simple abundance gratitude journal july 5,...
TRANSCRIPT
Simple Abundance Gratitude Journal July 5, 2013
1. Lynn: Invocation “Thank You God” and place the offering basket.
2. John: Objective for tonight’s meeting: to show the value of gratitude for bringing prosperity. Start a gratitude journal practice to bring about a change in attitude that opens the mind and softens the heart for more good to come. A practice of gratitude creates an inner shift which intensifies the Power of Attraction to bring about more prosperity.
3. Lynn: Discussion: Last month we asked each person to give some thought about what does Prosperity mean to him or her. What ideas did people come up with?
4. John: Unity booklet “How Gratitude Changes Everything.” Read “A Little Lower Than the Angels” by James Dillet Freeman, pages 10-12. Then, first assignment: write at least 5 things into your Gratitude List on pages 18 and 19.
5. Lynn: Read “Simple Abundance: A Return to Comfort and Joy” by Sara Ban Breathnach. Hand out a blank Gratitude Journal to everyone present. Recommended reading: Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach.
6. John: Unity Founder Charles Fillmore wrote a book called “Prosperity” which is also recommended reading. Read page 74, 2nd paragraph about being thankful.
7. Lynn: Jim Rosemergy wrote ”Even Mystics Have Bills to Pay” and also is recommended reading. Read “Thanksliving” pages 52-53. Then read A Prosperity Plan for the Home, Steps and Suggestions and Paying Our Bills, pages 82-87. Days 28 through 30 include gratitude concepts and activities in his Forty-Day Guide to Prosperous Living chapter, pages 190-194.
8. Hand outs:
“Gratitude: A Matter of Perspective” by Joanne Blum
“Gratitude Is a Gift We Give Ourselves” by Margaret Stortz
“Gratitude: Empty Platitude of Spiritual Practice?” by Karen Warren Severson
THNX article from UC Berkeley
Daily Dream Builder by Mary Morrissey.
9. Next homework assignment: keep a gratitude journal for the next month and see if there is any difference in your attitude or your life between now and the next meeting. Please be ready to share your findings with the group when we meet again in August.
THANK YOU GOD
Have I recently taken inventory of my blessings? If I reserve my gratitude only for the spectacular, I may miss knowing and expressing the joy of being thankful for blessings that occur every day. God blesses me continually, in many ways that I may have overlooked. However, as I take inventory of my blessings, I discover a rich harvest of good for which I am truly thankful. I give thanks for God’s handiwork in all creation.
I give thanks for the kindness of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers. I am grateful for encouraging words, loving deeds, and friendly smiles. I am thankful for food and shelter, clothing and transportation. I am grateful for the ability to think and feel, to express my thoughts and feelings. I am thankful for every opportunity to learn and grow spiritually. I am thankful to God for life, and I express my gratitude!
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever!”
—Psalm 107:1
Simple Abundance: A Return to Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
'Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.' -Melody Beady
There are several tools that I'm going to suggest you use as you begin your inner exploration. While all of them will help you become happier and more content and will nurture your creativity, this first tool could change the quality of your life beyond belief: it's what I call a daily gratitude journal. I have a beautiful blank book and each night before I go to bed, I write down five things that I can be grateful about that day. Some days my list will be filled with amazing things, most days just simple joys. Mikey got lost in a fierce storm, but I found him shivering, wet but unharmed. I listened to Puccini while cleaning and remembered how much I love opera.
Other days--rough ones--I might think that I don't have five things to be grateful for, so I'll write down my basics: my health, my husband and daughter, their health, my animals, my home, my friends, and the comfortable bed that I'm about to get into, as well as the fact that the day's over. That's okay. Real life isn't always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only survive, but surmount our difficulties.
The gratitude journal has to be the first step on the Simple Abundance path or it just won't work for you. Simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy--all the other principles that can transform your life will not blossom and flourish without gratitude. It you want to travel this journey with me, the gratitude journal is not an option.
Why? Because you simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you have set in motion an ancient spiritual law; the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.
I have told you that the Simple Abundance path is a transformative process. We're going to work on one principle for one month at a time, trying to weave that principle into the fabric of our daily life.
Let's begin today with gratitude. Select the prettiest, most inviting blank book you can find for your gratitude journal. Make a pleasant outing for its selection. Note the fabric or design of the cover. The look and feel of the paper. Do you prefer ruled pages or blank? As an online member, you have access to a computerized page to complete each day. Perhaps you can find a book with a ribbon clasp. One of the most valuable lessons Simple Abundance has taught me is that it is in the smallest details that the flavor of life is savored.
