GRATITUDExMILLION

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Why Sharing Gratitude Matters

Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s a powerful force that strengthens connections, uplifts spirits, and creates ripple effects of positivity in our lives and communities. By sharing gratitude with others, we remind them—and ourselves—of the good that exists in the world, even amidst challenges.

Here’s why sharing gratitude is so important:

  • It Strengthens Relationships: Expressing gratitude deepens bonds and builds trust. A simple “I appreciate you” can make someone feel seen, valued, and loved.
  • It Spreads Positivity: Gratitude is contagious. When you take the time to acknowledge and share what you’re thankful for, it inspires others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of joy and connection.
  • It Boosts Mental Well-being: Sharing gratitude shifts your focus to the positives in life, reducing stress and increasing feelings of happiness and contentment.
  • It Inspires Change: Gratitude encourages action. Acknowledging someone’s impact motivates them to continue making a difference.

Join the GRATITUDExMILLION Movement

At GRATITUDExMILLION, we believe in the transformative power of gratitude. Our goal is simple but bold: to collect one million expressions of gratitude from people around the world. Why? Because every offering of gratitude is a spark of kindness, hope, and inspiration that helps create a brighter world.

When you share your gratitude, you’re part of something bigger—a movement that connects millions of people in a shared mission to celebrate the good in life and the people who make it meaningful.

How You Can Be Part of the Change:

  • Reflect on someone or something you’re grateful for.
  • Share your gratitude on GRATITUDExMILLION and inspire others to do the same.
  • Watch the ripple effect grow as we build a world filled with appreciation and joy.

Together, let’s show the world that gratitude has no limits. Join us in making gratitude go global—one offering at a time.

Add your voice to GRATITUDExMILLION today and help us reach one million!

Use the form below to share your gratitude and be a part of the positive change that brings appreciation and joy. All stories are verified by Seamus and will be posted to the Wall of Gratitude below.

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Stories of Gratitude

See below for the incredible stories people have shared as they have been inspired by the GRATITUDExMILLION movement.

Seamus Kelleher

I started this Gratitude Movement because I truly believe that when we focus on all that we have—rather than what we lack—we live a happier life and become more willing to recognize and appreciate the efforts of others.
When I resigned from teaching last year, I knew in my heart that I had given everything I had to my students. I had tried my best to be a positive impact in their lives. But what I didn’t expect was the overwhelming outpouring of gratitude I received from my former students. Their words, their stories, their appreciation left me absolutely floored. It became clear to me that I had made a difference in the lives of so many, and I thought to myself: Why should it take a life-altering decision for that gratitude to be shared?
That question led me to create this movement—with the hope of sharing one million stories of gratitude and, in doing so, making the world a better place. That was my vision.
Recently, my beautiful dog Hennessy passed away, and my heart is broken. It happened so suddenly—he wasn’t sick. We started the day as we always did, with a beautiful morning walk, and the next day, he was gone. He was my best friend, my roommate, my travel buddy—my life revolved around him. It’s hard to be grateful when your house is empty, when there’s no one waiting for you at the door after a long day.

Paul Lamarche

I was on a road-trip with one of my musical mentors, when he mentioned his oldest son being his best friend. It occurred me that my parents, as well, are my best friends – we are completely absorbed and connected by music even beyond family. And basically, all sports. They gifted and fostered my interest in music, and hockey when I was younger.

I am grateful for this connection for sure, but when I think of gratitude, I am further grateful for the fact that they are well taken care of and not in any state of financial or health stress. They achieved this for themselves. My parents are free to just enjoy their grandchildren and listen to my tales of musical travels.

And when I return from such gigs, we laugh and joke and tell old stories like friends do.

Mary Kelleher

My mother was the most wonderful woman in the world. She was extremely wise for a woman with limited schooling who lived out in the country. She encouraged me to study and work hard in school, as she knew it would benefit me later in life. I don’t know how she found the money to enroll me in the convent school, but she did, ensuring I would have a better education than the commercial school. The St. Louis nuns were very strict but incredibly knowledgeable teachers. They taught me the in-depth particulars of various subjects like History, English, Religion, and Domestic Economy—things I wouldn’t have learned at the regular school.
Upon graduating, I had a job waiting for me in Dublin with the Civil Service. When I dreamt about my life, I didn’t see myself working in an office, so I asked my mother if I could travel to England and train to be a nurse. I’ll never forget what she said: “If that’s what you want to do, I won’t stop you.” Had she not supported my dreams, I would have taken the job in Dublin, and my life would have been completely different.
I often think of my poor mother dropping me off at the train station to travel to Dublin, and then by boat to England. I was only 18 years old, and my mother wouldn’t know if I had arrived safely for weeks—until a letter could be delivered and ease her concerns. I can’t imagine how much she must have worried about me, but her faith was so strong, and I know she put her trust in God…

Laura

May sounds simple to some but I am grateful for my friends and their unwavering support. They are always there to pick each other up and celebrate the wins.

