Learning to express Gratitude…
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and our Students started the day with a Turkey Bowl. They enjoy the camaraderie of physical activities like this. It is a choice, whether or not they participate, but everyone usually ends up joining in and being grateful that they did. Watching them joke, laugh and play football, we realize they are not only playing a game, they learning an important life skill, bonding and enjoying being a part of a team. Teamwork works..
We encourage our students to journal and list the things in their life that they are thankful for. In doing this exercise they are not only working one of the phases in the program, but they begin to notice all of the good and positive things (small as they may seem at the time) that they have in their life. These little things are easy to over look while in the midst of behavior problems, learning disabilities and depression. A study by Dr. Robert Emmons has shown that expressing daily gratitude can actually change our lives for the better. At Triumph Youth Services we see it in our own lives and the lives of our students.
Here at Triumph we are grateful for many things, we will list just a few for an example:
- The students who become a part of the Triumph Family.
- The Parents/Grandparents who support the young men in our program.
- The excellent Teachers in our Academy that get and keep our students on track academically.
- The Therapists that truly love working with the young men.
- The retrievers who teach love, discipline and patience.
- The facility that allows us to house, teach, nourish, and heal.
- The staff that work tirelessly to help change lives.
- The community that has embraced our program and the students.
We know that working on expressing gratitude helps us accomplish our over all goal for the Students.
Building individuals of truth, integrity and accountability who inspire faith in a Higher Power and are leaders in a quest for excellence.
article: Five myths about Gratitude…
