Staff Picks

A collection of favorite resources – both old and new – picked by the Gratefulness staff. This page will be refreshed monthly with “gems” which have especially moved, inspired, and engaged us…

From Sharing Economy to Gift Ecology
“Sharing has elements of inter-connectedness, of a village-like community, of a transformative altruism. But ‘economy’ puts us squarely in a transactional mindset and culture of convenience,” writes Nipun Mehta in his article which explores the potential for generosity rather than “economy” to lead the “sharing” revolution.

Wonder Rush – As Kingfishers Catch Fire
Truly a “Wonder Rush,” this vivid recitation of Gerard Manley Hopkins poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” reminds us about who we’re meant to be and the sound we’re meant to make. In addition to reciting Hopkins’ poem, Evan Koons passionately shares insights into the poem’s invitation.

The Mystical Core of Organized Religion
Br. David explores mysticism and its relationship with Religion. “Many of us experience a sense of communion with Ultimate Reality once in a while. In our best, most alive moments, we feel somehow one with that fundamental whatever-it-is that keeps us all going. Even psychological research suggests that the experience of communion with Ultimate Reality is nearly universal among humans…”

In the Presence of Abundance
“I’m tickled with excitement as I climb higher and higher, the vastness of the valley unfolding before me, the mountains and peaks, the glaciers and rivers that had silently hidden behind the thick, cold fog yesterday now sit vibrantly exposed,” writes Greta Matos, in her vivid and grateful account of traveling in Patagonia with her husband, dog and five horses.

Opening the Question of Race to the Question of Belonging
“Race is a little bit like gravity,” john powell says: experienced by all, understood by the few. He is an esteemed legal scholar and thinker who counsels all kinds of people and projects on the front lines of our present racial anguish and longings. Race is relational, he reminds us. It’s as much about whiteness as about color. And it largely plays out, as we’re learning through new science, in our unconscious minds.

The Peace of Wild Things
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds…

“Gratitude” – A Film that Connects and Inspires
The timeless meditation by Br. David about “A Good Day,” set to Gary Malkin’s soulful music, is re-imagined by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg. “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” John Milton

We hope you enjoyed these resources. To discover more, visit our complete Library of Resources or dip into Gratefulness in Daily Life.