Toni Lombardi

I am so grateful that I have my health so that I can help others! Without health, both mental and physical, life would be difficult and therefore I am super grateful!

Tammy Whelen

It was after my cancer treatment and recovery that I decided that I needed to quit my job and do something meaningful. I had a second chance on life, and didn’t see value in sitting behind a desk any longer. After a successful and random fundraising event to support the hospital that saved my life, my oncologist Dr. Neil Bernstein, encouraged me to consider this as a career. I remember him saying “you are good at this, you should do this for a living”. This conversation ignited a spark to find out more about an event planning and fundraising career, which led me back to College, and changed the trajectory of my life moving forward.

Joseph Geiser

Our parents are our first teachers and as such have the potential to have the greatest impact on our lives as children and probably most importantly as adults – even well after they have physically left us. I am especially grateful for life’s lessons that I learned from my parents in shaping the person I am. These lessons were not taught through lengthy conversations over the dinner table or through bedtime stories. Living on a farm with six children didn’t afford us the luxury of spending such ‘quality’ time with our parents. However, it was the lessons of integrity, loyalty, honesty, faith, commitment, will power and most importantly unconditional love through the most adverse situations that shaped the person that I have become and continue to be…

Siobhan Kukolic

My mother’s eyes always lit up when I walked into a room. She left a tiny village in Ireland at 18, went to England to train as a nurse and then Scotland to become a midwife. She delivered hundreds of babies in farmhouses around Glasgow with no machines or phones in sight. She never lost a mother or a baby.
She gave me more confidence than I deserved growing up. Made me believe in myself beyond reason.
She let me take piles of books out of the library as a child and always packed me a brown bag lunch. She often came home from her own nursing shift with her lunch in hand, never having a moment for a break while new moms and babies needed her…

Ronald Hae

I’m super grateful for my fiancé and soon to be wife Allison. We are getting married in March and I look back and think of how lucky I am to have met her. We met through total chance and because of that it has now changed my life. I get to come home every day, after a long day at work to someone I love, have a chance to laugh with and am excited to share our evening together. I can’t imagine a world without her and I am grateful for everything she has done for me. She has been the biggest supporter of my stand-up comedy career. Despite it being an evening event, she always comes to all my shows and supports me with laughter regardless of the quality of the show! She is my biggest hype person and cheerleader and I love her for that!

Linda McCormack

I’m Linda, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of gratitude. Years ago, when everything seemed to be falling apart—I’d lost my job, my savings were dwindling, and I felt completely lost—I had a moment that changed me forever. I was sitting in the park, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next, when an older gentleman I’d never met sat down beside me. He didn’t say much, just handed me a sandwich with a kind smile and said, “You’ll get through this.” That simple act of kindness made me realize I wasn’t alone and that even small gestures could carry enormous weight. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to give back, to see the good in others, and to be the kind of person who shows up for someone in need. Gratitude, I’ve found, has a way of turning even the hardest times into lessons worth learning.

Let Seamus Kelleher Inspire You to See the Good in Every Day

Through captivating stories, humour, and actionable takeaways, Seamus leaves audiences motivated to embrace life with a grateful heart and a positive outlook.

Book Seamus Kelleher today and experience the life-changing power of gratitude and positivity.

ABOUT ME

Seamus Kelleher is a former educator and coach who has spent over two decades helping students discover their potential, manage their emotions, and live with purpose. As a playwright and director, he has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to inspire growth, resilience, and leadership in others, and now shares his message through authentic storytelling and life lessons.

GRATITUDExMILLION

Get involved in our Gratitude movement and help us reach our goal of One Million offerings of Gratitude from people around the world. It only takes one person to change someone’s world. Why not you?