Gratitude: The Positivity of Thankfulness

Admittedly, I struggled somewhat on what to write in this last Pipeline column for 2023. I pondered possible subjects and, for whatever reason, did not wish to write the usual column about “this” or “that” Association activity, effort, or resource. I’m sure there will be many such columns in 2024. Rather, I kept drifting off to the subject matter of an article I recently uncovered online about the power of gratitude. The author was recounting the personal benefits of practicing gratitude for an individual, relating that research shows that practicing gratitude can “rewire the brain for the better” by boosting positivity, increasing feelings of happiness, and providing an overall sense of well-being. Embracing gratitude, it seems, certainly is an apropos practice for the holiday season and the end of the year, especially when heightened expectations, busy routines, future uncertainties, and myriad other stressors may be the order of the day.

Getting to gratitude, I read, is an active, not passive, endeavor. It is adopting a mindful strategy of acknowledging the goodness that surrounds you and recognizing how that goodness came to you. It can be heightened by awareness and by practice—that is, expressing thankfulness to others. Practicing gratitude apparently can have a domino effect; if a person experiences gratitude, that person is more likely to express gratitude to and to help others.

If practicing gratitude makes an individual healthier and happier, I imagine practicing collective thankfulness can do wonders for a community, even an industry, propelling it to a positive and healthy future. I truly am thankful for the NASBP community, an exceptional group of professionals doing exceptional things for surety clients and stakeholders. And, I am grateful for the NASBP leadership, who continue to model dedicated volunteerism and to show faith in my stewardship of the Association, and for my excellent colleagues, with whom I am privileged to work and who often make the challenging look easy and the mundane look exciting.

Please have a safe, relaxing, and joyous holiday season, and don’t forget to practice a little gratitude along the way. I am positive that I feel better already.