{"id":1880,"date":"2011-11-24T09:20:05","date_gmt":"2011-11-24T14:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/?p=1880"},"modified":"2011-11-24T09:20:05","modified_gmt":"2011-11-24T14:20:05","slug":"gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html","title":{"rendered":"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I was recently interviewed by Ansley Roan for a piece she wrote on Gratitude for CNN.com, “In season of giving thanks, signs that gratitude is back.”<\/a> She asked me the following questions regarding the increasing consciousness around gratitude.<\/p>\n

–Is this a trend? Are more people are becoming aware of and trying to practice gratitude?<\/p>\n

–If so, do you have thoughts on why this might be?<\/p>\n

–What exactly is mindfulness and how does it relate to gratitude?<\/p>\n

–Is there a tradition of gratitude in Buddhism or is mindfulness a more accurate phrase?<\/p>\n

Here are my responses:<\/p>\n

I do think gratitude is trending right now, as is mindfulness more generally. It\u2019s part of the mindfulness revolution, in fact. Of course, gratitude is a very old concept, thousands of years old. Imagine living in an age when you were just as likely to become some other creature\u2019s dinner as to find your own. Imagine living through cholera or the latest infectious disease. We\u2019ve lost touch with gratitude in this age of entitlement, in what is known as the Age of Narcissism.<\/p>\n

The recent re-discovery of gratitude is, perhaps, the pendulum swinging back from the extremes of self-indulgence. I think people have found the relentless pursuit of materialism and the self-preoccupation that accompanies this to be empty. The attempt to find meaning in the world through what we have and what we do rather than from how we are<\/em> in the world has just not delivered. And besides, everyone loves to jump on a bandwagon. The gratitude bandwagon sticks because it really does connect us to the world in a more meaningful way. There is scientific research behind this.<\/p>\n

A recent article in the journal Psychological Science noted that, \u201cResearch on gratitude has been burgeoning. Feeling grateful enhances physical health promotes positive reframing of negative situations, increases life satisfaction and enhances comfort in voicing relationship concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expressing gratitude is both good for your relationships and your own well-being. This seems to be a basic feature of the way we are built. It reflects the recognition that resources are scarce and circumstances capricious. When things go well, it is not an entitlement but wonderment.<\/p>\n

Gratitude orients us to what is happening in the present moment. Taking something for granted suggests being asleep \u2013 not being appreciative of the heartfelt efforts of others or the fortunate configuration of circumstances giving rise to the joy you are feeling right now.<\/p>\n

Often, we are out of touch with gratitude because we are overwhelmed with everything that is not going well in our lives. Negativity comes more naturally; gratitude needs to be practiced \u2013 encouraged, nurtured, and cultivated.<\/p>\n

The typical American practices gratitude a couple of days per year, once in November, and perhaps once in December. The popularity of Thanksgiving strikes me as a problem. Why do we need a holiday in support of this feeling? It is, perhaps, because we don\u2019t feel it enough the other 364 days of the year and we need this reminder to keep us going. Gratitude, in another culture, might be so commonplace that celebrating it in an annual holiday would seem out of place. Thanksgiving could be every<\/em> day.<\/p>\n

I defined mindfulness in my book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness<\/a> <\/em>as \u201cMindfulness is an intentional and curious directing of attention to our experience as it unfolds in the present moment, one moment following the next — the very happening of our experience as it is happening without commentary, judgment, or storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

If we are paying close enough attention, that is, being mindful we can\u2019t help but feeling gratitude. Mindfulness moves us into a place of acceptance and when are in acceptance every experience carries the potential for grace.<\/p>\n

Indeed, grace shares a common root with gratitude, gratia <\/em>or gratus, <\/em>which means \u201cthankful or pleasing.\u201d And gratitude doesn\u2019t have to show up just in the pleasing circumstances of our lives. We can bring an \u201cattitude of gratitude\u201d (a common slogan) to anything <\/em>that happens to us. We can learn to say \u201cthank you\u201d to everything that happens to us, because everything that happens to us carries the potential for learning. We can grow from adversity, and this is made possible by gratitude.<\/p>\n

Long ago, the Buddha recognized the importance of gratitude. If you are not living with gratitude it is hard, nay impossible, to live an awakened life. The mere fact that we are alive is grounds for gratitude. Any sense of entitlement for things going a particular way is provided by culture, not the natural world.<\/p>\n

In this moment, things are going well, \u201cAhhh, gratitude.\u201d In the next moment, things are not going so well \u2013 now I have a choice. I can complain, bemoan my fate, rail against it, or I can embrace what is happening now, be mindful, breathe into it and celebrate the fact that I can contemplate my misfortune. When I know that this misfortune is temporary, as all things are constantly changing, I can be grateful even in the worst of circumstances.<\/p>\n