As the months pass and you fill your journal with blessings, an inner shift in your reality will occur. Soon you will be delighted to discover how content and hopeful you are feeling. As you focus on the abundance rather than on the lack in your life, you will be designing a wonderful new blueprint for the future. This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work, transforming your dreams into reality.
A French proverb reminds us that "Gratitude is the heart's memory." Begin this day to explore and integrate this beautiful, life-affirming principle into your life, and the miracle you have been seeking will unfold to your wonder and amazement.
Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sara Ban Breathnach
LeJSon Seven 105
discrimination in the choice of your s< '< ·d words. You should expect prosperity wll('ll y<HI kc<'p the
prosperity law. Therefore, be thank h d lm <'V<'ry blessing that you gain and as deeply gr;11\'hd fm every demonstration as for an unexpcct!'d t r<'as11 rc dropped into your lap. This will keep your heart fresh; for true thanksgiving may be likened to rain falling upon ready soil, refreshing it and increasing its productiveness. When Jesus had only a small supply He gave thanks for the little He had. This increased that little into such an abundance that a multitude was satisfied with food and much was left over. Blessing has not lost its power since the time Jesus used it. Try it and you will prove its efficacy. The same power of multiplication is in it today. Praise and thanksgiving impart the quickening spiritual power that produces growth and increase in all things.
You should never condemn anything in your home. If you want new articles of furniture or new clothes to take the place of those you now have, do not talk about your present things as old or shabby. Watch your words. See yourself clothed as befits a child of the King and see your house furnished just as pleases your ideal. Thus plant in the home atmosphere the seed of richness and abundance. It will all come to you. Use the patience, the wisdom, and the assiduity that the farmer employs in planting and cultivating, and your crop will be sure.
Your words of Truth are energized and vitalized by the living Spirit. Your mind is now open and re-
The Latin root of PersPec-tive--aerspicerr-means "to lookthrough" and "to see clearly."These definitions are not thesame, which points to one ofour fundamental problems withperspective. The Particular onethrough which we are lookingmight be giving us a nice, clearview of things; but then agein,it might not. Many times, I'vethought I saw clearly how thingswere, how I was doing, how mYloved ones were doing----onlY tofind out I'd been deluded, orjustplain wrong.
Looking back on mY ownstruggles with persPective, Ithink I've identified our mostcorrunon mistake: We tend tothink our persPective is fixed.We believe the way we're seeingthings is correct, clear, and un-changing. But that isn't the caseat all.
One person's PersPective can bewidely divergent from another's,even when gazing at the samething. In a single day, one's Per- -
speciive can shift dramatical-ly, from grateful and satisfied toresentful and unhaPPY.
Sowhich perspective is correct?
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Neither? Both? You decide.Deciding is the heart of the
matter, because how we decideto see things makes a huge dif-Grence in the qualitY of ourlives. In Man's Searchfor Meaning,Viktor Frankl called this theultimate human freedom: "to
choose one's attitude in anygiven set of circumstances."Day in and day out, we have thisfreedom to decide. How are wegoing to see our lives?-
I've talked to my husband
Joe, who is an artist, about Per-spective and discovered someinteresting parallels. Perspectiveis a fundamental in art, Part ofevery artist's training in how toposition objects in sPace. At themost basic level, lessons in Per-spective involve setting a focalpoint somewhere in sPace andestablishing lines that widen outand back from it. The result isa hVndy reference for anYthingygd migttt draw or paint alongt6ose lines, so dogs don't windup bigger than houses, or PeoPleaJ tall as the moon, as theYsometimes apPeared in mY earlYpictures.
Perspective, in other words, is
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a basic ofcreation. Choosing ourperspective-deciding how wewill see things-is fundamen-tal to creating anything new, inart or in life. It is also the keY tolivingwith a grateful heart-thatis, with a sense of being blessed,prospered, and beloved.
Sharpen Your FocusOne ofthe main ways we chooseour perspective is in decidingon what to focus. Just as in theartist's painting, where we Placethat imaginary focal point wilihave tangible results in our lives.
Like most people today, Joeand I have a digital camera, whichhas a handy automatic focusfeature. I've learned, though, thatif I don't aim the camera verycarefully in the right direction,I'll get the branches instead ofthe bird, the distant tree lineinstead ofthe smiling face beforeme. I've done the same thing inmy life countless times. Withouta steady focus on the good, withinstead a constantly shifting Per-spective on good and bad, healthahd sickness, abundance andlack, I've gotten mixed results inmy life as I have in my Photo-graphs.-
ehoosing one's focus is, ofcourse, a core teaching of NewThought spirituality. ErnestHolmes wrote that we must, indealing with any challenge, "turnentirely away from the condition. "
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Emmet Fox, perhaps most suc-cinctly and poetically, called thiscareful direction of focus "thegolden key." The key to success-ful prayer, the key to a sense ofwell-being and satisfaction, thekey to bringing something newand positive into our lives, comesdown to this simple directive-turn away from the problem andput your focus on the good.
