Daily Question, October 11 How can I teach someone, by my actions, how to be a grateful person? 34 Reflections Share Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. KC7 years agoKCKeep learning, practicing, modelling gratefulness and doing the intentional, ‘heavy lifting’ myself. Learning with/ from and following the lead of Pilgrim and many, many others on the path. Being humble, curious, creative and aware of ego. Ditching pride. Perhaps by irreverence, cheekiness, humour and telling the truth slant. I think this is a huge work in progress for many of us… 0 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevor???? ???????? ????☯️ By following these six great principles (which are not easy to follow at all times): “The Six Great Principles are six bright paths. They are also known as six kinds of wisdom, six kinds of demon-quelling pestles, and six kinds of monster-spotting mirrors. No fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no pursuing personal advantage, and no lying: These are the basis for being a person, the foundation for cultivation, and the standard for government.” 0 Reply Michael7 years agoMichael“Modeling” is the most powerful teaching tool. Positive interactions (spreading love), helpful mindset(how can I be of service n act on it), accurate thinking (complaining free zones) 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorInside out modeling? Hehe. 0 Reply Hot Sauce7 years agoHot SauceAs someone coming from the Christian tradition, I can utilize the practice of imitating Paul (an actual encouragement from Paul in His letters! Paul really likes Paul!) by writing letters of gratitude whenever someone shows me kindness, just as Paul wrote a letter of gratitude to the Philippians when they gave Him gifts while He was in prison. It’s a small act, but when done sincerely, it really does show someone that you appreciate them! 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorIntense. Do you actually send the letters or keep them private? 0 Reply Hot Sauce7 years agoHot SauceWell, actually, my response is self-prescriptive, rather than self-descriptive. I do not currently do this, but I am now setting my intention to send a letter, probably in the form of a thank you card via mail, if possible. It’s a new idea that I have not yet put into practice. 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorI see. I like the idea. I started sending ecards from here to my parents. I plan on bestowing gifts to some friends to repay much kindness they have shown me in the past. I don't see myself doing this regularly with anyone other than my parents. I feel that leaving some space between sends allows the cards to be fresh. I am not sure I will keep doing this but I plan on supplying them with Chinese herbs for the rest of their lives for what they have given me. I am sure a deeper spiritual... I see. I like the idea. I started sending ecards from here to my parents. I plan on bestowing gifts to some friends to repay much kindness they have shown me in the past. I don’t see myself doing this regularly with anyone other than my parents. I feel that leaving some space between sends allows the cards to be fresh. I am not sure I will keep doing this but I plan on supplying them with Chinese herbs for the rest of their lives for what they have given me. I am sure a deeper spiritual payback is in order to fulfill my debt of filiality owed to them but all will be accomplished in time I suppose. Read More0 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorI don’t usually follow/read replies but I came back to see if you responded as I didn’t select to be notified. I am guilty of not reading replies since I have been using this site but I am gonna stop that. So assuming you are guilty too I won’t hold it against you if you don’t spill any sauce on me here! 0 Reply Francine Marie Tolf7 years agoFrancine Marie TolfMy mother taught me to appreciate beauty by never taking it for granted. She exclaimed over flowers, sunsets, spider webs. Even vegetables! She had her faults as we all do, but this was one of her most endearing qualities. 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorThat’s so wonderful Francine! 1 Reply Francine Marie Tolf7 years agoFrancine Marie TolfThank you! 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorHappy Early Halloween Francine! ???? ???? ???? 0 Reply Deb7 years agoDebI am reminded that Jesus said to “LET your light shine” not “Shine your light”. Similarly, I cannot teach anyone anything they are not interested in learning. I can, however, allow them to feel my gratitude or at least bear witness to the gratitude of my daily life. 4 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorWell said! By both Jesus and You! 1 Reply Deb7 years agoDebThanks, Trevor! 1 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevor????✝️???????????? 0 Reply SeeAreLow7 years agoSeeAreLowBy treating everyone with respect, sharing a smile, and to look for the positive in every situation. 2 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorI like it. A simple and powerful recipe. 0 Reply Kit7 years agoKitI prefer think of this question as how can people learn from my actions, how to be a grateful person. Simply being who you are and others will observe and learn to be kind. Kindness is generosity’s twin. when people are drawn to something rather than taught something, it will be a deeper connection. What better way to learn? Ask questions yourself. 4 Reply Aine7 years agoAineBy holding to my own gratitude practice openly and kindly, but without apology. Sometimes people can think you are nuts for choosing gratitude in the midst of obvious suffering, but that’s just when the opportunity arises. Gratitude is not PollyAnna platitudes and wishful thinking, it is HARD work sometimes! Being real and vulnerable enough to let that be seen in you is a powerful teaching on the power of gratitude. 2 Reply kathleen7 years agokathleenThey might notice that gratitude does not depend on conditions or circumstances because they would see me turning towards gratitude and expressing it in action even if I personally was experiencing difficulty. This is something I am learning to do, not to deny pain and suffering but to choose that it might have something to teach me. Long way to go but this is the way forward for me. 6 Reply Aine7 years agoAineYes, finding the hidden gifts in our pain without denying or diminishing it and somehow choosing gratitude are definitely the way forward! ???? 4 Reply Ed Schulte7 years agoEd SchulteHow can I teach someone, by my actions, how to be a grateful person? Key word here is “Action” and True gratitude ( another name for love ) is emanated from the heart by both sincerity and silently, together, as one action. There are so many vibrational level of consciousness we humans are capable of hearing / feeling / knowing in which silent sincerity is the only true, genuine way of sharing it. How to be a grateful person?