To be mindful is to aim towards an appreciation of the present moment in all of its possible arrangements. Buddhists practice this awareness, for instance, in the \u201cgrace\u201d that is recited before meals. \u201cThis meal is the labor of countless beings, let us remember their toil \u2026 Our life is sustained by this offering, let us be grateful.\u201d Just the opportunity to breathe is grounds for gratitude.<\/p>\n

If we can be grateful on Thanksgiving Day, we can be grateful every day of the year \u2013 in every moment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, Eat mindfully and enjoy the day.<\/p>\n

With blessings and gratitude,<\/p>\n

Arnie.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was recently interviewed by Ansley Roan for a piece she wrote on Gratitude for CNN.com, “In season of giving thanks, signs that gratitude is back.” She asked me the following questions regarding the increasing consciousness around gratitude. –Is this a trend? Are more people are becoming aware of and trying to practice gratitude? –If…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":268,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,15,8,14,16],"tags":[334,39,335,127,21,336,1078],"class_list":["post-1880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-buddha-101","category-media","category-mindful-living","category-recommended","category-wild-chickens-and-petty-tyrants-108-metaphors-for-mindfulness","tag-ansley-roan","tag-buddha","tag-cnn-com","tag-gratitude","tag-mindfulness","tag-thanksgiving","tag-wild-chickens-and-petty-tyrants-108-metaphors-for-mindfulness"],"yoast_head":"\nGratitude on Thanksgiving Day - Mindfulness Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day - Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I was recently interviewed by Ansley Roan for a piece she wrote on Gratitude for CNN.com, “In season of giving thanks, signs that gratitude is back.” She asked me the following questions regarding the increasing consciousness around gratitude. –Is this a trend? Are more people are becoming aware of and trying to practice gratitude? –If…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mindfulness Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-11-24T14:20:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/11\/BS25012-197x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dr. Arnie Kozak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day - Mindfulness Matters","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day - Mindfulness Matters","og_description":"I was recently interviewed by Ansley Roan for a piece she wrote on Gratitude for CNN.com, “In season of giving thanks, signs that gratitude is back.” She asked me the following questions regarding the increasing consciousness around gratitude. –Is this a trend? Are more people are becoming aware of and trying to practice gratitude? –If…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html","og_site_name":"Mindfulness Matters","article_published_time":"2011-11-24T14:20:05+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/11\/BS25012-197x300.jpg"}],"author":"Dr. Arnie Kozak","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html","name":"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day - Mindfulness Matters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/11\/BS25012-197x300.jpg","datePublished":"2011-11-24T14:20:05+00:00","dateModified":"2011-11-24T14:20:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/5f92cf2ae15fbe04e74ca47527ac68d8"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/11\/BS25012-197x300.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/mindfulnessmatters\/files\/2011\/11\/BS25012-197x300.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/2011\/11\/gratitude-on-thanksgiving-day.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/","name":"Mindfulness Matters","description":"Beliefnet Voices - Arnie Kozak","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/5f92cf2ae15fbe04e74ca47527ac68d8","name":"Dr. Arnie Kozak","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6ab\/6abd6f3205265768510a13d66ac2aff7x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/6ab\/6abd6f3205265768510a13d66ac2aff7x96.jpg","caption":"Dr. Arnie Kozak"},"description":"Recognized as an innovator in the field of mindfulness-based psychology, Dr. Arnie Kozak is northern New England's leading expert in the field. Dr. Kozak's ability to translate ancient healing traditions into pragmatic applications suitable for modern lifestyles through the use of metaphors have made him a strong voice in healthcare and business. Beginning with a journey to India in the 80\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where he took the Bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Arnie Dr. Kozak began his lifelong practice in mindfulness meditation. Intent on finding a way to bring the practical healing attributes of mindfulness he began incorporating these techniques in his private practice. In 2002 Dr. Kozak created Exquisite Mind in Burlington, Vermont as a vehicle that could expand his wisdom to larger audiences beyond individual psychotherapy to professionals and corporations, health care providers, public groups and, most recently with Exquisite Mind Golf, amateur and professional golfers. His award-winning new book, Wild Chickens and Petty Tyrants: 108 Metaphors for Mindfulness (Wisdom Publications, 2009) is a thoughtful, funny, and inspiring translation of mindfulness practice through the inventive use of metaphor applicable to our daily lives. In addition to his work with Exquisite Mind, Arnie Kozak, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDoctorate has been a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Vermont and is a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry and Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has studied and practiced clinical psychology, meditation, and yoga for more than 25 years. He has studied with several meditation masters, including S. N. Goenka, Larry Rosenberg, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After receiving his bachelors degree with honors from Tufts University, he was awarded a Presidential Fellowship to get his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo. He completed his training as a Psychological Fellow at the Harvard Medical School. Prior to founding the Exquisite Mind in 2002, Arnie worked ten years in the private sector for the PKC Corporation consulting on mental health content for this revolutionary software company.","sameAs":["http:\/\/exquisitemind.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/author\/akozak"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/268"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1880"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1886,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1880\/revisions\/1886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/mindfulnessmatters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}