Embracing a Mindset of Gratitude

Each day we awaken to a new day, we are gifted with life. We have an opportunity to appreciate our surroundings, our family and friends, and make a difference in our world; big or small. Appreciation or gratitude itself, is a choice.

I was reflecting on my cousin Susie Goldberg’s blog titled, Getting to “Get To,” and how she explains that so many of us look at events in life as something we “have to” do, rather than “get to” do. I have to admit, I’m guilty myself. On some days I look at my ‘to do’ list and just want it to be completed. However, even within a to do list, are experiences we might feel gratitude toward if we shift our perspective.

Recently, I had to run several errands which included donating items to our local animal shelter, picking up a couple of items from the grocery store, and returning shirts to a local store that didn’t fit our 13-year old. I felt like they were things that just had to be done and I wasn’t looking forward to it as I had other ideas on how I wanted to spend my day. In fact, I had procrastinated this list for a few days.

Shifting Perspective

When I finally decided to stop avoiding my list, our 13-year-old, Nolan, decided to join me for these errands. At the animal shelter, we got to interact with some of the animals in need of a home and found joy in spending time together with them. It felt great to donate goods, too. While at the grocery store we decided we should bake a french apple cake, so added those ingredients to the list. Then, while returning shirts, we ran into a friend of Nolan’s who he hadn’t seen in ages since school has been remote. I loved seeing him smile and just re-connect. Our ‘to do’ list grew into an experience that I wouldn’t have imagined. It’s a reminder that sometimes moments are much richer if we slow down and take them in. We can choose to view experiences as an inconvenience or as a reward. That day my list went from things I had to do, to things we got to do.

It’s interesting how perspective can shift if we remain open minded and remember that sometimes it’s the little things that matter most. Every experience is what we make of it, which is sometimes easier said than done.

In reflection, I’ve certainly felt a lot of loss in 2020. We’ve lost lives of family members on both my side and my husband’s side, family pets, opportunities to speak at conferences and attend in-person, the chance to go on a family vacation (due to Covid-19 and NY travel restrictions), and I have even pulled back from some of my typical work in response to our children being home due to remote learning. With each occurance, I’ve had a choice to focus on what may feel like a loss or I can focus on what I’ve been gifted in return. Perspective is everything.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” 

–Melody Beattie

Embracing a Mindset of Gratitude

As a family we feel grateful to have had time with loved ones, and reminded that life is precious and can be unpredictable. Loss serves as a reminder to embrace those you love and not take time with others for granted. Although I miss traveling as frequently as I used to for work and pleasure, I’ve realized that there’s nothing comparable to being with family and going on long walks, hikes, sitting around a fire, and experiencing life’s ups and downs with one another. Those are all things I get to do, and are not to be taken for granted. I also get to work on some really exciting new projects that I have yet to share, and I’m not sure they would have come about without this time. I’m fortunate to get to not have to workout more frequently and place a greater emphasis on health, too. While I have ‘lost’ certain things, I feel that I’ve actually gained more in return. The lens we choose to look at life through, impacts our well-being.

Life will always throw uncertainties our way, but we can choose to find the good or focus on the negative. The same goes for how we handle situations or engage with those we are connected with. Sadly, some people spend their days bitter with anger, jealousy, or resentment, and seek to bring others down rather than find the good, embrace each day, and uplift. Although we all experience a range of emotions and can honor that, constant negative energy is useless; nothing productive will ever come from it. We all make choices that have the potential to impact others and it’s always more powerful to leave a positive impact than a negative one. Embracing a mindset of gratitude might help us refocus on the good in our lives and therefore, impact how we feel about ourselves.

Remain Mindful of Your Mindset

Within each and every one of us are special gifts to be utilized throughout our journey, and we are created with the ability to shift our sails when the direction of the winds change. Along the way, we need to remain mindful of our mindset to ensure we head in a positive direction. When we choose to express gratitude toward all of the things we get to do, we have the potential to improve our life as a whole. Explore 28 Benefits of Gratitude & Most Significant Research Findings.

While November is known as the month of gratitude, I encourage you to take a few minutes each and every day to jot down what you’re grateful for. As Goldberg suggests, seek how you can shift your mindsets to consider what you get to do rather than have to do. The more I change my own verbiage, the more I realize how many blessings exist within a single day.

Encouraging Gratitude in Children

With students or your own children, I encourage you to help them consider what they get to do, too. Throughout the years, both of our boys have complained on occasion about having to go to school (as kids do at times). Ironically, when school finally re-opened in a hybrid model, they were excited that they had the opportunity to return! Sometimes we don’t realize what we have until it’s gone or just not the same. Each day, we can find the good if we intentionally seek it out. Although remote learning isn’t Julian or Nolan’s favorite, I’m pleased that they have found silver linings such as being home with our dogs, sleeping in a bit more, and shooting hoops mid-day during their lunch time.

Encouraging learners to express gratitude fosters positive thinking and has the potential to influence mindset, in addition to how we navigate adversity. If you’re seeking ways to support your students or your own children to express gratitude, you might be interested in some of my other blog posts on this topic such as, Encouraging Gratitude in the Classroom and The Power of Gratitude. Let’s strive to live each day to the fullest, uplift others, and recognize all we get to do!

*Don’t forget to check out Susie Goldberg’s blog, Getting to “Get to”: Peace and Gratitude Every Day. I feel there’s a little something for everyone and hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. Get ready to feel inspired, laugh, and perhaps even shed some tears.