“In normal life one is not at all aware that we always receive infinitely more than we give, and that gratitude is what enriches life. One easily overestimates the importance of one’s own acts and deeds, compared with what we become only through other people.” Pastor Dietrich Bonhoefter

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” Oprah Winfrey

In a world where stress and uncertainty seem to be constant companions, cultivating gratitude as a human trait and virtue has never been more crucial. As Diana Butler Bass eloquently puts it, "Gratitude is what we have to give. It is free, and yet worth it." Indeed, gratitude is a powerful medicine that fosters resilience and strengthens our physical and emotional well-being.
Psychologists highlight the connection between positive emotions like gratitude and our capacity for resilience. By fostering gratitude, we nurture our ability to grow into our best selves: healthy, emotionally balanced, and mature individuals. The profound impact of gratitude goes beyond mere emotions; it extends to our physical health, especially our heart health, and even influences our ability to recover quickly from illness and surgery. Emmons stated that by appreciating the gifts of the moment, gratitude frees us from past regrets and future anxieties.
This virtuous cycle of gratitude extends into our future. As Butler Bass emphasizes, "Gratitude can actually create better outcomes in our future health." By cultivating a grateful mindset, we open ourselves to a life filled with positivity and possibility.
Gratitude transcends cultural and spiritual boundaries, as Butler Bass aptly illustrates. It is a universal truth embedded in the teachings of great religious and spiritual leaders throughout history. Gratitude is not confined to any particular tradition; it is a shared human experience. It is a way of seeing the world, a way of embracing the present, and a way of cherishing every moment, as the Dalai Lama and other wise souls have taught us.
In our pursuit of happiness and security, we often lose sight of life's most precious moments. Gratitude helps us awaken to the beauty and sacredness of each day, each person, and each everything, as Douglas Carlton Abrams and the Dalai Lama remind us. It is an invitation to exchange our need for emotional and financial security for serenity, a priceless trade-off that enriches our lives immeasurably.
By practicing gratitude, we come to realize that life is filled with something magical and sacred in the most ordinary moments and settings. As Pam Grout beautifully expresses it, "The presence of 'something more' often shows up in the most ordinary moments, in the most ordinary settings." Gratitude opens our eyes to the wonders that surround us, shifting our focus from what's missing to what's truly present. Emmons suggests that by cultivating gratefulness, we are freed from envy over what we don’t have or who we are not. It doesn’t make life perfect, but with gratitude comes the realization that right now, in this moment, we have enough, we do enough, and we are enough.
In a world fixated on problems and petty annoyances, gratitude serves as a powerful antidote. It allows us to see beyond ourselves, spurring empathy and compassion. Gratitude enables us to embrace impermanence and rejoice in the fleeting moments of life before they slip away.
As we embark on this journey of gratitude, let us be mindful of its transformative power. Let us savor every experience, celebrate every person, and cherish every moment with heartfelt appreciation. By cultivating gratitude as a human trait and virtue, we can find joy, resilience, and a profound connection to the sacredness that pervades our existence.
Activity: Consider some of the sensory pleasures you might encounter today. Sights of…, sounds of…, tastes of…, smells of…, the pleasure of movement. Every summer, for decades, I have read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Even though it is a depressing, scary, dystopian novel, every time it makes me acutely aware of all I have to be thankful for, including my senses.

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