Explicit Gratitude

Several months ago I was in an airport waiting to board my plane, when a young girl, along with her mother, sat down in the waiting area next to me.  We were all seated facing large windows that looked out onto the tarmac.  As the plane pulled into the gate, the young girl exclaimed loudly and with great excitement, “there’s our plane.”  Later, with equal delight, she exclaimed with a sense of wonder, “I can see my luggage being loaded on the plane.”  I was overcome with feelings of appreciation and joy as I observed her expressions of excitement and fascination.  She helped to awaken me from whatever mind-dominated state I was in at the moment.  While I did not think it appropriate to express my gratitude verbally in that particular situation, I did so with a silent prayer and blessing.  Even now as I recall that experience, I am again feeling much appreciation for that young girl who helped to awaken me to the fact that there is much in my everyday life to delight in and to express gratitude for. 

In this country, we have designated one day in November to give thanks for all that we enjoy.  For many of us, Thanksgiving Day may be a special time to gather with friends and family and enjoy a big meal.  For some, it’s the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, and for others it’s just a day off from work.  I must admit that, at various times in past years, it has been for me any one or all of these things.  This year, however, I am consciously choosing to think about and celebrate Thanksgiving Day in what is, for me, a more personal and meaningful way.  I have decided to observe Thanksgiving Day as the beginning of a conscious “explicit gratitude” journey.  I chose the word ‘explicit’ because I want my expressions of gratitude to be “definite and unreserved in expression” as defined by Dictionary.com.

I have noticed myself, at times, speaking what I would call empty words of gratitude.  By that, I mean sometimes I tell others that I am grateful because I tell myself that I “should” be grateful.  I have the belief that saying “thank you” is the proper response when someone does something that enriches my life.  Sometimes these are empty words spoken from a learned response rather than from a feeling of gratitude.  This awareness is an invaluable reminder of how I have learned to relate to others and to the world around me from a mental state (my mind), rather than from my feeling nature (my heart).  I have set my intention to change that.  In choosing to embark on an explicit gratitude journey, I have decided to not only express words of gratitude every day, but to empower myself to truly experience feelings of gratitude daily and allow the words to arise from that space of deep connection in the heart. 

My plan is to make this part of my spiritual practice, along with keeping a daily gratitude journal, and celebrating with family and friends, on November 28 with a meal and a time of sharing.  My hope is that this practice will help me to unlearn my mental response and reconnect me with my natural expression of deeply heart-felt appreciation.  My intention is to make explicit gratitude my way of living in the world.

When I boarded my flight that day I was blessed to be seated in the row across the aisle from the young girl I had encountered in the waiting area.  As the plane began to taxi down the runway and lift off, she exclaimed, “Whee, we’re taking of.  This is fun.”  What a wonderful reminder for me to approach every day of my life journey with a spirit of excitement.  I invite you to join me.  Let us reclaim our natural sense of wonder and appreciation and make November 28, 2013 truly a day of giving thanks and the beginning of a life full of explicit gratitude.