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We all desire recognition for a job well done, especially as members of a team. As a team, each person works together toward a common goal. Now instead of working together, imagine a team where each person was only interested in their own, separate little interests. Would you be able to get anything done?

Of course not!

When you’re working within a team you have to put personal interests aside and focus on the collective. If you don’t, tempers flare and trouble ensues. Teams composed of members who can’t put differences aside don’t win. Put simply: you won’t achieve the success you want if you aren’t focused on the common goal.

United We Stand – Teamwork Tips

The key strategy to boost office morale and team productivity is to stand strong behind your common goal. By creating a unified front, you will be able to work together, instead of pulling apart.

Here are some teamwork tips:

• Appoint a team leader to oversee the progress and to keep everyone motivated to finish the project on time.

• Assign jobs according to the strengths of each team member. People naturally procrastinate when faced with a daunting task they’re uncomfortable with, so divide the work accordingly.

• Praise team members for a job well done. Acknowledge each person’s hard work and dedication and be sure to pass along any positive feedback from clients or upper level management. 

• Set up a team reward upon successful completion of a project. Money doesn’t have to be the only motivating factor to spur your team. Maybe it’s time-off, a gift basket, or a trophy.

Get an Attitude of Gratitude in Your Office 

How can tension within the office be turned around? Gratitude. Yes, it really is that simple! Each member needs to felt appreciated for his or her contributions and value added to the team. 

• Imagine a football team. If the quarterback isn’t grateful for the offensive line who blocks for him, the wide receivers who catch his passes, and the running backs who he can hand off the ball to, he will not have confidence in his teammates. This lack of confidence will show up as miscommunications, blown plays and lost games. The same things happen in the office!

In reality, an office setting is very much like being on a football team. You have to show gratitude to the:

• Administrative assistants who keep things organized and flowing

• Salesmen who bring in new profits for the company

• Human resources representatives who bring in new talent for you to work with

• Marketers who make the company known

• Managers who coach, inspire, and lead

• Staff who tackle the finer details and makes things happen

Everyone plays an important part of the team, which is why we all need to appreciate one another in order to get things done! After all, without each other, where would you be?

Gratitude Leads to Effective Teamwork

Once you’re grateful for the skills and talents of your team members, you’ll begin to appreciate how each part of the puzzle is important for the overall success of the team. You may even discover a renewed excitement about your job and all the projects your team can accomplish.

• Let others in the office know how you appreciate their time, talents, and hard work. Send out emails or mention specific names in the company newsletter. Let your team know you care about them as people and not just as workers.

• Encourage your workers to start up office clubs or activities that everyone can enjoy as a group. Doing so will help you get to know each other on a more casual basis.

Remember: it all starts with acknowledging how grateful you are for the talents of those around you. So take a moment today to say “Thank You!”

No matter where you work or what industry you happen to work in, there’s a good chance you’ll meet someone you can’t stand working with. It’s unfortunate, but true.

Maybe it’s as simple as getting a cubicle mate who is loud or overbearing or maybe it means dealing with someone who never gets things done on time. The truth is we’re not always going to be friendly with the people we work with. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t do anything to deal with the negative environment. 

Take some time to follow these tips for dealing with difficult co-workers. Once you begin implementing them you’ll find that it does get a bit easier to work with difficult people. 

1. Remember: You’re NOT the Boss

If you don’t have authority over the other person, you’re going to look very unprofessional if you start telling them how to do their job. If your coworker is lazy or does a poor job and you’re tempted to correct their mistakes, don’t expect to be thanked for it. And don’t be surprised if they’re stubborn about your good-natured advice either.

• Lead by example and focus on doing your own work successfully.

2. Avoid Communication through Email

When dealing with someone who’s difficult, try making it a priority to handle things on the phone or face to face. If you’re concerned about coming across well, remember emails can come across as sounding very blunt and brusque. 

• If you must communicate via email, try reading your emails out loud before sending. Without tone or facial expression to help you out, you may come off as being angry or upset, even when you don’t intend to. Though you might love nothing more than to avoid the person, make sure poor or misinterpreted communication doesn’t compound your issues.

