Gratitude Exchange

The Well Canto Newsletter Volume 29

Somehow it is the end of November already. The last several weeks have been an interesting mix of chagrin and resolve. As we are fortified by the comfort of our friends and families, our art, and our surroundings, we become perfectly primed for this season of giving thanks. 

INSPIRING GRATITUDE

Traditionally, we give thanks for things that are going well in our lives; our relationships, our health, the roofs over our heads, and the food in our bellies. But what about those of us who may not experience the same level of abundance? Can we turn gratitude into action?

Receiving is wonderful, especially when we take a moment to truly bask in the abundance which comes our way.  More wondrous still is to inspire that reaction in someone else - become a purveyor of thankfulness.  

When I started Substacking (is that a verb?) I was in ‘wax on, wax off’ mode and had few expectations. One day a prominent writer added Well Canto to their Recommend list, which triggered a surge of free subscribers. I was suddenly inspired to up my game from a place of excited humility and deep gratitude.   

Then, the first time Substack notified me that, “Someone believes your writing is worth paying for”, I didn’t even have the payment feature turned on! But a generous soul decided to encourage me with the concrete gesture of becoming a Founder. That required me to actively receive (enable payments), which in turn allowed other readers to become paid subscribers.  

Neither of those individuals had any obligation to spur me on. The writer needn’t have risked his renown on a newbie, and the reader could have kept reading for free. Each chose to go out on a limb, to trade passivity for action, to give a shot in the arm to a fellow human. I am grateful.

I am also inspired! When we are presented with proof that we are not alone, that connections with like-minds are happening, and that kindness lives and breathes among us, we are impelled to keep moving, working, creating. In essence, we generate a reciprocal cycle of appreciation - a gratitude exchange - which relies not on transaction but simple good will.

So, how can we encourage others? What intentional actions can we take to show appreciation? What are some ways to generate a warm-fuzzy in someone’s heart?

1. Support Creative Endeavors 

   1. As with my Substack examples, go ahead and like, comment, share, restack, subscribe, and recommend the posts of someone else's Substack you enjoy. 

   2. Show up to friends’ and colleagues' performances. Recitals, gigs, shows, readings, art exhibits, etc. Think about how you feel when someone shows up for you. 

   3. Purchase someone’s unique homemade craft. Give it as a gift.

   4. Pay for someone’s music or art lessons to get them started.

2. Call, text, or send a note to a friend just to check in. Better yet, arrange a visit. 

3. Help an ESL person navigate bureaucracy.

4. Take a few minutes to engage an older person in leisurely conversation. In my experience, you can learn a LOT by doing this. Also, it doesn’t take much to soften loneliness. 

5. Volunteer. Anywhere. For any length of time. 

What are your favorite ways to inspire gratitude?

How does your generosity make you feel?

As we nervously enter this holiday season with uncertainty about how cruel and chaotic the next 4 years will be, we can double down on kind acts and encouraging words. This is what decent and strong people do as a matter of course, but in this era it is also a strategy. When we give and receive freely and authentically we replace confusion and fear with determination and grace. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and sincere thanks for reading Well Canto. 

LISTEN: Alanis Morissette - Thank U (Official Video)

May you live in ease and kindness, with a free heart.

Singing Lessons: www.WAVS.info

Well Coaching: BarbaraShirvisWellness.com