DAILY SLICES OF LIFE

The Wonder of Gratitude

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

         This exceedingly intriguing and heartfelt comment was made by Jean-Baptiste Massieu, an 18^th century French bishop who led an unusually contradictory social and political life. These included such  major decisions as eventually renouncing the clergy, getting married, and becoming deeply involved in the French revolution. In making this statement however, he was reminding us that any true expression of gratitude can only be meaningful when it come from the depth of our hearts. He insisted further, that it was only by showing appreciation for any kindness rendered to, or for us, with genuine gratitude can we truly express our sincerity, and confirm that the good deeds done will be remembered. The message is all the more poignant because it was delivered by a person whose compromised physical and emotional life-history was such that it could have been dominated by resentment, but instead, it overflowed with gratitude.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of the greatest of Ancient Rome’s statesmen and orators, an accomplished lawyer who, more than 2000 years ago, rose from a life of slavery to occupy positions of power, was no stranger to the value of gratitude, which he described the following terms:

”Gratitude is not only the greatest virtues,  but the mother of all virtues”

 In saying this, he was acknowledging that gratitude was not just a virtue for ensuring a good life, but was the foundation of all that was needed to do so. He insisted that to be grateful is not only about being thankful, but it required in return, a deep-seated readiness by the recipient to not only show appreciation, but equally, an understanding and a desire to return kindness. For him, the genuine practice of gratitude in everything, serves as a panacea to conquer the negativity of others, protect against their antagonism, and endorse confidence in oneself.

         Being grateful is much more than an expression of thanks, or an act of courtesy. It provides a sense of personal liberation, a way of crossing established emotional boundaries, and breaking away from the mindset that controls behavior. It is, in fact, a genuine expression of appreciation and thanks that can mean so many things to different people. It is a deep-seated manifestation of the person’s innermost expression and constitutes the very foundation of his personality and his life. Only when there is true gratitude deeply embedded within his psyche, can a person appreciate life with a clearer vision, unhindered by the tinted lenses of suspicion and distrust. As a result, he is happily able to savor all life’s goodness without any preconceived expectation. As the following quotation by an Unknown Author so accurately suggests:

 “It is not happiness that brings gratitude.

It is gratitude that brings happiness.”

          Without doubt, the virtue of gratitude, if seriously acknowledged and practiced, ensures ideal conditions for living a good and productive life. It serves to reinforce a life of self-discipline and self-respect, and at the same time, an awareness of the needs and importance of others. It will not survive in a milieu of negativity, suspicion and doubt, and blooms when applied during moments of happiness and satisfaction. Gratitude is a virtue with total universality of application and can indeed be applied to every aspect of human behavior, that may involve any aspect of personal and external interactions. It should always be considered as an integral part of life itself, because of the fundamental fact the gratitude can be readily and consciously applied and does not require a cause or reason to justify its use. As the late President John F. Kennedy so wisely declared in his first inauguration speech:

 “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

         Unfortunately, because this current world that we all share, appears to be driven by the unending demands of competition, a desire for acquiring more and for sharing less, and for the control of everything, gratitude is clearly a commodity in very short supply. In this setting, where suspicion, anxiety and depression are rampant across the social scale, it is not surprising to find that we are in constant conflict, weighed down by unhappiness, dissatisfaction and negative beliefs. The wholesome concept of gratitude appears to have faded into oblivion, and in its place, we have introduced a sense of entitlement where we are encouraged to feel that we are owed something that must be satisfied. In this setting, there can be no room for gratefulness and in its place, there is one of self-gratification at the expense of everything else. No one can deny that the present conflicts and the acrimonious behavior that appear to be unfolding at all levels of society, and among the different societies, are a direct consequence of the loss of a sense of gratitude. Unfortunately, unless we succeed in turning the tide around, it will continue to grow in complexity.

          To a significant extent, we have been failing in our practice of gratitude, not because we reject the concept, but rather because of our lack of appreciation of it. We spend all our energy and effort focusing on the outcome of our encounters, and not on the happiness they will produce. We spend far too much time looking back at the past and remembering our failures, instead of the successes we achieved along the way. Again, we seem to forget that life is not founded on the pursuit of perfection, but rather on satisfaction. So that our waiting for that ‘perfect moment’ to be thankful can become an unfulfilled illusion. The moment to show gratitude is now! For it serves to bolster the belief in oneself, provide the confidence needed and the faith and trust to go forward. This is what I believe this Unknown Author meant to convey with the following observation:

 “Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

 -This indeed is the true wonder of gratitude, one which should make you start each day by listing everything, and every person for whom you are grateful. Doing so will go a long way to guarantee a good day and a good life, no matter what!

 

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