3. Avoid Gossip

When someone at work is difficult, it seems natural to gossip about him or her, but don’t do it. If you must vent your frustrations or get another opinion, wait until you get home.  

• Avoid office drama by not participating in gossip. Not only do many offices have strict policies about gossip, you never know who might be listening. Be friendly and make sure you always take the moral high road.

4. Let Go of Your Anger

When you’re dealing with a difficult person, it’s easy to get angry. You think of the time they have wasted, the things they have done, and before you know it, you might have your teeth clenched! 

• Remember anger is an energy drain. The more time you spend being angry, the less time you have to spend on important things. 

• Take time to release your anger and turn it towards more productive things. Don’t let your annoying coworker eat up any more of your time than they already have.

5. Keep a List

If your coworker’s problems start to affect your work performance, start keeping a list of all the problems that arise. It can help you establish a paper trail should it be necessary later.

• Keep a list, date it, and if necessary, show it to your boss in a formal complaint. Doing this will give you evidence in the event that your coworker disputes your complaint.

We all have coworkers whom we’d rather not work with. Unfortunately, we don’t tend to have any control over who works with us. Instead of wasting your time and energy stressing over those annoying people in your life, just get the job done while keeping problems to a minimum. Focusing on your own job, along with carrying out the actions mentioned above, will save you your sanity in the long run!

Meditation is most often considered an inactive process of quieting your mind and engaging with stillness, but there are also several ways to use physical activity to enter a meditative state.  Both types of meditation can be incredibly effective in inspiring a sense of peace, harmony and well-being, but they differ greatly in their approach.

Mental meditation involves sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing or a soothing mantra, or emptying your mind by disengaging from your conscious thoughts.  Physical meditation at first glance seems to be the complete opposite because your body will be in motion the entire time, but the mental result of peace and stillness is very much the same.

If sitting quietly in silence has always been difficult for you, you may want to explore various forms of physical meditation instead.  In fact, you have probably engaged in physical meditation before and not even realized you were doing so!

Here are a few of the most common types of physical meditation activities:

1) Walking.

Walking is not only good for your body; it helps clear your mind too!  Repeatedly placing one foot in front of the other while you breathe deeply and observe your surroundings can be incredibly meditative.  Just a few minutes of this can melt away weeks’ worth of tension.  

Start by choosing a pleasant location, like a park or pretty tree-lined street; lace up your walking shoes, grab a bottle of water and you’re ready to go.  As you walk, try to avoid thinking too much.  Instead, do your best to set your conscious thoughts aside and focus instead on the sensation of your muscles flexing, and oxygen flowing in and out of your lungs.  Or tune into your surroundings more completely and focus on the beauty of the landscape, sky and wildlife.

2) Dance.

Dancing is more often considered a recreational pursuit, but it can also be quite relaxing and hypnotic in its ability to distance you from fear and worry.

For stress relief and strengthening your spiritual connection, choose slow, soothing music and move your body gently and smoothly too.  Set your conscious thoughts aside and focus only on moving your body along with the music.  In no time at all you should feel refreshed and renewed – just as you would from a mental audio meditation program.

3) Hobbies and menial work.

You may not consider hobbies and chores to be meditative, but they are powerful in their ability to move you from a state of thinking to a state of “being” – and that’s exactly what meditation does!  The next time you engage in any physical activity like cleaning, yard work, hobbies or organizing, make a point of focusing your attention fully on it.  Let go of worries and scattered thoughts and immerse yourself fully in the act of moving your hands and body.  As you do so, you are releasing stress, calming your thoughts and entering a stress-free state that will stay with you for hours.

Nearly any physical activity can be turned into a meditative experience, as long as it’s one you don’t have to focus intently on.  (Obviously, driving and skydiving wouldn’t be good candidates for physical meditation.)  With ordinary activities, however, simply get into the habit of stepping outside the flow of your conscious thoughts and allow yourself to settle into a state of calm, steady movement – and you’ll be meditating!  See, it was easier than you thought, wasn’t it?

It’s not always easy to find the goodness in life, especially when money is tight and you’re faced with worries about your job or family. These worries can often cloud your whole mind, bring your mood down, and affect your overall quality of life.

