A Note of Thanks

A Note of Thanks

What You Focus on Expands

By NAfME Member Lori Schwartz Reichl

“What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.” — Oprah Winfrey

November is a time for giving thanks. It has also been designated National Gratitude Month. Several awareness occasions are recognized during November that encourage showing gratitude, such as National Career Development Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and American Education Week. ​​These celebrations allow us to thank those who have guided our professional growth and advancement, served our country, helped us in life, or contributed to education. Showing gratitude can occur at any time of the year, yet this month represents a collective time to give thanks and reflect on for whom, what, and why we are grateful.

According to UCLA Health and other relevant research, “Practicing gratitude can enhance mental wellness and possibly promote a lasting change in perspective.” There can be noticeable health benefits when gratitude practices are maintained for a predetermined amount of time each day, week, or year. Intentionally being thankful can reduce depression, lessen anxiety, support mental health, relieve stress, and even improve sleep. Showing gratitude is not only kind and meaningful but also beneficial and necessary to improve our quality of life.

The Power of Appreciation

In November 2018, I wrote my first published article about gratitude, which appeared in a teacher’s edition of a magazine with the article titled, “Show Gratitude: Make Real Contact by Giving Thanks, and Meaning It,” in which I highlighted my father, Frank Schwartz, as a remarkable music educator and shared his tremendous efforts as my elementary and high school band director and mentor. Within the article, I encourage readers to reflect on the most influential people in their educational journey and write each of them a meaningful letter of thanks. My mother taught me the importance of writing thank you cards. She instilled in me that everyone enjoys receiving meaningful mail. I often write and send several letters of gratitude a month, each with colorful stickers placed on the outside of the envelopes. I have passed on this habit to my children, encouraging and guiding them to do the same act of giving thanks. It has improved their writing skills and enhanced their meaning of gratitude. They have experienced how this practice can bring joy to them as the giver and reciprocate joy to the receiver.

Immediately after writing that article a few years ago, I followed my own advice and wrote and sent thank you notes to a handful of my former teachers from elementary school through my doctoral studies. I continue to do this with mentors, colleagues, friends, and family. I have since written several other pieces to show my gratitude and to highlight the work of others. Also in 2018, I authored the article, “Live Life Rosie(r): Spread Love Everywhere You Go,” about my aunt, Sister Rosemarie Schwartz, a cherished music educator and nun. In December 2018, I penned the article, “Friendship as Mentorship: Colleagues Can Be Your Best Resource Professionally and Personally,” to feature several music colleagues whom I have admired with whom I have enjoyed collaborating. In June 2023, I organized the piece, “Planning for the Inevitable: Navigating Challenges in and out of the Classroom,” to share the story of my determined friend, Amy Kraft, who taught me lessons in healing. In October 2023, I shared the tenacious story of a newer friend, Wayne Magee, through the piece “Tough Blows: An Educator’s Story of Defying the Odds.” Finally, I wrote about a supportive college professor, Dr. Adeline Bethany, in the November 2023 article “A Teacher’s Legacy: The Influence of Gratitude.”

I have transformed many of these written articles into podcast episodes where I speak about these mentors. I have also co-authored articles with several educators, principals, superintendents, and school board members to highlight their work, share their ideas, or collaborate with them on a joint mission. I still have several people with whom I would like to collaborate and recognize.

In many of my articles and podcast episodes, I have fondly written or spoken about my mother or shared ideas received from her—most notably, she taught me the importance of writing notes by hand and showing gratitude in distinctive ways. My mom has done this throughout my life, by leaving a voice message or sending a card to me to say how much she loved being with me for an event or telling me what she believes my unique gifts are. She has read each of my monthly articles and proofread all of them during the first several years of my writing career, guiding me on revisions. Yet, I have never dedicated a full article or podcast episode to my mom. With her 75th birthday on November 3, 2024, I thought this was an appropriate time to publicly express my gratitude for my mom and share the lessons she taught me.

