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Becky
The habits of gratitude
by Becky - November 21, 2007 - 4:27 PM

thank_you.jpgSo I’m going to be really obvious and talk about gratitude…First of all: thanks to all our readers! I always look forward to reading your comments, which are guaranteed to be full of expertly hewn gems of facts, wisdom, and hilarity. There’s that lovely Meister Eckhart quote: If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is “thank you,” that would suffice. But in the latter day of all sorts of spiritual maxims, there are more than a few outspoken factions who support the ritualized giving of thanks daily, and consider the state of gratitude to be very powerful. Some people compose daily lists (which I’ve done), ZenChill recommends a more fleshed-out gratitude journal, and others carry gratitude rocks (haven’t done), and some people, like Masaru Emoto, who, you may have heard by now, channels messages through water crystals (the one pictured is the result of a piece of paper reading “thank you” taped to a glass of water overnight; you can check out the results of the negative messages on his site). And of course if you’ve seen What the #$*! Do We Know!? you’re familiar with the Marlee Matlin scene in which she Sharpees “I love you” and “Thank you” all over her body. I do think it’s easier to rap off “hey–thanks!” than it is to truly inspire a state of gratitude. Do you have a ritual that helps trigger gratitude?

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Comments (3)

  1. Taking a shower promotes gratitude. I start my day standing under the hot water streaming down on my body and immeidately am reminded that so many people have to work all day long just to haul water to where they live so they can survive. It kind of keeps me in a thankful state of mind.

    posted by Barbara on 11-21-2007 at 5:28 pm

  2. For about 3 years now, I have been exchanging daily gratitude emails with two old friends(I’ve known these women for about 50 years). We chronicle what we were grateful for that day, faithfully, day after day (well, of course, sometimes we miss a day due to traveling or illness or computer crashes), and it has transformed all of us. Instead of being cranky old ladies, we find ourselves reveling in both the little and large things to be thankful for every day. It’s a Buddhist practice, actually, transformed for the modern age. I recommend that everyone find one or two friends to do this practice with — I guarantee you’ll find yourself eager to catalogue your day, and even those who were chronic complainers (yes, one was) become passionate about gratitude.

    posted by Dolly on 11-22-2007 at 11:09 am

  3. We all know that Emoto’s “work” is complete bunk, right? Right? And that “What the Bleep” is the most bullshit movie ever. Come on, this is Mental Floss, not Mental Fluff.

    posted by Iris on 11-22-2007 at 7:47 pm

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