Very soon a number of us will celebrate Thanksgiving, an opportunity for a Radical Gratitude Attitude :-). Whether you feast with family, or not, I wish you a sweet time, meaningful connections, good food, and warmth, inside and out. For all of us, there is no time where giving thanks is not appropriate and transformative, inside and out.
David Whyte says, “Gratitude is not a passive response to something we have been given, gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us. Gratitude is not necessarily something that is shown after the event, it is the deep, a priori state of attention that shows we understand and are equal to the gifted nature of life.” Check out his full thoughtful essay here.
There is also a lovely piece in the New York Times, Opinion Today, November 23, about the radical gratitude attitude. I recommend it…because, as the author indicates, we may need help and nudges to be thankful in what can look like a screwed up world. And when we do, it changes everything. We can begin to hold the love and joy, see and be the good, as well as, at the same time as, and while accepting, honoring, and acknowledging the grief and fear and pain. So much to say… I would like to let some previous essays speak to these joys and challenges.
In Thanksgiving: Let Us All Be Grateful we are reminded that giving thanks is a reset for our hearts and minds and lives. And there is a lovely poem of thanksgiving by John Berryman.
Thanksgiving, Gratitude and Happiness, Hmmmm… highlights some skillful means to cultivate the attitude of gratitude, and one is laughter :-).
Reasons To Be Grateful, Let Me Count the Ways contains a starter list, and some cooool links to others’ thoughts on this rich subject.
If you’re liking what you find here, you can go to my website, search Thanksgiving, and voila, even more will be revealed. I’d love to hear from you about thanksgiving and gratitude. Let us spread the circles, joy, good will, sweetness… we are in this together!
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook 🙂
