The Wisdom of Gratitude

When do we?focus on?gratitude? Is it when the?calendar tells us to? Is it when we really want to convince ourselves that the good outweighs the?bad in life?

Many times?we?think of practicing?gratitude as stopping to count our blessings or taking a minute to remember the?good, the beautiful,?the?opportunities, the experiences, the relationships, our faith, and all the?other?things that have made our lives better. That's not wrong, but it's not the whole?story.

Gratitude is first level.?Wisdom takes it up a?notch. Wisdom is said to be?the?knowledge of what is?true or right coupled?with just judgment as to?action.?

This?is actually a?great definition! It maintains that once we know the truth, wisdom moves us to action. Without action, we just have knowledge of what we are grateful for. If?the things we say we are grateful for are rooted in truth?- then wisdom would encourage us to?take some action based on?that knowledge.?

When?we are truly aware of how?blessed we are, and we feel grateful - what next? If we are wise, we will be compelled to DO?something! And that "something" is found in generosity. Isn't it true that when people?feel gratitude, they are often more generous? This isn't?just a financial generosity,?although that's surely one example. When we receive a raise, a windfall, a gift, or simply recognize abundance in our everyday lives, aren't we more likely to "share the wealth" more joyfully?in that awareness??

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,?but the parent of all others.”??Marcus Tullius Cicero (born 106 B.C.)

When we feel grateful that we have extra time, we might share that time with someone who needs us. Maybe a phone call or a visit to a friend is more likely when we have extra time. When we have the gift of extra time, we might do some simple act of kindness for someone or listen more intently when they talk to us. When we feel grateful for the way someone treats us as a friend, it's motivating to be a good friend to?another friend. When we know we have been appreciated, it?opens our hearts and minds to appreciate others. When we have been?forgiven, we can more easily find it in our heart to more freely?forgive others.?

Think about it. If this is true, the more generous we are in any of these ways, the more generous the recipients of our generosity will become!?If a few?of us got started with intentionally prioritizing?generosity of all kinds, wouldn't we eventually find some people being generous to us too??It would all come full circle, prompting our gratitude and even more generosity.?

Don't forget though - the opportunity to take action on our gratitude is never as strong (or as likely) as when our?awareness of what we are grateful for is high. So at the?same time we realize what we are grateful for,?the more likely we are?to act on it.

“The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.”?John Burroughs

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, by all means, let's be grateful. And then let's take it to the next level and be wise and DO?something. We can take some small or large?action?and move from gratitude into generosity. Who knows??We might set off something incredible, and?the world might become more grateful –and then?more generous, and?in turn,?grateful again, and then more?generous....