If you feel like you’re being followed by the ominous black cloud of bad luck, then it’s time to find something to be grateful for in your life.

Remind Yourself About What’s Going Right

If you’re plagued by negative thoughts, find a quiet place, grab a pen and paper and make a list of answers to this question: What do I have to be grateful for in my life?  

Start your list with the most obvious things, your health and family. Do you have a car? A home? Clothes on your back? Food on the table? 

• You don’t have to have the fanciest or the most expensive items for you to be grateful. Even if you buy your clothes at Goodwill, at least you’re clothed and warm. A used car in good condition will get you to work just as easily as a brand new car.

• Don’t forget to give thanks for the small things in life, such as finding the car keys in time to get to work or getting a restful night sleep before an important day.

You can also try to sit quietly in a room and meditate on your life and things you want to improve on. Appreciating what you already have in life will free you to make the changes you desire.

Being Grateful In Spite of Setbacks

There’s no denying that you will suffer setbacks in life. It’s a fact of life! While it may be difficult to be grateful during these times, it’s important to remember that good can come from difficult situations.

For example, if you’ve recently lost your job, be grateful for the skills you have. With your skills, experience, and the knowledge you possess, you may end up finding a more fulfilling job that gives you more money or more responsibility while being closer to home.

As strange as it may sound in the moment of despair, try to be grateful during difficult times because, as one door closes, another opens the way to new opportunities. After all, you can’t find bright new possibilities in your life if you don’t experience a setback at one point or another.

Be Thankful For Life’s Setbacks

Setbacks are there to challenge you to be better, stronger, faster, and wiser. The true test of your attitude is to be thankful for the obstacle ahead of you (even if you don’t understand why it exists in the first place), then push forward, stronger than ever. 

Why should you be thankful? Because with each challenge you overcome, you gain the wisdom and courage to succeed the next time around.  And if it weren’t for each and every challenge in your life, you’d never learn and grow!

Being grateful everyday will help you lift that overbearing black cloud that can be so stifling. You’ll begin realize that life is good and you can make it through anything. After all, good things come to those who wait!

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Gratitude is often a difficult concept to understand and put into practice. Remember how your parents used to tell you not to waste food because there were starving kids in the world? That was an elementary attempt at teaching gratitude because the goal was to make you think about how fortunate you were to have food on your plate.

Once children get older and start to understand the concept of gratitude, they’re usually bombarded with commercials and marketing ploys for all the latest, coolest gadgets. The problem is that all this hype and marketing undermines parents’ desire to teach their children to be happy with what they already have. And jealousy is especially difficult to battle when children have friends who get whatever they desire.

But if love and gratitude is only expressed through worldly things, there is no depth or deeper meaning since things break down, get old, and stop working at some point.

What Is Gratitude?

If you look in the dictionary you’ll find the definition of gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness; basically, being happy with what you have in life. Sit and think about all that you have – your home, family, health, food, car, and faith – and then consider those people who don’t have any of those things. It’s very humbling to realize that there are so many joys we take for granted in our life!

Every Thanksgiving families sit around the dinner table and share what they’re thankful for but this practice shouldn’t be reserved for just one time a year. Giving regular thanks will help everyone in your family appreciate each other and all they have.

• Share your gratitude with your family every night during a family dinner. Say thanks to the cook, thanks to the cleaner, and thanks for everyone gathered around the table.

• Encourage older kids to really think about the little things that happened during the day to find their gratitude.

• Enjoy the quiet time together and use the sharing opportunity to open discussions about ways your family can work together as a loving team.

Showing Gratitude Without Envy

Both children and adults are guilty of being envious of other people’s possessions or success at one time or another. It’s human nature, especially since we see what others have and desire it for ourselves. If you’re ready to eliminate that jealousy and show genuine gratitude, here are a few reminders for you:

1. Gratitude can be expressed by doing big and small things. You don’t have to make a huge monetary contribution to express your appreciation. Simple things, such as writing a thank you note, are just as effective in showing your gratitude for life.

2. Gratitude must be practiced regularly, even during difficult times. By doing something small but meaningful each day to show your gratitude, you’re forming an important habit which will last for your lifetime.

