Thanksgiving Practice: Day 5

Welcome to the final day of our practice and the opportunity to sign the pledge. Let’s begin…

Please close your eyes while you take three slow, deep breaths. Then open your eyes and read today’s commitment. This one may feel like a challenge to many of us. We may ask ourselves, “How can we trust in life when there is so much, it seems, to rightfully fear?” It is at this point that we can begin to exercise trust in life by being curious and reading on…

Let the words settle into your being. “In thanksgiving for life, I pledge to overcome FEAR by seeing in what I might otherwise fear, the opportunity to cultivate courageous TRUST IN LIFE and so to lay the foundation for a peaceful future.”

• • Being fearful can lead us to be on the look-out for what might go wrong, reinforcing our sense that the world is a frightening place. To counteract this, make a practice of noting what is going right. Notice the positive — sunshine; a job well done; a hug from a friend; the ability to receive email! Notice how this practice can soften fear.
  • Can you identify something in your life of which you are fearful, that you can venture toward and learn more about? How does understanding help us to be less fearful?
  • We all know that there are situations and people in the world that/who are not worthy of our trust. How then is having trust in life different from trusting everyone with whom you come in contact?
  • How could letting go of fear and cultivating more courageous trust bring you, and/or others, more peace?
  • Commit to looking for opportunities to trust in life so that we may lessen fear and so contribute to a more peaceful future.

“If we really want to be full and generous in spirit, we have no choice but to trust at some level. ~ Rita Dove”

If you would like to explore this topic further, you might appreciate:

• Br. David Steindl-Rast’s responses to two questions posed by visitors to gratefulness.org: Overcoming Fear and Trusting Life
• Practicing Faith in Life – a grateful living practice 
• Bernadette Miller’s poem: Benediction

As our journey comes to an end we invite you to join the community of folks who have accompanied you and:

• Read and SIGN our Pledge for Grateful Living

We hope these five days of reflection, practice and commitment have been illuminating and strengthening. May you return to the pledge , along with the practices and inspiration on this website as a sanctuary and a support as often as desired.

In thanksgiving for life may we all hold true to our wholehearted commitment to live life as the gift that it is!