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Develop an “attitude of gratitude.” Say thank you to everyone
you meet for everything they do for you. -Brian Tracy
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Hi, this is Ty Cohen, and this week’s blog is going to be a little different. I just got back from Las Vegas after spending a couple of days of quiet time there with my wife. We turned off the cell phones, left the computers at home and basically took a few days to enjoy ourselves in a fabulous Las Vegas hotel. Earlier in the week, though, I had an experience on the way there that I’d like to share with you.
 

As we were preparing to leave Raleigh, North Carolina; we were at the airport going through the process to board our flight and, right before the security checkpoint I ended up getting searched. Now while this is happening, while I’m going through the search process, I’m thinking, “This is really a pain. Why do I have to go through this?” I’m really being very negative about it, and then suddenly a thought snapped into my head.
 

It suddenly occurred to me that, about a decade ago or even less, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. I wouldn’t have been able to just take a couple days off spontaneously to fly to a luxurious Las Vegas hotel with my beautiful wife, confident with my business running successfully in my absence, and enjoy myself in this way. And it got me thinking about how very grateful I am to be living the life that I live right now.
 

With that thought, the inconvenience and hassle of the search faded away and was replaced by a more important, more powerful feeling – gratitude. Gratitude for my loving wife and four kids: Tyler, Mia, Evan and Summer; for the opportunity to interact with all of you fabulous people and get my message out there…which brings me to today’s message: understanding the importance of gratitude.
I’d like you to take a minute to ask yourself, “What are some of the things I’m grateful for having in my life?” Think about the people, the individuals, who you appreciate having in your life; the circumstances and events that you are grateful to have experienced. And as you are going through this exercise, think about some of the things that you had previously thought of as negative experiences and how you can turn them into something positive.
 

Ask yourself how you can turn a specific event that had previously been a negative one in your mind, something you had perceived as upsetting or stressful, and change it into something positive and actually something to be grateful for. Take my experience in the airport at the security checkpoint as an example; it began as a hassle but it also triggered a different chain of thoughts about my gratitude for having been there in the first place. I’m grateful to the Creator for giving me this life that I’m living right now – to get to experience the music workshops, the seminars, the consulting programs, to have authored almost two dozen music business and goal-oriented success books and everything that goes along with that.
 

So make it a habit to put some time aside each day to be used thinking about how grateful you are about ten things in your life. No matter how small they seem to you, no matter how insignificant they may seem, still be grateful for those things because that’s the only way that you advance. Whatever it is that you do right now, whether you’re a singer, musician of some type, or have your own record label – whatever it is that you do – be grateful for it right now. No matter what level you’re at, it is important to appreciate it because that’s the only way to advance to the next level.
 

There is an old saying that basically says ‘Without being grateful for the things you have right now, you are not allowed to advance to bigger, better things.’ To put it in more concrete terms, you need to be grateful for the house you have right now in order to one day have a mansion. You need to be thankful you are playing small clubs or small events, or you are on a small record label before you can expect to play bigger clubs, etc. And when you are going through this exercise of counting the things you appreciate, don’t make it feel like a chore, don’t think of it as a task – it’s important to truly feel gratitude for having the opportunities you have right now.
 

I can tell you ten things I’m grateful for right now: my four children, my wife, being able to talk with you, the business that I have, the cars that we have, my extended family, this office, the vacation we just returned from, the people that we met there and had an opportunity to be generous to while on vacation, my breakfast that I ate this morning…something as simple as being able to sit down to breakfast when so many in this world can’t do that is something to be grateful for.
 

Let me know what your thoughts are on gratitude and let me know some of the things you are grateful for. Remember it isn’t just the big things that count, you also want to appreciate the smaller experiences and successes because those are the building blocks for bigger things to come. They are the rungs in the ladder that will take you up to the bigger success.
 

As always, much success!
 

Ty Cohen
Your Music Business Coach!
 

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