Christopher Brazelton

How to Form an Attitude of Gratitude

BY CHRISTOPHER BRAZELTON

Let’s try something over the next two days. The first day, every time you see someone, greet them with a small complaint, something subtle. It could be an inconvenience in your life, your health, your job, money or being busy and overwhelmed. Greet them with something negative, such as, “Man, did I have a terrible night’s sleep.”

The second day, begin every greeting with a word of gratitude. (I hope this is a lot easier for you than the first day’s assignment.) Share something positive. Think about what you genuinely are grateful for, like your family, your health, your job, the weather or recent time spent with a friend. Greet them with an expression of gratitude, such as, “Wow, I am grateful for the quiet time I had this morning, as I drank my coffee. I am excited to see where the day goes.” After this experiment, ask yourself the following questions. Which day produced more positive feelings in you? Which day left you feeling vibrant, more alive, a part of the world around you? We already should know the answer, because it is in our nature to thrive on gratitude. This experiment’s impact on others may not be expressed or seen, but I bet it will be mirrored back to you as you try it. If you greet someone with a slightly negative sentiment, you’ll probably get feedback like, “me, too,” or “I know what you mean.” Conversely, if you greet someone with gratitude, it likely will shift the day in a better direction. Gratefulness isn’t only for ourselves; it’s for our community. When we are grateful, it gives those around us permission to reflect that same feeling. At Woodstock Arts, we always have a choice regarding how we will tackle our day, the next event or the logistics for the next show. But, in all conversations, we continually are grateful for this amazing community, and your support of the arts. We are in awe of you for making what happens here possible, especially what has happened over the past year, such as building the Reeves House, opening the theater again and finding new ways to grow community through the arts. So, thank you for making something remarkable take place in our community.

Christopher Brazelton, a Florida State University graduate, is the executive director of Woodstock Arts.