Make a Thanksgiving Tree
THE IDEA:
It doesn’t just have to be the month of Thanksgiving that we share our gratitude and appreciation for blessings in our lives. One of the ways to keep “an attitude of gratitude” in the places we work is to make a Thanksgiving tree.
THE IDEA IN ACTION:
* Many years ago I created a Thanksgiving tree for our home. I took a large manzanita branch, sprayed it gold, and secured it in a base of plaster of Paris. Beside it I kept a basket of small plain cards with holes punched in them, another basket of pieces of colored yarn, and a pen. The tradition in our family is that the month before Thanksgiving, the tree is placed on a table in our living room, and each family member writes down things for which he or she is thankful and hangs them on the tree. We also encourage guests in our home to participate. At the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day we read the cards from the tree as an affirmation of our blessings. Then we save the cards from the year before, and we read those as well. It is a wonderful way to remind us of all the goodness in our lives and reinforces the importance of sharing our appreciation.
This is a tree that one of my clients made for their workplace.
TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION:
An organization could use this idea in a work area, a cafeteria, or other gathering place to encourage employees to focus on the good things happening each day. It also promotes communication and teamwork as others read the information shared on the cards. If the tree is kept up all year long, it will be important to remove the cards on a regular basis to make room for others and to encourage continual appreciation.
For more creative ideas, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/ideas
