Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts About The Science of Gratitude

An Idea for a Pass It Forward Sunday

It seems simplistic, but remembering to say “thank you” can turn your day, your month, or even your year around. There’s only so much you can control in this world, but expressing gratitude has been proven to make a positive difference. The science is conclusive and undeniable.

I was reading an article recently on www.curiosity.com on this subject (much of which is included in this posting), and it gave me an idea that you may want to explore. First, let’s look at the gratitude effect.

According to a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, not only can gratitude make you feel better by reducing toxic emotions, but it can also influence how you take care of your health. In the study, three groups of participants were assigned to keep a journal.

One group was instructed to list give things they were grateful for in the past week, another group recorded neutral events, and the last group documented five daily hassles that got in the way of their day.

The grateful people in the study reported feeling more optimistic and better about their lives overall, in addition to exercising more and experiencing fewer physical ailments.

Gratitude has other benefits, too. A 2012 study in Social Psychology and Personality Science found that gratitude is linked with less aggression, and a 2014 study in Science Daily showed that being grateful helps you make new friends. According to that study, when you thank a new acquaintance, that person is more likely to seek an ongoing relationship with you.

How to work on being grateful? Huffington Post shared three ways to start the positive process:
– First, keep a daily journal of three things you are thankful for.
– Second, tell a  partner or friend something you appreciate about them, every day.
– Third, look in the mirror each day and think of something you like about yourself.

That is all well and good; welcome information indeed. But what does it have to do with your stewardship environment? Well, we know that saying Thanks! is good for us, and we learn as adults that its actually more fun giving a gift than receiving one. Here is one idea to connect these concepts to your congregation.

Consider holding a Pay It Forward Sunday Celebration. Here is how such an event might be held: Ask the congregation well ahead of the service to think about what  and who is special and prized among you. It might be particular programs, something treasured about your buildings and grounds, a role model – anything and everything that makes you glad to be a part of Unitarian Universalism and of your congregation.

On the designated Sunday, hold a service that talks about the history of your congregation and those who made all that you share today possible. Invite members to come to the microphone to share their stories along the same lines.

Near the conclusion of the service, invite people to come forward to make a special offering, specifically with the intent of Paying It Forward – they may wish to enclose a note with their gift (the text of such notes could be shared with everyone later), and/or they may wish to make a brief statement as they come forward. They may wish to make a contribution specifically to honor someone they appreciate and find inspiring. For example,

“I am so grateful to the generations of volunteers that established and maintained our lovely gardens. This is a special place for contemplation, and the site of so many memorials. I want to say thanks by paying it forward and support those who do this work on our behalf in the past, now, and in the future.

You get the idea, and there are surely endless variations.  Around this time of year especially (or at the anniversary of your congregation’s founding perhaps) wouldn’t it be especially meaningful to set aside a time to say Thank You! and to Pass it Forward?

Do yourselves a favor and enjoy all those benefits of sharing and being thankful. And in case you need a little more encouragement, enjoy this little YouTube video, courtesy of Innovative Language Learning, on how to say thank you in 31 different languages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3RnrfVaYAs

Bill Clontz is a stewardship consultant with the Stewardship for Us Team, supporting the UUA. Bill can be reached at bill@stewardshipforus.com, via UUA Congregational Life, (http://www.uua.org/finance/fundraising), or through your regional staff.

This blog has a new posting no less than once a month. You may find it, and more, at our website, www.stewardshipforus.com, as well on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/S4US1). You are welcome to sign up for stewardship updates at the blog. Comments and discussion are always welcome; share your experiences with us.