Thanksgiving and feeling deep gratefulness are two different things.
Are you convalescing after a festive period full of family visits, indulgence and unwrapping of presents? If yes, chances are you will have spent a great deal of your time saying things like ‘Thank you’. Or ‘Ta’. Or ‘Thanks, Auntie Jane, I feel very much like a stuffed turkey myself.’
Giving thanks is a common social convention. We are often truly thankful for the tangible presents we get at specific times of year. Even if we have learned to expect and to deserve them.
But, now the festivities have passed, what of other, unearned gifts? Moments of beauty, like a falling flower petal. The chance glimpse of a shooting star. The freedom of riding a bike. All of them have the power to lift us with their unconditional, unexpected nature.
It’s our gratefulness for these that generates a wave of happiness. That’s the proposal of David Steindl-Rast in the 2013 TED talk ‘Want to be happy? Be grateful’. Happiness follows on from being fully aware of the gift we’ve been presented with – the essence of being grateful.
But experiencing isolated instances of gratefulness is not enough. The key to being happy is ‘grateful living’ is an ongoing awareness that every moment we have is a gift. The gift is that of opportunity – for enjoyment, for rising up to challenge. ‘[…] If we avail ourselves of the opportunity, it is the key to happiness.’
The tangible impact of gratefulness
Grateful living can have positive effects on our physical wellbeing too. In a New York Times article on gratitude, John Tierney cites an academic study into the phenomenon. People who kept a weekly record of things they were grateful for showed higher rates of optimism. They felt happier and had better physical health than participants who didn’t keep a record. Individual testimonies back this up.
But how can we achieve gratefulness, this acute awareness of the opportunity every moment brings? David Steindl-Rast’s formula is simple: stop, look, and go. Take time; sense what the moment has gifted you; act on the opportunity the moment presents.
For a simple but effective way to practise gratefulness, try out Deepak Chopra’s essential practices for gratitude:
- The gratitude journal – record the things that brought you happiness, peace or inspiration.
- The ‘thank you’ letter – write to someone who had a big positive impact on you.
- The gratitude walk – go out of your office or home for just 20 minutes.
We hope these tips for experiencing gratefulness more often give you a successful and peaceful start to 2015. The clue is in the name, of course: Happy New Year – and a happy new day, happy new moment.
You may also be interested in our mindfulness blog and mindfulness retreats.
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