Stop. Give Thanks. And, What PR Folks Are Most Thankful For.

Lauren Hannaford

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it has a simple history, meaning and purpose. Give thanks. Refraining from drowning everyone with a massive tirade on why I hate Black Friday, which has now morphed into Black Thursday/Friday, let me explain. Even if life has been handing you lemons consistently for the past year, there is always something to be thankful for. Even though sometimes it’s hard to see through the darkest of days, there is always a light, a silver lining or a better day ahead. We just have to stop and take the time to look for it. I can’t begin to list everything I’m thankful for; this blog would go on forever. One thing is certain; I don’t stop to think about those things enough. 

I was reading a friend’s personal blog recently and a quote by Christian author Jon Acuff really resonated with me. 

One insult + 1,000 compliments = One insult. 

Truth. 

Sometimes we dwell on things like failures, tough situations, difficult decisions, trying to be perfect, hectic schedules, never-ending to-do lists and other ridiculous worries so much that we fail to see the things we should be giving thanks for. Guilty.  

I think everyone, no matter your profession, can relate to these tips:

• Slow down. When you don’t slow down to think about the task ahead of you, plan effectively and strategize, you make mistakes and miss opportunities. 
• Focus on the good. Even in a crisis or negative situation, focus on what is good. It may be difficult to shake the negative image from your audience’s memory, but focusing on the good gives them something to look forward to, and hopefully, they’ll keep tabs on you or your client and follow up to see if things have changed.
• Don’t focus on the “what ifs.” If you focus on the “what ifs,” you will never be able to make a confident decision. You can come up with a “what if” for literally everything. 
• Move on. When you fail, move on. Dwelling on failures slows you down, keeps your attention from focusing on the good and floods your mind with all of the “what ifs.”

      So what are PR folks thankful for? 

1. Really awesome client relationships
2. Really awesome reporter relationships
3. When a client gets a front page story in one of our local publications
4. Overcoming a huge challenge
5. Helping a client meet a huge business or fundraising goal
6. When we can actually finish everything on our to-do list (Just kidding, this doesn’t happen, because in PR, there’s no such thing as “the end of a to-do list.”)
7. When you meet every deadline for an entire week!
8. When we win awards!
9. Monthly potlucks (at Obsidian)
10. Getting time off to recharge our batteries