Mar 9 2015

Tracey Jackson

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Gratitude, Shop

FINDING GRATITUDE IN THE DARNDEST PLACES

FINDING GRATITUDE IN THE DARNDEST PLACES

Our little Gratitude and Trust Shop section is growing. We have our gorgeous necklaces designed just for us by jeweler Marla Aaron.  We have our tote bags designed by our own Patricia Kind. And this week we are very pleased to welcome Beth Gross- Santos and her Olive Gratitude Bracelet Collection.

 

Beth contacted us, and we we were so moved by her personal story and the inspiration for her line of gratitude jewelry and keychains that we had to fold her into the G and T family store.

The items all come with a  card that present people with the opportunity to articulate their feelings of gratitude for someone special via a personalized message.  Expressing Gratitude creates infinite Happiness. Finishing the sentence,”I am grateful to you because__________.” 

 Beth’s Story

Inspiration sometimes comes from our darkest moments. At least, that’s what Beth Gross-Santos found after hitting what she thought was rock bottom when her seemingly perfect life began to unravel before her in October 2010. She was faced with a once successful business of 24 years that now was failing, bills that kept piling up, a house in desperate need of repair, a marriage that had fallen apart, two growing children with whom she struggled to find the time and strength to support both emotionally and financially, and a part-time job that was doing more harm than good to help repair all of these damages.

But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she challenged herself to find a different way of coping – to allow herself to become temporarily derailed, but not defeated. Through an intense soul-searching process, she reflected on her circumstances and wondered what she would have left if she peeled back the layers of her usual self image. She was left with friends, family, acquaintances, and meaningful connections that filled her with an immense gratitude. And the more open she became to this perspective, the less alone she felt and the more she was moved toward this new feeling of gratitude.

Since then, Beth has taken on the self-appointed role of “gratitude facilitator,” positioning herself as someone who can help others develop their own story of gratitude, thereby better appreciating and enriching their own relationships and sense of possibility. This notion of gratitude is symbolized by a spiral that represents growth and evolution. In the end, it’s only through sharing the feeling of gratitude that the spiral can continue to be a source of positive energy and inspiration to all.

The Olive Gratitude Bracelet Collection was created because of Beth Gross-Santos’s prior experience picking olives on the Island of Crete during an earlier period of her life. She always traveled with a Swiss Army Knife and saw many olives disintegrating on the ground so she carved away and made the first bracelet over 25 years ago. Life happened, so it took Beth awhile to return to her former endeavor. Now with a more expanded vision based upon her role as a Gratitude Facilitator she invites you to participate in Growing Gratitude in the world by  wearing and sharing these wonderful hand-made bracelets that turn the pits into a symbol of positiveness. 

 

Tracey Jackson

Tracey Jackson is a screenwriter and blogger at traceyjacksononline.com. Her book Gratitude and Trust is now available.