The apostle Paul wrote to theearly Christians, or followersof "the 'Way," as they werecalled, that they should keePtheir focus on the good at alltimes: "-Whatever things aretrue, whatever things are noble,whatever things arejust, whateverthings are pure, whatever thingsare lovely, whatever things are ofgood report, if there is anY virtueand if there is anything Praise-worthy-think on these things"(Philippians 4:8). Focus onsomething good, in other words,even ifyou have to work hard tofind it.
Jesus taught that we must"keep our eye singler" suggest-ing the same deliberate focus:"'When your eye is single, Yourwhole body also is full of light"(Luke 1,1:34). This is the sameteaching as Fox's golden keY, itseems to me, or Paul's insistenceto "think on these things," orHolmes's ursng to "turn awaYfrom the condition." Ifyou wantto be full oflight, focus on light.
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Raise Your SightsThe other important way wework with perspective seemscontradictory, but isn't. Whilewe need to sharpen our focuson the good, this doesn't meantaking a narrower view. It's quitethe opposite. Choosing the mostpowerful perspective typicallymeans taking a higher view.
Ralph Waldo Emerson definedprayer as "contemplation of thefacts of life from the highestpoint of view." I take this asadvice to get my mind out ofthe mire of details. Raise mysights. It's a similar teaching tothat ofJesus telling his disciplesnot to fret over what they willeat, drink, or wear. "Strive firstfor the Kingdom of God and hisrighteousness," he said, "andall these things shall be added"(Matthew 6:33).
We don't have to sweat thesmall stuff. Take a higher per-spective, and in due time watchthe details come into alignmentwith that viewpoint.
So what is that higher per-spective? Again and again, itcomes down to the power andpresence of God at work in ouruniverse and in our lives. If it'sa matter of health we are facing,the higherview is that God in usis a steady flow ofhealing energy,that life is being renewed andwholeness sustained, at all times,without struggle or strain.
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If it is a financial matter, thehigher truth is that this God-infused universe is overflowingwith abundance, that lavish lifeis the order of every day. And ifit is a matter of love, the highertruth is that we are never aloneand unloved because the loveof God indwells and enfolds us,unfailingly and unconditionally.
When we begin to takethat higher view, insisting onit, feeling for it, watching forit. we become more aware ofthe blessings we are alreadyenjoying. We become, quitenaturally and spontaneously,more grateful.
Recently, I was watching aPlanet Earth vtdeo series thatoffered sweeping views ofEarth,courtesy of a special helicop-ter designed for high aerial pho-tography. One scene showeda breathtaking wave of greenspreading across the entireeastern half of the United Statesas the deciduous trees leafed out.'Watching the program, I wassuddenly struck with the realiza-tion: That's here! That miracle istaking place right here in Ohio,where I live, in the spring andearly summer every year. Caughtup in the day-to-day, focused onlesser concerns, I have failed tosee the full glory of the seasonstaking place all around me.
We need to take a higherview if we are to get a clear and
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present awareness of how richlYwe are blessed.
Put the Bills on the PianoGrowing up, I was fortunateto have a model of this deliber-ate kind ofperspective, the kindthat brings a deeper awarenessof blessings and increases them.My mother, who was a cosme-tologist, cultivated a perspectiveon prosperity that I've thoughtabout countless times throughthe years.
Mom opened her first beauryshop in 1958 when I was a toddler'First, she worked alone, in atiny rented shop in downtownCincinnati. Then she workedwith two additional oPeratorsin a shop built on the back ofour house. Finally, with threechildren coming of age andcollege tuitions looming, sheexpanded into her biggest shoP,a ten-operator salon in a restoredVictorian house.
Along the way, there weremany times when mY motherdidn't know if she could makepayroll, cover the insurance, orpurchase supplies for the week.She was a woman of strongfaith, though, having attendedthe Progressive New ThoughtTemple in Cincinnati. So, facedwith a pile of bills she couldn'tpzy, she would undertake apowerful prosperity Practice.She'd go ahead and make out
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those checks, sign, seal, andstamp them, ready for mailing,and then she'd put them on theplano.
It was her PersPective onthose bills-her attitude towardthem-that made the difference.Instead of cursing her exPenses,bemoaning how high they were,and how far she was from beingable to cover them, she'd saY howluckv she was to be so trustedby her creditors. That Pile ofbills was proof positive of herstanding as a respected businessowner!
