A Response of Gratitude: Time, Talent, Treasure Series
Gratitude is more than an attitude.
This is my favorite time of the year!
The temps are finally cooling off for our home base in Central TX. Leaves are changing colors. (Well, a few of them.) Storms blow in and out on a weekly basis. The environment around us is a reminder of the constantly changing things in our lives. And the main reason?
THANKSGIVING IS ARGUABLY THE BEST HOLIDAY!
Now, I hear you Christmas crazies getting your tinsel ready to gag me & pelt me with ornaments. Hold on, hold on! I love Christmas too! In fact, this year, SUMMIT is sharing with you an experiential devotional series so you can experience the season in a whole new way. Sign up here >
But Thanksgiving is the ONE HOLIDAY founded on the idea of being grateful for what we have.
Because gratitude is more than an attitude. It’s a leadership skill that acts like a super power!
This super power helps us weather storms & navigate the chaos of life.
In SUMMIT leadership training terms: It’s a VISION + ACTION skill.
Gratitude, as a change in perception
“The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.”
And this perception shift isn’t just wishful thinking!
A Berkley University summary of findings from of a study of struggling students explained that gratitude changes you and your brain with the intriguing statement: “Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions”
Medical science has been catching on to the beneficial effects of a perspective of gratitude AND acts of gratitude for the last 20 years.
Via UCLA Health, the health benefits of gratitude may include:
Reduce depression
Lessen anxiety
Support heart health
Reduce envy & jealousy
Relieve stress
Improve sleep
Gratitude, as a skill that takes practice to hone
“Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
To build up the habits that help make gratitude a (more) automatic response, we have to practice at it.
The Summit team has been cooking up a series on how operating from a perspective of gratitude helps us become a good steward of our time, talent, and treasure.
We’ll be sharing that via our social media channels:
YouTube @summitlead
Instagram @summit.lead
Facebook Summit Outdoor Leadership
Be sure you follow our social channels, so you can see the encouraging words in your feeds & be challenged to practice out of grateful heart through the month of November!
With gratitude,
Bryan Turner
Summit Outdoor Leadership
Currently booking outdoor adventures, weekend retreats, and training dates for Spring 2026.
At Summit Outdoor Leadership, we are committed to cultivating this powerful skill through our training & outdoor ministry efforts.
At SUMMIT Outdoor Leadership, this is what we prepare people for: to live with purpose.
Through our not-so-secret ingredients of Truth, Adventure, & Leadership, we create courses that make people ready to lead, follow, and serve others.
Our desire is to work alongside local churches to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-16) in a way that is engaging, effective, and sticks long-term. If you’d like to try our experiential learning model at an indoor or outdoor training event for your community, drop us a line here ↓
Currently booking outdoor adventures, weekend retreats, and training dates for Spring 2026.
Get your church, school, or business on our calendar!
