• In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
    to overcome the illusion of ENTITLEMENT
    by reminding myself that everything is gift
    and, thus, to live GRATEFULLY.
  • In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
    to overcome my GREED,
    that confuses wants with needs,
    by trusting that enough for all our needs is given to us
    and to share GENEROUSLY
    what I so generously receive.
  • In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
    to overcome APATHY
    by waking up to the opportunities
    that a given moment offers me
    and so to respond CREATIVELY to every situation.
  • In thanksgiving for life, I pledge
    to overcome VIOLENCE, all of which is rooted in fear,
    by observing that fighting violence by violence
    leads to more violence and death
    and, thus, to foster life by acting NON-VIOLENTLY.
  • In thanksgiving to life, I pledge
    to overcome FEAR
    by seeing in what I might otherwise fear,
    the opportunity to cultivate courageous TRUST IN LIFE
    and so to lay the foundation for a peaceful future.

Br. David offered this pledge at Thanksgiving Square, July 2008 and updated it in 2017, changing only a few words in the last 2 stanzas to clarify his points. 

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Br. David Steindl-Rast
Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

Brother David Steindl-Rast — author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude,” Br. David has been a source of inspiration and spiritual friendship to countless leaders and luminaries around the world including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and more. He has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, and has taught with thought-leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, and Roshi Joan Halifax. His wisdom has been featured in recent interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Krista Tippett, and Tami Simon and his TED talk has been viewed almost 10,000,000 times. Learn more about Br. David here.

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