Over the past two months there's a realization that less is more. As we have slowed down one seems to have become more observant of the things present. Realizing that one is bringing more mindfulness to the present than before.

Practicing gratitude and proactively choosing joy and selecting to be thankful even for things that haven't happened yet. A couple of things happen in doing this. One is that there's an immediate feeling of good and the second is that it gets attraction in the day going for the things that one is grateful for though they haven't happened yet. This is important for a leader. As a leader one has to be helping other people and to do that one has to direct one's energy towards it. That's where the mindset of gratitude is helpful.

Focus determines bravery. How we focus our attention determines how we feel and how we show up and behave. That determines our results. The definition of brave is willing to face and endure danger or pain. What's interesting about that definition is that we all want to be brave and in focusing on trying to be brave we inadvertently put ourselves in danger and pain. It's easier to be brave when you have the energy in you to be so. In doing so expressing gratitude brings forth a joy that creates the energy required to move forward. Simple things like noticing how much we appreciate the people we can connect with during this time. Choosing where to put our focus.

As human beings we always like to believe that we can control everything. But there's so much outside our realm of control. What we can control is our attention and where we put our attention. Being on autopilot is not helpful and even trying to be mindful and in the present does not always work. Yet we have to have the mindset to appreciate and try at every situation.

At work we always tend to use busy to not be focused. In leadership perspective. specially at a time like this, one needs to be mindfully focused on the conversations with the people so as for the same to be beneficial to them. This is when focusing on one's purpose helps. Coming from one's purpose helps in seeing how one can help the other. Looking at keeping the focus on answering what's the impact I want, as a leader, in this group call right now. This is where the gratitude practice really makes a difference. Focusing on being grateful in a proactive manner creates the positive energy within which then enables one to focus on the impact they want to make then and there. 

Coupled with empathy and action we then are being human dealing with human beings. From a leadership perspective when you do this, people connect with their hearts to you and want to follow and want to perform. As a leader its critical to connect to the hearts of one's teams. 

Summing up it’s about how you lead yourself. Starting off the day with being grateful gives you a head start with positive energy to connect with the hearts of their teams.