtered through the windows of my work truck.
71. The other drivers in traffic that I see all day long.
72. The opportunity to drive by places which make me feel nostalgic in the course of a work day.
73. The regular customers whose faces become a part of my experience of God’s friendly universe.
74. The way in which I can earn a living under my own auspices.
75. Never having to clock in or out!
76. The chance to search out pests, where ever they may be!
77. The golden opportunity of each new day, on and off the job.
78. The construction projects which are perpetual reminders of industry, productivity, co-operation and other virtues.
79. Becoming acquainted with celebrities and famous businessmen such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Steve Jobs, Steve Young and Charles Schwaab in their home environments.
80. The way trees make an arch over the streets down which I drive.
81. The way people trust me to take care of them in their most intimate of places: their homes.
82. Learning how scientific exploration can enhance quality of life.
83. Talking to people on the phone.
84. Using technology to serve others.
85. Having a business bank account and watching it grow.
86. Reading about new developments which are relevant to our business.
87. Consulting God and the Angels for guidance in business and in every part of life.
88. Finding the parts of myself that are required to get the job done.
89. Observing the sales process from a standpoint which is interesting and where I have something at stake.
90. Watching people make decisions that affect their quality of life.
91. The way I feel humbled when I do not know how to handle a problem.
92. How I feel grateful when I learn something new that I need to solve a problem.
93. For the mishaps and difficulties which make the overall experience deeper and more satisfying.
94. For Facebook and Twitter and the new kind of conversation they facilitate.
95. For my computers, which I use to organize data and my thoughts.
96. For people that have the answers that I don’t have.
97. For people who need what I offer.
98. For the precious processes of nature that I interact with on a daily basis.
99. For the seasons and the variation they give.
100. For God who made the earth and everything and everyone that grows from it or lives upon it.
