• Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
The Volante
The Volante
  • Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Celebrate gratefulness everydayOpinion
Home
Opinion

Celebrate gratefulness everyday

October 13th, 2020 Payton Ryz Opinion comments

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

“It is not happiness that brings us gratitude. It is gratitude that brings us happiness” -David Steindl-Rast. 

Every year we have a day for giving thanks. This weekend was Canadian thanksgiving and being a Canadian, I celebrated with some friends. As the night closed, we shared what we were grateful for. 

Sometimes the idea of Thanksgiving seems silly to me because why should we only have one day where we give thanks. There are other holidays where giving and gratitude is a big focus but why don’t we make an effort to make gratitude a part of our everyday lives. Maybe some of you do.

Maybe some of you think of the people and privileges you are thankful for, or maybe even think of the small things like someone holding the door open for you or the way the sunset looked that day. For those of you who don’t do this, it’s time to start giving thanks and being grateful every day.  

I know our lives are very busy, but try to take time out of your day to write down three things you are grateful for from that day, or throughout the day make note of the things that made you smile or things that you wouldn’t usually think to be grateful for. And BE grateful for them. 

As we struggle through our mid-terms, we might get not so good grades or get excellent grades, but whatever the outcome, let us be grateful for the fact that we are living in a safe community and get the opportunities to go to school and continue our education.  

At times when you are stressed or it’s just not your day, stop for a minute and think of a few things you’re grateful for, the first things that come to your mind. You will be surprised how thinking about what you do have versus what you don’t have will alleviate a bit of that stress or at least make you feel like everything is going to be okay.  

Gratitude has been proven to improve mental and physical wellness and build the compassionate and empathetic leaders this world needs. Neuroscientists have shown that gratitude can act as a natural antidepressant and be as impactful as medication.

When we make gratitude and thankfulness a daily practice instead of just focusing on it a few times a year during the holidays, we strengthen neural pathways and create permanent grateful and positive daily attitudes.

Studies have also shown that gratitude contributes to so many aspects of life and leads to positive outcomes such as: releasing toxic emotions, reducing pain, improving sleep quality, aiding in stress regulation, and reducing anxiety and depression.   

Now, American thanksgiving is just over a month away, but don’t wait till then to say thank you to those around you or reflect on moments you are grateful for. Start now.

Start expressing your gratitude for things in your life and each day will get a little easier, be a little brighter, and little opportunities will come your way that build up to the bigger meaning of your life.

I will leave you with one more thought. You never know what little part of your day will turn into something bigger or will have greater meaning to another person that changes their life forever. 

“Enjoy the little things. For one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault 

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Payton Ryz

Related Posts

Be Your Own Personal Rockstar! Opinion
January 19th, 2021

Be Your Own Personal Rockstar!

Mental Health Sick Day: Break from the Stress Opinion
January 18th, 2021

Mental Health Sick Day: Break from the Stress

Editorial: These masks might not be comfortable, but they are necessary Opinion
January 18th, 2021

Editorial: These masks might not be comfortable, but they are necessary

Facebook Comments

Latest Stories

Jan 19th 10:51 PM
Campus

Charlie’s bookstore: now just a pickup window?

Jan 19th 9:21 PM
Campus

New president, vice president candidates announced at SGA

Jan 19th 2:24 PM
Sports

Coyote track and field starts strong in home invitational

Jan 19th 9:09 AM
Opinion

Be Your Own Personal Rockstar!

Jan 18th 11:55 PM
Opinion

Mental Health Sick Day: Break from the Stress

Jan 18th 7:37 PM
Sports

The youngest Plitzuweit, GVSU commit, notches 1,000 career points for VHS

Jan 18th 7:11 PM
Opinion

Editorial: These masks might not be comfortable, but they are necessary

Jan 18th 5:29 PM
Campus

A peek into an international student’s world

Jan 18th 5:27 PM
Campus

History Club set to start back up this semester

Jan 18th 4:05 PM
Campus

Clarinet Day will explore history, significance of clarinets

Weather

Coyote News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K7ERfZmFOg

Advertisement

  • Home
  • Campus
  • State/Local
  • Sports
  • Verve
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Back to top

The Volante

The Volante is the University of South Dakota’s independent student-run newspaper since 1887. Al Neuharth Media Center The Volante 555 N. Dakota Street Vermillion, SD 57069

Advertisement

About

  • About
  • Code of Ethics
  • History
  • Awards
  • Executive Staff
  • Jobs
  • Comment Policy
  • Advertise

Engage

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Overheard
  • Subscribe
  • Submit News Tips

Media Partners

  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
© The Volante 2015. All rights reserved.