The insufficiency of fundsshe was facing was only
^temporary shortfall, exPeriencedby any business owner, whichwould soon be remedied. In themeantime, the bills were Poisedon the piano, like a stagingplatform, ready to go out tothose trusting creditors as soonas the necessary funds arrived.
And so it happened, everytime. Within days, the bills leftthe piano and went out in themail. My mother's Powerfulexpectation set the process inmotion, and the process neverfailed to unfold. Over the Years,my mother's business grew tosuch an extent that she was able
Science of Mind
where she and Dad would enjoytheir retirement years. She was asuccessful businesswoman, andthat right perspective on pros-perity-a perspective she persis-tently practiced-was one of thekeys to her success.
'What You Seek IsWhat You FindTaking a fresh look at Jesus'"Seek and you shall find" and"Everyone who searches finds"(Luke ll:9), I see clearly nowthat these teachings are aboutGod's generosity and respon-slveness to us as we choose whatwe are looking for in our lives.
The LJniverse is set up in sucha way that that for which we areon the lookout is what we find-it is drawn to us, or we to it. Callit a law of attractbn, as Fox did.Call it cause anil efect, or creatiyeprocess. However we describe it,the truth is that what we expectto see, more often than not, iswhat we wind up seeing-healthor sickness, lack or abundance,love or rejection, heaven or hell.In a very real way, your perspec-tive is your future.
We do not know the limitsof this truth. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her groundbreakingresearch on death and dying,discovered many comrnonali-ties in the way people prepare forand experience death. Drawingon thousands of interviews
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with people who had died andbeen resuscitated, Kubler-Rossfound that people's experienceof death was pretty much whatthey expected it to be, giventheir cultures, their faith, andtheir personal backgrounds. Ifthey expected angels or beautifulgardens, that's what they en-countered. If they expected tosee Jesus or Mary, that's whothey found. Their perspectiveon death, that for which theywere on the lookout, becamethe reality of their death.
I find these discoveries as-tounding because they tell methat we have absolutely no ideahow far this power to choose cantake us. Mavbe there aren't anvlimits. Or maybe the only limitsare the ones we create throughour imperfect use of our powerto choose howwe will see thingsand, therefore, how things willgo.
You DecideHere's the thing. Whatever thesituation with which you aredealing, this is the question toask yoursel-f; How am I going to seeit? The choice you make has ev-erything to do with how thingswill go on from here and howgrateful and blessed you will feel.
t
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IFT IJ.r'o VES in
furtz
Science ofMind
Do., it seem strange to say that gratitude is a self-given gift?.:.-_.:_ Haven't we been taught for years that we are to give thanks tor*'5hcod for all the goodih"r.o-., to us? Of coursJwe have, bur
trbt's be clear about where the mental attitude of gratitude liesiiibur understanding. I believe that gratitude is not a gift of theSpt?tt. Unlike love,Joy, and peace,"graritude is not a naruralinheritance. Instead, it is a learned quality, an acquired excel-lence chat, if we choose, becomes a way of life, one that is ex-pansive by its very nature. Reflect on the rimes when you haveheld back on being thankful for another's efforts or dismissiveofothers'generosities. There is a sense ofsmallness attached tothese memories and maybe criticism, but certainly not large-soul remembrances. I have never regretted being grateful, even' ifit was sometimes misplaced; I have often regre-tled being un-
- -, grateful, for my gratitude always enlarged my spirit while my
_ ingatitude served only to diminish me.
- Gratitude as a Spirittral PracticcGratitude is not only an admirable characteristic, it is also one ofthe best spiritual practices known to humanity. Consider this: Tobe grateful for something good that happens ro us is one thing. Topractice engaging in heartfelt thanks every day, regardless ofwhat life.presents, generates a tremendous presence of rnind that is not subject
' to external conditions. The recent economic downturn has givenus all an opportunity to discover what is really important and whatis not. Some have been affected more than others, no doubt, but allof us have been thrown back to our inner resources, only to findthat we have more inner strength and resilience than we thought,especially those ofus who have been cultivating that spiritual groundwith regular $atitude practices.
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Gratitude HoldsJoyI believe that everything we doin the world of thought eithermakes a clear way for the pouringout of divine gifts or retardsthem. Actually, we reveal Godin every breath, and either weare giving out and taking in big,generous gulps of Spirit, or we arebarely stirring ourselves. SpiritualJoy, not to be confused withhappiness, is deeply connected togratitude , for this is the open doorthrough which the Divine Goodenters. This is the reason affir-mative prayer contains a step ofthanksgiving. Ernest Holmes andall great spiritual teachers under-stood that, in prayer, we couldline up a bevy of ideas and cir-cumstances that we want to ex-perience, but without the gratefulsoul of acceptance, there wouldbe no open track to reccive.Holmes said, "Life has made thegift, and we are to accept it in theway it was made and not someother way." This must mean thatwe are to be fully, openly, freely,and fearlessly willing to take allthe gifts of the Spirit in the joy inwhich they are glven. Gratitudeis the handmaiden of thatjoy.
