An Attitude of Gratitude

The groups I get to facilitate for constantly amaze me. Inspire me. Challenge me. Remind me. Motivate me. Empower me. Teach me. And above all else leave me feeling so grateful that I get to do what I do. Today's group was definitely no different.

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ― G.K. Chesterton

As I set up this morning in the hall of the client school I was working with I was enthusiastically greeted by one of the Year 6 students. She told me she'd been looking forward to today through these first few weeks of term, then she paused, actually, she said, she'd been looking forward to this day since the last time I worked with her. We discussed what she'd loved from their Stage 3 Leadership Day at the beginning of 2017, and also what she'd loved from when I worked with her Academically Gifted class at another school setting mid way through last year. But what she said next was the most important part to me.

"It's not happy people who are thankful. It's thankful people who are happy!" - Unknown

'This year I'm so excited to be a mentor, I get to help so many more people'. Her attitude of gratitude was continuing to open up opportunities for her to grow, develop and really importantly contribute. All three times that I've worked with her over the last year I've been so inspired by her embodiment of thankfulness. It was great to hear now how this student also plans to pay that thankfulness forwards to more and more people as she gets older. It's hard to keep gratitude in when it so desperately wants to get out.

"Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude." ― A.A. Milne

One of our closing activities today focused on how there is so much that we can't control within our learning and leadership journeys. Certain challenging cards can be dealt, but what we do with them is then up to us. An attitude of gratitude seems like the perfect companion for each of us on this journey. It keeps things in perspective and grounds our thoughts, words and actions in what we're so fortunate to have, rather than any perceived lacking that we believe in that moment is missing. What are you grateful for today?