We can work with our students on simple gratitude that can build a life long habit of happiness and appreciation.
But what about us?
Have you shared a gratitude with a co-worker, a friend, or someone you care about?
One of my favorite mindfulness practices is called 3 Wishes.
Wish 1: For yourself. This a wish or a gratitude regarding yourself. Wishing yourself to have a great day. Being grateful for yourself.
Wish 2: A Loved One. A Close Friend. This is a wish or gratitude toward someone you love or someone with whom you are close.
Wish 3: For someone you dislike. This is not easy. To be grateful for the difficult people in our lives and to send them well wishes.
That last one is a challenge. It is a gratitude challenge that you may not be ready for at this time, but I am sure you need it.
PsychologyToday.com has a great article on gratitude in the workplace. I loved some of the ideas and suggestions presented regarding gratitude and co-workers.
The idea I found the most thought provoking was to ask co-workers what appreciation looks like to them. Each of have a different way we express gratitude. Each of us may have a different way we see, accept, or believe something is genuine gratitude. Maybe appreciation and gratitude looks like helping to one person and to another it looks like letting someone figure things out on their own.
Some of the other ideas in the article were general and easy. The article suggests starting with expressing gratitude toward your team. Then it suggested moving on to acknowledging those who help contribute to your day in a positive and helpful way.
One of the other ideas, that I liked for use with co-workers, but also with students, was to notice and have gratitude for someone's progress and process not just the outcome.
This month let's try to look for unique ways to express gratitude, ask others what gratitude looks like to them, and in general just be grateful.
