In our leadership program at camp, affectionately known as the “Wolfe Pack,” campers take part in conversations facilitated by our director team geared towards growing as leaders, as members of a community and, most importantly, as individuals. Each workshop focuses on a theme that we think is important. One of the themes for our Pups (1st Year Students) is Gratitude and Optimism. What better time to reflect on those two words than as we wrap up the season of giving thanks and starting a new year filled with goals and resolutions.
As author Sean Anchor notes in his TedTalk, optimism isn’t synonymous with feeling happy all the time. Optimists believe that problems are temporary and that their actions can make problems smaller. They also sort for the positive in life rather than the negative. Some people naturally look for the negative, which can be OK and something that is possible to change. One of the best ways to shift this mindset is incorporating gratitude practices into your family’s routine.
There are many ways in which you can incorporate gratitude practices into your home. At camp, our campers end the day with a tradition called “Plus Delta”, where each cabin group talks about things that were good and things they would like to change for the next day. Ending the day with a positive mindset can lead to starting days with optimism, which we can all use more of. Asking your family what they are grateful for is a lovely tradition most people implement on Thanksgiving, but why not do it every day? What better way to start 2024 than by reflecting on all of the things you were thankful for in 2023?
If you choose to incorporate more gratitude into your life, let us know the ways in which you’ve seen positive impacts!
