Gratitude
"Thankfulness is being grateful for what you have. It is
an attitude of gratitude for learning, loving, and being. It is appreciating the
little things which happen around you and within you every day. It is having a
sense of wonder about the beauty of this world. It is being aware of the gifts
in your life."
-From The Virtues Project Educator's Guide by Linda Kavelin Popov.
On special occasions or before a meal we express our gratitude for the blessings in our lives, for our family and friends, but how do we make gratitude part of our everyday life? Gratitude is a practice, and just like anything worth doing, it takes practice. Gratitude is also an attitude. Studies have shown that people who cultivate gratitude may actually undo the effects of negative emotions such as anger and anxiety.
One of the best ways we can show gratitude is to share our gifts with others. We have seen an outpouring of generosity after the natural disasters around the world this past year. Gratitude was such a part of these efforts-the recipients, of course, were grateful for all of the help they received; the donors were reminded of their blessings and their ability to give and serve others. The rest of us are grateful to see others in action, expressing the love and service that we aren't always able to do directly. We see the effect that ordinary people can have on inspiring whole communities to action.
Questions for reflection:
-From The Virtues Project Educator's Guide by Linda Kavelin Popov.
On special occasions or before a meal we express our gratitude for the blessings in our lives, for our family and friends, but how do we make gratitude part of our everyday life? Gratitude is a practice, and just like anything worth doing, it takes practice. Gratitude is also an attitude. Studies have shown that people who cultivate gratitude may actually undo the effects of negative emotions such as anger and anxiety.
One of the best ways we can show gratitude is to share our gifts with others. We have seen an outpouring of generosity after the natural disasters around the world this past year. Gratitude was such a part of these efforts-the recipients, of course, were grateful for all of the help they received; the donors were reminded of their blessings and their ability to give and serve others. The rest of us are grateful to see others in action, expressing the love and service that we aren't always able to do directly. We see the effect that ordinary people can have on inspiring whole communities to action.
Questions for reflection:
- What are the things in my life I am most grateful for?
- How would I like to practice gratitude on an everyday basis?
- How have negative emotions like anger and anxiety dissipated when I am practicing gratitude?
- When have I had a sense of wonder about the beauty of this world?
