gratitude rocks!®
Building Trust and Connection Through Gratitude
Gratitude Rocks!® is a facilitated gratitude circle experience that helps individuals and teams slow down, step out of the race, and connect more deeply with themselves and each other. In a small group, participants are guided through breath and a structured gratitude practice. Each person holds the gratitude rock and shares something they're grateful for in that moment, then chooses a second rock stamped with a unique word, like joy, connect, resilient, or play, and shares what it stirs up. What unfolds is simple, human, and surprisingly powerful: people begin to see each other as human beings, not human doings.
THE STORY
Gratitude Rocks!® began at my family's kitchen table. Over ten years ago, while vacationing in Maine, we wandered into a charming shop with a bowl full of small ceramic pinch pots, each stamped with a different word. I reached for the one that said "gratitude" first, and a family tradition was born.
At dinner, we'd set the gratitude rock in the center and turn the others upside down. Each of us would quietly choose one, or maybe it chose us that day. One by one, we'd hold the gratitude rock and share something we were grateful for, then share what our personal word stirred up.
As our collection grew, more people joined in. Now, when friends and family come over, they ask to play Gratitude Rocks!®. What started as a simple dinner ritual became something I saw changing how people show up for each other, so I brought it into my work with leaders and teams. And yes, I call them rocks now. The double meaning was too good to resist.
WHY IT MATTERS
In these complex and complicated times, people are feeling more disconnected from themselves and each other. Research in positive psychology shows that gratitude is one of the most powerful practices we have for strengthening physical and mental wellbeing. Gratitude Rocks!® turns that research into a shared experience that people feel right away and carry with them long after. As Aristotle taught, we become what we practice, and the more we practice gratitude, the more it flows into every part of our lives.
WHERE IT'S USED
In one-on-one coaching, Gratitude Rocks!® opens our collaboration, helping us start from a place of spaciousness rather than racing into the work from stress. In team meetings, it's a modern take on the icebreaker, taking that one question to a whole new level. And at leadership offsites and quarterly meetings, it drives connection and gives leaders a practice they can bring back to their own teams. It works in boardrooms, classrooms, and communities alike.
THE beNEFITS
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Creates much-needed space to pause and take part in something energy-giving
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Builds the muscle of self-reflection, vulnerability, and courage
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Shifts your mindset for the rest of the day, week, and month
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Brings you into the present moment
FOR GROUPS
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Builds vulnerability-based trust, the connective tissue of cohesive, high-performing teams
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Helps people learn new things about each other and see one another more fully
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Spreads positivity, because gratitude is contagious
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Shows that your organization genuinely invests in the wellbeing and connectedness of its people
our students feel more grounded in person and place.
“We brought the Gratitude Rocks!® Program to campus as a way of helping our students connect on a deeper level. Our students told us that through this experience they learned about each other in meaningful ways, were able to take risks and left the program feeling a greater sense of peace. The Gratitude Rocks!® Program helped our students feel more grounded in person and place. The small group environment created a space where students could listen to each other and share in ways that felt meaningful to them. The staff session left folks with a deeper understanding of each other as people and helped them see their colleagues in new ways that increased their connection to each other. We appreciated Beth's flexibility and ability to tailor the program to our campus community.”
-AMANDA
Director of Health & Wellbeing Education, amherst college
overwhelmingly positive!
I have led two Gratitude Rocks® workshops and the experiences were overwhelmingly positive! The workshop offered an opportunity for me to build closer relationships with girls in my sisterhood whom I knew little about. I found that by focusing on gratitude and the other words in the rock bag, discussing vulnerable topics felt more acceptable. This cultivated open conversations about experiences we could all relate to in the moment or could offer encouragement from an outside perspective. Overall, I believe a regular Gratitude Rocks® practice has the potential to bring communities closer together and offer care and support in an easeful way.
-wave
college student
a rewarding experience
Participating in Gratitude Rocks!® training program was a rewarding experience. The program provides a unique, non-judgmental environment that empowers students to open up and engage in meaningful conversations about gratitude. It also offered a safety net for navigating sensitive and complex topics in a small group setting. Beth Mercurio's passion, kindness, and professionalism in the program and training for our peer group were effortless. Her leadership fostered an inviting space where everyone felt heard. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experience and were excited to implement this program with their organizations and friends. The curriculum was relatable and possessed a flow that kept participants engaged without feeling rushed. By grounding personal topics in the practice of gratitude, this program gives student leaders tools to build connections, foster resilience, and create supportive communities on campus. I am so grateful for the experience and to Beth!
-LORI
Assistant Director of Wellbeing, Mental Health, wake forest
Our group was so engaged and truly moved
Thank you so much for leading the Merck Northeast Women’s Network through the Gratitude Rocks!® program. What an incredible way to start the year to lean in on gratitude and the trust, productivity, and job satisfaction it creates. Our group was so engaged and truly moved with the way it brought the group together. The team’s feedback was incredibly positive and it was so unique to other leadership and team building we have done. We hope to find other areas across the organization to lean in and grow in this space. You truly created a culture where it was safe to speak up and allowed us all to bring our most authentic selves.
-amy
Director, Portfolio Engagement, Merck