Now is the time for gratitude!
Now is the time for gratitude!
…not just because it is Thanksgiving, but because people who intentionally incorporate acts of gratitude in their lives experience a multitude of benefits. According to Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at UC Davis, the benefits include:
- stronger immune systems
- more optimism and happiness
- feeling more helpful, generous and compassionate
- feeling less lonely and isolated–and there are more!
In 2020, a year of a global pandemic and social unrest in the US, it is an optimal time to practice gratitude. We need optimism, healthy immune systems, and feelings of connections now more than ever. We need to feel hope and a sense of community.
Dr. Emmons suggests the following practices to intentionally incorporate acts of giving in our daily lives.
- Keep a gratitude journal: Each day, write down things for which you are grateful. Reserving time to note positive experiences, helpful people, and kind actions help you create a culture of gratitude in your life.
By using one of our fair trade journals to record your thoughts, you help an artisan earn a living wage. More reason to be grateful!
- Use visual reminders: To help you remember to practice gratitude, connect your reminder to something you see every day to keep gratitude and positive thoughts top of mind.
Choose a visual reminder to add to your home décor, such as this JOY wall hanging, or peace wreath. Both items are produced sustainably in the Philippines.
- Write a gratitude letter: Choose one person who has helped you become who you are. Write a letter clearly explaining the positive impact that person has had on your life and thanking them for it. Visit the person (virtually!) and read the letter or mail it.
We have a selection of handmade cards that will make your gratitude letter uniquely beautiful. Rays of Hope made by Rwandan orphans and Quilled Cornucopia created by artisans in Viet Nam are just two examples. Visit our online store to see more!
- Engage your senses: Taste, hearing, sight, smell, touch–all of our senses help us take in the wonder of the world and the miracle of life. Use all of your senses to experience your world, and appreciate the gift of life.
Treat your family, friends and yourself with these gifts that engage your senses. Fair trade chocolate, wind chimes, wall hangings, scented candles, soft blankets…all help us experience the joy of being alive.
From all of us at One World Shop, to all of our supporters, our gratitude letter:
Thank you for 41 years of helping us achieve our mission of promoting fair trade and supporting artisans as they work to improve their lives and their communities.
