I S.E.E. Gratitude

I SEE Gratitude

We’ve been going steady with holiday festivities for a few months now. It seems a good time to reflect on gratitude.

What am I thankful for? There’s quite a lot. When I reflect on gratitude I come to the conclusion that I could never make an exhaustive list. There’s the big stuff like family and friends, the stuff that makes me who I am and continues pushing me along a pathway of learning and growth.

There’s the little stuff like harvest moons and fresh snowfalls, the stuff that amazes and inspires me without me expecting or always even realizing it.

There’s great food, there’s music, there’s moment of celebration and causes for those moments, there’s sledding, there’s pizza, there’s the humorous and poignant stuff that kids say and do, there’s jokes that only a few people find funny but cause uproarious laughter, there’s uproarious laughter, there’s swimming, there’s trips to the city, there’s trips to the country, there’s playgrounds, there’s basketball courts, there’s farms, there’s cider mills, there’s apple pie, there’s cinnamon ice cream, and there’s the magical combination of hot apple pie with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream. When I reflect on the things I’m thankful for I’m led down limitless roads.

Then there’s the gratitude that comes my way. I’m repeatedly being thanked for all kinds of things. Some of the gratitude I receive comes connected to service. I might have held a door or poured a glass of orange juice. Some of it comes connected to attention or responsiveness. I might have listened or expressed value for something someone said or did.

The other type of gratitude I experience regularly comes in the form of general and arguably underrepresented daily situations and occurrences. This type presents in the form of expressions like, “Thank goodness,” or, “It’s a good thing!” It’s the type of gratitude that’s expressed but not directed. It’s typically expressed in general, loosely targeted ways, and then left to float away chased by a couple of consensus identifying but tenuous head nods.

Person one says, “It’s a good things this sidewalk has been salted.”

Person two nods her head in mild agreement.

Person one and person two continue walking safely along a salted sidewalk (thankfully).

All gratitude is good gratitude. When I reflect on any of it I wonder about ways that I can do a better job of highlighting the importance of gratitude in my daily life. Because I’m an educator this wondering has led me to form an acronym: S.E.E.

I can use it, I can share it with you and my colleagues, and I can share it with my kids at home and at school. If you’d like, you can use and share it too.

The “S” is for “spot.” The first thing that needs to happen if we’re going to take gratitude to the next level is to spot it. We can spot it in ourselves and in others. Things to be grateful for are all over the place all the time. When I’m looking, they literally pop out. Spotting gratitude is an especially good practice when I’m not feeling grateful. It helps redirect me in moments of frustration. It reminds of how holistically fortunate I am. I suspect it could work in a similar way for others as well.

The first “E” is for “explore.” As you know, to explore is to dig a bit deeper. Any amount of thinking around gratitude can be good. Just a spark of a grateful thought has the power to inspire good feelings and positive progress in us and in others. When you spot something to be grateful for, dig in and roll around, you might just enjoy yourself. Take some time to draw it out. Tell someone about it, trace it back to its origin, write a poem, sing a song, and/or meditate on it for a while. Explore the gratitude that you intentionally spot in any way that works for you.

The other “E” is for “extend.” Do something about it. Thank someone, pay it forward, share it in some way, shape, or form. Take as much of the gratitude that you’re able to spot and explore to the next level by embedding it in your life through extension.

The “S.E.E. Gratitude” model not only offers a very user-friendly method for everyone, young and old, to connect with the immeasurable joys of life through a frame of appreciation, and it requires just enough time and thought to serve as a distraction from grasping for the negative through challenge and frustration. When you spend your time S.E.E.ing gratitude you lift yourself up, and as a result you carry an uplifted spirit along whatever paths you tread.

Thank you for reading. I know that you have a rich, full, and busy life. I hope that the time you spend with the pages of this blog is meaningful for you. I’m grateful for any moments you take to consider the thoughts, ideas, and wonderings I put forward, you are a valued contributor to my positive progress, and as always, your input is very much welcome and appreciated.

Live. Learn. Lead.

Dream Big. Work Hard. Press On.

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