8 Years of Gratitude

In the eight years, I’ve been at Tebo Dental, I’ve had the honor of working with people I genuinely admire and respect. Given the current climate of today’s workforce and with newfound clarity on the importance of prioritizing employee values in the workplace, we’re launching this new blog alongside our Career & Life-Development Podcast of the same name, “The Think Tank” (hosted by Brandon Akira & Ryan Dinning), which is currently mid-season. Ryan worked in Public Relations on my team at Tebo and has since moved on to focus primarily on his acting career, as we are both aspiring actors. Still, we are equally passionate about our vision for “getting the conversation” about developing a mindset and lifestyle for happiness and success— personally and professionally. I’ve realized it’s time to acknowledge that there’s been an evolution of business ethics that encourages company leaders to bridge the gap with their employees by being more transparent about who those leaders are. It’s time to give more than we get by sharing more of what we have to offer— and it all starts and ends with being deeply rooted in being grateful for everything we have.

A Little Backstory

I wrote an article on LinkedIn some time ago, “7 Years of Gratitude,” which includes “12 Laws of Happiness” that were key revelations I’d learned from research and experience into personal growth, employee engagement, and achieving professional success. I re-sent the 12 Laws of Happiness in an email to all our employees after delivering the keynote at our CompanyWide Meeting, “Evolution 7: CWM 2018.” I felt it important to share such relevant, timeless ideals with all the new employees that had joined our company since some time had passed. I think these values are the most important thing, so I want to offer you a newer, more refined version of my “7 Years of Gratitude” article.

My Message of Gratitude

I feel a true sense of purpose in my servitude to help drive value for our patients and team members through our work and company culture daily. It gives my life substance, and having such a purpose makes me happier.

In a way, I feel I’ve “figured happiness out” just a little bit, and I want to open up about what I’ve learned because I think it might help some people looking for something meaningful— not just at work but throughout their entire lives.

Having good people around you is so important! Because of the people, working at Tebo Dental has been my most incredible business career experience.

I work with people who care. I mean, I care. I feel a sense of ownership in the company and a responsibility to always be honest with you, push you to be your best (and never settle!), support you, be loyal to you, and fail forward with you.

I want to expound on that last one for a minute: “Failing Forward.” Over the past few years, I’ve realized that we only have one shot in this life to make a difference— to be something good. People are naturally designed to want to share happiness, peace, and positivity— perhaps this is why it is so much easier to smile than it is to frown.

I’ve learned so much from my mistakes that I’ve learned to love them. I embrace the falls because the rise is just so sweet. I am thankful to be given a chance to fail, learn from it, and then rise to the occasion when it matters most— even if that means admitting I’m wrong and becoming better.

So, here are a few lessons I’ve learned that may help each of you on your journey in life, as they have so greatly helped me.

12 Laws of Happiness

12. Don’t think about it: take ‘Massive Action.’ Just get up and GO. Understand that to surpass any goal; one must first determine the appropriate action level to achieve that goal. Then, multiply that level of action times 10. This is called “10X-ing” your goal. Under this logic, even if you fall 50% short of your new “10X’d” goal, you will still exceed your original goal by 500%. For example, do you want to win the lottery for $1 million or $10 million? Exactly. 10X all your goals and be blown away by the results.

11. No one can become successful at anything without consistency.

10. Your reputation and time are your most valuable and irreplaceable assets. Your reputation and track record are your leverage. Accept that social media and technology aren’t changing us; through them, we are revealing who we are. Understand that developing strong relationships is key to having a successful career, so listen to people who know more than you. And if they are wrong, learn from their mistakes. Learning from others will never hurt you.

9. Learn Pareto’s Law and understand its incredible power when enacted in one’s personal life. Pareto’s Law (aka) “The 80/20 Principle” states that: 80% of the consequences come from 20% of the causes [or] 80% of the results come from 20% the effort and time. If you’ve ever heard the term, “it’s the little things that make a big difference,” that’s Pareto’s Law. If that one thing someone said ruins your entire day, that’s Pareto’s Law, so understand your control of it.

8. Own it. Be accountable. No one controls your environment or your circumstances more than you. If you’re going to point fingers, make sure you’re standing in the mirror first.

7. Never, ever, ever underestimate the power of your decisions. Your decisions impact your results more than anything. Making a decision is usually easy— the real challenge lies in staying committed to your decisions and following the path. Stay committed to your decisions but remain flexible in your approach. Most people don’t dare to make tough decisions because they want to make the right decisions— and they end up making no decisions. This process results in people “hamster-wheeling,” stagnation, or blaming others for otherwise avoidable problems, an unhealthy cycle that steers people away from success 100% of the time.

6. Commit. Commit, commit, commit. You have more time than you think, and nothing worth having comes without significant time invested and great sacrifice. Netflix, Call of Duty, and the Bachelor isn’t going anywhere.

5. Stop doing things that have nothing to do with your goals. Further, train yourself not to dwell on unimportant things. If you aren’t clear on your bigger picture goals— think about what you don’t want and do the opposite, step-by-step. Your big path will become clear as you take small steps away from what you don’t want.

4. Temper your emotions when it comes to business and career decisions. Although emotions can cloud your judgment, focusing your emotional energy on things that will help you crush your goals is possible. Think about how easy it can be to speed while driving when angry or run when you’re scared. Understand that emotional responses are often nothing more than a signal that you should do the opposite of what you feel. Emotions and instincts are not the same things.

3. Learn to love your failures. No one’s perfect— and that’s okay. Embrace them; your power is in your ability to fail and learn from it, which makes you stronger. We tend to focus more attention on our own mistakes than others ever will. Getting “caught up” distracts you and slows you down.

2. Master the art of having patience. It is the ultimate competitive advantage.

1. Be grateful for what you have. This creates true purpose. Produce a habit in yourself to be constantly overwhelmed with gratitude. Give your priority, and you will always receive more than you give. Remember this: if what you have is not enough, nothing will ever be enough.

I look forward to connecting with you and getting the conversation going. 

Live Prosperously!

-B.A.
TDG

LinkedIn.com/in/BrandonAkira
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