The Story of Thanksgiving-How Our Founding Fathers Teach Us To Succeed.
Author: Annette Elton
Website: http://www.dr-mastermind.com
Added: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:53:57 -0500
Category: Business
Views: 92

The Story of Thanksgiving ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ It was 1620 when 102 people, today called Pilgrims, boarded two ships, the Mayflower and Speedwell. They set sail from England. After 64 days with no land in sight, they finally spotted the "New World." Only one of two ships leaving England reached the New World, so they immediately had lost many of their people. They had hoped to arrive in time to plant and harvest a crop, but they arrived too late in the year. They landed badly off course, and didn't even have the authority to form a colony where they were. Their health was in general poor, they didn't have much to eat. Their shelter was not adequate for protection from the harsh weather. They were attacked from time to time by the native people, and they were in a new land that was very foreign to them. As they came out of winter, more than three-fourths of the children were dead. Their total number stood at about one-quarter of those who had set sail from England. Think about that. Think of some group of about 200 that you have been in. Visualize some of those people deciding to never start the journey, some of those families that did are now gone completely. Imagine your own family having lost one-half to three-fourths of the children. One year later, after enduring an extremely harsh winter, deadly disease, not enough food and many other severe hardships, the group of surviving colonists got together to review where they were, what they had left and what had been accomplished. As the leaders reviewed, everything appeared pretty grim. Then someone began to say, "Yes, all that is all so. We can hang our heads and say 'Oh woe for us', or we can have the attitude that we made a decision, we are here, let's look again and let's look for some good things, and let's make the best of what we have. Let's be thankful, let's be joyful, and let's make this grand adventure work out." In other words, they realized that we can focus on the good; we can see the glass as "half full" instead of seeing it as "half empty" or maybe in their case, "mostly empty". Initially, there was fear and grumbling. Then another voice chimed in and said "Yes, let us give thanks for what we have left. Another agreed and said "Yes, let's be thankful," and another "Yes, let's find the good." They decided to make a list, a NEW list. This time, only those things that were GOOD could be on the list (they realized the list they had before, they had been "looking at"/focusing on the BAD). Between all of them, they came up with over 100 good things. Wow !! What a surprise!!!!! The FACTS had not changed, only their FOCUS and the ways they looked at those facts. They decided to take more action in this new direction, to help make it "stick," if you will. That decision to focus on what they had that was GOOD - to focus and build upon what they DID have - marked a turning point for the surviving colonists. In time, with hard work, the "grace of God" and help from the native Americans, their colony flourished and lead the way to creating the foundations of the democracy and religious freedoms that Americans enjoy today. They decided to throw a party, a party for the "Celebration of the Thankfulness they had Found" and so spread that thankful spirit to everyone, not just the leaders, in their little Colony. Their first three-day harvest gathering of "thanks-giving" has grown to become a festive and widely celebrated national Thanksgiving holiday. Their annual tradition of Thankfulness, caught hold. It reflected the true reality of the world. Overall, it's been pretty successful. It started with only 49 folks in 1621. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated by millions and millions, all over AMERICA and the World. One of the most well liked TV personalities in all of history, and herself a rags to riches story, and says most of her success began to come about after starting a "simple habit of written thankfulness," and being consistent - a habit of writing down three things each day, in a Journal of Thankfulness. A wonderful family tradition at Thanksgiving is to form a circle and for everyone (from age 4 to 104) to tell one thing that they are thankful for to the whole gathering. (NOTE: Most people will name huge/big items, like: family, love, God, health, etc.) Then, and when the first round has already been done, this is where the real power and maybe a few ah-ha's are. Go around a second time and have everyone tell one "very small" thing, that they are thankful for. This Thanksgiving Season, may we all take a lesson from those early Pilgrims, who had lost so very, very much: Let us find a way to have more THANKFULNESS, in our lives, today, now, right this moment. What 1+ thing are YOU thankful for today? ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Sources: Various stories and historical facts about Thanksgiving ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Our suggestion for you today is: Go get a cup of coffee, tea, water or juice, go to lunch with your success team, kick back and ask yourself to seriously investigate this question. So, tonight or in the morning when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself these questions: What are you thankful for this day? What is going right in your world? What is one small thing you can do differently that you can use every day to increase the amount of gratitude and thankfulness you have to build upon, share and enjoy ? Is it possible that if you chose to ask these questions EVERY month, you could also find a way to improve something, so that, in a few years, you too could say "Wow, that was one of the smartest things I ever did for my business!" ?? "Dr. MasterMind" John Carpenter Dealey Visit my website at: http://www.Dr-MasterMind.com Sign up for my newsletter there and get Instant FR*EE access to our library of helpful e-books and inspirational audio! John Carpenter Dealey was a self made millionaire at the age of 27 and is a best selling author. One of the books he is proudest of is the "Words That Have Changed Lives" book series. John has also published a number of works on Business, Success, Prayer, Gratitude, Love and Steep Hills (hard times in your personal life). In addition he is also the founder of MasterMind Soaring and the MasterMind Advisory Councils. The MasterMind teaching was formed around the principles of one of America's great founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. John has spent nearly three proud decades helping business owners and dynamic executives, ""accomplish their dreams.""

About the Author:
John Carpenter Dealey was a self made millionaire at the age of 27 and is a best selling author. One of the books he is proudest of is the "Words That Have Changed Lives" book series. John has also published a number of works on Business, Success, Prayer, Gratitude, Love and Steep Hills (hard times in your personal life). He was recently a Graduate School Keynote Speaker. John frequently hosts and speaks as a featured guest on international live tele-conference forums. He is ""Interviewer Emeritus"" for his dear friend Randy Gilbert, (Dr. ProActive) of the Inside Success Show. Comes from an old Texas family fact from two frontier families. In addition he is also the founder of MasterMind Soaring and the MasterMind Advisory Councils. The MasterMind teaching was formed around the principles of one of America's great founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. John has spent nearly three proud decades helping business owners and dynamic executives, ""accomplish their dreams.""

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