Accept the Gratitude

Gratitude is one of the chief graces of human existence and is crowned in heaven with a consciousness of unity.

~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind, pg 497

Years ago I had a job that was draining the life out of me. I would joke that it was like getting up and going to Hell every day. The worse part of the situation was I had slipped into a depressed funk and didn't think I would ever be able to get out of that job. Desperate to turn things around I poured through self-help books. One day I stumbled on the idea of expressing gratitude as a means of lifting one's self up.

In spite of my bleak disposition, I figured, if I tried, I could find things to appreciate. So I started looking for anything to be grateful for. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee triggered my appreciation for the colleague who made it every morning. During a dull meeting appreciating the fleck of a favorite color in someone's shirt brought me a little joy. The funny thing is the more I looked for things to be grateful for, the more I saw. And then I noticed glimmers of happiness coming into my life.

Expressing gratitude is a fundamental spiritual practice. Not only can it uplift the recipient, but it is a known way of elevating the feelings of the one giving thanks. It’s not just some woo-woo idea, take a look at the research from Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. When someone offers you their gratitude accept it. Don't just brush it off with false humility. A simple "your welcome" is generally all you need to offer in acknowledgment. Know that by receiving a gift of gratitude you are also helping to lift up the person who expressed it.