November: Gratitude
Character Focus
Gratitude Looks Like:
Recognizing what other people do for you
Showing appreciation for opportunities
Expressing appreciation by saying "Thank You."
Doing nice things for others
GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION
Gratitude is the appreciation for the benefits we receive from others, and the desire to reciprocate.
Those who demonstrate gratitude—and those who don’t—see life differently. Individuals demonstrating gratitude tend to emphasize language related to gifts, givers, blessings, blessed, fortune, fortunate, and abundance. Individuals who don’t demonstrate gratitude, on the other hand, tend to focus on deprivation, deservingness, regrets, lack, need, scarcity, and loss. For instance, a grateful person might say, “I get to go to class today,” whereas an ungrateful person might say, “Why do I have to learn all this useless stuff?” (Character Lab)
Promoting Gratitude At Home
This November, I'm Thankful For
No Double Dipping! Each day, for at least thirty days, write on your calendar something you are thankful for. Here's the catch: NO repeats. People who have done this activity report it leads to an active awareness of moments of gratitude throughout the day.
Practicing mindful awareness creates space for gratitude to permeate our lives.
Because we live in a society which glorifies excess, we must actively nurture a spirit of gratitude in our children.
Questions to Ponder:
- How often do my children hear me use the language of gratitude?
- What are opportunities during the week that I could intentionally model gratitude for them?
- What are the excuses you allow yourself that keep you from experiencing the benefits of gratitude?
Example: I would be grateful, but ... or I will be grateful when. ..
Dr. Robert Emmons of UC Davis Talks About Gratitude
Research on Gratitude
Overall, gratitude is important and correlated with positive life outcomes. In clinical settings, adults can build gratitude and improve upon it. Research shows that when you are reflecting on gratitude, it’s most effective when you are specific. Instead of saying, “I’m grateful for my mom,” try saying, “I’m grateful that my mom makes me breakfast every day.”
Studies show that in early adolescence, gratitude is positively related to hope, forgiveness, pride, contentment, optimism, inspiration, and global positive affect. It also has a positive effect on satisfaction with school, family, friends, community, and self. (Character Lab)
GRATITUDE WORKS!
Recent dramatic advances in our understanding of gratitude have changed the question from "does gratitude work?" to "how do we get more of it?" This book explores evidence-based practices in a compelling and accessible way and provides a step-by-step guide to cultivating gratitude in their lives. (Amazon)
FLOURISH
While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep lasting relationships with others, ..., and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish? (Amazon)
MAKING GRATEFUL KIDS
In Making Grateful Kids, two of the leading authorities on gratitude among young people introduce their latest and most compelling research... on how to achieve greater life satisfaction through gratitude. Most importantly perhaps, they expand on this groundbreaking research to offer practical and effective common-sense plans that can be used in day-to-day interactions between kids and adults to enhance success and wellbeing. (Amazon)