Page 186 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

10 PATHWAYS TO WELL-BEING

Overview

It’s no accident that we’ve chosen to begin this book with the topic
of gratitude. If you decide to try the strategies suggested in this book,
start with gratitude. Why? Personal experience has shown us that
the simple act of expressing gratitude is the quickest way to increase
our sense of well-being, and experts in the field agree. They identify a
number of immediate and long-
term benefits of experiencing and
WHERE TO FIND expressing gratitude, even after
engaging in this practice for only
RESOURCES ON
a short period of time. What are
GRATITUDE the benefits, and how do you get
started? Let’s begin by establish-
Interested in learning more about how ing a common understanding of
practicing gratitude changes lives? what we mean by gratitude.
Check out these web resources for
research on gratitude: People often define gratitude as
Expanding the Science and Practice being thankful for someone or
of Gratitude something, but it is more than
(ggsc.berkeley.edu): Housed at the that. Gratitude is also people’s
University of California, Berkeley, the willingness to show apprecia-
Greater Good Science Center sponsors tion for kindnesses extended to
research and public initiatives that them and to return or pass along
focus on gratitude. Access articles and that kindness in some way. In
other information on the website.
other words, initially, gratitude
“Five Best Books on Gratitude is experienced internally, but it
+ Oliver Sacks’ Gratitude Book” is enhanced or expanded when
(positivepsychologyprogram.com/grat- we externally express thanks to
itude-books-oliver-sachs): Five book someone or are inspired to per-
recommendations as well as links to form acts of kindness of our own.
additional readings on gratitude.
This twofold definition is what
“Five Steps for Building Grateful we mean when using the term
Kids” (cct.biola.edu/5-steps-building- gratitude.
grateful-kids): This article by Jeffrey J.
Froh discusses why it is important to The importance of gratitude has
teach kids to be grateful. It features five been recognized for centuries. For
strategies to encourage kids to have example, Aesop (620–564 BCE)
more gratitude. said, “Gratitude is the sign of
noble souls,” and Marcus Tullius
Cicero (106–43 BCE) reportedly

Pathways to Well-Being: Helping Educators (and Others) Find Balance in a Connected World 186