“Talk for Two” Set for Sunday, July 29, 2018
by the Thrive Now Boston Team
Thrive Now Boston is made of a group of volunteers—many of whom are CiPP alumni—who design “WOW experiences” that bring people together to feel happier. We recently held our first event at the Brewer Fountain near the Park Street T. We called this special event Grati-Tuesday.
Our intention was to inspire the practice of gratitude by asking people who passed by what they were grateful for. We spoke to more than 100 people, who wrote down their gratitude, got their picture taken with their words, and added what they wrote to our huge gratitude banner.
Our next event takes place this Sunday, July 29, from 11:00–1:00 pm, also near the Park Street T. It’s called “Talk for Two,” and it will bring people together in pairs to talk with a stranger for two minutes.
Powerful
Why did we kick off our first event with gratitude? Easy! Gratitude is impactful. We witnessed firsthand the power and grace of gratitude in action. It was wonderful to see people’s faces light up as they shared their gratitude, and to see them walk away with a big smile on their faces.
Some of the gratitudes that people shared …
Family: “My mom and dad love me.”
Freedom: “I recently escaped from Turkey to the United States and met this guy who’s from Nigeria and we’re now best friends.”
The kindness of strangers: “I’m so happy that you are doing this, and happy to have talked with you.”
Pay it forward!
People were surprised and thrilled when we gave them a postcard to give to someone they were grateful for.
We gave one to a dad whose daughter had just graduated from high school and was traveling abroad. He was so grateful for her, and he missed her a lot. He was very excited to send her the card, to let her know how much he was thinking about her and how much he appreciated her.
Gratitude is so simple, and it lights people up!
Practice
Here’s a quick gratitude exercise. Take a moment to finish this sentence stem—keep writing until you fully explain why you are grateful.
I am grateful for (fill in the blank) because …
Continue this gratitude practice for one week, and notice how you feel after you do each daily exercise. If this simple gratitude technique boosts your happiness levels, then keep going. The longer you do this practice, the more you benefit.
To learn more about Thrive Now Boston, visit our website and follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
The Thrive Now Boston team:
Pamela Garramone
Debbie Lyn Toomey
Martha Fagan
Alyson Lee
Francesca Lo Cascio
Christine Durand
Sharone Coleman
Ron DiBona
Boriana Zaneva
Valerie Vigoda
If you live in the Boston area and are interested in joining the team, contact Pamela at [email protected].
