And a Benedictine Monk

Today I am grateful for a nice birthday for my husband yesterday and for my job and the people I am connected with in many different ways there.

A few days ago I wrote about Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun. How about some words from a Benedictine monk? Brother David Steindl-Rast's words are already prominent on my blog header: "In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy." 

Those words guide and direct my gratitude practice. And I find truth in them. Gratefulness leads to contentment. It helps me see that what I have, what I am, is enough. So simple, yet so profound. And so elusive for so many when caught up in the endless stream of information, advertising, over-scheduling, and unreasonable demands we put on ourselves and one another.

Pause. Pay attention. Take the risk of being fully awake to your life. Read more about these from Brother David in earlier posts titled Are You Awake? and Worth the Risk?

Brother David has written much over his nearly 89 years of living. Here is another quote of his I came across recently:

"We have thousands of opportunities every day to be grateful: for having good weather, to have slept well last night, to be able to get up, to be healthy, to have enough to eat . . . There's opportunity upon opportunity to be grateful; that's what life is."

Opportunity upon opportunity. Am I squandering them or bringing them to fruition?

I just got out a piece of paper and started a gratitude list for my day. I will carry it in my pocket and add to it as my day goes on. I encourage you to do the same. Action required. 

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