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Daily Question, May 31

When has being grateful made me happy?

  • Mary

    Being grateful always makes me happy. I just need to remember to be grateful and to remember to take good care of myself. Gratefulness and self care can be my strong foundation everyday.

  • Michael

    the practice of being grateful has enhanced my life immensely and in turn I feel my life has enhanced others, too. that makes me happy.

  • Lioness

    Everyday, even when the light is dim, it makes it shine brighter.

  • Anna

    Being grateful in some painful and challenging times helps me to nurture a sense of inner peace, and to spread this peace around me. Maybe this is the true meaning of “happiness” for me.

  • KC

    When I consciously stop, take in the good and express gratitude I feel happy, connected and whole.

  • Carol

    The older I get the more I equate happy and sad with the EGO. I’m more comfortable with the terms joy and sorrow and have found that you can’t have one without the other. I love poet Kahlil Gibran’s take on this : “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. When you are joyous, look deep into your heart a...

    The older I get the more I equate happy and sad with the EGO. I’m more comfortable with the terms joy and sorrow and have found that you can’t have one without the other. I love poet Kahlil Gibran’s take on this : “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
    When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” In 12-step I learned that suffering is inevitable but misery is optional. What a relief that was and is. Blessings, Carol

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  • Kim SD

    My life is very full of challenging activities right now, where others are depending on me to be productive and creative. I find it difficult to deal with the anxiety of this responsibility, and often wake up worrying about something that "must be done correctly right now!" I have read the books of Sonia Choquette, and the practice of "Thinking about what you love" has been a powerful, sort of backdoor way to get to gratefulness. It is easier for me to think about how much I love the people I s...

    My life is very full of challenging activities right now, where others are depending on me to be productive and creative. I find it difficult to deal with the anxiety of this responsibility, and often wake up worrying about something that “must be done correctly right now!” I have read the books of Sonia Choquette, and the practice of “Thinking about what you love” has been a powerful, sort of backdoor way to get to gratefulness. It is easier for me to think about how much I love the people I serve, the medium through which I serve them, and the actual activities themselves, than to tell myself “Be Grateful!!!” When reflect on the people and activities and gifts that I have in my life, and how much I love them, gratitude simply flows, and anxiety fades. I get up thinking about what I GET to do today, instead of what HAVE TO do today, which makes me very happy. It never fails for me; list what I love that is in my life right now, and it creates calm and happiness.

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  • Ben

    This morning I was doing a guided meditation on the abundance there is in simply being alive, having a body, being able to feel and see and know anyone. I felt it all as a gift, and an incomprehensible miracle, and peace and joy arose, with a sense that whatever I want or worry about not having, it’s doesn’t even compare to the infinite depths of beauty that are here right now, just being alive.

  • Ed Schulte

    When has being grateful made me happy?

    Whenever I come across wisdom such as to-day’s Word

    “…there are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths.
    MARK NEPO

    The reaction (refection) back to it is one of gratefulness, which is of course part and parcel to, “Happy-ness”

  • Deb

    Being grateful always has a positive effect on me. It doesn’t necessarily bring me happiness. If I am struggling with a level 7 pain or depression, being thankful about anything can lower the level substantially. And if I am feeling good already, being thankful potentiates that feeling.

  • grateful sea

    Usually, when I am doing my gratitude practice (writing in my journal), in that moment I am content. Is that always 'happiness' (?) I am not sure. But sometimes in this moment I am even surprised by joy. I think to get there, it helps for me to be very specific in my gratitude and thats why writing helps.

    Also, when I pray before meals and I actively imagine all that went into what is before me -- the the vast waving fields of grains (oats or buckwheat or millet) and greens (kale or spi...

    Usually, when I am doing my gratitude practice (writing in my journal), in that moment I am content. Is that always ‘happiness’ (?) I am not sure. But sometimes in this moment I am even surprised by joy. I think to get there, it helps for me to be very specific in my gratitude and thats why writing helps.

    Also, when I pray before meals and I actively imagine all that went into what is before me — the the vast waving fields of grains (oats or buckwheat or millet) and greens (kale or spinach or tea) and the trees, the trees(!) arrayed in orchards planted years ago (coffee, coconut, almond, cherry). What they look like in sunshine, how they move in the breeze, who planted them…. And I try to imagine and then thank the very people who planted and cared for and harvested this beautiful food, oftentimes half a world away or more. Then in this moment of connection through gratitude, I am happy.

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  • kathleen

    every time I feel grateful I feel happy to some degree. Gratefulness helps to balance my life. Its wonderful to be able to share these thoughts and feelings on here because I think that makes gratitude even more powerful

  • Gina

    I am happy , feeling better today and am very grateful for my improved health.

  • Amy

    Every morning I am grateful for a new day. Thank the Lord for all I have and the Universe for all that is in store for me today. The present moment the only time that I have control over. Blessed to be healthy and have a Healthy Family. Happy and Grateful.

  • Christina

    I have experienced 12-step recovery and this makes me deeply happy & grateful.

  • Antoinette

    Being grateful always makes me feel happy and helps me to realize how many things life is offering me.

  • Ose

    Always! And the deeper the gratefulness, the deeper happiness unfolds inside and all around. So grateful for this path and all your help here and for these beautiful questions in this forum. Have a good day you all out there, and greetings especially to you, Kevin.

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