Have you done the Gratitude Dance yet?

The theme of the last meeting of WestConn Toastmasters was "Gratitude" and it was amazing how all the members were able to weave some gratitude into their (often unrelated) TableTopics questions.

Speaking of gratitude... one of the blogs I read featured the video below of the "Gratitude Dance". The Gratitude Dance is basically people jumping around and looking foolish... but it got me thinking about a couple things:

First, Don't we all need a little bit more foolishness in our life? When was the last time you "let loose" and just did something crazy? Didn't it feel good?? Or at least energizing?

Secondly, What would happen if we all did the "Gratitude Dance" instead of just saying "Thank You"? Certainly more people would smile!

Now, what if we all decided that December 26th, 2007 would be the first (annual?) Gratitude Day and we would all do the Gratitude Dance (instead of saying Thank You) !?! Maybe the Gratitude Dance could be for the bigger "Thank You" occasions... like someone donating a kidney for you or giving you their parking spot right next to the door of the mall.


The UK has "Boxing Day" on this day, so it makes sense that the rest of the world should have Gratitude Day ! (In addition to Thanksgiving, of course. There can't be enough gratitude in the world.)


Before you decide whether or not to participate ... Did you know that Gratitude can make you happier? David J. Pollay writes in his article, Increase Your Happiness. Build Gratitude Chains™ in Your Life.
in Positive Psychology News Daily that ...

Robert Emmons, psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, demonstrated in his research that grateful people are happier. In his new book, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, Emmons wrote, “Our groundbreaking research has shown that grateful people
experience higher levels of positive emotions such as joy, enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism, and that the practice of gratitude as a discipline protects a person from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness.”

Check out the video of the Gratitude dance and leave a comment below to let us know what you think about the idea of Gratitude Day on Dec.26!