Since joy is part of our divineinheritance and is, therefore,within us, it moves through us asan undercurrent in our thoughtsand tends to act like leaven.We may or may not always feelhappy; things may or may not
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be unfolding as we had planned,but our quiet, underlyingjoy stillkeeps whispering thatliG is good.How else would anyone get upfrom the experience of a greatloss and go on? Why else wouldanyonc be willing to start over orcontinue to find meaning in life?Broken hearts mend, and thedawn breaks after a dark nightbecause of the light-bringer,joy, and its acolyte, gratitude.People who pray give thanks tothe Divine for preserving themin the midst of disaster just asthey are grateful for the success-ful birth of a new baby. In ourbones, we know that bitternessand thanklessness will drive usinto the depths of despair. Onlyif we are relentlessly taught thatwe have nothing to say about ourown destinies will we have dif-ficulty sensing the essential joythat lies just below the surface.
If we are wise, we will giveforth our gratitude up frontbefore anything comes to pass,thus making clear that we areopen to the greatest of possibil-ities. When I think of the alle-gorical healings ofJesus, I do notthink of them as facts as muchas I consider the circumstanc-es in which they appear as il-lustrations of spiritual action.For instance, before the raisingof Lazarus, Jesus said, "Father,thank you for hearing me. Youalwavs hear me.. . ." In our own
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lives, we believe that when wethink, we impact the InfiniteMind. How much more ben-eficial the impact when ourthoughts are full of gratitude,especially before we have seenany personal breakthroughs!
Gratitude Born oflossRalph'Waldo Emerson, one ofErnest Holmes's favorite spiritualphilosophers, is a perfect exampleof what the vital human spiritcan do in the midst of loss. Bythe time he was forty years old,Emerson had lost five close familymembers to death, includinghis five-year-old son Waldo,his "domesticated sunbeam."The man who in singing prosestated that "the Highest dwellswith [man]" could still findan eagerness of life enough towrite ". . .never mind the defeat:up again, old heart!...There is avictory yet for all justice, andthe true romance, which theworld exists to realize, will bethe transformation of geniusinto practical power."
we will be experiencing theloss of our retirement plans. Iwould never wish unlikely losseson anyone, but as I began toadjust to a life-changing circum-stance, I renewed more vigor-ously my grateful acceptance ofthe Infinite Well-Being that isalways mine. The enlighteningspillover in doing this was an in-creasing insight that made mercahze I cannot simply fold upinto apathy. I cannot simply turninto a little old lady sipping teaand humming to myself. I willneed to stay present, engaged,bringing value and being valued,and what a great jog to the mindthis turned out to be! It becameclear to me that life still neededme just as much as I needed it.
Gratitude Born of GainIt is relatively easy to be gratefulfor people, circumstances, andthings that are pleasurable. Hereis where happiness, which isoften dependent upon pleasingexternal forms, becomes joinedto our native undercurrents of
Noneofushastostepbackvery joy. Life shines upon us, andfar in time to think of something things are really going our way.that caused us to dig deeply into To my way of thinking, this iswhat we believe. Currently, we the time to stand in the sunshine
- ment systems have been struck Divine for that which we haveby economic losses, and the one and that which is yet to come.engaged in by many of my min- In true thanksgiving, there is noisterial colleagues and me has concern about greed or hyper-been no exception, for soon consumerism; we are simply and
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actively recognizing the Sourceof every good thing, and Itsnature is to circulate. We do nothave to long for one single thingthat belongs to another, but forthat which is ours by right ofconsciousness. Every day of ourlives, we have the choice to livea small life or e great life. Wemight as well choose a great one.Ernest Holmes wrote. "Let usapproach this idea of Substanceand Supply and the Law ofOpulence with a firm convic-tion that the Eternal is foreversaying to the temporal, that theFather is forever proclaiming tothe son: All that I have is thine."
In 1911. a devoted ChristianScientist, William Rathvon,wrote a little tale that holds asmuch light today as it did almostone hundred years ago. It isentitled "The Devil's Auction."
It was once announced thatthe Devil was going out ofbusiness and would offer histools for sale to whoever wouldpay his price. On the night ofthe sale, they were all attractivelydisplayed, and a bad-looking lotthey were. Malice, envy, hatred,jealousy, carnality, deceit, andall the other implements of evilwere spread out, each markedwith its price. Apart from the restlay a harmless looking, wedge-shaped tool, much worn andpriced higher than the others.
