Some say that World Gratitude Day began in 1965 in Hawaii when an international gathering decided that it would be nice to set one day of the year to formally express appreciation and gratitude for the many wonderful things in the world.
After the meeting in Hawaii many of the attendees began to mark September 21st as Gratitude Day when they returned to their respective countries.
Since the first anniversary in 1966, the number of people celebrating Gratitude Day has continued to grow.
The founders of Gratitude Day hoped to increase awareness of the benefits to one's life of being grateful, appreciative and positive by taking one day a year to emphasize those things and reflect upon the many amazing things and people we have in our lives.
A Gallup poll indicates that up to 65% of people feel unappreciated at work and f eeling unappreciated is the number one reason employees report for leaving a job.
There may be a scientific correlation to the dropout of Soo Bahk Do® students who quit and/or parents who allow their children to quit training and if so, then perhaps World Gratitude Day presents an opportunity to take some actions that can help retain more students.
- Celebrate Student Milestones - sooner than later
- acknowledge new student progress every week
- encourage new students to register as Federation members and test them for 9th Gup within 30 days of them beginning training.
- celebrate rank advancements
- celebrate training anniversaries
Surprise students with something unexpected
- announce a "street clothes" workout for next class
- announce an outdoor training session
- announce an open house, pizza party, sleep over or contest
- Be sincere
- mean what you say
- be genuine
- Be specific
- acknowledge by name
- acknowledge specific behaviors, accomplishments, or actions
- Acknowledge students publicly
- be grateful for their accomplishments
- ceremonially award rank certificates in front of peers and parents or consider making a public presentation ceremony and
- mention those who participate in events in press releases, social media posts, etc.
- Express gratitude for parents and others in your community who have supported your school in some way, contributed to your fundraisers, etc.
- Request all students to initiate expressions of gratitude on World Gratitude Day
- Request PVT to help prepare handwritten expressions of gratitude and sent them out on World Gratitude Day
- Send gracious emails, make phone calls, etc.
There is a lot of research indicating how being gracious and expressing gratitude can positively impact the life of the grateful person as well as the lives of those around them.
I am grateful for every Moo Duk Kwan® practitioner who is benefiting from Soo Bahk Do® training and positively influencing the lives of those around them by embodying and expressing our five moo do values.
