Welcome to Grateful Living

We’re glad you’re here. Below you’ll find a rich introduction to the transformative practice of grateful living, the benefits of living gratefully, and a list of ways to begin or add to your own daily practice. We are delighted to support you on this path.

Highlights

Begin your exploration of grateful living with this collection of articles, practices, and research.

A small green sprout above a person's open hand
Articles

How to Start a Gratitude Practice in 3 Simple Steps

by Joe Primo, Grateful Living
As a core methodology for living a grateful life, the foundational practice of Stop. Look.…
8 daisies
Research

Eight Ways Gratitude Boosts Happiness

by Sonja Lyubomirsky
Discover eight research-backed ways that practicing gratitude works to make you happier.

What is Grateful Living?

Grateful living is a transformative, research-backed way of life that supports daily living through both times of joy and adversity — peak and valley experiences. As our founder, the WWII survivor and pioneer monk on interfaith dialogue, Br. David Steindl-Rast says, “Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens in life.” Grateful living is more than the fleeting emotion of gratitude; it’s an orientation to life, a deeply rooted perspective that transforms both your inner world and your interactions. It is a way of being and doing that provides perspective and insight into your life as you further discover your meaning, purpose, and vocation. 

As a practice, grateful living serves as a pathway that equips you with a skill set and perspective that liberates you from the burdens of perfection and shame and empowers you to be more fully alive. This enlightened approach awakens you to the opportunity present in each moment, helping you discover profound meaning in an ordinary day. 

Grateful living is defined by a set of principles and a framework to support your unique, lived experience. And, the practice Stop. Look. Go helps you to cultivate greater presence, perspective, and action.

Grateful living is a bold choice that has abundant benefits for the self, others, and the planet. The practice of living gratefully spreads beyond individuals and activates the desire to create change, including ecological stewardship, inclusivity, social justice, and beyond. By embracing grateful living, you are invited to step into a revolutionary way of being.

Benefits of Grateful Living

The outcome of grateful living — as identified by science and great spiritual thinkers and practitioners — is aliveness. Grateful living requires being fully, wholly, and unconditionally present to your life as it is. This is no small task given the suffering that permeates life. The goal of this orientation is attentiveness to the life you are living. As a result, your attentiveness births powerful fruit, which is outlined in our programs and the resources you will find here on our website.

Nourish Your Daily Practice