….live in the knowing that “Silence is the language of Go... How can I teach someone, by my actions, how to be a grateful person? Key word here is “Action” and True gratitude ( another name for love ) is emanated from the heart by both sincerity and silently, together, as one action. There are so many vibrational level of consciousness we humans are capable of hearing / feeling / knowing in which silent sincerity is the only true, genuine way of sharing it. How to be a grateful person?….live in the knowing that “Silence is the language of God”…..and there is enormous power and grace in silent action. It is a habit of New age “spirituality” to think that grateful-ness and Love can be taught. Both are natural and original conditions in every Human being and they have to be lived spontaneously not because a “my teacher told me I had to” conditioning. As Brother David indicate in the day’s quote below, grateful-ness and Love have a built-in, cause and effect, growth nature of their own. Love given spontaneously [aka “Unconditionally”] immediately grows in both giver / receiver. Sufi call this “Accumulative Effect”. As I express my gratitude, I become more deeply aware of it. And the greater my awareness, the greater my need to express it. BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST And as the Christian mystic Daskalos explains ….”But now again what is love?”….he is reminding that what most modern cultures call “love” really isn’t very loving at all. It is more like a social survival technique ……..quoting this point in detail…. “If I could just make You can just understand how difficult it is to understand what is love! . Because you really make dirty love by giving it names of any language. When I say the word “Libra” “Agape” and so many words for love which should have just one meaning…. in any language… [this habit of naming just] it makes it dirty. So often then [the words for] love comes out of the mouth they’re, just words, in languages flying away! End Quote So what is life, what is love then? It is …..The soundless coming-out of the heart. The highest meaning expressed in action and not by words. So should we not believe people telling us they love us? Of course! But not absolutely1 because they may deceive themselves that they think they love and they shouldn’t offend people. Why should we? There is so much they can understand what is love. Read More4 Reply Jeff7 years agoJeffSeek opportunities to express gratitude.. leading by example is always the way, and gratitude will beget gratitude. If nothing else, they will most likely be grateful for your gratefulness. And that’s a start. 5 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorA good start it is! Grate! 0 Reply Pilgrim7 years agoPilgrimDear friends, if you have a moment please visit the Gratitude Lounge and offer support to slw, who is suffering profound grief and loneliness right now. Thank you. 5 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorI’ll try to maintain composure in there. Cannot promise anything. 0 Reply Aine7 years agoAineI love the kindness of your heart, Pilgrim. You bless my life. 2 Reply Kevin7 years agoKevinChildren, most especially, can learn to be a more grateful person by the examples we set visually and verbally with our actions as adults. Teaching adults to be a grateful person, especially when the concept of gratitude and being grateful have not been central to their “emotional language” and how they view the world, is a much harder lesson to teach. Frankly, I think that many adults out there probably think that the gratefulness movement in general, if they even give it a thought at all, ... Children, most especially, can learn to be a more grateful person by the examples we set visually and verbally with our actions as adults. Teaching adults to be a grateful person, especially when the concept of gratitude and being grateful have not been central to their “emotional language” and how they view the world, is a much harder lesson to teach. Frankly, I think that many adults out there probably think that the gratefulness movement in general, if they even give it a thought at all, is little more than a lot of happy talk. Professionally, I learned early on that for many, many people, life is hard and it hurts, and living a life of gratefulness is not very high on their immediate list of needs. – Kevin Read More2 Reply Trevor7 years agoTrevorGratefulness was nonexistent for me growing up. Even though I was spoiled by wealthy parents. They satisfied my material desires but I am afraid that did not aid me growing into a grateful adult. I don’t blame them at all. I am just grateful to have become aware now how important gratitude is and it needs to be developed over time or else more negative qualities will develop on their own. 1 Reply Kevin7 years agoKevinGreetings, my friend, I appreciate your perspective here very much. As a family, we didn’t have much growing up, though I never felt lacking for anything either. I cannot recall the word “grateful” being used much, but my grandmother, who lived with us, who lived through the US depression back in the 1930’s said frequently, “It could be worse!” That was a rather “back-door” way of getting us to appreciate all the we had at that time. Thanks for your comment. 0 Reply Aine7 years agoAineThat is one of life's paradoxes, really, that just when life is hardest and hurts most and gratefulness is not high on our list of needs, it is a very powerful way to work our way through the hurt to a better place and thus, in reality, definitely in the Top 5 need wise. It is amazing how being grateful for what we have helps us through the not having and helps us think creatively about the needs in our lives. That only works when the heart inclines in that direction, though, and that can be rar... That is one of life’s paradoxes, really, that just when life is hardest and hurts most and gratefulness is not high on our list of needs, it is a very powerful way to work our way through the hurt to a better place and thus, in reality, definitely in the Top 5 need wise. It is amazing how being grateful for what we have helps us through the not having and helps us think creatively about the needs in our lives. That only works when the heart inclines in that direction, though, and that can be rare indeed. Read More3 Reply Kevin7 years agoKevinThank you, Aine. I appreciate your response here. I have to say that I didn’t like very much my own reflection this morning on this question. I sat with it for a spell, then remembered my work over the years. Now and then I was able then, and still do today, to “help lift” negative and self-defeating thinking with some people who were/are ready for moving in a new direction….but far too many were just not there yet. And that’s when I let go and just submitted what I did. 2 Reply My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A. CONTRIBUTE https://demo.gratefulness.org/content/uploads/2015/03/GX-Gold-Participant-L.png Community Engagement Guidelines Privacy Policy [email protected] Connect with us on Social Media: © 2000 - 2024, A Network for Grateful Living Website by Briteweb