3. Gratitude is not all about money. Making charitable contributions is wonderful but if you don’t have the money to do that, volunteer your time at a soup kitchen, animal shelter, or other charity that touches your heart. Your time is just as valuable as money!

Teaching Kids a Life Lesson

Young children generally have a difficult time thinking of the big world around them. Their worlds are often centered on themselves, their family, school, and activities. They barely have a concept of another town or state, never mind starving kids in a foreign country.

By engaging in activities as a family, you can show your children the struggles other people face and how their own problems or desires fit into the big picture. Seeing the children who don’t normally get Christmas gifts will help them appreciate their own possessions more. Listening to the stories of the people at the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving Day will help them learn compassion for others. 

It may not be an instantaneous change, but eventually your kids will be more concerned about people, instead of things. Things can be replaced, but people are priceless. After all, without the sacrifices of our parents and the gift of positive relationships, there would be no one to share our things with!

Keep Dreaming Big

Gratitude plays an important role in your own personal growth journey but expressing your gratitude doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams. If you want to reach a certain career level, go for it. Want a bigger house, save up. If your child wants the newest electronic toy, let him start learning the value of money. In doing so, you will begin to appreciate your life journey a whole lot more.

Gratitude helps you see the true joys in everything – big or small. Just remember that every gift in your life should be a pleasant surprise rather than a desperate or jealous desire.

Let’s face the facts: life is full of both good and bad surprises. You can’t live your life worried about bad news, otherwise you’ll paralyze yourself in fear. Instead, you need to become more resilient and learn how to expect the unexpected. 

You really can learn how to cope with unexpected news and become a stronger, more confident person in times of pressure. 

Let’s go through some ways to make coping with the unexpected easier.

Expect the Unexpected

Have you ever gotten a call from a friend who cancels a get-together you were looking forward to? This is an extremely trivial example of unexpected news, but it represents what we all deal with on a daily basis. 

You may feel disappointed or frustrated, especially if you spent time preparing for the event, but you have two choices: move on and make the best of the day, or allow it to sour your mood and hold you back. 

Ask yourself: what do you typically do when you encounter the unexpected?

Well, instead of allowing the change of plans to ruin your day, try to get your mind busy onto something else. Is there a fun activity that you can do at home? Is there something you can do for yourself or your family? You can make the best of things by turning the unexpected into a new opportunity. 

Build a Solid Support System

Another way to deal with unexpected news is to turn to your support system. Bad news can come with great pain. If you get the news that someone has passed away, for example, this is something that is going to cause you deep pain and suffering. Of course, it’s normal to feel these very real emotions. 

In these times it is important for you to turn to those around you for support. You may need someone to talk to, someone to cry with, or even a helping hand. It’s crucial that surround yourself with positive influences instead of isolating yourself.

Using the Power of the Mind to Cope with Bad News

Positive affirmations are another way that you can cope with unexpected news. Affirmations are concise statements that you can use to help you think in a more positive manner. 

When bad news is overwhelming you and you don’t know how to cope, you can stop and say:

• “In times of crisis, I am safe because I have a well thought out recovery plan waiting to be launched.”

• “I challenge myself to be calm in order to release daily pressures.” 

When you say these phrases aloud, you’re reaffirming the statement in your mind and you’re re-focusing your energy on solutions, instead of worries. Whether you believe it or not, words have power. Repeating these affirmations may console you and remind you about your strength during difficult situations.

When you use positive affirmations and the other coping techniques mentioned, you will find that you are more confident to deal with whatever life throws your way. Remember, it’s okay to be afraid of uncertainty, but you can equip yourself with the tools, techniques, and support system to overcome any obstacle, challenge, or situation.

Meditation is undoubtedly one of the simplest and most effective ways to handle stress, and it’s easy enough that anyone can do it and begin enjoying the benefits immediately.  In fact, most people find that regular meditation helps them prevent stress from building up in the first place.

If you have ever wanted to start a meditation practice but kept putting it off because you didn’t know how to get started, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s probably easier than you think.  

Try these two easy steps for starters:

Quiet your thoughts.  

