Category Archives: origins

Gratitude: Random or Purposeful?

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People are so meaningful in our lives. It is interesting for me to listen to others’ impressions and expectations for these posts. Some of you love “the photos” in each post; others love “the written words”. You are building a community of “gratitude expressers”daily, and my sincere appreciation to each of you for your kindness. In response, my intention is to be a stimulus for our community. But, my questions for today, include:

Should we deliberately find an event, or act about which to express gratitude today? Or

Should we randomly go about the action of “everyday responsibilities” and wait to see if we see or feel gratitude?

Look at this bird, freely flying through the air. Do you think the bird flight is purposeful or random? Maybe the bird enjoys both. Maybe the bird doesn’t care where he is going; he is just hanging around.

My friend “Siri” tells us that to be purposeful is to be determined, intentional, or to have a useful resolve. She notes that random is made without “conscious decision”, unspecified, unfamiliar, having an equal chance to happen, unusual, unexpected, or unknown.

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What is Your Life’s Light?

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As I examined the wooded setting of Airy the RV in the photo above, I found pleasure in the breaking of dawn through the trees, as well as in the lit underbelly of the coach. Both types of lighting touched my mind’s eye and I asked why? One light protected me near the the RV, while the other protected my early morning drive from deer leaping, or hikers walking.

One light is man-made and artificial; the other is God made and natural. Jill Harness noted on hunker.com that there are several differences between natural and artificial light, between firelight and candle light, and fluorescent bulbs, flashlights, or sunlight. There are a surprising number of differences between light sources found in nature versus electronic sources.

The intensity of light, the duration of light, and

the amount of light is only under your control with artificial lighting.

I made a note to myself to ask “Do I have control of my life’s light?”

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Gratitude Circles

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It is happening, now… Gratitude Squared is multiplying… Oh Happy Day!

Friends, peers, colleagues, strangers, and family are talking about “Gratitude”. They are sharing their own stories about being grateful, and/or joyous about various experiences in their life.

There is “positivity in the air”!

As the author of these blogs, I am watching the radius of circles rolling out as these “posts” are thrown out into the world, similar to dropping a pebble into a pond and being mesmerized by the perfect circles formed after the entry of the stone, falling into the deep waters.

People need each other so often form various groups, for friendship, for play, for spiritual blessings…

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Airy’s Journey to Gratitude

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Given the snow and ice across the country today, I thought I might select a contrasting photo for our discussion as, at least to me, this photo conveys peacefulness, calm, sunshine and beauty. But, remember the old adage, “You can’t tell a book by its cover”? This is Airy the Airstream, a new touring coach.

What you do NOT see in the photo are the zip ties holding the awning on so that it does not open out while driving on the freeways and injure someone, and you do NOT see all the duck tape on the side of the coach holding the panels and badging from flapping in the wind and maybe blowing off the frame to expose the metal chassis. You also would NEVER know that the radio was not properly connected so that there is no music to enhance the drive. The bed in the back does NOT go down but rather pulls the entire frame out and rips the mattress, and there is more that is wrong, currently with Airy.

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Spiritual Practice of Gratitude Why?

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You might ask, Why practice gratitude? The disciplined focus on gratitude should not be approached from the perspective of “what’s in it for me?”, but rather, consider what fills your own heart so that you are moved to attend to and appreciate events in your life in new ways.

Gratitude is a fullness of heart that moves you from limitation and fear to expansion and love. When you’re appreciating something, your ego moves out of the way. You can’t have your attention on ego and gratitude at the same time.

