I don’t know about you, but I could use a little more gratitude in my life. Gratitude isn’t the quick “thank you” that we throw around. Gratitude is the time and energy to stop and be thankful for who and what we have in our lives. Gratitude rules!
Here are a few things that I do to set myself up to be grateful and display an attitude of gratitude:
- Each morning, I sing the doxology. Thankfully for my wife, I sing this in my head! For those who don’t know the doxology, it starts, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow….” For those of us who aren’t part of a church or religious calling, a belief in something larger than ourselves will suffice for a higher being. I know that I am blessed by what is entrusted and given to me daily. It is a great way to start a day.
- Each week, I write thank you notes. Often, these notes are to people that I have met during the week or one of our staff who has done something above and beyond. I also think that there is nothing more powerful and meaningful than a handwritten note. For me, I usually try to do this on Friday so that I head into the weekend in a great frame of mind. No matter how hard the week has gone, an attitude of gratitude always sets me up for a more positive weekend.
- I feel that an attitude of gratitude is important when I think about the people who have gotten me to where I am today. Whether family, former supervisors, current staff and supporters, or friends, I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Sometimes that is through hard conversations. A lot of the time it is through encouragement and pats on the back. Without them, who knows where I would be. We stand on the shoulders of those who make us who we are.
- I try to limit the noise of the world around me that focuses on negative views. I have a hard time believing that all news is bad news. If I feel inundated by the news, I step away. Like most of us, sometimes I am more successful than others. However, by limiting the negative, I am able to focus on the positive which allows me to be grateful.
While this is a short list, it is powerful. I can tell you times when I forget my morning prayer and how it has shaped my day. I can tell you times when the week has gotten away from me and I haven’t written those thank you notes. There are times that I forget about “We” and focus on “Me”. I’m human.
However, when I have these tenets in my heart and enter the day, week, and, dare I say, life with a belief in the good of people and the goal to be grateful for what I have and who I am, my world is so much better. It is joyous. It is impactful. It makes me feel good.
Can we create a world that invites people in because we are grateful? I believe so. Hopefully, something in my list will help you take a few minutes and find the things in your life to be grateful for.
I’m going to strive to be more grateful.
I’m thankful that you chose to join me on this journey.
See you at the Y!
Steve Smith, President and CEO
Posted on: October 18, 2026