Dear Dartmouth,

As the Fall term draws to a close, the ideas of celebration or thankfulness might be readily accessible to you, or they might be the furthest things from your mind. We know that the challenges are piling up as you push through midterms and class projects, and finals are looming. All that said, we also know that each day is more than a challenge to be overcome. To reference Mary Oliver, the wild geese are heading home again and the world offers itself to your imagination. I’m not one to interpret poetry, but somehow the sense that there is an order to things can be a source of hope, and turning our attention to the good in our lives can be a source of sustenance.

So this theme is about finding things worth celebrating, and things for which you’re thankful, and training yourself to recognize these things as a way to deepen your wellbeing while bringing good things to those around you. As I always do in these introductory posts, here are LB’s words on this theme:

Celebrating thankfulness is all about generating a thankful heart as a way to help you refocus on the things that are going well, especially during times when they might otherwise slip through the cracks of your awareness. It’s about recognizing and celebrating the things, people, opportunities and even the challenges that come into our lives and shape who we are.

From now through the end of the year, we encourage you to be intentional about noticing the good things by exploring ways to practice gratitude in your life. Here are a few way to get started:

• Say “Thank You” – Gratitude creates community. Say thank you to the people who keep things clean in your living spaces, who prepare your meals or clean up after them, who make up your community, and perhaps especially those who are there for you when you need someone. You might make someone’s day, and it can lift you up as well!
• Write and share a Gratitude Letter – Telling the most important people in your life what they have meant for you can provide a powerful source of connection, and has a strong evidence base for making a measurable change in your happiness. To learn more about how and why this works, or for some tips on this practice, check the link above.
• Follow Your Gratitude – Pick one thing you’re grateful for and try to thank all the people who helped make that possible. Need an example? Check out this talk from someone who chose to thank everyone who played a role in making his morning cup of coffee possible, and ended up expressing a ‘thousand thanks!

We know the challenges are real. We want you to know the good things are as well. If you ever find it difficult to find the good, please check in with us – we would love to be there for you.

Take care and be well,
Todd