19 Nov Thanksgiving Practice
Have you ever met someone who is genuinely thankful all of the time? What is it about these people? Research indicates that gratitude and thankfulness are SKILLS. By definition, skills can be learned instead of talents or gifts, typically considered traits we are born with.
Like anything, we learn the skill of thankfulness by committing ourselves to rigorous practice. People who are thankful enjoy better health, relationships, and productivity, so putting in the daily work of thankfulness is worth it.
Our team had practice on the Friday before Thanksgiving break when 95% of the students had left campus. At the end of training, the players came together, put their hands in a circle, and chanted one, two, three thankful. One, two, three thankful. As we dispersed, I couldn’t help but smile when it occurred to me that the young man leading the chant had his arm in a brace. He’s faced the disappointment of injury, yet he continues to work hard and be thankful. The team is full of guys who’ve faced disappointment and gotten stronger because they never quit. After practice, they broke bread together, played poker, and shared a bunch of laughs.
Our team is special. We smell like smoke because we’ve been through more than our share of fires, but we’re becoming rock solid. We’re thankful. And there’s a secret we’re not telling our opponents quite yet. When you’re thankful, you play a lot better, too. This is true not just with teams, but also with businesses and families. Do the work to be thankful and watch your life change like a great team.
Happy Thanksgiving Week,
Rod
www.hardcomesfirst.com