Thanks for the post, Shawn! You really got me thinking... Over the past few days, I'd been thinking how I want gratitude to play a much bigger role in my life.

A friend of mine died in November. One of the things I will always remember him for is the way he ended every visit. "Have a grateful day!"

It's so easy to look around and see what's lacking. But it takes more concentrated effort to look around and see what's there. The time I spent in Africa has struck me each time with the extreme poverty (by our standards), and the joy that my friends there feel. They aren't owned by their possessions, and they value relationships. I plan to make a more concerted effort to live that way myself.

As a leader, I anticipate that it will create a foundation of trust within my teams when those I work with know I'm grateful for them. As a business owner, I hope it will enable me to grow my businesses by building stronger connections with my clients.