Gratitude

"We wish for food, peace, and happiness for all the people of the world. Today, I'm thankful for..."

This is how my son and I have ended our days since he was in preschool. At 16, he’s not as charming and enthusiastic as he used to be, but we never sleep without first sharing what we call “gratitude time.” Sometimes he’s thankful for having an education, other times it’s pancakes or Billy Joel. Regardless, it’s a way for us to connect and notice all the abundance and good fortune in our lives.

At first, it wasn’t a habit for me. In fact, I had to put a recurring event in my Outlook calendar that was labeled “Gratitude x5” every Friday. Sad, but true. I had to remind myself to be grateful and notice all the incredible people around me doing spectacular things at work. Over time, though, my Outlook reminders became a habit.

Wouldn’t it be nice if at the end of every training session or conference or new location opening, we took the time to share what we are thankful for? We are so quick to move onto the next task that we don’t often revel in what we’ve just accomplished and who helped us achieve it.

So put it on your calendar if you wish. Use technology to remind you. Find whatever way works to take time for gratitude every day. You will begin to notice so many wonderful things around you and eventually, you won’t need to be reminded. Replace “have to” with “get to.”  I GET to train an opening team! I GET to go to work each day. I GET to drive in traffic today!

During the holiday season and always, I remain thankful for each and every CHART member and partner, particularly those to whom I owe so much for guiding me and believing in me from my First Time Attendee (FTA) meeting until today: Jen Swan who got me involved in CHART; my FTA mentor Steve Howarth for telling me, “you’re going to be President of this group someday;” and John Poulos who told me it was time to run for the CHART board.

Finally, I am thankful for YOU. We are member-led and member-driven. The success of this organization is because our members care deeply about developing and teaching other people. What a noble profession we have. It is an honor to know each of you.

I GET to be your President! How grateful I am!