What an interesting short video clip from TED/ Rick Hanson, Hardwiring Happiness. Before I watched the video I thought of happiness years ago as something that I had to do to achieve it. Almost as a reward for action taken over time. I related the video to EI reading and finding the similarities quite interesting. I enjoyed the simple exercise that was presented about bringing a person into your mind that brings you happiness and how that makes you feel and this would lead me to a positive experience. I tried it and it worked, the longer I concentrated the more I enjoyed it. It was when Rick gave the acronym HEAL and explained the L, linking the positive experience and the negative material that really grabbed me. To heal old pain is what he said and I can see in congregations where there is need of healing but we hold on to the negatives which push away the good. This takes action which leads me to the reading of Bruce Epperly, on Gratitude. This is one of the actions I feel is so forgotten in many congregations. For both laity and clergy. In this fast paced life that we live do we take the time to say thank you. Bruce Epperly said," spiritual leadership involves pausing to notice what's going on in the congregation and the world and then responding with words and actions of affirmation and healing. He even adds scripture from Philippians 1:3-4 about gratitude. I also agree with Epperly' s statement that gratitude is the heart of affirmative leadership and that we need to be intentional about gratitude with action. I believe if it isn't from the heart and genuine it will fail. I have seen unintentional gratitude from leadership and seen it's adverse effects. This quote from Rick Henson summed this up for me, "take care of the minutes and the years will take care of themselves.