The Secret of Saying Thanks By Douglas Wood and Greg Shed
December 18, 2007
“Perhaps you’d like to know a secret, one of the happiest ones of all… The Secret.. presents the essence of being gratefully present in life as Greg Woods explores and traces contact with the world of nature and family. My favorite lines are:
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we can not feel thankful and be unhappy at the same time.” and the secret: “We don’t give thanks because we’re happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”
These conclusions provide both adults and children with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of gratitude. It takes us all beyond superficial Thank yous into an exploration of our negative emotions, wants and cravings. It challenges us to confront and let go of our demands and disatisfactions. Can we find the resources to be appreciative and grateful when things do not go our way and our wishes are denied?
When I read this to kids I like to contrast being thankful with a picture of a child begging her Mom to buy her candy in a store. Then we work on what she could feel thankful for and we talk about feeling the opposite of thankful or unthankful. It seems to help children connect with how to put their minor wants into perspective and to identify and feel grateful for the more important things in their lives. This process takes them deeper into understanding what it means to be thankful twelve months of the year and teaches them how to accept the “no”s gracefully.
Elayne Hunter
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Elayne,
I just love your comments here on “saying thanks” especially as it relates to children. The power of gratitude is tremendous, no matter what our age or circumstance. Thanks for your thoughts and comments!
Bonni