Giving Tuesday identifies itself as being the world’s largest generosity movement.
For this hyper-local event in Banff National Park, it was an occasion for hearts and hands to be warmed and to grow at least two sizes on a frigid morning.
Before leaving, participants posted their “Gratitude for the Gifts I am Savouring” and their “Intentional acts of Kindness” aka IAK’s. Here is a photo-essay of the event followed by Grassroots Gratitude comments.
Her Worship, Town of Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno opens the event reminding the audience of our community’s kindness – especially on the days of unimaginable sadness during a most difficult summer.
Spoken Word Artist Shawayne Dunstan posts to Instagram following his delivery of his original and exceptional poem: I Cried a River but Flowers Bloomed.
A full house of kind-hearts listen attentively, in the cozy glow of Banff Canmore Community Foundation offices, on a frigid 8 am morning in Banff, Alberta.
Rocky Mountain Soap Company’s Head of Strategic Initiatives, Kelly Perrault announces Rocky’s new leadership initiative, “Grateful December”. Kelly’s story connected her memory of learning to drive a car with a sticky gear shift in the Australian outback to Gratitude, thus aligning her memories to Rocky’s core values including: Team work. Positivitude. And Give it a Go!
Steve Ashton, Founder and CEO of Ashton Construction Services reads from his journal, and connects his morning writing habit to tracking his time, his priorities, his gratitudes and his leadership in community.
Lorraine Widmer-Carson, Founder of Grassroots Gratitude steps up (literally), encouraging others to do the same. Be courageous, step up and to ‘go be kind’.
From Lorraine Widmer-Carson’s comments, Giving Tuesday 2022:
“Grassroots Gratitude believes that leadership in community isn’t about winning an election. Leadership in community is about stepping up and stepping forward and paraphrasing Author Peter Block
“Leaders are citizens who know how to bring the gifts of those on the margins, into the centre. Leaders understand that the talents of others need to be recognized and named as gifts. Leaders in community know how to savour and celebrate and do good things.
The Science is clear: Gratitude leads to higher levels of:
Generosity and helpfulness
An increased sense of purpose and improved resiliency
Lorraine went on to say, “While writing my book, an Ecology of Gratitude, I was gobsmacked by the science that helped me intensify my understanding of gratitude. “Studies reveal that the practice of gratitude leads to:
Increased feelings of energy, alertness, enthusiasm and vigour
Success in achieving personal goals
Lower levels of stress – even in stressful situations
A sense of closure in traumatic memories
Bolstered feelings of self-worth and self-confidence
More solid and secure social relationships
Prolonged enjoyment produced by pleasurable experiences – call it savouring
Improved cardiac health through increases in vagal tone
No question – gratitude is good for your health – physical, emotional and spiritual. But for Grassroots Gratitude, the ‘pro-social benefits’ are the ones that are of greatest importance. That’s why Grassroots Gratitude is committed to our Mission: To foster gratitude as the secret strength of leadership in community.”
Grassroots Gratitude: Know it. Show it. Grow it. Go for it!
