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Every day we witness the brutality of war and atrocity, and can feel hopeless or doubt that anything we do as an individual can have a positive impact. International Day of World Peace was celebrated recently so now might be a good time to reflect on how our own gratitude can make a difference.
I love the Zen saying:
If there is light in the soul,
There is beauty in the person,
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house,
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation,
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.
If we are to bring about world peace, we first need to ask ourselves if how we think and what we say and do can make a difference. This is not a trite question. We need to ask this first if gratitude is to have relevance and be a transformative force.
Gratitude brings light to the soul because it shines a light on our sense of interconnectedness with one another. It immediately awakens us to what we receive from each other. This extends beyond our immediate connections with people we know personally to include a wide array of people who contribute to our world. For example, just reflecting on gratitude for the rice we are about to eat at meal times can expand our awareness of those who planted the rice in India and then to those who harvested the rice and transported it and sold it. Thousands of people could have our thanks extended to them in this way.
Such a sense of interconnectedness brightens the ‘light in our soul’ because it moves us out of our individualism and separateness and towards a recognition of our absolute dependence on others. This may make us feel less indifferent to the senseless hurt inflicted on others. The philosopher Emmanuel Levinas has argued that it is a sense of interconnectedness that is required if we are to assume the “radical responsibility” for the other that is needed to make us act ethically and behave truly as a human being.
One of the most powerful ways to give back is to acknowledge to others what we have received from them.
When we acknowledge what we receive from another it has a motivating force that urges us to give back. One of the most powerful ways to give back is to acknowledge to others what we have received from them. This brings about what the social anthropologist Margaret Visser describes as “reconnaissance” – recognition of the others’ value in their very humanness through expressing gratitude to them.
For example, if we go to the corner store and the shopkeeper looks tired at 9 pm after a long day’s work, we might say something like: “I really appreciate your efforts in keeping the store open this late at night so I am able to buy this milk”. It seems like such a small gesture but one that could have an enormous impact in a world where that shopkeeper is seen as someone who is there solely to provide a transactional service, so not particularly deserving of our thanks. Every time we express genuine gratitude we are basing our relationships less on transactions and more on a sense of appreciation for being given to by another. As sociologist Georg Simmel says, gratitude provides the moral cohesion of humankind.
Most importantly she teaches us that we cannot give affirmation – this reconnaissance through gratitude – to ourselves. It must be given to us by others.
When people feel recognised through the gratitude expressed by others, they feel more affirmed. Margaret Visser tells us that this is essential to our sense of belonging, identity and relationships. Most importantly she teaches us that we cannot give affirmation – this reconnaissance through gratitude – to ourselves. It must be given to us by others.
Gratitude also shines a light on the state that is its opposite – resentment. The words we use towards and about others are key points of reflection as to whether they arise from resentment or gratitude. If we find ourselves backbiting or gossiping or disparaging, we are doing the opposite of reconnaissance or interconnectedness. We are separating and dividing ourselves from others and disaffirming them.
At the core of most wars and atrocities is the resentment we hold in our hearts. Our reflection on how we could do things differently next time, not only steers us back towards gratitude and personal integrity, but is a crucial step towards world peace. We are taking ‘radical responsibility’. Our own gratitude can make a difference.
Dr Kerry Howells is a teacher, educator and academic at the University of Tasmania, Australia. She has been researching the role that gratitude plays in enhancing teaching and learning over the past two decades, and has published several academic papers that report on her findings in the areas of school leadership and teaching, pre-service teacher education, indigenous education, and academic learning. Kerry’s book, Gratitude in Education: A Radical View is the first full text to be written on this topic, and has been hailed by reviewers around the world as “ground-breaking”. Read the introduction to her book here.
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Here is an Axiom which I learned from the ancient traditions of the Caucus Mountain peoples.
This Sufi Axiom is wonderful way of summarizing the functioning principles within the ‘Seven Promises of a Researcher of Truth’ and is a detailed guide to being able to Truly emanate gratitude, Knowingly and authentically. I say these two words because without “knowingly” being aware of Who You are wrt the Divine Plan one cannot emanate Gratitude to its full potential. ( I have listened these 7 promises below as a separate point. )
The Axiom says …………
“If anything good happens to you, look for the cause without. If anything bad happens to you, look for the cause within.”
Ultimately of course, at the Noetic level, there is no “”Within” / “Without” ” these are only witnessed in the every day world of yet to be awaked unconscious behaviour of humans.
A brief explanation of the Axiom:
The first sentence in this axiom confirms that good services applied “without”, IOW promises 1 thru 5, will always be abundantly returned. Joshua Emanuel said “You can’t give a glass of water away without it being returned.”.
The second sentence in this axiom confirms that achievement of “Self Realization / Self Mastery, Promises 6 and 7, is the key to protection from negative elementals. And if you are being influence by negative elementals then “look within”. IOW enter into introspection to find where the weak defenses are. You will then cut off the loss of lift vitality and be able to emanate it as MORE gratitude to Life and all around you.
Here are The 7 PROMISES of a Researcher of Truth
( with a big Thank You to Dr Stylianos Ateshilis ( aka Daskalos )
1) To serve, at all times and in all places, Absolute Beingness to whom I whole heartedly belong.
2) To be ready, at all times and in all places to serve the Divine Plan.
3) To make good use of the Divine Gifts of thought and word at all times, in all places and under all circumstances.
4) To endure patiently, without complaining, all forms of trials and tribulation which the most wise Divine Law may bestow upon me.
5) To love and serve my fellow human beings sincerely from the depths of my heart and Soul no matter what their behavior may be towards me.
6) To meditate and to contemplate daily Absolute Beingness, with the objective of total coordination of my thoughts, desires, words and actions with Its Divine Will.
7) To investigate and check every night whether all my thoughts, desires, words and actions are in absolute harmony with the Divine Law.
Great material thanks Ed!
Thank you for the wonderful, well written essay filled with wisdom! I especially enjoyed the concept – “Gratitude also shines a light on the state that is its opposite – resentment”. I believe that is so true and will help to remind me to keep in mind that only light can dispel darkness.
Resentment really is its opposite. I was thinking greed is, but what does greed turn into if it isn’t transformed into gratitude? Resentment. I find greed, anger, and delusion feed into each other and are truly poisonous energies that work in opposition to grateful living. The louder the darkness calls out, the more light you need to bring in RIGHT AWAY or else it will grow. I learned this painfully today by allowing greed to turn into resentment, it all happened like bombs going off and once the greed led to the flames of anger the darkness overtook me and I couldn’t shake it off, not until now but at least it is gone before I am going to sleep. I introduced light that I should have introduced nearly 12 hours ago to dispel the darkness of greed, anger, and delusion.
What a beautiful, inspiring and uplifting article! Thank-you for reinforcing that each of us can make a difference!
Thank you for an excellent and inspiring essay that really shows in a practical way that gratitude is not self-indulgent but does lead to a greater peace. Very very helpful!