After a whirlwind month of milestone birthday celebrations, new business endeavors, a child with pneumonia and visiting out-of-towners, I have much to be resting over but also much to be thankful for.  It’s a struggle, sometimes, to see the grace in the chaos.  After all, who wants to say “Ahhh, thank you!” when you’re at the hospital with a sick child and you’re hosting 30 people within the next 36 hours?

And often we need to see the real evidence behind something in order to fully buy-in and engage in the behavior.  It’s only natural.  We as humans aren’t purely faith-based creatures who can always turn the worst of circumstances into good times simply because we committed to believing it was.  No, we are human which means we need to think through some of the challenge.  So, here’s some evidence regarding gratitude and its effects on our human health and societal wellbeing.

It turns out the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Davis have been hard at work on a project entitled “Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude”.  According to their site, they have committed to a 6 year collaboration uncovering evidence of gratitude practices in medical, educational and organizational settings and in schools, workplaces, homes and communities.  Their goals are to “expand the scientific database of gratitude,” and to “engage the public in a larger cultural conversation about the role of gratitude in civil society.”

While this 6 year study continues (through 2018), it is evident that benefits exist for those who regularly practice gratitude, including stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, experiencing more joy, optimism and happiness, acting with more generosity and compassion and feeling less loneliness and isolation.

But honestly you don’t need scientific evidence to point you in the right direction.  You can find it right in front of you while you’re surfing your social media feed.  I can’t help but remember the video of teachers who were charged with finding someone who inspires them to come to work every day.  Perhaps you saw it?  If not, you can check it out here:  http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/teachers-individual-students-special-tears-ensue/story?id=42554523.  I dare you to get through it without producing big heavy tears and one of those heavy down-turned smiles.  It is just touching to watch the students, as they are told how special they are, squirm, smile and at times clasp their hands to their face in genuine shock and surprise.

You see, gratitude is one of those things we talk a lot about in the coaching world.  It’s woven into spiritual principals which we examine in workshops and speeches and privately with our clients, but until you stop yourself, look your student in the eye and tell them how much they mean to you, it will do little to provide the evidence for you both.

This Thanksgiving, look someone dead in the eyes and with laser beam focus, tell them how much you love or appreciate them.  Let them hear straight from your heart and then don’t look away until you see it settle in.     

For me, I’ll too strive for this unadulterated show of gratitude.  I’ll begin by saying thank you to all of you, who read these thoughts of mine.  Who teach me how to be a better coach and inspire me to reach beyond what I think I’m capable of.  You are priceless gifts to me and I wouldn’t be where I am today without you.

From my heart to yours, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  In a world where we are quick to see the pain and struggle, may you be filled to the brim with all that is already beautiful.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”  Melody Beattie