December is upon us! This month can bring major anxiety in some, crazy excitement in others, or perhaps for most, a little bit of both. There is no doubt that the weeks surrounding the holidays can be a stressful time. There is also no denying the power of thankfulness. Welcome to our character trait for the month of December: Gratitude.
“Being thankful and showing appreciation for those in our lives and for what we have and receive. Catch phrase: Say thank you as much as possible.”
This month, as we reflect on all that we are thankful for, let’s also look for opportunities to teach our students the concept of giving thanks. Actively cultivating gratefulness does wonders to our stress levels, our relationships, our life satisfaction, and our overall health. There are endless ideas out there on how to do this. If searching the internet is overwhelming for you, here are two resources that you can start with:
- Ways to Teach Kids Gratitude – this is site dedicated to providing parents tools to help children succeed in school and life. This particular article has several tips for students ranging from preschool age to the high school years.
- TED Talks on Giving Thanks – most of you are familiar with TED Talk and this special series is all about helping you, “conjure up massive amounts of gratitude.”
If those are still too much, which some of us can truly relate to, here’s a very simple idea that I (Cheryl) have maintained over the years: keeping a gratitude journal. Being positive does not come naturally to me and I have to work really hard to see the good and the beautiful or the bad could easily take over my perspective. Keeping my Eucharisteo journal has helped me focus and has increased my feelings of gratitude about everything I have, making it easier to feel that I have “enough.” A small notebook that you can consistently keep in your purse or with you works great! You can even keep a dedicated Notes in your phone and use Siri to write notes for you to make it even more convenient.
Whichever way you can foster and share your spirit of appreciation is up to you and your family but we encourage you to start if you’re not already in the habit. Recognize the gifts around you…they’re everywhere! Meditate on the good. Learn to say no. Spend time in nature. Create the space to WONDER.
Do you have a gratitude exercise that you want to share with our community? Let us know as we’d love to hear about them!
In the meantime, have a beautiful, thank-filled day! And come back next week as we share our literature resources on gratitude!
SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above-mentioned websites, businesses or organizations.
2 thoughts on “The Character Issue”
A great friend (you know who you are) gave me a flip calendar that’s about the size of a long bookmark. It lists the days of the month of the left and leaves room for about 6-10 words (in small print) for you to write out something for which you are thankful. Because of the size, you have to be brief but it also makes it easier to do because you aren’t pressured to write out a ton every day. I leave it in the book I read by my bedside so I see it every night before I go to bed. It’s a great exercise in thankfulness, and it’s a wonderful way to re-cap the year too. I’m looking forward to getting another one for next year (hint, hint)!
I LOVE this idea, Molly! I hope your friend comments back so we can find out where she got this calendar! 🙂