I recently attended a working lunch and we decided to share a tradition of one member.  He explained that every holiday dinner, when his family gathers, they each take turns sharing 1 highlight, 1 low point and finish with one more highlight.  What followed was some incredibly interesting and stimulating conversation that took us all the way through lunch and about one hour past with no one wanting to leave.   There was a lot to celebrate:  a new grandchild, a new home in Dominican Republic, time spent with family and friends, accomplishments and milestone achievements with both ourselves and in our children,  and marriage.  The low points put into perspective that really, compared to some people’s low, mine were relatively minor as two people at the table had experienced the death of a partner or parent. Then, more celebrations of new kitchens, new learning opportunities, recognizing how fortunate we were for the people we hold close in our lives, travel and so on.

Here are the high points I shared with the group, (I will spare you the low point because in comparison to death it seems minor):

- In February of this year I turned 40.  My wonderful husband pulled off a surprise party filling a room at the Sheraton Fallsview with many of my friends and family.  I was so surprised and so touched.

- I became a Certified John Maxwell Coach, Trainer and Speaker.  The learning journey was amazing with some of the best faculty.  I love learning but this topped many of my experiences.

I have other high points too but  further to the point of this blog post, the experience go me thinking about what a great tradition it is to pause and reflect.  We don’t stop often enough to realize we have so many gifts we can be grateful for.  As the year comes to a close, I would like to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year and I would encourage you to pause, reflect and realize how many gifts came to you in 2011.  With Gratitude, Kim…

Tags: 2012, advice, better, Christmas, coaching, development, gratitude, Kim Mattinson, km Training Solutions, leadership, New Year, Niagara, Niagara Region, positive, self-improvement, tips

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