Tuesday, November 01, 2005
“Everything has its wonders. Even darkness and silence. And I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.”—Helen Keller
“Once you become grateful, the prison bars of your mind will fall away. Peace of mind and contentment will be yours.”—Syd Banks
Last week, my Mom and I were discussing the beauty of colorful trees in the Fall. She commented that she loves trees that are burnished fiery red-gold at the top and green near the bottom. She said, “when I walked today, I saw a tree like that and I just stopped and wondered at the God who created such beauty.” I agreed and said, “such trees take my breath away.”
Those trees, without trying, are just showy by nature. It’s a little like they get in your face and say, “notice me!” And when you really SEE them; when you’re really present to their original beauty, your heart just overflows with fullness. We tend not to take for granted the multicolor robes of trees preparing for a night of winter. We know they are here but a short time and then gone, a memory only until the next Fall.
I ask myself, what would life be like if I was so present...to each person I meet, to each kiss I exchange with my lover, to each emotion dancing across my daughter’s face...to each precious moment of my life? What if I noticed the beauty and never took it for granted? Would I be living in a constant state of awe, wonder, gratitude and love? A perpetual state of fullness of heart? Could I stand it?
Since November is the month that cradles the American Thanksgiving holiday in its time-keeping embrace, I’d like to focus my writing over the next 30 days on the beauty of gratitude.
In February of 2003, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published a study by Emmons and McCullough on the effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being. Although a preliminary study, the results of their work suggested that gratitude increases other positive feelings and motivates giving behavior. So science hints at a confirmation what we intuitively KNOW.
Years ago, thanks to an Oprah show, I discovered that simply reviewing all the many, many things I could be grateful for in a given day was the best antidote I have ever found to insomnia! A quieter mind and a grateful heart seemed to invite the ability to rest.
Today I’m grateful for the privilege I have to live in the beautiful state of West Virginia! How about you? I invite you to share your gratefulness in this forum....
Posted by Linda Sandel Pettit on 11/01 at 05:45 PM in |
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