Thanksgiving weekend has just passed. Does thankfulness linger in your mind and heart? From the moment of awakening until we fall asleep, we are gifted in so many ways each and every day. All is gift. Gracious living means not taking God, people or things for granted. From God’s abundant goodness we have all received. Each moment is a precious gift from God. We enter this world and leave this world poor in spirit. To be human means to need other people for survival. Through life’s ups and downs, an attitude of gratitude can help a person maintain inner peace. The practice of counting one’s blessings results in contentment. With open hands and hearts, we can consciously choose to gratefully receive the countless graces our loving God bestows upon us, leading us to the fullness of life.
Every day so many people’s presence, words and deeds contribute to our wellbeing. It is humbling to consider this fact. When we sincerely express our appreciation for others, we are acknowledging our interconnectedness. By saying “thank you,” we are telling another person their life blesses our own and makes a positive difference in our world. Living our life from this perspective of thankfulness accentuates what is going well. Keeping a gratitude journal can help us to keep our focus on how truly blessed you and I are. Awareness of how incredibly enriched our own lives are because of God’s goodness, our hearts can be moved to reach out to others and give to persons in need.
I recommend viewing the meaningful TED talk below by David Steindl-Rast entitled: “Want to be Happy? Be Grateful.”
Kathleen O’Keefe CSJ