Deepak Chopra
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Valentine’s Day is Gratitude for Others

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Reflecting on the typical symbols and icons on this day, I wondered why the color “red” became so meaningful and learned (with Siri’s help) that red “creates feelings of excitement and intensity”. I know those strong feelings when in love! Then, I read a little more and found that the color “red” “is also used to warn of danger and can symbolize anger or passion (calling to mind the Flames of Love)”. This statement caused me to pause….. It reminded me of my post from yesterday describing the full range of gratitude (from frivolous to serious). I kept reading…

My next question was to understand the association between the heart and valentine, and/or the heart and love. Siri was wonderfully helpful to explain the rich history of the heart and Valentine’s Day (from the shape of an ancient plant to our actual physical hearts in our chests to jewelry and more). When I read about Venus, the goddess of love, I was struck by the story of her son Cupid, whose darts set hearts on fire! Hence, I began to understand the age-old connections between Flames of Love (red) and Hearts on Fire, and a deeper meaning for this very special day began to take shape …

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Is Gratitude Serious or Frivolous? Both

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As I walked past these tables and chairs recently, I waited to be seated. I waited a long time because I am a rule follower. No one ever showed up. Finally I left!

This morning I read the update by Brett and Kate McKay “The Spiritual Disciplines: Gratitude within https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/spiritual-disciplines-gratitude/#

I recommend you take a look. It is a serious piece, but important lessons are within. For example, did you know that gratitude is the most scientifically studied? As a scientist, by my Ph.D. training, I like that fact. They also noted that gratitude is a “seasonal interest”. I think that is so sad! Further, gratitude, although familiar…. it is not mysterious as in what happens within solitude, nor is it an “inner adventure-evoking” experience as in fasting. I disagree. I believe I will find mystery and adventure during my journey through gratitude. Stay tuned.

The McKays also asked “if gratitude has been cheapened into something commonplace” as in “gratitude lite”, or is gratitude a moral virtue versus a “mood enhancer”? Further,

“What if it was made not of the soft sentimentality of greeting cards, but the sterner stuff of Stoicism, the rawness of marrow sucking, the severity of even death itself?”

I will summarize more of their article, or, even better, I suggest you take a look at the full piece, but I would like for you to consider all the wealth of thought that comes before us as we move through our own journeys through gratitude. I don’t know about you, but I am not yet ready for the “rawness of marrow sucking…” I think that today, I’ll stick to sentimentality of greeting cards….. Enjoy your day!

This is #gratitudeultra. See post on February 28, 2021 for definitions of categories of gratitude.

Self Study: How Do I Find Gratitude?

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Gratitude is deeply personal. The experience and felt emotion comes from within. One may find their gratitude when receiving help, assistance, kindness from others, in appreciation for recognition, when you feel pleased, experience a positive emotion, develop strong relationships with family members, friends, or other people in your community, improve your health or life circumstances, give to others, or through spiritual study. Your pathway to gratitude may follow one or more of a variety of events throughout your life.

Robert Emmons describes two parts of gratitude:

  1. An Affirmation of goodness in the world, gifts, and benefits;
  2. The sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves, and such helps us achieve goodness in our life.
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What’s the Difference Between Joy and Happiness?

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Please focus on the single beam of light projected onto the beach this morning just as day breaks (see the photo above). Out of the vast array of topics on which we might focus today, let’s focus on finding/seeking “joy” in our life which may sometimes feel like the little beam above.  Personally, I tend to like to focus on joy more than happiness because joy is a deeper emotion.

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Our Gratitude Stream

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It seems important that we ask “What is gratitude”? Where does gratitude come from? Can anybody find gratitude? Is gratitude derived from giving or receiving, or both? These questions and the answers may offer us significant directions along our journeys and pathfinding to gratitude.

If we consider the event of dying as a stimulus, for example, has does knowing one is dying trigger the feeling of gratitude?  Or, if we feel deeply moved during a beautiful sunset, or when proudly watching our young child perform a speaking part in a school play, or watching a dog scratch his back on the grass, from where does this emotion we call gratitude come?  Gratitude is an emotion of thankfulness. It feels good. It is a form of pleasure, and positivity in life. It may be related to a positive mood, or memorable action, or creative idea. Gratitude has also been described as a spiritual discipline, or a grateful heart.

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