Here at Schell Brothers, we’re all about an attitude of gratitude. And what better time of year to show how grateful we are for our loved ones than the holiday season?! We’ve been spreading positivity through our company and the community with Project Kudos, which encourages you to tell others how amazing they are! Thankful today for that sweet and funny friend who you can’t live without? Or your favorite local restaurant for a delicious dinner last night? Share the love by giving Kudos, which will make them (and you!) feel awesome.
One of our Construction Managers was so excited about Project Kudos that he decided to start his very own 100 Days of Kudos on social media, by posting who or what he was thankful for each day. Read on to hear Rob’s story. We promise it will make you want to give Kudos in this season of giving!
If you woke up today with only the things you said you were grateful for yesterday, what would you still have? What would you have lost?
When Project Kudos first launched, I had no idea of the impact it would have on me. Never in a million years did I see myself starting my own insane initiative inspired by it; yet here I am, at the end of a campaign to give Kudos to someone or something every day for 100 days in a row. I posted each Kudos on social media and tagged the person I was giving it to, not only because I wanted that person to know, but I also wanted to share my gratitude for that person with the world. I called the project 100 Days of Kudos (or, alternatively, Rob Takes on a Huge Project Without Thinking). And I’ll be honest – it wasn’t easy at first. It is a daunting task to come up with 100 different Kudos to give out, and getting started was definitely the hardest part. As I eased in (about day 20 or so), it became easier; something clicked in my brain once I forced myself to see the world in a frame of gratitude. It became natural to spot opportunities to give Kudos and express what these people meant to me.
Did you know that there is actual science behind all of this? No? Well get ready, because I’m about to lay some SCIENCE on you! Ever heard of a guy named Albert Ellis? He was the pioneer for the Rational Emotive Theory of Psychology (RET). The quick version of RET is that, essentially, our thoughts drive our emotions and behaviors. That may seem obvious, but let me explain the nuance behind the concept: how we frame our perception of events and circumstances in our mind directly affects how we feel about those events and circumstances and also affects how we react to them. Don’t take my word for it; look this guy up because he was way smarter than me and its good stuff!
Anyway, all that psychology stuff is at the very core of what Project Kudos is all about – it’s a campaign designed to put us in a frame of mind to be grateful for the people and things that we have in our lives. If you truly subscribe to this attitude of gratitude, as I’ve attempted to do these past 100 days, you may find your outlook improving, your confidence boosting, and as a result, your life and relationships only getting better.
I would encourage anyone reading this to try something similar. PLEASE don’t do 100 days; that was completely insane and would discourage some from finishing. I would suggest trying to give Kudos to someone or something every day for a week, then two weeks, then a month, and go from there. You may be surprised at how far you can go and how much positivity you can generate in yourself and others.
On almost every Kudos that I posted, the recipient reached out to me and told me how I made his/her day. It feels great to receive Kudos, but do you know what feels even better? GIVING Kudos. No, seriously! Each post I wrote made someone’s day for that day. But coming back to tell me that I made their day, also made my day. That’s a really roundabout way of saying that I made 100 different people’s days, one at a time, but they made my day 100 days in a row.
Now THAT’S something to be grateful for!
