“Practicing Gratitude”

As we approach the holidays, it’s a good time to start reflecting on the year. What kind of year has 2025 been for you? What difficulties have you faced? What has been good, restorative, and healing for you? What has cut you this year? Has something been keeping you up at night? How have you been feeling about the state of your country? Of the world? 

Whatever you may be feeling or experiencing, as the Thanksgiving Holiday approaches in the U.S., I want to suggest that each of us has the ability to make the world a better place. In addition to tangible, practical activism in our communities and in the voting booths, we can also make the world a better place when we stay on the path of doing our own inner work, committed to becoming more self-aware in a world that is suffering from an awareness crisis. 

Part of this work includes engaging in gratitude practices that help us to create a posture of openness to those around us. When I am grateful, I am more receptive. When I am more receptive, I listen to understand instead of merely to respond. When I understand, I improve my metacognition, willing to update my beliefs in light of new information. Imagine if each of us committed to that mindset each and every day. What would the world begin to look like? 

The following are a few suggested gratitude practices to get you started… What else are you grateful for? 

Gratitude Practice

Type 1:

Take a moment to appreciate something that didn't go "right," recognizing the freedom that comes from releasing the illusion of control. Instead of examining every detail, step back to appreciate the bigger picture. Exhale and welcome uncertainty Express gratitude that you have no need to carry the burden of being the moral authority on anything. 

Type 2:

Thank God that  you don’t need to play god, or even be a divine helper. Appreciate the difference between being available to others, and being responsible for them. Practice tuning in to your own needs and express gratitude for those in your life who see you for who you are, and allow you to be a friend whose only obligation is your presence, not your “usefulness”. 

Type 3: 

Stand in awe and wonder, recognizing that everything is functioning in the only manner that it can possibly function. The world is a better place with you in it simply because you are a beautiful part of creation, not because you are a performer within it. Practice patience and express gratitude for the ability to pause, recognizing that your value isn't tied to your output.

Type 4: 

Express gratitude for the ordinary beauty of everyday life and the gift of repetition. As G.K. Chesterton wrote, “Grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon.” What would it feel like to delight in a simple, tangible thing today—the color of the sky, the warmth of a drink? Give thanks for the truth that nothing is missing, acknowledging that this moment, just as it is, is complete and uniquely yours.

Type 5: 

Reflect on an experience where you shared your time, knowledge, and energy freely, recognizing that true wisdom and security come not from hoarding, but from living with an open hand, and a receptive heart. Express gratitude that you are part of an interconnected system, not separate from it, appreciating that wisdom and knowledge is all around you, and your access to it is unlimited, so you need not try to  hoard knowledge, information, or resources of any kind.

Type 6:

Reflect on the truth that you are unbreakable essence and, therefore, require no protection.  Express gratitude that there is a "divine plan" that is beyond your control, that allows you to rest, appreciating that you need not look outside of yourself for safety - you’ve been given a reliable inner compass with which to navigate, so you have all that you need to thrive in a world of uncertainty.

Type 7: 

Practice acknowledging that true freedom and contentment comes not from avoiding pain, but from fully engaging with reality in its entirety, just as it is, without trying to avoid or reframe anything.  Express gratitude for the times you  were fully present and focused on a single activity, appreciating the deep satisfaction that comes from savoring one thing completely, rather than constantly seeking the next experience. Thank God that you do not need to know anything about what’s about to happen next. 

Type 8: 

Express gratitude that even when it seems harsh,  the world is not only a hostile place, and that your true power lies in vulnerability and connection. Reflect on times when you relinquished control and let someone else lead or support you. How did that feel? Give thanks that your only real job is to live in unity with others. 

Type 9: 

Express gratitude that everything in existence is an expression of love - it is the source of all things - so there is no true separation. You are an essential part of creation and your presence is as important and coveted as anyone else’s. Appreciate what it feels like to be fully present in your own life, recognizing that your opinions and desires matter, and that true peace comes from engagement, not avoidance.