Even though I live in Texas where it can feel a lot like Summer well into Fall, one of my favorite times of year is late November and the Thanksgiving holiday. (Note: I realize that this is a uniquely American celebration, but I’ve found that many cultures around the world celebrate a season of “thankfulness” in some fashion, so I’m assuming everyone can at least partially relate to this idea.). And, while the American celebration has evolved over time to be as much about football and a turkey dinner as it is about gratitude, the underlying concept of pausing to remind ourselves of the many things in life for which we should be grateful is still a rich tradition. If anything, it’s often a convicting reminder about my tendency to fall into grumbling about the handful of things in my life that aren’t going well, or at least not according to my plans, rather than celebrating the myriad of things in my life that are generally, if not exceptionally, good. And so, I re-commit annually to try to hold onto an “attitude of gratitude” more in the looming year than I have in the one that’s near its closure.

And that leads me to why I thought this was worthy of a mention in this series. This same malady about focusing on the negative can often be true when we think about our business or our colleagues. While there are often difficulties and challenges facing any business, and it’s certainly true that our fellow executives and team members are prone to shortcomings (at least some of the time), it is always a choice I am making as to whether I see them through a lens of criticism or thankfulness. And, even when I might be in a healthy mental state and having positive thoughts about those in my circle, I often realize that I haven’t been good about expressing my gratitude in any meaningful way. This awareness is painful because, like many of you, I’ve found that a genuine expression of appreciation to someone can literally change their perspective on their whole day, if not their week or even their month. Playing armchair psychologist for a moment, there is increasingly clear evidence that at our core, we need to know that we are seen, accepted, and appreciated. When we’ve done something worthy of praise and it goes unnoticed, it can crush our spirit. Conversely, when a colleague or a customer or a friend or a boss takes the time to thank us for something we’ve done or said, or just how we showed up in an important season, it can fuel our souls for a very long time.

So, my encouragement to you, and my admonishment to myself, is to ensure that I am taking the time to both notice and express gratitude to the many friends and colleagues whose presence and contribution make my life a true joy (at least the great majority of the time!). So, to my senior executive team, my extended leadership team, my incredible crewmates at SailPoint our amazing SailPoint ecosystem of partners, customers, and supporters, as well as the many friends and colleagues in the larger circle of the marketplace in which we all work, please accept a sincere “thank you” for being who you are, and for what you do each and every day.  I see you, and I am grateful for you.