It’s All About the Glass
If, as they say, life is like a glass, and we are the way we see it, there are days…
Play Meditation
Discover this Principle
Explore the principle Life Is a Gift through this curated collection of resources.
Life Is a Gift
Grateful Living is fundamentally grounded in the invitation to see life itself as a gift: an unexpected gift that you did not need to do anything to earn or deserve, but is coming to you — wrapped in a wide range of packaging. In every moment that you are alive, this life has been given to you.
So often we walk through our days feeling that there is something missing, and that we need more. We may not know exactly what that more is, but we know we long to feel filled up and fully alive. We want to be connected to what really matters. We want to belong. And we want to feel chosen. And yet, during all of these moments, there is life again holding its steady commitment out to us. Offering yet another moment. Another opportunity. Life keeps on extending itself, even when we walk past it waiting for a better invitation, something wrapped in different paper or a bigger box.
It is enough to be grateful for the next breath.
Br. David-Steindl Rast
With perspective, you see life as an extraordinary privilege, and one not to squander. It is the gift that brings everything else with it. And in every moment it awaits your engagement. Accepting this invitation, you become a partner with your unfolding moments in creating the unrepeatable miracle that is, in the words of poet Mary Oliver, “your one wild and precious life.”
Grateful Living reminds us that by seeing life as a gift we acquire a consistent and sufficient baseline for gratefulness. It is the beginning, and will be the end, of the most powerful practice we have. Life itself is our most reliable cause for gratefulness. We honor life with our wholehearted presence and appreciation by repeatedly saying yes to the gift that it is.
Excerpted from Wake Up Grateful: The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted
Wake Up Grateful
The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted
What does it mean to truly live gratefully, every day? Wake Up Grateful unlocks the path to recognizing abundance in every moment, and gives readers the tools to bring this transformational shift in perspective into their daily lives.
Digging Deeper
For continued exploration of experiencing life as a gift, dive into these additional resources.
Meditations
Life is a Gift: Guided Meditation
Grateful Living is fundamentally grounded in the invitation to see life itself as a gift.…
Videos
The Constant Gardener
In this short meditative film, Corné Pretorius shares his story of not taking life for…
Stories of Grateful Living
Unexpected Grace and Gratitude in Prison
In this story of Grateful Living, studio artist Brooke Rothshank reflects on finding perspective and…
Bright Lights/Young Lives
Bright Lights/Young Lives: Jamarr
In this short video, Jamarr Hall shares his story of finding gratefulness through everyday moments,…
The Way of Grateful Living
Grateful Living is supported by guiding pathways, daily practices, habits of mind,
and behaviors that make us more appreciative and available to life.
These Five Guiding Principles are touchstones to support your practice:
