Episode 103: Crank Up the Thanks (and Happiness!)
Welcome to the 2026 Season of the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast! In this episode, Sunshine talks about the GAC Philosophy (Vision, Mission, & Goals) and how we focus on building specific character traits and skills that lead to well-being. This summer, our theme is Crank up the Thanks. Our focus is building our gratitude, a character trait consistently linked to happiness and well-being.
Resources/Related
Episode 79: Creating a Happier World – The GAC Philosophy
2026 Theme: Crank Up the Thanks (Turn Up the Gratitude)
Three Good Things Gratitude Practice (Greater Good Science Center)
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2026 Theme: Crank Up the Thanks (Turn Up the Gratitude)
Our vision at GAC is to create a happier world, one camper at a time. Each summer, we focus on building positive habits and character traits for a thriving life while having fun, making friends, and growing.
We also choose a specific character trait or skill that leads to a happier life. This summer, with our summer theme of “Crank Up the Thanks,” we’re focusing on building our gratitude!
Grateful People are Happier
“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
–Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier, Harvard Health
Over the past 14 years, we’ve covered a variety of character traits and social skills that lead to better well-being. We’ve focused on kindness, friendship, giving, resilience, positivity, and encouraging others. Choosing Kindness, Count on Me, Building Empathy, and Try Something New have been our most recent Summer Themes.
Adults who are thankful for what they have are happier than those who are constantly in the entitled state of reaching for the ever-elusive “more.” According to Christine Carter, PhD, “Studies of adults and college students show positive outcomes from consciously practicing gratitude. My own experience with children has been that they become kinder, more appreciative, more enthusiastic and just generally happier.”
How we’ll Crank Up the Thanks this Summer
- Brainstorming gratitude practices we each want to work on.
- Noticing and acknowledging the “little things” that make life enjoyable and joyful: a cup of hot chocolate on a cool mountain morning, a spectacular sunset, a few deer roaming past Morning Assembly, glassy waters to water ski on, or a belly laugh because of a funny story or song.
- Writing and saying WOWs to thank our friends for how they’ve encouraged us, helped us, or made us feel happy. These can be put on the WOW board at camp (on the ramp when exiting the Dining Porch) or delivered verbally.
- Writing and saying WOWs to thank camp staff.
- Sharing “3 Good Things” at dinner, at our nightly campfire, or at bedtime.
- Writing gratitude postcards and letters to friends and family.
- Making friendship bracelets and other arts & crafts projects to thank people who make our lives better.
- Cleaning up our dining table and area to show our appreciation for our kitchen staff for making and preparing great food and washing 2000 dishes a day!
- Wiping down bathroom counters and keeping bathrooms clean to show our gratitude to our hard-working housekeeping staff.
- Picking up trash and keeping camp and our cabin areas clean to show our gratitude for all the hard work that goes into getting camp set up and ready each session.
- Doing gratitude walks/hikes.
- Making gratitude journals (an optional free time arts & crafts activity).
- Sharing about someone we’re grateful for during paired activities.
- “Warm Fuzzies” for all cabin mates and counselors at our final campfires (verbal and/or written).
Daily Family Sharing excerpt from Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults)
Want to start “cranking up the thanks” at home this spring?
Having a daily family sharing practice is a great tool for building connection. Sharing one (or more) things we’re grateful for not only makes for a positive conversation but also helps us each – individually – grow our gratitude. Sharing about what we’re grateful for can be at dinner, on the car ride to school, at bedtime, or whatever time works best with your family’s schedule.
Some kind of positive daily sharing can improve your family’s positivity quotient. Martin Seligman did a remarkable study on the impact of a simple gratitude practice. He found that depressed patients improved their outlook significantly in just a few months by writing down three good things from their day. When I learned of the benefits of this simple practice, we switched our family’s nightly sharing from “Highs and Lows” of the day to “Three Good Things,” focusing our minds on the positive.