Someone asked the Devilwhat
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it was. "That's discouragement,"was the reply.
"'Well, why do you have itpriced so high?"
"Because," replied the Devil,"it is more useful to me than anyofthe others. I can pry open andget inside a man's consciousnesswith that when I couldn't getnear him with any of the others,and when once inside, I can usehim in whatever way suits mebest. It is so much worn becauseI use it with nearly everybody, asvery few people yet know that itbelongs to me."
"You say you use this wedgeof discouragement with nearlyeverybody. With whom can'tyou use it?"
The Devil hesitated a longtime and finally said in a lowvoice, "I can't use it in gettingintothe consciousness of a gratefulman." Obviously, grateful spiritscannot be confined! r
Rev. Margaret Stortz
Science ofMind
that cast avou do whenand leaves you
to shift
do.o"dihbitt
Defined, the expression ofgratitude goes beyond beingthankful. Outward-directed. itis a deep and complex acknowl-edgement of the good thingsin life. It has been described asgiving us a taste of how deeplywe are connected to the GreatMystery. As a research subject,it has been widely studied in thefield of positive psychology.
Gratitude is shown to improvemental health, increase energy,boost the immune system andphysical health, and strength-en social relationships. Gratefulpeople seem to be less stressed,be more optimistic, sleep better,and have more effective copingstrategies for life transitions.
It is said that gratitude slowsus down, softens us, and opensour hearts. It can form the coreor be an aspect of a deep andcompelling spiritual practice.
It would seem that only theScrooges among us would argueagainst gratitude as a worthy ex-pression and way of being. Butwhat about those times when anotherwise good life is just plainhard? When we walk throughour days with our heads duckedunder the cloud that seems to befollowing us and catch ourselvesquietly resenting others' goodfortune? 'When our normallyencouraging rituals feel admon-ishing? When we are steeped inloss and unwelcome change?
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When Troubles MountImagine that you've just left apowerful and uplifting gatheringat your Science of Mind Center.The discussion topic was gratitudeand the importance of inviting itinto your life as an essential ingre-dient in receiving your portion ofgood.
You enter your home, and thedoor closes behind you. You lookaround and shake your head.Your earlier buoyed spirits sink.Maybe most of the people in thecongregation tonight can givethanks and put a smile on theirlife circumstances. But becauseof the economic downturn, youhave to walk away from thishouse and home that's been onthe market for over ayear. 'When
you accept this impendingreality, you will lose your goodcredit and the nest egg that wasyour retirement security. Howcan you possibly put a gratefulface on the grimace of yourcurrent plight?
Or. . .you'vejust been diagnosedwith a chronic illness that islimiting your energy and abilityto be in the world as you wantand need to be.
Or...you are coming to theend of your unemploymentbenefits, and in spite of all theinner and outer work you aredoing, there is nojob in sight.
Or...despite the best medicalhelp, you and your beloved spouse
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are grieving over not being able toconceive a baby and your marriagefeels rocked to its core.
Radical SirnplicityIs it possible that during thesestrenuous times-most esPecial-lv these times-the best choiceis to cut through the diznYtngcomplexity of available alterna-tives? To decide, for now, notto read another self-helP book,not to attend another insPiringworkshop? Rather, to acknowl-edge the cacophony within and,in what might feel radical in theface of extreme stress, choosesimplicity. Choose to commit toan inquiry process that has as itscore the teaching ofDr. Holmesand the Science of Mind: changeyour thinking, change Your life.
The venture I ProPose hererequires a soft touch-a feather,not a pickax. It asks us to firstact as if we believe, feel, or aresomething we may not Yet be. Itsundergirding intention is loving-kindness toward ourselves andcuriosity about the process. Itasks us to surrender to what isso in our current circumstances.To bless what is----even if that'sa stretch-to ask what's goodand right within it, and thentune-in prayerfully to discoverthe healing lessons and our bestroadmap for the journey ahead.
Do you remember PollYannaand her Glad Game? She was
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the main character rn a 7973book by Eleanor H. Porter. Thedaughter ofan overseas mission-ary father and mother who haddied, Pollyanna grew uP withfew material possessions. Shewas forced to live with a wealthYand emotionally cold, elderlYaunt where Pollyanna becameseriouslv ill. From the marvelouscreative mind of this child camea game which helPed her coPewilh adversity by finding withinit reasons to be grateful. Shemanaged to affect PositivelY theentire community to which shehad moved. In todaY's world,when optimism aPPears to beunrealistic, we often use hername colloquially as a Pejora-tive. In fact, research Proves shewas wise beyond her years!
