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Why being grateful and postive matter for a healthy business

Two things

Being grateful and positive. These are just a couple of things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s something our team talks about and what we each of us strive to do in our work and personal lives. This is often much easier said than done (at least where I’m concerned). It’s so easy to get caught up in the negative stuff that’s happening instead of staying rooted in what’s positive. Positivity and gratefulness take intention. Intentional thought and planning are important for so many areas in our lives, especially where our businesses are concerned.

As a freelance creative, if I am not intentional about how I plan my days and ultimately my goals, then my time seems to slip through my hands like sand. For me, being intentional makes all the difference in how my days go. And being intentionally grateful and positive has become important in how I do my work and live my life day-to-day. Focusing on the positive things and remembering to be grateful for those things allows me to appreciate the inevitable ‘bumps in the road’ that are sure to come about from time to time. 

Here are 5 things I do to be intentional about being grateful and staying positive.

1. Think positive

It might sound cliché, but I can promise you it isn’t. In pretty much every situation we’re faced with, we have two choices. We can either see what’s positive or we can see what’s negative. That’s not oversimplifying, that’s just the reality of our lives. There have been times when work was slow for me. Being a freelance artist is much like owning an Etsy shop. There are super busy times and then there are times when I wonder if work will ever pick up again. Instead of thinking about it being slow and freaking out about all the “what if’s”, the best plan during the slow times is for me to use my time wisely. Am I tempted to complain? Yeah! Do I ever give into that? Definitely. But I do my best to make the most of the slow seasons when they come. After all, when things slow down I get a chance to catch my breath and focus on details I don’t have time to focus on when I’m slammed.

As an Etsy seller, the slow times give you an amazing opportunity to practice NOT getting caught up in the negative and instead, working on all the things you’ve been pushing aside. Pictures need to be revitalized? Do it! Been feeling like your descriptions are not quite what they should be? Rewrite them! Don’t let yourself get caught up and bogged down in the fear that slow times won’t pick up again. Which brings me to my next point…

2. What you dwell on manifests

So it’s slow and you’re doing a great job staying productive, but that’s not all you need to do. During the down times, instead of constantly thinking about what will happen if business stays slow, be excited for all the days ahead which will be SO busy and filled! Think about how you’ll feel when you have the perfect number of orders coming into your shop. Imagine over and over the dollar amount that you’ve had in mind as the perfect income and be grateful for it even before you have it! This isn’t some kind of hocus-pocus thought process, it’s a tried and true method. There have been MANY times in my life where I’ve experienced dwelling on something I didn’t even have yet and then watched it become a reality in my life. This is something I practice as often as I can because it truly works. Maya Angelou once said, “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”

3. Write it down

Another way that helps me stay grateful and positive is to write down what I’m grateful for. Literally. Take out a journal or make a list of all the things you’re grateful for in this moment. Honestly, we have SO much to be grateful for that we don’t think about. For me, it can be as small as appreciating a sunny day! This is also a beautiful way to remember we generally have way more to be grateful for than naught. It’s also a fantastic way to dwell on what you want to happen and be grateful for it before it becomes reality.

4. Create a vision board

I’d heard and read of people doing this, but I’d never tried it myself. I thought it was kind of unnecessary. Boy was I wrong! Being able to see pictures of what I want (for me it’s places I want to travel) is a constant reminder of all the amazing things that are possible for my life! I’m such a visual person that seeing actual images of what I want really helps me focus on my goals and on what I need to do to get where I want to go.

5. Spend time meditating

Whether it’s time spent in prayer or meditation, the benefits of being still and quiet are proven to help us stay positive and be more productive. Setting aside time to be still and quiet are also proven to increase concentration and improve focus, attention, and the ability to work under stress. On days where I wake up early and start my day with meditation, I can see a clear difference in my overall productivity and feelings of well-being. 

What are some ways that you stay positive and grateful in your life and business? I’d love to hear what they are in the comments! And for this post, let’s create a place we can all encourage each other to pursue gratefulness and positivity.

Happy selling, everyone!

