Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

Ursuline's Sr. Lois, University of Missouri Director of Sport Psychology and retired Head Track & Field Coach Dr. Rick McGuire, and University of North Texas Sport and Performance Psychology Consultant Stephanie Barrett, and myself discussed what our topic for this week should be. We've been having so much fun collaborating and learning from each other recently, and were thankful for this opportunity. Thus, "gratefulness" is this week’s topic. 

"Gratitude" evolved as Sr. Lois spoke of Junior Retreat and what a beautiful experience it was. Students were asked to reflect on their current situation and state what they considered a rose and what they considered a rose bud. The rose signified positivies and highlights on what is going well in the student’s life right now. The rose bud represented what the students were looking forward to in the near future. This activity mirrors Paul’s letter to the Collossians 2:7, “Let your roots grow down into Christ and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with gratitude.” What a magnificent image, a gratitude garden in full bloom!

Dr. McGuire relayed how he was often called upon to speak to the incoming athletes at Mizzou on being successful both academically and athletically. He had three expectations:

• Have a desire to be good and be willing to work hard to be good.
• Go to class every day
• Say, “thank you” a lot.

Dr McGuire further explained that student-athletes should appreciate all the people who have helped them, who do good things for them, who are kind to them, and who believe in them. They then should respond by saying, "thank you." The best way to express this gratitude is through face-to-face conversations. Dr. McGuire explains that these three simple expectations help student be fully engaged in their lives. Sharing gratitude is the oxygen, the lifeblood, and the energy of great relationships. 

Stephanie takes a deep dive into gratitude and how it is proven to be beneficial for our physical, psychological, and relational/interpersonal well-being. Here are some examples of evidence-based benefits of gratitude, and what can happen when we exchange self-pity/self-criticism for gratitude:

• Gratitude opens the doors to new relationships - Thanking a new acquaintance makes them significantly more likely to seek an ongoing relationship, which can lead to new opportunities.
• Gratitude improves physical health - People who practice gratitude report significantly fewer aches and pains, and report feeling healthier.
• Gratitude improves psychological health - Aratitude acts as an antidote to a plethora of toxic emotions, including resentment, envy, frustration, and regret. Research shows that, perhaps not surprisingly, gratitude increases positive emotions such as happiness, and reduces symptoms of depression.
• Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression - Grateful people are more likely to engage and behave in prosocial ways, even when others aren't kind, and have a greater capacity for empathy paired with a reduced desire to seek revenge/retaliation in the face of negative feedback.
• Gratitude improves sleep - According to a 2011 study, spending 15 minutes jotting down grateful sentiments before bed can improve how long you sleep and your sleep quality.
• Gratitude improves self-esteem - Gratitude has been shown to increase athletes' self-esteem, which is essential for optimal performance. Additionally, gratitude reduces social comparisons, which reduces feelings of resentment for what others have and lead to genuinely appreciating others' accomplishments.
• Gratitude increases mental strength - Gratitude has been shown to reduce stress and foster resilience in the face of adversity.

How to Practice Gratitude:

When we are busy, and definitely when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed (as many of us are right now), we can lose sight of what is important to us- the things in our life that ground and center us, that provide us with purpose and meaning, that connect us to others. Practicing gratitude can help us during the times we are in. Here is what you can do right now:

• Take a moment by yourself - no other people, no computer, no phone, no anything -just you and the moment. Focus on your breathing as a way to slow down, relax, and bring yourself to the present.
• After a few breaths, take a moment to think about what you are thankful for in your life. Your family and friends, what you get to do in your life, your health, a wonderful book you are reading or show you just watched, a great tasting meal, your connection to a higher power. Whatever that is, bring that front and center into your mind and consciousness.
• Now, write down what you have just thought about (what you are grateful for in your life). Write it anywhere - in your phone, on a post-it, etc. - and attach it to your computer screen or write it on your mirror so you see it everyday. Make it a daily, visible reminder to you.
• Consider sharing what you have written with special people in your life. Particularly if you identified a person or people as part of your gratitude. Let them know directly why you are grateful to them. Sharing our gratitude can have a multiplying effect, forging deeper connections and bringing us even closer.

In closing, Sr. Lois provides us with this story and words from St. Angela:

When she was a teenager, Angela Merici and her family suddenly faced a pandemic in northern Italy. Angela’s mom, dad, and sister all suddenly caught the illness and died from this plague which was sweeping Europe. Angela and her brother had to move to another city to be with their aunt and uncle. They weathered this deep loss and when Angela was older she returned to her homeland to begin again and help other women, young and old, who lost many family members because of sickness and war. In all of this, she relied on God to be her source of strength and love as she gave her life in service and prayer. She grew in her spirit of gratitude and encourages us, no matter what the circumstance, to be thankful for life.

•  Always be thankful; …be full of charity, faith and hope in God.” (Prologue to her Rule)
• “Be bound to one another by love, grateful for each other, helping each other, putting up with each other in Jesus Christ.” (Last Counsel)

Here we are, 485 years later, following in St. Angela’s footsteps of grateful service and love of God. “St. Angela, watch over the days of our lives! St. Ursula, protect our future.”

I am thankful for this Dream Team and the opportunity to serve this wonderful Ursuline community!

Sincerely,
Susan Noonan
Director of Athletics