Dear Friend,
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought,
and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
~ G.K. Chesterton
This week we are going to focus on whom we need to acknowledge. Next week we will discuss various ways to acknowledge those who have made a difference in our lives. We have all been blessed by people in our lives personally and professionally. These are people who have guided us, supported us, nurtured us, comforted us ... People who have helped make our lives what they are today.
When we celebrate the role that people have played in our life we show our gratitude and acknowledge that we are the result of others. Dr. Martin Seligman, considered one of the fathers of Positive Psychology, studies happiness. He was written several books, created a master's program in positive psychology, given countless lectures, and led the way for changing how psychology evaluates and examines people. Over the years, he and his team have developed many techniques to help enhance one's happiness. One very significant way is to express our gratitude to people who we have never properly thanked. Next week I'm going to share with you the exercises he has created for his students.
Make It Happen
Take a few moments each day this week and reflect on those to whom you are indebted. Maybe it was your 3rd grade soccer coach or maybe it was your piano teacher or your first boss. This week take time to stroll down memory lane and revisit your life. Ask yourself, "Who has enriched my life?" Search your life for people who have impacted you. Break your life in five year segments start with the last five years. You can begin this process by noting these people in your gratitude journal. Here are some figures that many of us have had in our lives. Use this list as a point of departure.
- Teacher
- Parent
- Friend
- Mentor
- Boss
- Colleague
- Sibling
- Spouse
- Children
- Dog
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