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January 31 - Gratitude: The Path to a Better World

Writer's picture: Anna KlinmanAnna Klinman

“If you’re grateful, you’re not fearful, you’re not violent. If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not a sense of scarcity and you are willing to share. If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people and you are respectful to everybody.” David Steindl-Rast


gratitude

“The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.” Robert Holden


gratitude

In a world teeming with complexities and challenges, gratitude shines as a powerful human trait and virtue that has the potential to transform societies and create a more connected world. As Diana Butler Bass beautifully put it, "And we appreciate one another for the good gifts of life."


Gratitude, in its essence, connects us all and transcends boundaries of race, class, and nationality. It moves us from self-centeredness to a sense of collective good, fostering empathy, compassion, and unity.


Gratitude is not just a passive emotion; it is a catalyst for action and change. When practiced in the face of adversity, gratitude becomes radical and robust, empowering us to resist unhealthy environments and work towards positive transformations. It motivates us to move beyond mere personal practices and habits to engage with the world around us and make it a better place.


To truly harness the power of gratitude in the world, we must go beyond individual acts and create a culture of gratitude on a global scale. One significant step towards this is the idea of a "World Gratitude Day" on September 21, a day to celebrate the gift of life and express humble thanks to nature and our fellow humans. Such a global festival of gratitude can foster a sense of unity and interconnectedness, inspiring people from all corners of the earth to come together in gratitude.


Patriotism, when grounded in gratitude, becomes a form of social thanks and opens the potential for imitating selflessness, noble good, and heroism. Grateful patriotism recognizes that people from all nations have the same sense of pride and appreciation for their homeland. It fosters understanding and empathy towards others, recognizing that their gratitude is just as valid and meaningful.


However, we have to be cautious of the transformation of gratitude into nationalism, where it becomes an exclusive right of some people over others. Nationalism, inherently, is not about gratitude but dominance. It creates divisions and animosity, claiming that only "us" is worthy of gratitude and others are misguided or enemies. Such a distortion of gratitude stifles compassion and hampers the potential for a more inclusive and united world.


So, how can we strengthen and grow gratitude in the world? It begins with individual practices of gratitude that expand to encompass communal and global dimensions. We can encourage gratitude education in schools, workplaces, and communities, teaching young minds to appreciate the interconnectedness of the world and cultivate a sense of shared gratitude. Moreover, media and entertainment can play a role in promoting stories of gratitude and compassion, fostering a culture of appreciation and kindness.

Ultimately, gratitude holds the power to make our world different - a world where individuals, communities, and nations can come together in a common quest for the noble good. It unites us, elevates us towards doing good, and motivates us to take action for the well-being of all. Let us embrace gratitude as a virtue and a force for positive change, making the world a better place one thankful heart at a time. As Butler Bass eloquently stated, "How we live together in and with gratitude makes all the difference in the world. Indeed, living gratefully makes the world different.


Journal: The Dalai Lama often repeats a Buddhist teaching by telling his audiences that he is grateful to the Chinese for giving him the opportunity to practice love for his enemies. Let’s try some of that today. If love is too much to muster, then let’s be grateful that our enemies give us the opportunity to practice patience and show us who we do not want to be.

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