HOW SOUP CANS ARE A PATHWAY TO THRIVING
May 01, 2023
MAY DAY GROWING UP
I loved collecting empty soup cans in preparation for May Day.
As a young girl, I counted the houses on our block and saved that number of cans. Then I picked blooms from bushes and flower clumps throughout our neighborhood so I could honor each nearby household with a handmade May Day bouquet.
Pens, scissors, and glue laid ready on the kitchen table for production. With great thought, I selected bright crayons to color the brown paper bags that I cut to size to wrap the cans in decoration.
On the big day, it felt exhilarating to walk door-to-door without anyone seeing me. I secretly placed a bouquet on each front porch for the residents to discover and appreciate. Though I never witnessed their surprises, I imagined those moments over and over, and it brought a genuine, lasting smile to my face.
In my teenage years, I used money from my part-time job to buy bulk flowers and tissue paper for my May Day caper. With creativity, I assembled small bouquets of appreciation that I could hardly wait to give out. In the early morning hours of May 1st, I secretly delivered them to the front porches of several kind and generous adults who were mentors to me.
I was filled with joy because I knew the flower bouquets would bring delight… and I was delighted that the recipients would never know the gifts were from me. My heart swelled as I expressed my simple, secret gratitude to those who provided me with meaningful encouragement and support.
MAY DAY WITH OUR CHILDREN
When our three sons were young, I looked forward to May Day once again. I hoped they would experience the swelling in their hearts that gratitude can bring.
For a few years, we were able to make it happen.
Good-intentioned yet clumsy, impatient, preschooler hands got to work at our kitchen table. They colored designs on brown paper bags, cut them to size, and glued them on the soup cans as decoration. They thoughtfully arranged the flowers they picked.
On the big day, my heart filled with pride as our sweet little boys secretly delivered their handmade gratitude bouquets to our neighbors' front porches. Those memories bring tears even now.
Eventually, school and sports schedules became the priorities, and May 1st became like any other day. But I never forgot how good May Day gratitude felt.
MAY DAY CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU... AND FOR ME
May Day is needed today more than ever. Our troubled, disconnected world is parched, thirsty for the profound benefits gratitude can bring to both givers and receivers.
Gratitude is a catalyst for thriving, regardless of what may be happening in the world.
Harvard University research reveals how gratitude enhances human thriving:
“Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
Gratitude is what May Day is all about.
SOUP CANS LEAD TO THRIVING
Unknowingly, moments of May Day gratitude were seeds for the culmination of my life's work, Thrivable You. Based upon the science of human thriving and happiness, it's a training and coaching program to help you build thriving skills to generate a life of deep fulfillment and authentic joy.
People often ask, “Why is it so hard to be happy?”
It doesn't have to be that way.
Instead of making happiness your goal, make thriving your goal. Then you'll realize that happiness is the fruit of thriving.
THRIVING GENERATES HAPPINESS
When you build thriving skills, you increase your Thrivability. You discover your power to generate the happiness you want so you can experience the extraordinary – in work, in play, in love, in life.
Gratitude serves as a conduit for thriving, and thriving generates happiness.
GRATITUDE IS THRIVING IN ACTION
The flowers displayed here are my expression of gratitude to you on this May Day.
Take a moment to receive this gift. Give yourself permission to experience the elevation gratitude brings to your spirit.
Make it your practice to share gratitude with others, today and every day. In fact, you can SHARE THIS POST -- just copy this link [ HAPPY MAY DAY! ] and send to people you're grateful for.
And, if you're so inclined, make it your practice (like mine) to collect soup cans all year in anticipation of sharing gratitude bouquets on May Day.
May you experience a multitude of gratitude moments as seeds to a more Thrivable You.
PS: Don't forget to SHARE THIS POST -- just copy this link [ HAPPY MAY DAY! ] and send to people you're grateful for.
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