Thinking about gratitude

Just because the Thanksgiving holiday is now over, I hope we don't stop thinking about the importance of giving thanks. The gratefulness.org website has a very thorough exercise about developing a gratitude list and then acting on it to share with others. Here's how it gets started:

We begin by waking up to the gifts around us. Although our webteam isn’t omniscient, we can pretty much say for certain that you’re in front of a computer. We also guess that you can read, which sets you apart from two billion people in the world who cannot. So already you can tally opportunities you have that not everyone can claim.

Look around at your surroundings, your own body included. What can you add to your list of blessings? You might mention such joys as comfortable clothing, good health, satisfying work, or a home to call your own. And what beyond your immediate surroundings: nourishing food, faithful friends, spiritual moorings? You may even discover less obvious blessings; for instance, a difficult relationship forces you to mature, or deep distress over violence spurs you to spread peace. On a sheet of paper or a word-processor at your fingertips, record a few of these gifts.

The exercise continues and directs us to other sites that can help us develop awareness. Give it a try and let me know what you think.