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"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven." - Johannes A. Gaertner

While we are in the midst of a host of celebratory events that started with Thanksgiving and culminate with New Year's Day, the above quote, by the German historian and university scholar, evokes feelings of self-reflection and introspection. Under what category of gratitude would I fit? How can we show gratitude when the current economic environment drags us down the path of pity and pessimism?

Looking at the "glass" in our lives, we could either see one that is half full, or half empty. As you may recall from this popular metaphor, those who see their glass half empty are perceived as pessimistic. And those who see their glass half full are considered the optimistic, grateful bunch. Using this example, let's further explore how Gaertner's words might be an invitation to show gratitude through ongoing, consistent action.

Thanksgiving: Passive and Reactive Gratitude
Through the many rituals that accompany holiday celebrations, we become appreciative, positive people who acknowledge what they have been given. We may say a prayer. We may offer a formal statement of appreciation - customary during the annual Thanksgiving holiday - and then go on our merry way. Our glass is half full and we are thankful for it. "I seldom have time to stop and acknowledge what I have and have accomplished. So doing it on a specific day has special meaning to me," explained an administrative assistant at a New York City hospital.

Acts of Kindness: Sporadic and Active Gratitude
Others may see their glass half full and say, perhaps I can share a bit of what I have with others whose glass is less full than mine. This group of people engages in sporadic actions to help others. Some knit hats for the homeless. Another group may participate in a food or toy drive once a year. In any case, gratitude in this scenario involves an outward expression that reaches others and is limited and one-directional in nature. This is what most volunteering efforts are about.

Mentoring: Gratitude in Motion
A third group looks at their half-full glass and finds a way to share its contents with others without concern for it becoming empty. Yet, somehow their glass remains full; there is always more to share. This activity becomes a cycle of giving - and unexpected receiving - that engages both parties in a relational flow. Mentoring is based on this premise.
According to the Mass Mentoring Partnership, mentoring is "the one-to-one or group relationship that one or more adults develop with one or more young people to help them develop and succeed." Gratitude becomes a way of giving to others what one has received or experienced. Along the way, those who give also begin to receive from those whom they seek to help. Phyllis Barajas, founder and executive director of Conexión, a Boston based professional development and mentoring program for mid-career Latinos, said that mentoring, "opens up two people to new possibilities. It is a shared learning experience."

The main take away from Gaertner's quote is to learn about the different ways we can be grateful and the many possibilities to express it. The journey of gratitude in motion is specific to each person's level of awareness, willingness to reflect and ability to act on a particular interest.

As the New Year unfolds, let's reflect on where we are in the gratitude continuum and where we would like to be. If you are thinking of stepping into the world of gratitude in motion through mentoring, you don't have to jump in with both feet. Dip you toe in the water - metaphorically speaking. Talk to others who have done it and set expectations for yourself and for those who will be affected by your involvement.

Gratitude cannot be forced. That is the real beauty of gratitude in motion: It is a feeling that thrives on authenticity. Call it karma, quantum physics or the law of attraction. Those who live with gratitude in motion, through volunteering or mentoring, seem to always have their glass half full. I would even venture to say that along the way their glass gets fuller without even trying.
To read more of Anna's musings visit her blog at www.shadesofsuccess.net.