I want to suggest and even underscore that practicing gratefulness does not entail denying the difficulty in our lives.
Consider gratitude
A good day to consider a practice of gratefulness
Practicing gratitude came upon me as a form of grace. It was not something that made a whole lot of sense to me during the darkest times of illness. No, gratitude did not come easy from that darkest of dark nights and yet the little there was I clung to for dear life (quite literally). For me the bearers of this gift were my cats. While there was nothing else I could find any consistent source of comfort from, I could find it from my cats. For that, I was profoundly grateful and because I had that gift my practice of gratitude began. ... I want to suggest and even underscore that practicing gratefulness does not entail denying the difficulty of our lives. I think it's equally important to honor and embrace our pain and anger and hurt. If we are feeling those things we need to approve of and love the parts of us that feel all those things. That does not negate also being grateful for that which we can be grateful for. So many times when things like gratefulness or forgiveness or other virtues are considered the message is that we should not feel all the bad stuff. I say that's crap. Feel it all...the bad and the good. Feel grateful and angry. It's all good and necessary. … [click on title to read and view more]
Gratitude: Where Healing the Earth Begins
We have received an inestimable gift. To be alive in this beautiful, self-organizing universe—to participate in the dance of life with senses to perceive it, lungs that breathe it, organs that draw nourishment from it—is a wonder beyond words. It is an extraordinary privilege to be accorded a human life, with self-reflexive consciousness that brings awareness of our own actions and the ability to make choices. It lets us choose to take part in the healing of our world.... ...That our world is in crisis—to the point where survival of conscious life on Earth is in question—in no way diminishes the value of the gift of life; on the contrary. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
Thanksgiving: a day to consider a practice of gratefulness
As Brother David Steindl-Rast says, whether one is religious or secular, it’s hard to argue against gratefulness. How much gratefulness we feel has little to do with whether life seems abundant or filled with hardship. On the contrary, it hinges on the degree to which we are prey to the delusion that we are self-made, or instead have discovered that life is a process in which we endlessly stumble into the unknown. Let’s never forget what a wondrous planet we live on — a place where staggering beauty can suddenly sweep up from the horizon. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
Thank you
Alanis practicing gratefulness. Listening to this song is quite the lovely meditation. how bout getting off these antibiotics how bout stopping eating when I'm full up how bout them transparent dangling carrots how bout that ever elusive kudo thank you india thank you terror thank you disillusionment thank you frailty thank you consequence thank you thank you silence
Everything Matters 
You must be logged in to post a comment.