Don’t Compare: It’s easy to compare ourselves to others and want what they have. When you do that, you’re not embracing your own unique journey. We’re all on a different life path. Embrace the path you’re own. Embrace your beauty and your uniqueness. As Dr. Seuss said: you were born to stand out. Feel gratitude for who you are and what you have.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Keep a Gratitude Journal: Keep it simple and each day write 1-3 things you are grateful for in the morning and in the evening. It will allow you to see more joy and beauty in your days. A lot of people focus on what they don’t have, or complain all day. When you focus on the positive, no matter how small, you attract more positive.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Here’s a fun gratitude tip -Host a Gratitude Dinner - Invite your friends to a dinner party and show your appreciation to them. It’s a great way to honor your friends and tell them how much they mean to you. You can even give each person a blank card and encourage them to write a note of appreciation to someone in their life. Another good idea - keep the dinner stress free by making it a potluck.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Go Complaint Free For 21 Days. Do you think you could stop complaining for 21 days straight? Complaining feels good because it gets out our negative feelings. However, if it becomes a habit, it can bring us down. Switching from our complaints to all life’s goodness will enhance our lives. There’s a book called A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen that talks about going complaint free for 21 days. Check it out!

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Most businesses have email autoresponders thanking their customers for a purchase. It's the same email that goes out to everyone. Set yourself apart by taking 60 seconds and creating a personalized video thanking your customers for purchasing your product or service. That short amount of time will make a world of difference setting yourself apart.

Personal note: Once when I was shopping for a new virtual CFO, I was interviewing a Profit First Professional, Joanne. Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First, recorded a personal video for me, just to say he hoped I worked with Joanne, and that he would be available for any of my questions as well. Now this wasn't a thank you video, but it was quite the thrill to get that personal video and such an added touch. It made such an impression on me, that I did hire Joanne to be my virtual CFO!

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

It's fun to send unexpected gifts to others. It doesn't have to be something big, flashy or expensive. It's the thought that counts. And it is so much fun when it is least expected. Make it personal - something that has meaning to your customer. Even better, make it a gift that their spouse or whole family can enjoy. If you've read the book Giftology, by John Ruhlin, you know what I'm talking about.

Personal note: Here's a great example. My friend and business coach, Pat Rigsby, loves Disney. I mean loves it! He loves the company, the experience they provide and taking his family there...several times a year. During the Christmas holiday of 2017, I got clued in that he was going to be there for a few days, checking into the Wilderness Lodge in Disney late on December 26.

Wanting to do something nice for Pat, for having been a business coach of mine for a number of years, I decided to order Pat and his family a Disney tote bag with a bunch of treats in it, to arrive at their hotel the same day they arrived. And it worked like a charm - they were completely surprised, and I'm guessing, the kids were probably even happier to see the bag of treats that showed up at their hotel room.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Make Gratitude Calls.

Spend some time calling clients, past clients, colleagues who refer business to you and anyone else who has impacted your business over the past year. These calls shouldn't be sales calls, they're gratitude calls. Your intention is to thank those that have positively impacted your business' growth as well as your own personal happiness.

Personal note: I remember when my mentor Ryan Lee used to call me out of the blue. I was so excited and surprised when his name showed up on my phone. This little gesture is one of the things that has kept me loyal to Ryan for over 15 years. Surprise and delight your customers.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

Appreciate Your Parents - Write them a heartfelt letter of appreciation for all of the love and support they’ve given you over the years. Many times, we don’t show our appreciation to our parents often enough. A letter is something they’ll cherish for the rest of their lives.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

here is a cool company out there called B1G1 (b1G1.com)

They help companies bring purpose and meaning to their business by embedding giving right at the core of what you do (example if you are a coffee shop owner, for every cup of coffee sold you can provide a month of clean water to a community in Africa)

One of the things they provide their business members is something called Gratitude Certificates. Businesses can use these gratitude certificates to thank their clients for doing business with them, by giving to a charitable project on their behalf.

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.

A new business in North Smithfield, Rhode Island is spreading awareness on the importance of hiring people with disabilities.The coffee shop Red, White & Brew is run by Michael Coyne, who has autism. He started the business after he struggled to find a job.

"After I turned 21 I applied to multiple places. None of them would hire me," said Coyne.

So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He enrolled in business classes through the state's Developmental Disabilities Council. He was then ready to open his coffee shop.

“We’ve been very busy," said Coyne. “It’s been fun.”

The business has been open less than two weeks and has already become a haven for other families who have children with disabilities.

"We've had parents come in with tears in their eyes with the hope that their young children will eventually be accepted into the community," said Coyne's mother.

Down the line, Coyne said he wants to hire others with special needs to spread the message that people with disabilities are hard workers too. Pretty awesome!

I’m Scott Colby with Say It With Gratitude and this has been your Daily Gratitude Minute. Cheers.