The Gift of Gratitude
How does it feel to be bogged down by stress, anxiety, and the angst of the world? And, how does it feel when you express gratitude to someone, for something?”
Today we’re exploring gratitude. But first,
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Gratitude. Why is it so important to our well-being? It’s simple. Expressing gratitude makes us happy. Social scientists like Brené Brown, religious figures like David Stendhal Rast, and all of us through our direct experience have discovered that expressing gratitude brings us happiness. And, what is more, making expressing gratitude a daily habit, as part of our mindfulness practice, fortifies our inner peace and joy, and our well-being.
Even in times of difficulty, loss, illness, hurt, violence, and strife expressing gratitude lifts our hearts and lets happiness in. I’m not talking about giddy happiness, I’m talking about that that kind of solid happiness which expresses itself inwardly with flow and outwardly with just the hint of a smile. For even in the midst of our suffering, in every moment, someone or something is here for which we are grateful. Waiting for some big thing before expressing gratitude is not necessary; when we are living mindfully, we discover every day all the little things for which we are grateful. Once we discover gratitude we learn how to express it and make it part of our daily lives.
I invite you to express gratitude, not once in a while, but every day, for every moment we are alive is a moment in which we can be grateful.
Enjoy the show, and as always, I am grateful to you, my audience, and I am also grateful for the people behind the scenes who make this podcast possible.
Allie Allen for logo and podcast cover design;
Gorgias Romero for original music, audio engineering and production;
Bill Rafferty for technical web support; and
Margaret Haas for announcing the show.
Be well. Be mindful.
RESOURCES/CREDITS
Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/14132-cultivate-the-habit-of-being-grateful-for-every-good-thing, Accessed July 12, 2022
UMNCSH, Welling Being Series, (2012, November 28), Brené Brown on the Relationship between Joy and Gratitude [video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/2IjSHUc7TXM, Timestamp 0.17 - 0.32.
TedTalk, Ted Global 2013, David Steindl Rast, Want to be Happy? Be Grateful [video] https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful/ Accessed July 17, 2022.
TedTalk, TEDxSF, Louie Schwartzberg,, Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. [video], https://www.ted.com/talks/louie_schwartzberg_nature_beauty_gatitude, Accessed July 17, 2022.
Allen, S., PhD., The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, The Science of Gratitude, A Write paper prepared for the John Templeton Foundation, May 2018, https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf, Accessed July 14, 2022.
DISCLAIMER
The content in the podcast and on this webpage is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice and guidance of your health professional.
