Thankful Thursday #1: People (& Kismet)

Do you know what the word kismet means?  It means that something was meant to be.  It’s a cool word.  Not only is it fun to say, but also when it’s appropriate to say, the suggestion is kind of fun too.

Last Thursday I was feeling overwhelmingly grateful.  I wrote about that gratefulness here: Thankful Thursday: My Incredible Wife.  While I wrote, an idea popped into my head.  I felt a bit of kismet at that very moment.  The idea was about the ongoing recognition, sharing, and processing of gratitude.  I thought about the idea all weekend.  I reached out to some friends and colleagues who helped me develop a potential vehicle for the realization of the idea.

Then Monday came.  However, Monday wasn’t just Monday this week, it was also Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. recognition day.  I felt a bit of kismet again.  Given Dr. King’s message of peace and hope, along with his commitment to positive progress and the inherent connections between that message, that commitment, and the concept of gratitude, I thought that Monday was perfect for the launch of the aforementioned vehicle for the additionally-aforementioned idea.  I did that here: Content of Character: Being What Dr. King was Dreaming About.  I launched “Thankful Thursday” and introduced the associated hash tag: #thTHX.  I began using the hash tag according to the structures outlined in the post linked above.  A few others did as well.  I was excited.  I was grateful.

Can you guess what our Assistant Superintendent began with this morning at the districts’ Instructional Leadership Team meeting?  That’s right…a discussion about gratitude.  Can you say kismet!  Can you say it again?  She told us that “gratitude” was going to be her word for the year.  She facilitated a process by which we were invited to share our gratitude with one another…and share we did.  It was wonderful!

During the sharing session there was a ton of gratitude expressed for the fact that support and encouragement is a primary defining characteristic at all levels in our district.  People expressed lots of gratitude for other people.  They were grateful to have incredible stakeholders to work with in and outside of their respective buildings and throughout the community.  Coincidentally, those who shared on #thTHX this past week focused on people as well.  Kismet, kismet, and dare I say…kismet!

In honor of all this well-placed gratitude over the people who enhance our lives, I’ve decided to begin the first official Thankful Thursday Twitter Chat with the following question:

In what ways does collaboration impact learning and development in your life?

I’ll post question #1 this evening, as I plan to each Wednesday evening for an early Thursday morning start.  I’ll moderate by posting a series of connected prompts and questions at various times from sun up to sun down tomorrow (before school, bathroom breaks, lunch, in between various other activities, and basically whenever I can), I’ll look forward to the ongoing processing of this week’s recognition and sharing of gratitude, and I’ll supplement my current gratitude with additional gratitude for anyone who chooses to join in!  #thTHX in advance…tweet you tomorrow!

Live. Learn. Lead.

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Dream Big. Work Hard. Be Well.

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