Being grateful and positive. These are just a couple things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s something our team talks about and what we each of us strive to do in our work and personal lives. This is</span> often much easier said than done (at least where I’m concerned). It’s so easy to get caught up in the negative stuff that’s happening instead of staying rooted in what’s positive. Positivity and gratefulness take intention. Intentional thought and planning are important for so many areas in our lives, especially where our businesses are concerned.

 

21 replies on “Why being grateful and postive matter for a healthy business”

Hey Jade, thanks for this! This is perfectly in line with what I have been learning about and working on in my life and business. I especially love the concept of focusing on how positive and amazing life could (will) be, vs. worrying or dwelling on what’s not working. I recently have been introduced to the Law of Attraction, and it’s making me realize my wildest dreams are possible! And I’m already seeing evidence that it’s working (just hit $4k for the month of February, which is almost 4x what I did last February (yeehaw!).

Some people call this stuff “woo-woo” but I’m a believer!

Hi Julia! Thanks so much for leaving this comment and for reaching out. Isn’t it amazing how when you start really focusing on the positive stuff, the universe lines up even more for you?! I LOVE hearing that it’s working for you! I’m just recently learning more about the Law of Attraction myself:) Super encouraged by your comment, hope you have a wonderful week! Happy selling!

Singing to the crowd! I know this song well. Not to sound like a suck up but everyday I think how lucky I am for having access to Marmalead! My shops just starting out so it’s a huge confidence boost having access to all the data. Thanks for a great blog post.

Thanks so much for your awesome comment! We really appreciate having you in our community and value you so much as a customer:) Really glad you liked the post too! Hope you have a wonderful week!

Such a perfect article for me to read today. Super great reminders! (Especially meditating for me)

I’m starting out again after having to put my dreams on hold for some time. This time around I am taking things farther than ever before and I totally can tell how important it is for me to be in the right frame of mind to achieve my goals and vision.

If I may add, it’s also really important to create supportive environments for yourself and to have supportive people around you so that you truly can practice being grateful and positive. While conditions aren’t always optimal, it’s still really important to take (even if small) steps to create supportive conditions for our success.

Thanks again!

Thanks so much, Regina! I love the idea of creating a supportive environment. That is SO important. It’s something I strive for in my life constantly. Thank you for reading and for taking the time to comment. It truly means so much! Happy selling!

Thank you for reading and commenting! Writing things down that I’m grateful for is always such a help in my life. Happy selling!

Being grateful and thankful matters in everything. Keeping a grateful journal is a great practice. Not only writing in it but reading it on a daily basis. Keeping love in your heart is another great practice. When you give love and kindness you’ll receive it back and that love and kindness is what makes our lives and what we do matter.

Blessings,
Elizabeth 🙂

Thank you for these thoughts, Elizabeth! Sending love and light out to those around us and into the universe, in general, is such a fantastic practice for a more positive life. And it will certainly return to us in one way or another. Thanks for reaching out, I truly appreciate it! Love and light to you for the rest of your week:)

This all fits in with my Christian beliefs, so for me this is a no brainer. Be helpful and kind to everyone you meet.. I am almost always positive as I have so many blessings in my life from God. I am grateful for all the Lord has placed in my life. This does not come to me without hard work.
We are expected to work and provide for ourselves and family.

It’s a beautiful thing when being kind and positive fits into our personal beliefs! I know for my part as well that God has blessed me with so much, far more than I could ever begin to be consciously thankful for:) Thank you for sharing your thoughts as your comment has blessed me this morning.

Love this, thank you! I am both an Etsy seller and also a freelance artist, and I definitely need the reminder to focus on my blessings and be careful and conscious of how I spend my time.

We’re so glad you enjoyed this post, Jamie! Thank you for reading and for being part of our community! Happy holidays to you 🙂

Thanks Jade for writing the very inspirational post! The best way to keep positive is to stay away from the negative. Traveling down the positive path sure makes it easier to travel with life.

This is a very timely post – thank you very much!! Even for those of us who strive to practice these things daily, it’s wonderful for a couple of reasons (likely more.) It’s a great reminder in this time of year that tends to be slow for many of us. And it’s lovely to hear how it’s bearing fruit for others. Thank you, again – i will be marking this article to re-read regularly. ❤️

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