'Won't you join me in thistwenty-one-day inquiry? For,you see, the earlier story ofleaving behind the house andhome is my story. I believe itis no accident that my assign-ment and writing of this articlecoincided with selling mY homein a short sale.
Let's BeginLet's first agree simPIY to setthe intention to become moregrateful. 'We'll ask heavY ex-pectations and "shoulds" toitep aside. We'll ask the outsideworld to give us a breather. Next,we'll commit a small Portion of
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our fragile courage and energYtoward gratitude babY-stePs'Our attitude will be oPen and
vou mav be grateful for the bedin which you sleeP, the skY at
sunset, and a new toothbrush'This step is a must-do in ourinquirv endeavor.
'Torttotto*. choose from the
list of gratitude strategies at
the end of this article, addingas many as aPPeal. Choose a
minimum of three dailY actionsfor the twenty-one-daY Period'You will likelY add more. Be
mindful, though, not to take on
too much at first. Rather, let the
nificant shifts You've been ex-
periencing. This first round,yo,
-ay notice only a general
softening in Your resPonses to
relationships and circumstances'Be mindful of the gratitude
strategies that esPeciallY cause
86
you to feel oPtimistic. Add
il-il"r new activities and
commit to another three weeks'lJse your skill at creative problem-solving to invent Your o\ m strat-egies. Energize Your Process bY
sf,aring it with others. lntend
a long-term comrnitment to
embracing gratitude. Reinforceyour new behavior bY Postingaffirmations as dailY reminders'
True ProsPeritYAdversity in life is a given'
Gratitude is not. CertainlY, ac-
knowledging our losses and
grieving ihem is good medicineFor the [ertt. So, too, is gratitude,which can stand side bY side with
loss. An attitude ofgratitude is an
inside job-and a choice'Wiie teachers assure us that
when we accePt our Presentreality with gratitude just as it is,
we have found true ProsPeritY'Further then, our grateful acceP-tance, in time, will exPress itself
in various waYS, creating shifts in
our inner and outer sPheres.So let's choose to invite
bste the sweetness of ou1.d99Pconnection to the GreatMYStery'Gratitude Strategies
Science ofMind
O
o
a
O
a
a
December 2010
Create an affirmation card such as, "I am grateful for my
Lifb"-read it on awakening, at lunch, and before bed'
Post it on your mirror and computer.Bless meals to include those who grew the food, transport-
ed it, and sold it.Express gratitude frequently to family, friends, associates,
and strangers.Watch filirs and read books that inspire gratitude'
Listen to and sing uPlifting music.Take a news brea-k-turn offupsetting television shows'
Spend time with upbeat people; limit time with energy-
drainers.Make a gratitude jar in which you and your family
place piJces of paper upon which are written reasons to be
grateful.iltrotice when you start to complain and shift to a reason to
answer.Smile for no reason in particular-laugh out loud'
this can I be grateful about?"Read Dr. Robert Emmons's Thanks! How the New Science
with gratitude. r
87
For too long, we’ve taken gratitude for granted.
Yes, “thank you” is an essential, everyday part of family dinners, trips to the store, business deals,
and political negotiations. That might be why so many people have dismissed gratitude as simple,
obvious, and unworthy of serious attention.
But that’s starting to change. Recently scientists have begun to chart a course of research aimed at
understanding gratitude and the circumstances in which it flourishes or diminishes. They’re finding
that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
Higher levels of positive emotions;
More joy, optimism, and happiness;
Acting with more generosity and compassion;
Feeling less lonely and isolated.
That’s why the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley—in collaboration
with the University of California, Davis—is launching a $5.6 million, three-year project, Expanding
the Science and Practice of Gratitude. The project is supported with funding from the John
Templeton Foundation. The general goals of this initiative are to:
Expand the scientific database of gratitude, particularly in the key areas of human health,
personal and relational well-being, and developmental science;
Promote evidence-based practices of gratitude in medical, educational, and organizational settings
and in schools, workplaces, homes and communities, and in so doing…
Engage the public in a larger cultural conversation about the role of gratitude in civil society.
To achieve these goals, we are launching a range of research and education initiatives, from a
research grant competition to a series of articles on gratitude to a large public event.
Research Initiatives
1. Research Grant Competition. At the end of 2011, we launched a $3 million research initiative to
expand the scientific understanding of gratitude, particularly in the key areas of health and well-being,
developmental science, and social contexts. We received nearly 300 applications from institutions all
over the United States, and we evaluated each one based on its scientific significance, approach and
methods, creativity, potential influence, and capacity for success.
