See the good

POTENT Gratitude is a way of looking at and finding all that you can be grateful for in life: the good and the positive. POTENT stands for People, Opportunities, Things, Experiences, Nature and Thoughts. These are the gifts we can look for and see every day. When we program our brains through daily journaling, meditation or “POTENT huddles” with our teams, we can begin to shed the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) that characterizes today’s world—and the good starts to stick in our brains.

On the other hand, POTENT also stands for Problems, Obstacles, Troubles, “Eggos” (existential crises), Natural Disasters and Transitions. These are the growth opportunities in life, and we can be grateful for the lessons and accomplishments that arise from overcoming them. They can also be programmed into a daily practice that helps transform the not-so-good into amazing learning experiences. It flips the switch on a challenge and turns it into an opportunity!

Peoria has gone through an amazing few years, with both good times and bad. We are a resilient community that has so much to be grateful for and many great lessons to learn from our past. We are working to change the conversation to a POTENT one as it relates to Peoria’s future.


Potent Gratitude

What is up with that POTENT Gratitude Logo?

September 5, 2021

Posted By: Bob Woolsey // Date: 09/05/2021 What is the meaning of the blue circles and the yellow one at about 1:00 on the POTENT Gratitude logo? I can explain. The yellow circle symbolizes you. You are at the center of your life. No matter how you look at it, you are in control of […]

Potent Gratitude

Building a POTENT Gratitude Community

September 1, 2021

A rendering of POTENT Gratitude Park Dr. Rick Hanson, a prominent neuroscientist, is known for suggesting that the human brain has a natural negativity bias, internalizing negative experiences more deeply than positive ones. According to Dr. Hanson’s “Velcro and Teflon theory,” the brain is like Velcro (i.e., sticky) for negative experiences and Teflon (slippery) for […]

Potent Gratitude

CSM Monthly Test

November 13, 2024

Date: 11/13/2024 PLEASE RESPOND. This is your monthly form test to ensure you are still receiving. Please let us know if you get this – Thanks!

Potent Gratitude

The sun comes up on a new day

September 13, 2023

Date: 09/13/2023 ‘the sun comes up on a new day’ This was something that my father always told me when I had a rough day or was going through a struggle. When I was young, I never really understood how that could change anything for me. It was just words, not an resolution.. How could […]

Potent Gratitude

New days and new possibilities at Sovereign Grace

June 7, 2022

Date: 06/07/2022 May 17th 2022 was Demo Day at Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church. JIMAX and their team of experts knocked down three blighted homes to make way for a beautiful park, POTENT Gratitude Park. Across the street from the beautiful Proctor Recreation Center this park will provide a more private venue for weddings, funerals, […]

Potent Gratitude

Haters gonna hate – my take on Peoria’s #1 ranking in Illinois and the online negativity surrounding that ranking

May 25, 2022

Date: 05/25/2022 It’s no secret I’m pro-Peoria. Last week, Peoria was ranked #1 place to live in Illinois. A reporter reached out to me to ask why I thought the comments online related to the piece were so negative. I have thought about it a lot. I think it boils down to one principle I […]

Potent Gratitude

My first Snow Storm

February 15, 2022

Date: 02/15/2022 It was cold and I couldn’t drive for a few days after that but I am very grateful for the snowstorm in Peoria two weeks ago. That was my very first snow and my very first white winter. It was really beautiful how white everything was, touching the soft cold snow. You know, […]

Potent Gratitude

Snowplows

February 4, 2022

Date: 02/04/2022 I am grateful for the snowplows that create mountain size piles of snow as they clear our parking lots !

Potent Gratitude

Celebrating

February 4, 2022

Date: 02/04/2022 I am celebrating the huge piles of snow carefully placed in out of the way areas of parking lots . And I am thankful for the city, county, state crews who are still clearing our streets. A beautiful winter blanket of snow carefully moved allowing us to travel safely.

Potent Gratitude

Parks

February 4, 2022

Date: 02/04/2022 Got the cross country skies out, bundled up, and checked out the trail in Donovan Park! Greeted several friends on my loop around the park. All right here in the heart of our city!  Thanks! Park District, Bushwhackers, and Beachlers!

Potent Gratitude

Celebrating

February 4, 2022

Date: 02/04/2022 I am celebrating the huge piles of snow carefully placed in out of the way areas of parking lots . And I am thankful for the city, county, state crews who are still clearing our streets. A beautiful winter blanket of snow carefully moved allowing us to travel safely.