Ongoing Transformation and noting World Gratitude Day 2022
Living gratefully today, here are several current sources of gratefulness in my life:
-the Insight Timer meditation app and teacher Sarah Blondin
-the extra minutes of rest and relaxation I allowed myself this morning
-the smell of brewing coffee and the fact that I can smell anything at all
-a cool breeze and more crisp air, after an unusually hot and humid day yesterday
-the varied touch and texture of writing pens as I hold them and use them
-the expansiveness of the moon and stars in the early morning sky
Today is World Gratitude Day. It has been around since 1965, just like me. I wasn’t aware of this international holiday until 2015. Here is a post I wrote about it on my previous blog, Habitual Gratitude.
From that post:
Did you know that today, September 21, is World Gratitude Day? It has been designated as such by the United Nations since 1977 and began in 1965 (a good year I might add). It reportedly began in Hawaii thanks to meditation guru Sri Chinmoy. He was the director of the UN Meditation Group at the time and suggested the idea as a holiday to unify people around the world. As I researched Chinmoy a little, I also found out he was someone who enjoyed running and encouraged physical activity as an avenue to spiritual enlightenment. I can relate to that!
I like this idea. A holiday that unifies. That is even a challenge for many at the level of their own family, much less globally.
I appreciate the efforts, and if even a handful of people who weren't giving gratitude a try before today start doing so because of something they see regarding WGD, then it is worth it.
I am more a fan of daily practice though. If I only practiced gratitude every September 21 and every November for Thanksgiving, pardon my language, but I would be screwed.
It takes time and effort to go from the levels of self-pity I used to wallow in, to the levels of peace and gratitude I can sometimes reach. Daily effort.
If you have considered starting a gratitude practice, but haven't done so yet, today would be a great day to launch your efforts. It works. It really does. Happy "World Gratitude Day" and have a good day!
And my own words, seven years later, from this Monday’s post:
Living gratefully brings joy to the seemingly mundane. It makes each moment an opportunity. It generates positive and useful energy. Wow! That sure sounds impressive when put in print. It IS impressive, and true. My lived experience and daily practice have shown it to be possible.
Not every moment of every day. I don’t know anyone who is able to sustain such heightened awareness and openness all the time. In slipping away from it comes the desire to return. Regular practice has brought me to this place. I can still get twisted up in thoughts and worry. I can still revel in a good bath of self-pity. I can still walk right past awe and wonder.
But I am living gratefully more readily and steadily, falling into the pit less deeply and staying for a shorter time. Practice makes progress possible. Embracing imperfection—my own and that of the rest of the world—brings perfect moments of rich presence.
Gratefulness is so much more than giving thanks. It is finding meaning in our days. It is noticing Nature and other living beings. It is leaning into painful emotions as part of life and as some of our best teachers.
The ongoing transformation of living gratefully is one of the most profound experiences of my life. It brings color and vibrancy. Just like the leaf featured in today’s post, let the transformation continue.
