“Gratitude shifts your focus from what your life lacks to the abundance that is already present.”
I recently came across this variant of the old question “Is the glass half full or half empty?” in a blog entry titled “How Gratitude Can Change Your Life,” written by Marelisa Fabrega. Even though I have written a number of times about the research showing that powerful benefits accrue to those who regularly express gratitude, Thanksgiving is a natural time to think about how we can foster “an attitude of gratitude” within our children and ourselves.
Countless studies show the same results: “giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress.” In addition, those who stick to “daily gratitude exercises” report higher “levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism, and energy.” They also experience “less depression and stress, and were more likely to help others, have exercised more regularly, and made greater progress towards personal goals.”
Dr. Robert Emmons of UC-Davis, one the nation’s leading experts on happiness, points out that “to say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our lives is necessarily great. It just means we are aware of our blessings.” Other researchers note that “people tend to take for granted the good that is already in their lives.” They suggest that people “start finding joy in the small things instead of holding out for big achievements,“ that they “use gratitude to help put things in the proper perspective,” and that, when faced with adversity, they ask themselves “‘What’s good about this?’, ‘What can I learn from this?’, and ‘How can I benefit from this?”
Methods as simple as keeping a daily gratitude journal, writing a letter to someone you have never thanked but who has exerted a positive influence on your life, and starting family meals with each member expressing what she or he is grateful for are simple ways to develop the practice. These kinds of “Thanksgiving resolutions” are amongst the most important habits we can foster within our children because instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful, you’ll help them notice “the little things,… the good even in unpleasant situations,… the fact that gratitude should not just be a reaction to getting what you want.”
Know that I am grateful for the powerful, positive ways you influence your children, for your entrusting them to us, and for your belief in the possibilities that an independent education can provide. Parents and students, faculty and staff, all help create a wonderfully positive, nurturing, and strong Country School community. I am thankful for all the good that our school community radiates. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!