One of the things I’ve been reading about a bit lately is a practice called “gratitude journalling”. It’s not necessarily a religious thing- though it can be- a lot of people who keep a journal of the things they are grateful for don’t observe any particular faith.
It has (apparently) been proved that keeping a journal of, say, three or four things every day for which you are thankful can improve your sleep patterns and your overall sense of wellbeing. Deliberately cultivating “an attitude of gratitude”, is now recommended as a positive mental health strategy.
I remember being struck by a conversation I had with an elderly neighbour about 25 years ago who said “Oh, you’re so lucky! You can walk!!” She had lost her ability to walk further than a few yards; and was no longer able to get out into the fields with her dog, or down to the river in our village. It stuck with me. I hadn’t thought I was particularly blessed to be able to walk, but when I reflected on it, I definitely was!
There may be things which we take for granted, which are in fact great treasures- for example a secure home, reasonably good health, a supportive family, the regular sighting of a robin on a birdfeeder, friends to go to the pub with.
It’s a good thing to be grateful- in our personal relationships and in our lives generally, to take time to appreciate the good things we have. I’m all in favour of this, and I expect you are too..
So far, so good.
We can be grateful for what we have, and that will make us feel better…
The question that has been buzzing around my head lately though is, where will our gratitude take us? What will we do with it? Will we just use it to make ourselves feel a bit brighter on a Monday morning, or will we use it as a lever for wider change?
If we become truly grateful for (e.g.) a clean water supply, will that make us advocates for cleaning up our rivers and beaches? Will it make us generous towards those who don’t yet have adequate sanitation?
If we become grateful for our freedom to complain about the state of our national politics, will that spur us to defend the free speech of others?
If we become truly grateful for a fresh spring morning, will that lead us to reduce our personal carbon footprint, thinking about the carbon emissions we produce as we drive or fly?
If we can use our gratitude as a lever for empathy and compassion, we will find ourselves not just thankful, but actively seeking the good of others, near at hand and far away.
I hope you find things that make your heart rise with thanks as we enter the longer spring days, and that all of us can find ways to multiply our gratitude so that others may find they have more to be grateful for, too.
Every Blessing
Revd Kalantha
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