152 - the quality of being thankful - See one, do one, teach one

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. “Gratitude is pausing to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family, even computer access. It's taking a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are when something good happens — whether it's a small thing or a big thing.” - https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/gratitude.html The power of gratitude is immense. Gratitude is like a magic spell that once you start to express it, your mood immediately lifts. Your attitude shifts. Your outlook changes from glum and dismal to happy and content. The beauty of that spell is that when you start to become aware of all the situations that stress you out, you can begin expressing gratitude in them (This is really difficult to do). I have noticed though, that when I start to feel upset, if I can find something, something to be grateful for, other things start to make themselves clear that I’m grateful for too. Like the first droplet that opens a floodgate, that first expression of gratitude serves as a catalyst to bust open a mindset that appreciates the entirety of the situation. A grateful mind and heart is one of the best gifts we can give our players. If we can show them that we’re grateful for the opportunity to coach them. They should be grateful for the opportunity to be on the team. We’re grateful for the challenges they throw at us because those challenges are opportunities to grow and change, they can be grateful for when we challenge them. If we’re grateful that a game falls through, or a player gets hurt, or we lose a heartbreaker, we can show them that hey, “I’m grateful we had the chance to prepare for that game together. I’m grateful you’ll recover and have a new appreciation for your body and being able to play and practice. I’m grateful that other team gave their best effort to beat us and we got to be a part of that”. Gratitude offers a lens that can open our minds and clear our hearts. I’m excited to take the journey this week with you in learning quotes, studies, and stories about gratitude.