When your family members know that sharing three good things is a nightly ritual, they’ll start noticing more of the good things that are happening. Even a day that has had some bad stuff happen also has some good stuff. By having a time each day when you and your kids share one or more “highs” or good things from their day, your brains will eventually become more aware of the positive things.
–excerpt from Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults)
There are so many ways to build up our gratitude muscles, and helping our kids learn to be more grateful people can have a life-long positive impact.
Here’s to promoting an attitude of gratitude this summer and all year long!
Resources/Related:
Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults
Ep. 63: Growing Gratitude with Sara Kuljis | Sunshine Parenting
Ep. 101: Entitlemania with Richard Watts | Sunshine Parenting
Ep. 11: The Opposite of Spoiled with Ron Lieber | Sunshine Parenting
Episode 102: Season Wrap-Up with Sunshine
Thank you for being part of the Gold Arrow Camp community this year! In this week’s episode, Sunshine wraps up the 2025 GAC Podcast season and gives an overview of what we covered in this season’s interviews.
2025 Podcast Directory
Episode 75: Creating a Happier World with Airborne
Episode 76: Creating a Happier World with Chelster
Episode 77: Creating a Happier World with Bagel
Episode 78: Creating a Happier World with Speed
Episode 79: Creating a Happier World: The GAC Philosophy
Episode 80: The Magic of Camp (Happy Campers Book Excerpt)
Episode 81: Creating a Happier World with Evergreen
Episode 82: Creating a Happier World with Glitter
Episode 83: Creating a Happier World with Woody
Episode 86: Thrivers with Dr. Michele Borba
Episode 87: Experienced Campers Talk about Camp
Episode 88: Razz Talks about Camp
Episode 90: The GAC Experience with Punkie
Episode 91: Getting Outside with Boulder
Episode 92: The Positive Impact of Camp with Echo
Episode 93: Growing at GAC with Vision
Episode 94: Making the World a Better Place with the Friedman Sisters
Episode 95: Junior Counselors on Unplugging to Connect
Episode 96: Magoo Shares About Community and Confidence
Episode 97: Lyric on Growing Up at GAC
Episode 98: Zippy on Growing Independence
Episode 99: Pua on Overcoming Discomfort
Episode 100: Barrow on Juggling for Well-Being
Episode 101: Sneaks on Finding His Confidence and Helping Campers Find Theirs
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Episode 101: Sneaks on Finding His Confidence and Helping Campers Find Theirs
In this episode of the podcast, Brian “Sneaks” Adler talks about growing up at GAC as a camper and counselor. Sneaks talks about how his time at camp helped him figure out who he was, gain his confidence, learn how to be emotionally vulnerable and authentic, develop his leadership skill, and figure out how to thrive as a human. His summers at camp helped Sneaks figure out what he liked and what gave him purpose and fulfillment. Now he loves helping his campers and Junior Counselors grow in the same ways he’s grown at camp.
Related
Episode 95: Junior Counselors on Unplugging to Connect
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Episode 100: Barrow on Juggling for Well-Being
Head Counselor and GAC’s very own Circus Skills Coach tells his GAC story and about the passion for circus skills that he’s shared with our 2024 and 2025 campers and staff. Barrow’s high energy, positivity, and his love of juggling and circus skills have made a huge impact on our community, and we’re so grateful he’s part of our community. Many campers have headed home with their own diablos, practicing new skills they learned from Barrow. Each 2025 Appreciation Campfire featured “Cirque de GAC,” a performance of campers who’ve practiced new circus skills they learned from Barrow. Talk about trying something new!
We talk about some of the many positive benefits of juggling, including reduced stress and anxiety and improved perseverance and confidence.
According to Google:
Diabolo juggling provides a wide array of benefits, from enhancing hand-eye coordination and concentration to boosting confidence and promoting social interaction. The practice can be mentally engaging, physically challenging, and a source of personal expression.
- Improves focus and concentration: Diabolo requires intense and continuous focus to keep the prop spinning and balanced. This is a form of mindfulness that can help with concentration in other areas of life.
