Joy is not a luxury, it is not a privilege. It is a resilience-giving, life-giving birthright and we can’t call forth in the world something we don’t believe in and embody…and it is as powerful as anger. ~ Krista Tippett
On September 21 we celebrate World Gratitude Day and International Day of Peace. The day invites us to give attention to the depth and transformative possibilities of gratitude and peace and to commit (or re-commit) to cultivating and embodying that which we wish to call forth in the world.
Honoring this invitation to attention and commitment might not feel easy in the face of daily reports of catastrophes, crises, and crimes. These days the exponential increase in the speed of transmission and quantity of information is both blessing and curse. Our interconnectivity both unites and divides us, and we can feel powerless and paralyzed by a stream of alarming or angry social media shares. And — in the face of overwhelm, division, and grief — we might find ourselves presented with opportunity: How can we keep our hearts and minds open to the plight of people and planet? What might support us in our grief for all that is lost and threatened? Who might we learn from? What does the world need? What will help us to embody and call forth a peaceful, thriving, and sustainable world – held as sacred by all? Who do we want to be?
One response (and there are many!) is to share messages that inspire, comfort, and/or motivate. Look for the good and pass it on. Here are a few possibilities to get you started:
Grateful Changemakers
May these projects and leaders inspire and invigorate your sense of hope and your own efforts to make gratefulness a catalyst for positive change.
Poetry
Poetry, with its impossible-seeming combination of soft lens and precision, brings to our awareness that which might otherwise go unnoticed and unappreciated. It can also provide solace, strength and sustenance.
Grateful eCards
In expressing care and gratitude we support each other’s resilience and well-being — vital to personal and global health. Communicating matters. You can make a connection. Make a difference. Make someone’s day!
Another response might be to simply put away your device (or shut down your computer); go outside; take a long, deep breath…and look around.
