The Copyblogger Gratitude List — Happy Thanksgiving!

“Shouldn’t I be grateful for something other than Tivo? And Lost?”
~ Christine Kane, “What the Hell Am I Doing with My Life”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S., a holiday traditionally dedicated to heroic feats of overeating, football watching, and avoiding delicate topics of conversation with family members.

But I’m told that before the development of these fine traditions, the holiday was supposed to be about gratitude.

And since gratitude is one of my favorite feelings, and one that’s been scientifically proven to make us happier, I thought I’d share my gratitude list with you.

Maybe it will inspire you to add a few items to your own list. At the very least, it’ll give you something to talk about with your extended family other than politics, religion, or whether your cousin is ever going to get a job.

And we can all be grateful for that.

New ways of doing business

Copywriter Gary Bencivenga once said the internet was the world’s biggest printing press combined with the world’s biggest post office, both free.

He might be oversimplifying slightly (good copywriters sometimes do), but not by much.

Running a business is never simple, but there are so many new tools that have made it simpler.

Getting the word out, finding new customers, staying in touch with the customers we already have, creating new products … there are dozens of ways that information technology is making business better, more profitable, and available to more people.

Interesting times

We’ve all heard the clichés so often we could barf.

• The Chinese character for “crisis” is “danger” combined with “opportunity.” (It turns out that isn’t exactly linguistically correct, but never mind, it makes for a good cliché.)
• Every problem contains the seed of its own solution.
• The night is always darkest before the dawn.

These are all ways to feel a little better about how hard everything is right now. The economy is shifting, fast and hard. Technology is accelerating faster than anyone can keep up. A lot of jobs have been lost. We’re all having to learn new things just to stay afloat.

It’s really hard.

It’s also really amazing.

Have you had to learn something tricky this year to keep yourself going? Turn around and teach it to someone else.

I’ll never tell you that 2010 was an easy year for any of us. But the sharper and more difficult the change, the more opportunities are created.

A business teacher once told me that really tough times are the best time to become a millionaire, because so many more people need help. If you keep that outlook in mind, you can both do well for yourself and you can help a lot of people. Don’t underestimate the greatness of that.

Amazing people

Three people in particular have made my life a lot easier (and more fun) this year: Carole Brown, Taylor Lindstrom, and Robert Bruce. Thank you so much, guys. Really, so much.

I’d say something mushy about Brian here, but he hates that, so I’ll just say thanks. It’s been a wild couple of years, and I don’t see us slowing down any time soon.

And of course, I have to mention how grateful I am to the extraordinary folks at Copyblogger Media, both partners and staff. I’ve never seen a more passionate, capable crew. You guys are like the Enterprise. It’s going to be a gas to bravely explore new worlds and new civilizations with you.

Amazing people (redux)

I can’t let Thanksgiving Day pass without a shout-out to the amazing members of Inside the Third Tribe, the Remarkable Marketing Blueprint, and Teaching Sells.

A lot of people think that online marketing education has to be full of hype and make a lot of bogus promises. You guys prove them wrong. You don’t chase the latest “Internet Push-Button Cash System.” Instead you take action, you build real businesses, and you get amazing results.

It’s a privilege to see the projects you all have in the works. I’m so excited by everything you’ve done, and everything you’re doing next. Thanks so much for letting me be a part of that.

As my little boy likes to say, “For real.”

What’s on your list?

Got a gratitude list going? Let us know in the comments what’s on your list this year.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is CMO of Copyblogger Media and founder of Remarkable Communication. Share your 140-character gratitude list with her on twitter.

P.S.

We’re giving the Internet Marketing for Smart People radio show a break this week. So if you still need a good distraction from your family, why not subscribe to the free email newsletter? It’s full of smart advice about growing your business, and we guarantee it’s 100% free of holiday sweaters, nosy comments about your weight, or those weird yams with the little marshmallows.