Defining Gratitude

It may be the teacher in me, and a reflection of the creative process involved in transformative education, but today I have been thinking about the definition of gratitude. If embarking on a journey to simplify life through expressions and reflection on gratitude, it seems important to provide a context. Much of my blogging has been focused on identifying ways to live more simply. To me it seems as if a greater connection to gratitude will make living simply, well, simpler.

Psychology Today explains gratitude as the thing that allows us to see a glass as half full; Wikipedia covers psychological benefits as well as personal motivation and links to the philosophers and religion; while Merriam-Webster simplifies it to a state of thankfulness. Most important in these definitions and discussions, I think, is that gratitude is not about THINGS. Although we can be grateful for a reliable vehicle to drive to work, or a home that is comfortable and inviting, it's more about a state of being.  Can we be grateful in the midst of stress, anxiety, grief? I believe we can for I have witnessed such gratitude. At those times I believe gratitude is a reflection of character; a revelation of our true self when there is nothing behind which to hide. The only thing that is left is the choice to see a glass as half-full or half-empty.

So when I list what I am grateful for each day, especially during Lent, I will begin by connecting with how I define gratitude before I give examples. What resonated with me most is that as a state of being, gratitude is certainly something that we can choose. And in a time when it seems as if there are very few elements in life that we can control, it is inspiring to realize how the expression of gratitude
can inform both our intention and our reality.


Today my gratitude reflection was inspired by a Facebook post from Oprah Winfrey. "I delight in simple pleasures in beautiful settings". While I am always grateful for the time I have spent traveling our beautiful country, sometimes we overlook the beauty in nature that is close to home. It's why I find walking and hiking to be so soul refreshing. The opportunity to find the pleasure of a beautiful scene from nature.

To that end I am grateful for the ride to work. I drive by an International waterway, through back roads with beautiful trees and farmland. I'm reminded everyday as I slow for turns on country roads,
or watch a red-tail hawk vigilant in a tree, that I an part of a beautiful, grand plan.

How do you define gratitude? How does gratitude simplify your life?