As we enter the last week before Christmas, we can certainly be focused on getting while we are busy giving. What to get who, and how much to spend can overwhelm us with anything But gratitude.
The latin root of gratitude is gratia which is the same root as Grace. Grace is unmerited favor. Here we are once again faced with the notion that the gift of life is not quid pro quo. It isn’t about a score card (God gave us this, we gave that). It is about the unmerited, unearned, unbelievable Gift of every moment in this life.
Robert Emmons, the world’s leading authority on gratitude and professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, has been studying the practices and the effects of gratitude for over 20 years. He states in his bestselling book, Gratitude Works,
“Gratitude is important not only because it helps us feel good, but also because it inspires us to do good. Gratitude heals, energizes and transforms lives…Gratitude takes us outside our scope so we see ourselves as part of a larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships, relationships that are mutually reciprocal.”
The science of gratitude is something Dr. Emmons also studies – it can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity , and cooperation.
Pause for a moment, just now and think of a person, a pet, a place, or an event- and allow yourself to drop into the feeling of gratefulness. Breathe into that feeling for a few seconds – and notice. Notice how the heart and the center of the chest softens – notice how warmth seems to spread through the body and notice the gift gratitude is to your entire being.
It comes to us as naturally as breathing and carries our wellbeing with ease and grace. If it was not enough just to feel better – your body is also poised for healing in that same state.
Brother David Steindhal- Rast has spent the better part of his 93 years centering on gratitude as a way of life and a spiritual practice. He wrote about it many years ago in the following way – “If the only prayer you ever say, in your entire life, is thank you – it is enough.” This thought originated with Meister Eckhart- another spiritual mystic*. So whether you center on gratitude for wellbeing – or you center on gratitude as a spiritual discipline- the benefits to your life will be profound.
In the final two blog posts we will look at the transformative possibilities to our world if every person paused for a few moments each day – and practiced gratitude. The cultivation of that experience can bring change to the troubled spots in our world and provide a pathway to peace – joy and yes love for everything and everyone.
As you begin this holiday week – be thankful for the gift of solstice – the cocoon of winter and the chance to pause, reflect and give.
*Gratefulness.org
The VerticalDimension.org
Facebook.com/@TheInsightOut
