3 easy ways of inviting more gratefulness into your life
"Stop, look and Go" - David Steindl-Rast
The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you’re going, and above all, being grateful.
3 easy ways of inviting more gratefulness into your life. "You need stop signs in your life", he says. "These stop signs will create a change in consciousness".
It is so basic, he continues, it's something we learned when we were children and learning to cross the street:
1. Stop (slow down)
2. Look (be aware)
3. Go! (be creative and live life to the fullest, be joyful for what is given to you)
What is gratefulness? Gratefulness is something that is "valuable to us" and "something that has been given" he says. These things have to come together. "It is a gift". "Gratefulness does not only have to be experienced it can also be lived". "Grateful living that is the thing", he says! "Every moment is a gift". "You have not brought it to be, you have no way of knowing if you will have another moment - That is gratitude for the present moment." "Opportunity is therefore the gift within every gift". "We have the key to happiness in our own hands". We don’t have to be grateful for everything but we can "be grateful in every given moment. By being grateful for the opportunity, we also open our hearts to help others", he continues.
David talks about how gratitude can change our world in important ways; "if you are grateful; you are not fearful, if you are not fearful you are not violent. If you are grateful you act out of a sense of; there is enough for everybody, and you are willing to share. If you are grateful you are enjoying the differences in people and you are respectful to everybody". And this new type of structure, changes the power pyramid under which we live under, he says.
"It doesn’t mean we have equality but we have equal respect for one another, and the future of the world will be a network, not a pyramid. A non-violence network, a revolutionary thought that even revolutionises the whole concept of revolution", he continues. "Before we had a power pyramid that is turned upside down and the people who were under are now and top and they are just doing the same thing as before. What we need is a networking of smaller groups of people who are grateful and joyful, and the more people who are joyful and grateful, the more we will have a joyful world. So hopefully we can all contribute a little."
So, in essence, slow down, be aware and enjoy and share life!
For the full inspirational Ted talk see the link below.
Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful.html
