Choose To Be Great: Gratitude (Y2:E12)

~ Angelo DelliSanti

We’ve reached November. It’s often a hard month in school because the honeymoon phase of the year definitely passed in (Sh)october and the month of November itself is chopped up with a bunch of days off. If nothing else, it can be hard to get into the right rhythm.

But, what if I could give you something that would make things just a little bit easier this month? What if that thing actually made things better for everyone? Would you do it? Would you give it away to others?

Here’s the gift, my friends: Gratitude. It is the disposition of a soul that knows it has been given much. We all feel gratitude from time to time. The best of us kind of live in a space of gratitude. Their lives are uncommonly marked by it. It’s special to see it flow from people’s hearts. In fact, just this week, one of my closest friends in the world started her monthly “Days of Gratitude” posts. Like always, they make me smile.

Just in case you’re not feeling especially grateful today, allow me to offer you a reminder: It’s a choice. Like so much in life, gratitude is a response. We get to choose our responses. We get to choose gratitude! And, when we choose it, it enhances the quality of our lives, as well as every life we choose to touch.

Much has been written about gratitude. Here are a few thoughts:

  • At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. (Albert Schweitzer)
  • Gratitude turns what we have into enough. (Anonymous)
  • You cannot express gratitude too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
  • Gratitude is the sign of a noble soul. (Aesop)

So, as we begin this month, I challenge you to express your gratitude to others. Here are some ideas to help you do that:

  • Simply tell the person you’ve been thinking about thanking “for that thing” they did. You never know how powerful that well-timed word might be.
  • Write one private note of gratitude to a staff member each day of the month. Challenge them to do the same.
  • Look at your faculty meeting agenda for the month. Can it be sent to them in an email? When you come together, take 20 minutes and allow people to publicly express their gratitude for their colleagues in front of their peers. I suggest modeling this as an admin team and telling your staff that administrators are “off limits” to thank. Once you’re done, email everyone the faculty meeting notes and send them home early.

However you decide to do it, it will be great. There’s only one rule for expressing gratitude: Make sure it’s sincere.

I hope you’ll take up this challenge to be grateful this month.

Choose To Be Great!

Angelo

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Published by Angelo DelliSanti

“Education? You don’t want to do that with your life. You’ve got other plans.” That’s what Angelo DelliSanti’s high school counselor told him his senior year. And she was right—at first. Angelo had spent three years preparing to become a U.S. Navy officer. But an internship with a math teacher during his senior year changed everything. Helping struggling students master algebra sparked a passion for education that would shape his career. Over the next 15 years, Angelo served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, returning to his alma mater to teach World History and later advancing to leadership roles. As a principal, Angelo implemented the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process, leading to remarkable academic gains, increased scholarships, record-breaking graduation rates, and improved school culture. These achievements earned him recognition as the Rowan-Salisbury Schools Principal of the Year in 2018. In 2022, Angelo joined Capturing Kids’ Hearts as a Leadership Solutions Strategist where he is dedicated to working together with school leaders to create remarkable schools. He holds a Bachelor’s in History and Secondary Education from UNC Charlotte, where he was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. He also completed a Master’s in School Administration and completed all the required coursework for a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from his alma mater, earning the Outstanding Student Philip Morris Educational Fellowship in 2017. Angelo lives in North Carolina with his wife, Kasey, whom he married in 2008. Together, they enjoy escapes to the mountains and beaches. Angelo’s passions include golf, non-fiction books, cooking, and sharing meals filled with laughter and connection around the table.

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