The Meaning of Gratitude.
Take a moment to pause, let the thought settle in your mind, and consider the meaning of gratitude.
You may be having a difficult time coming up with a definition. You also may be stressed or anxious, which can make it even more difficult to define. Besides that, gratitude can also be felt on many different levels making it difficult to steer your gratitude to the right place. If you have the meaning of gratitude all figured out – you are a rockstar! But for some of us, a reminder is always welcomed, especially in times of uncertainty.
As I’m pondering the meaning of gratitude, I consider a couple of scenarios.
On the one hand, I’m grateful for my iPhone. Duh, you too, right? I am beyond grateful – I actually love my iPhone and I don’t know how I’d get through the day without it! But, when I get real, I obviously realize that my fondness for an electronic can’t hold a candle to the gratitude I have for my family. Or the gratitude I have for the necessities such as shelter, food, and comfort. If my phone breaks, I’ll eventually get a new one. But to consider life without a warm home or food on the table helps to put those differences into perspective.
Right now, our country is STRESSED…
And, I am certainly no exception. I find myself regularly falling down the rabbit hole of worry and anxiety over the future. It’s easy to overlook what is right in front of you when life feels like a roller coaster ride that won’t end.
After Determining What I Was Truly Grateful For, I realized I needed to Fine-tune My Attitude for Gratitude
It’s not that I’m ungrateful, but in times of uncertainty, I find that I simply lose focus of what’s truly important. So, in order to re-establish perspective, I started browsing gratitude quotes. It’s actually very therapeutic; the quotes calm my mind and bring back my focus. They remind me that there is always good to be found! Even in the most stressful times.
Here are my ten favorite quotes that define the meaning of gratitude to me.
- “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~Eckhart Toll
2. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
~Oprah Winfrey
3. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” ~Voltaire
4. “The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.” ~Douglas Wood
5. “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” ~Willie Nelson
6. “This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” ~Maya Angelou
7. “You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. “Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” – Edwin Arlington Robinson
9. “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.” ~A.A. Milne in Winnie-the-Pooh
10. “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust
After reflecting, I am still very fond of my iPhone, lol! But, all joking aside, the meaning of gratitude is much more clear. It’s not a thing, but it can help soothe; it’s not tangible but can calm. Gratitude is not visible but can fill your heart. If you read down to #8, the quote from Edwin Arlington Robinson, it is also something we can GIVE. And in return, gratitude, in the right place, will give a sense of calm and spread goodness, which we could all use a bit more of right now.
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