National
Gratitude
Month
“Gratitude is the single most important ingredient
to living a successful and fulfilling life.”
~ Jack Canfield
Ah, November… sweet November… my favorite month of the year. Those who know me might assume that June would be my favorite month, as it is in the month of June that we celebrate my birthday, Kathy’s birthday, our anniversary, and, during the years I was teaching, the beginning of summer break. I do like the month of June. Very much so, in fact. But there is something about November that’s like putting a warm blanket on the bed on a cold winter night.
Yes, June is filled with wonderful occasions to celebrate, yet my favorite holiday of the year is Thanksgiving, and my favorite season of the year is autumn. November is National Gratitude Month, though, for some strange reason, World Gratitude Day is celebrated in September. Go figure.
For those unfamiliar with my journey of gratitude, it began in November 2006 when I attended a weekend retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center in Los Altos. The theme of the retreat was “A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude.” Much to my surprise, it was a life-changing experience for me. My eyes were opened to the many blessings for which I should be grateful in my life. Until that point in time, I had taken much for granted. An intentional focus on gratitude changed that for me.
I began this Attitude of Gratitude blog in December 2006 as a way to maintain the awareness of gratitude I had gained on the retreat. There are now almost 2,000 posts on this site. In October 2017, I published my first book, A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude. Yes, I borrowed the title from the theme of the retreat. Of course, I acknowledged this in the introduction of the book. In 2018 and 2019, I spoke on the topic of gratitude to about thirty different groups — community groups, churches, schools, and public libraries. It was a delightful experience which, unfortunately, was cut-off by the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While I no longer do presentations on gratitude, I do my best to live each day with an attitude of gratitude. This is not always easy to do. There are times when circumstances in my life make it difficult for me to focus on those things for which I am grateful. It is easy to get distracted by the challenges of everyday life and forget all the ways in which my life has been, and continues to be, blessed.
For gratitude to have value, it must be intentional and it must be expressed. Author William Arthur Ward nailed it when he said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
I invite you to join me in celebrating the month of November by identifying the people, experiences, and opportunities in your life for which you are truly grateful — and, if it is at all possible, to express your gratitude to those individuals who have been a blessing in your life.
