Lessons from Thanksgiving

TRENTON-As I sit back and reflect on this past Thanksgiving Day I look at entrepreneurship and I see how this day of giving and expressing gratitude somehow has connections with entrepreneurism. 

Indeed, any entreprenuer that's worth his or her salt, understands that in order to stay in business, get into business, or to do well in business, requires a certain degree of gratitude and thankfulness toward not only your customers, but your suppliers, your sponsors, your employees, your friends, etcetera, etcetera, etc.

When I reflect on the gratitude one has for these various stakeholders involved in the entrepreneurial life cycle, it seems one can better cope with the various stressors of being an entrepreneur. Stressors such as wearing many different hats at the same time, i.e. finding a profitable location for your business, marketing and selling your products and services, being your organization's accountant, etc.

Now I am not naive enough to think that showing or expressing gratitude somehow erases an entrepreneur's life challenges, but I do firmly believe that expressing gratitude can help one cope with some of the stressors of entrepreneurship. There is even research to back to this up. For more info on this, see Elizabeth Heubeck's WebMD article by clicking here.

So I leave you, dear reader, with a few jewels of wisdom that I think may help you as you pursue your entrepreneurial dreams and aspirations.

Being in business is better than not being in business, so be thankful, point blank period.

When businesses come and go all the time, it is a beautiful thing to have your shop doors still open.

Serving others is an honor in any capacity, so be thankful.

Indeed, as the bible says, whoever will be the greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 20:26). Bottom line: even if it does not feel that way sometimes, serving others is both an honor and privilege.

Providing opportunities for others is a blessing, so be thankful.

Being an entrepreneur creates opportunities for others i.e. jobs, a source of identity, a place to go to, etc. Entrepreneurs can put meat on the table for others, metaphorically or literally speaking, either way these individuals add value to our society with their contributions.  

Lo and behold, as you can see above, I think when you have a spirit of gratitude for what you do, it seems that one can better cope with the 'slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune' as Hamlet talked about. 

So dear reader, in the spirit of thanksgiving, I encourage you and leave with you with this message, like I encourage myself, to sit back and revel in the beauty of now (this moment right now) and be grateful for it, even with its challenges, stressors, and setbacks. Indeed, it is better to sing in the rain than curse the darkness (and trust me I am learning this as I go along as well).

Thank you for reading and listening dear readers...

Fathers and Men Put Food On The Plate This Thanksgiving

TRENTON-- Cases of cranberry sauce, loads of turkeys, and plenty of stuffing were all on display Wednesday morning at the Lighthouse Outreach Center in West Trenton as a local community organization prepared Thanksgiving baskets for families in the city.

Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton, a non-profit organization in the community, put together 90 baskets this year. Last year, the group handed out 80 baskets.

The Trenton based community group has been giving out Thanksgiving baskets every year for the past five years. Various community organizations helped make this year's Thanksgiving basket give-out possible.

Mercer County Freeholder Sam Frisbee, Turning Point Church, Lighthouse Outreach Center, Beauty Grove Church, Sister Barbara Counts, the City Employees Union, all made donations and helped out.

Members of Fathers' will be hand delivering the Thanksgiving packages Wednesday afternoon just before Turkey Day tomorrow.

They said they received a call from the police department just yesterday informing them that a family with a 8 year old baby was in need. As a result, they will be making sure that family receives a basket as well so they can have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Fathers and Men co-founder, Wayne Council, said that putting these baskets together is our way of giving back. He said, "gratitude is our attitude", that's why we do this every year".

Members of the group said they don't limit their assistance to Thanksgiving, they also provide gloves and hats around Christmas time, along with other acts of community involvement.

Please see videos below: