If you’re anything like us, you’ve worked really hard this year. You put in the hours at your job, and still found the strength to be there for your loved ones. You gave of yourself and your time to help others. Maybe you were just there to listen when someone needed you.
Whether you’re a giver, a doer, or a listener, someone out there is grateful for the work you did this year. So we’d like to encourage you to take a moment to reflect on all the people whose lives you touch, and the many (often unexpected) ways that the little choices you make have big impacts on those around you.
With that, we wish you a wonderful moment of respite from the world of work and presentations, so you can take the time to connect with the people and things that inspire you to work so hard in the first place.
Dave, Designer
What does gratitude mean to you in today’s world?
2021 was the year I learned to see gratitude as a muscle—something that could grow or atrophy depending on how much it gets used. While this is certainly not a new concept to some, I'd previously never considered it something one could cultivate. Gratitude as a practice has given me a stronger foothold in a time that has felt uncertain for so many of us.
Emily, Designer
What unexpected-but-positive thing did you experience this year?
Finding time to rediscover hobbies! For example: reading. When we were no longer commuting, that precious time I had used to read every day was gone, and my book totals for the year absolutely plummeted. But earlier this year I became absolutely obsessed again, and it's become an essential part of my schedule.
Sheren, Designer
What does gratitude mean to you in today’s world?
It means taking the time to be kind and thoughtful to yourself by putting more stock into the positives that happen than the negatives. It's a lot better use of your energy to acknowledge the things that make you happy or go right when it's very easy to get burned out on negatives.
What are you grateful for this year?
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is really a game I’ve been into since last year, but it got a new update that has been great. It really helps to have something to do to decompress after work and also it's like a free beach vacation everyday.
Danielle, Founder
What are you grateful for this year?
I’m grateful for the clients who trusted us to help them, and for our tremendous team, who supported all of the asks this year with great energy while staying flexible and focused. And I’m particularly grateful just to be able to do what we do for people, while still finding new ways to improve our work.
Abbey, Project Manager
What does gratitude mean to you in today's world?
In today's world, gratitude to me means to appreciate and understand that I already have everything I need. So much of life is chasing after things we don't have, and I think it's important to realize that to have my health, a home, and ample resources are all the components I need for a fulfilled life.
Kyle, Writer
What does gratitude mean to you in today’s world?
I understand gratitude as directly proportional to empathy. The more we can understand and connect to the stories and lived experiences of those around us, the more gratitude we can experience in our own lives.