The 14 winning projects were announced in August of 2012; they cover topics ranging from the
neuroscience of gratitude to the role of gratitude in romantic relationships to how gratitude might
reduce bullying. In the fall of 2013, grant award winners will participate in a research retreat, where
they will present their work in a high-level, rigorous format, enabling them to discuss the next stages
of building the field.
2. Dissertation Research Awards. As part of the project, we are giving up to 15 grants in support
of the most innovative dissertation research projects on gratitude, with emphasis on research than
spans two or more disciplines. Awardees will receive up to $10,000 for one year to assist in the
conduct of their research. The dissertation award competition was conducted in two phases. So far, we
have announced eight dissertation award winners and will announce the remaining recipients in the
summer of 2013.
3. University of California and Hofstra University Youth Gratitude Research Project. Building
on research into the development of gratitude in children and adolescents, researchers at the
University of California and Hofstra University will run a multi-year study that addresses the following
questions: What is the role of gratitude in positive youth development? What can the people with the
greatest influence over children—parents, teachers, coaches, and others—do to foster gratitude in
children? What is the developmental trajectory of gratitude in children? What school-based
interventions can promote sustainable increases in grateful character traits? Is there a critical period
when the capacity for gratitude is best transmitted from an older to a younger generation? To what
degree is gratitude predictive of positive outcomes such as school success, overall well-being,
community service, resiliency, health behaviors, and less risk taking?
Public Education Initiatives
1. Expanding Coverage of the Science of Gratitude. New research on gratitude has the potential
to improve the lives of millions, if not billions, of people worldwide. For almost a decade, the Greater
Good Science Center has provided trailblazing coverage of the science of gratitude through its website,
books, and other media. Now, as part of the project, we’re greatly expanding our coverage, helping
the general public understand new findings from the science of gratitude and apply this research to
their personal and professional lives; we’ll also report on the launch, progress, and results of the
research funded through the Expanding Gratitude project.
You can view our latest stories on gratitude here, including articles, videos, and posts to Christine
Carter’s “Raising Happiness” parenting blog. Also check out our gratitude definition page, succinctly
outlining what gratitude is, why it’s worth practicing, and how to cultivate it. For more on gratitude,
see our list of key gratitude books, studies, and organizations.
2. Digital Gratitude Journal. In the fall of 2012, we launched Thnx4.org, an online journal that
allows users to record and share the things for which they’re grateful. This unprecedented, web-based
effort to track and promote the practice of gratitude worldwide also serves as an invaluable source of
scientific data on gratitude: Users of Thnx4 can see how practicing gratitude affects their health and
happiness, and these results will also be made available to the research community, though individual
users always have the option to keep their data private. In effect, Thnx4 gives the public and
researchers the opportunity to study trends in the practice of gratitude, and it has the potential to
provide a truly global snapshot of our planet’s current state of gratefulness.
Thnx4’s launch received considerable media coverage and engaged users from around the world; our
analysis of its initial round of data showed that it gave a significant boost to users’ health and
happiness. Thnx4 will go offline in the summer of 2013 and relaunch before Thanksgiving.
3. Public Event. In 2014, we will hold a large public event to help bridge the research-practice gap.
This event will be open to the public and will feature academic researchers as well as mental health
professionals, spiritual leaders, and others who want to apply the science of gratitude to their work
and everyday life.
Greater Good Science Center Resources
What to know more about the science and practice of gratitude? Please see these Greater Good
resources:
Gratitude definition page: The What, Why, and How of gratitude
“Pay It Forward,” by Robert A. Emmons
“Why Gratitude is Good,” by Robert A. Emmons
“Ten Ways to Become More Grateful,” by Robert A. Emmons
Pieces on gratitude from Christine Carter’s parenting blog, Raising Happiness
“Love, Honor, and Thank,” by Jess Alberts and Angela Trethewey
“Stumbling Toward Gratitude,” by Catherine Price
Key gratitude books, studies, and organizations.
And take this gratitude quiz to learn how grateful you are!
Contact Information
Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude
Greater Good Science Center
University of California, Berkeley
2425 Atherton Street #6070
Berkeley, CA 94720-6070
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude
There are many landmark moments in our lives. We get married, we have a baby, a child graduates, a grandchild is born. Or other moments that are perhaps less significant in terms of how the world would see them, but yet they hold significance for us. At landmark moments we have a realization; we know that our life is turning here, changing forever. Inside ourselves there is a moment when we know this is so good, it’s so good to be alive. So today I invite you to open to the possibility that today can be a landmark moment when you open up and pay attention and give thanks. Remember how good it is to be alive. Have a landmark day. Celebrating You,