One of the most helpful aspects of meditation is the way it shifts you to a state of being, rather than thinking or doing.  This is accomplished by finding a quiet place to be alone and simply focusing on emptying your mind of all thoughts.  That may sound impossible at first, but “emptying your mind” doesn’t mean you won’t still have thoughts moving in and out of your mind.  

What it means instead is that you won’t be attached to any of these thoughts.  You simply step back mentally and observe, rather than engaging with any particular thought.  You will still be aware of your thoughts, but you won’t be “in” them, if that makes sense.  You want to get to the place of being fully detached from your thoughts so they aren’t dominating your focus any more.  Simply sit back and allow your thoughts to flow effortlessly by, while you keep your focus on nothing.  Slowly inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale – and you’ll feel stress and inner conflict begin to melt away almost immediately.  If you do notice that you have latched onto a thought and you’ve begun thinking again (you probably will do this several times, just out of habit), let go and gently return your focus to nothing.  It does take practice to master, but you’ll be amazed by the peacefulness this technique can inspire.

Create a peaceful haven in your mind.

Another great technique is to create a soothing, imaginary haven in your mind.  This can be a real place you have visited before, such as a beautiful botanical garden, an ocean beach or lakefront, or a place that exists only in your own mind.  This mental haven does not have to conform to the usual laws of physical reality, either.  Your haven can be a serene oasis nestled between an ocean, a forest, botanical gardens – and even an amusement park!  You can make it as fun, beautiful and whimsical as you like.

Spend some time “creating” this mental haven and put as much detail as you can into it.  What does it smell like?  Are there beautiful flowers that give off a pleasant fragrance?  Can you hear birds singing?  Is the breeze warm or cool on your face?  Keep going until you’ve made it seem as real and rich as possible, and then begin spending a few minutes there each day.  You want to become very familiar with the sights, sounds, scents and essence of this place, and spend enough time there that you automatically relax the moment you call up the mental image.  

Then, whenever you find yourself stressed or in need of a little nurturing simply close your eyes and mentally flee to your peaceful haven for a few minutes!

If you want to stand out from the crowd or competition at work, then you need to be seen as an expert in your field. This takes action on your part and not just walking around telling people that you’re an expert. 

Everyone has the potential to be an expert at what they do. Here are a few simple steps that you’ll need to follow first to be recognized as an expert. 

Educate Yourself

First and foremost, make sure that you’re educated on what you’re doing. If you’re working in the maintenance department of a company and you want to be seen as the go-to person on anything related to maintenance, then you need to know what you’re talking about.

• Take evening courses at a local college to help further your education and keep you up to date on the latest knowledge and technology. 

• Read more. It doesn’t matter what you do as a profession, you need to take advantage of the vast knowledge in the library. 

By expanding your knowledge you’ll also build your confidence. Tell me one person that was ever seen as an expert that didn’t believe in themselves and what they were doing. Can you name one? Not likely! With knowledge comes confidence.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge

It’s one thing to talk about what you know, but it’s something else entirely to actually do it.

Experts don’t walk around and brag about what they can do, they take action. If you encounter a difficult problem or situation, you’ll be able to take charge and find a solution.

• Be proactive. If a problem arises, take action right away to find a solution. If you don’t know the answer yourself, search out someone who does. Even experts need to learn new things and they aren’t afraid to admit it to others.

Learn To Be a Great Communicator 

People have to understand what you can do and why you’re the best one to do it. This means that you have to understand and foresee the questions and concerns of others, then prepare and articulate the answers and solutions to them. 

• Great communicators don’t just boss others around. Use your communications skills to teach and empower your coworkers.

Always Act With Integrity

Don’t take credit for things you haven’t done and don’t take shortcuts. Skipping out on doing something the right way doesn’t make you an expert, however, this doesn’t mean that you have to do everything yourself. 

There will always be things we’re not so good at. In those circumstances, you have to learn how to delegate those responsibilities to others who have the skills required to get the job done. Part of being a good expert is seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others and how their talents can be put to good use.

• Give others credit for a job well done. Wise leaders and the most incredible of experts don’t do everything themselves. They have a talented team around them who have the skills they themselves lack.

By following these simple steps you’ll become the person with the answers. These are the experts who become irreplaceable and well respected because they take action.

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