- Sharpens reflexes and coordination: To maintain the diabolo’s spin and execute tricks, your eyes must track the diabolo while your hands manipulate the sticks and string. This process improves hand-eye coordination and quickens reflexes.
- Boosts brain health: Learning a complex bilateral motor skill like juggling encourages neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to form new neural connections. This can improve brain health and function throughout a person’s life.
- Increases perseverance: Mastering a new trick is a process of trial and error that teaches patience and persistence. Each failure offers a chance to refine your technique, and the eventual success provides a rewarding sense of accomplishment.
- Reduces stress: The rhythmic and meditative nature of diabolo can provide a healthy distraction from daily stress and anxiety.
- Develops fine and gross motor skills: The delicate, precise movements of the sticks train fine motor skills, while the larger motions involved in tossing and catching the diabolo work gross motor skills.
- Offers a low-impact workout: Diabolo is a physical activity that gets you up and moving, which is healthier than remaining sedentary. Higher-level tricks involving multiple diabolos or acrobatics provide a more athletic challenge.
- Enhances physical expression: As you become more proficient, you can develop your own style and create artistic routines. The diabolo becomes a medium for physical and emotional expression, akin to a form of visual music.
- Builds confidence and self-esteem: Every new trick you master gives you a tangible sense of achievement, which builds confidence and a positive self-image. This reinforces that you are capable of learning and growing.
- Fosters a sense of community: The diabolo community is largely non-competitive and supportive. Sharing knowledge, practicing with friends, and attending juggling clubs or conventions can be a great way to make new connections and bond with others.
- Inspires creativity: From inventing a new trick to choreographing a performance, diabolo encourages creative exploration. Its open-ended nature means there is no limit to what you can learn and create.
Resources/Related
5 Surprising Benefits of Learning to Juggle and Why it Might Improve Your State of Mind
Beyond the Balls: Unlocking the Surprising Benefits of Juggling
Juggling: A Fun Way to Boost Focus and Beat Anxiety
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Episode 99: Pua on Overcoming Discomfort
Second year staff member, Natalia “Pua” Elias Rodriguez, talks about coming to Gold Arrow Camp from Mexico, not knowing anyone else who worked here. Pua had a rough start and talks about her adjustment and the fun, friends, and growth she’s experienced at GAC. Pua has worked as a horseback riding activity counselor for the past two summers.
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Episode 98: Zippy on Growing Independence
This summer, Renee “Zippy” Say celebrated her twentieth summer at GAC. Zippy attended as a camper and was a staff member in the early 2000s. Now she’s returned as a parent of her three boys and as a Shaver Host for two weeks each summer. In this episode she talks about her experiences as a camper and staff and the experiences her three boys are now having as campers. She talks a lot about the independence she developed in her camper and staff year and that she’s now seeing her boys develop because of their time at camp.
Resources/Related
Want An Independent, Self-Confident Kid? Camp Can Help!
Episode 95: Junior Counselors on Unplugging to Connect
Sunshine Parenting Episode 100: Teens’ Advice for Raising Responsible, Independent Kids
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Episode 97: Lyric on Growing Up at GAC
Lucas “Lyric” Orman started as a 9-year-old camper in 2007. He spent eight summers as a camper and he’s currently in his seventh year on staff. Overall, he’s spent 15 summers at GAC. In this episode, Lyric talks about growing up at GAC and how his time at camp has impacted him and his life.
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Episode 96: Magoo Shares About Community and Confidence
Madie “Magoo” Hotaling spent three summers as a camper at GAC and 2025 marked her fourth summer on staff. Magoo is a second generation GAC camper, following in the footsteps of her dad, George “Ghostrider” Hotaling. Magoo tells her GAC story and talks about how her time at camp has helped her build confidence and the community and friendships that keep drawing her back to camp.
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Episode 95: Junior Counselors on Unplugging to Connect
Junior Counselors (Sessions 1 & 2, 2025) talk about their experience at GAC, being off screens for a month, and the values and practices they’re taking home with them.
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