On Journaling Our Gratitudes: A Personal Reflection
I find myself happiest when I’m around kids — when I engage in conversations with them, hang out with them, play, and learn with them. The truth is that when I feel down or in need of moral support, my first instinct is to find a group of kids to play with. I try to give them as much support as they give me energy. Once, Jess, my co-founder, joked that we should record kids’ laughing and running around our space so that I can play the soundtrack when I need emotional support, almost like a meditative ritual.
My mother in law once asked me what is it about kids that I’m drawn to? Why do I feel such deep love and connection with them?
I’ve been reflecting on this question. I couldn’t really answer the “why” until very recently.
A couple weeks ago we launched a Remix campaign with an open call for GIANT Kids to share their gratitudes for something they have learned this year, and for a chance to get published in GIANT Gratitude Journal. It was an idea from Janet Bloom, a GIANT parent and our Chief Marketing Officer.
I LOVED this initiative. It signaled to our core belief about learning and education: kids love learning about things they care about and they feel grateful when they have the opportunity to engage in those learnings—contrary to many other “education” companies that believe learning is not fun and that their job is to “make learning fun,” or that they need to teach kids without them noticing that they are learning, as if learning is such a chore to do!
I also LOVED our Gratitude Remix mission as a researcher. I was so curious to learn what “gratitudes” kids of different ages will share. Little did I know that this initiative will actually help me to learn about myself — to finally have that Aha moment I’ve been looking for. The answer to “why” I’m so drawn to kids’ world.
I read every gratitude submission we received—simple glimpses of joy that we as adults tend to take for granted, but kids find magical.
George, 4 years old, is grateful to learn about “infinity”—a concept he doesn’t understand but he loves saying the word. “What word have I learned this year that I like the sound of?”, I asked myself. “When was the last time I felt grateful for being able to express myself, to dream, to learn, and to communicate in two languages?”
Yara, 3 years old, is grateful to learn that penguins come from Antarctica. “What are some of the facts I know about animals that I feel grateful to know? When was the last time I felt the joy of learning a science fact?,” I contemplated.
“Meera, one year old, is excited about her pointing skills”, her parents shared. I closed my eyes, pointed somewhere with my finger and let myself feel the power and strength at the tip of my finger. I felt grateful for being able to point.
Mia, age 7, is grateful for her sleepover with her best friend. She made me think of all my friends and felt grateful for the time I get to spend with them.
Georgie, 8 years old, is thankful for getting over her fear of jumping and learning to cliff jump into the sea. Definitely one for my bucket list! “What's a fear that I have? How can I overcome it and learn something new?” I wondered.
“I am grateful for rainbows,” “I am thankful for wolves,” “I am thankful for birdies,” “I am thankful for grass,” GIANT kids shared. “When was the last time I felt grateful for wolves?!” I asked myself.
Kids have the superpower to find joy in the simplest things, and the eyes to see what adults often dismiss. Spending time with them is an opportunity for us to pause, feel the magic in life, and to practice gratitude. That was my “aha” moment. That’s why immersing myself in their world gives me so much joy and happiness. They help me to find reasons to be happy even during challenging times.
Reflecting on our gratitudes and journaling about them is a simple yet powerful ritual that helps with anxiety, sleep, and our overall happiness. As adults, we may be blind to find all the things for which we can be grateful. Spending time with kids helps us to connect back to all the magic in our lives. Expressing our gratitudes trains our brains to look for the good in even the most challenging of situations. Kids can help us find those “good” things.
I invite you to check out GIANT Gratitude Journal in which we are sharing GIANT kids’ gratitudes (there are more than 60 of them!) and provide writing prompts to help you reflect on your own gratitudes. These writing prompts are written by our beloved Rebecca Schifilliti, who truly knows the art of asking the right questions. The journals feature Appreciation Avatars created based on kids’ submissions and are in a “comic book” format to invite the writes of these journals to engage in a “dialogue” between kids who have submitted their gratitudes and the GIANT team.
When we launched our Gratitude Remix Mission, we thought the resulting publication would be a great journal for kids to practice expressing their gratitudes. I now know the journal is as powerful for adults as it is for kids, if not more.
I encourage you to take a look at the journal, grab a downloadable copy, or purchase a physical copy for yourself, your child, your friends and your family. And start writing! It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts you could give this holiday season. Bonus: you help a small business to continue working tirelessly in providing meaningful learning experiences for kids.