The Talented Teacher

​​My beautiful mom, Donna Maria Cecelia Palmerio Schwartz, is a gifted musician, actor, writer, storyteller, and teacher. She has sung and played piano throughout her life. She is known to break into song during conversation, rewrite the lyrics to a song or poem, or march around the house with her grandchildren, pretending to lead the band. She continues to sing in her church choir, with my dad serving as her director. (Mom often shares funny stories about their interactions at rehearsals!) Early in her teaching career as a high school English teacher, my mom served as the head director of the district’s musicals. (I was even named after a character from the musical Oklahoma.) She acted on many stages, having the joy of performing with the late actor Treat Williams early on in her career and later in life, meticulously portraying the Wicked Witch of the West in a community production of The Wizard of Oz. (Her cackle is hands down the best!)

As she transitioned from high school English teacher to elementary reading specialist, she continued to use music and drama as a form of expression with her students, often singing to them and acting as characters in the books she read with them. My mom was known as a tough teacher, yet many students returned years later to express gratitude to her for preparing them for the difficulties of college or the challenges of life. Most recently, she Zoomed with a former high school student she had taught more than 50 years ago who shared his appreciation for her dedication to the education profession and excitement of musical theater. After their meeting, this student (now almost 70 years old!) shared that my mom’s “preparation was very good, and her delivery was exquisite!” He posted a photo of their meeting on social media, and former students of my mother’s commented on her being an outstanding teacher and director, calling her “a no-nonsense teacher, but one with compassion and sense of humor.”

Growing up, our house was a warm and welcoming place to live and visit. Laughter and music were evident—often initiated by my mom. She has been my greatest cheerleader in literal and metaphorical ways from cheering the loudest at field hockey games, clapping uncontrollably at concerts, and encouraging me to achieve my dreams as a child and adult.​​  I am honored to be my mom’s daughter, and I’m thrilled that my children have been able to learn from her, too.

Making Key Changes with Gratitude

My mom is known for uttering the phrase, “What you focus on expands.” She continues to say this phrase to me when I have a new idea, desire a certain position, or want to make key changes in my life or the lives of others. The phrase motivates me to give time and energy to what I want, love, or dream. If I positively think, feel, or act, then an improved outlook and outcome will emerge in a bigger, more optimistic, and more robust way. This phrase also reminds me that if I give my attention to negative thoughts, emotions, or actions, then they may pessimistically dominate my life.

Oprah Winfrey once said, “What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it.” By focusing on gratitude, we can expand our appreciation and recognition of others. One of the three components of burnout is inefficacy. I wrote about this in December 2023 in the article titled “Prioritizing People: Confront and Conquer Burnout Together,” and I spoke about it in the Making Key Changes podcast episode #2 titled “Burnout: Confront and Conquer It!” and episode #12 known as “Banishing Burnout.” Feelings of incompetence or a lack of achievement and productivity reflect inefficacy. The absence of feedback or recognition can result in burnout. When people feel valued, appreciated, and understood, they will more easily produce a desired result. Practicing gratitude can enhance our production and that of those we love, serve, and lead. Showing gratitude to others can occur in simple ways—not just in November but throughout the entire year. May this month serve as a reminder of the importance and advantageousness of showing gratitude.

My mom has modeled gratitude by writing someone a thank you card, calling people on the telephone to share an appreciation for them, gifting someone a present that reminds her of the person, or speaking kindly to others about another person. These actions demonstrate that when we focus on something—and specifically gratitude—beauty can expand. This expansion may even encourage others to practice gratitude, too. A “note of thanks” may be the goodness we all need to enjoy and create more beauty this season and beyond. Consider focusing on gratitude in the days and weeks ahead. Celebrate how the art of giving thanks will expand within your home and workspace and in collaboration with those you love, serve, and lead.

Photo at top by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

About the author:

NAfME member Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl is the visionary thought leader of Making Key Changes. Her career began in music education where she learned the importance of a key change—a shift in the tonal center of a piece of music, often used to inject energy or produce significance. She eventually realized the necessity and impact of making key changes in many areas of her life and the desire to help others do the same.

Since transitioning out of one classroom as a public school teacher, Lori has uniquely created a global classroom for her work. She motivates organizations, teams, and individuals to reflect on their daily practices and offers actionable key changes to grow. She guides all contributors to create and maintain a shared vision in their communities, companies, classrooms, and careers. Together, they unlock their greatest potential in collaboration with those they love, serve, and lead.

Learn more about Dr. Lori Schwartz Reichl at MakingKeyChanges.com. Subscribe to her Making Key Changes weekly newsletter and listen to her weekly podcast.

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