The night before Thanksgiving, I did a guided meditation on the 10 Percent Happier app called “Gratitude for Benefactors.” The meditation asks the listener to call to mind a person who helped them in some way. The first person I thought of was, surprisingly, a teacher I had in middle school. I haven’t seen her in years, and I had never before thought about how much she encouraged me or the learning opportunities she provided.

In addition to being my teacher, this woman was also the head of the drama club. I spent many hours with her over three years of rehearsals and performances. She lived a life very different from mine — in her younger days, she had been a professional dancer in New York, and she owned a big, beautiful house where she had fancy holiday parties. She hired me and a friend to serve hors d’oeuvres to her guests at a couple of these parties. I’m not sure whether she really needed the wait staff or whether she was just trying to help out two of her students, but she never made me feel like I was the recipient of charity. Being able to pull back the curtain on her life introduced me to a world beyond my own and gave me a glimpse of the possibilities life holds.

As I finished the meditation, a number of other benefactors came to mind. I thought of the many mentors who were generous with their time and advice; the bosses who graciously overlooked my mistakes; the friends who reached out and supported me during times of great change; the ex-boyfriends who introduced me to new music, cuisine, friends, and more. So many people throughout my life have shown me kindness and influenced who I am today.

Gratitude has become a daily practice for me this year — it’s a New Year’s Resolution I kept. Each night as I’m lying in bed, I mentally list a few things for which I am grateful. This ritual brings me peace and joy, boosts my mood, and helps me sleep. Directing gratitude toward specific people, as prompted by the guided meditation, gave me a renewed sense of goodwill toward humanity. It’s an uplifting exercise that could be especially helpful during this year when it’s easy to focus on the negative.

Can you think of people who have helped you throughout your life? What kindnesses have they shown you, and how have they helped shape you? If you feel so inclined, please share your reflections in the comments.