I came across Brother David of the Gratefulness Organization on a radio show recently, where he was talking about gratefulness and how it has the power to change lives.

So, I got to thinking about what he said and thought I would experiment with being grateful.  Yeah, I know, I tell myself, I already am grateful.

I’ve been blessed with many wonderful things in my life:  a warm and nurturing childhood, incredible and unforgettable educational experiences — both formal and not, job opportunities that many people would die for, chances to be my own boss and run my own businesses (in areas that align with my own passions and skills), to pursue my own dream jobs, a wife who gives me the space and freedom and support and encouragement to follow those dreams, kids that are just a pure joy to be around (most of the time), the chance to travel all over the world (many times), and the ability to live anywhere I want to.

Whew!  That’s a lot, huh?

But, am I really grateful?  In listening to Brother David, I think perhaps not as much as I should be.

I mean, I’ve lived and traveled in developing countries, and I’ve seen real poverty up close and I’ve been with people who really are seeking nothing more than a shirt or a roof for the night.

So, am I grateful for the water tap that spits out clean water at the touch of a handle?  Or for the electricity that flows into my home (for mere cents per hour) that results in such great and wonderful pleasures — a microwave to zap my favorite popcorn so I can turn on the TV and watch a new foreign film that just came in the mail from Netflix?

Or, what about this country that we live in, huh?  I mean, forget all about politics for a minute and forget, if you can, about these nasty wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for a minute.  The comforts we have here are immense, and am I grateful for those?  Am I really grateful?

I mean, I get up every morning and take a safe community, clean streets, my gassed-up car in the drive, a grocery store down the road with thousands of fresh products, and just about everything else I encounter during my day for granted.

Don’t give most of this stuff a second thought.

So, here’s what Brother David has suggested and what I’m going to do — I’m going to start a Gratefulness Diary and enter the things I’m grateful for therein each day (if I can).

And, what I suggest to you — Dream Jobbers, seekers, and fellow wanderers — is that you might want to try the same thing.

You see, whenever I take the time to be truly grateful, I seem to become filled with ideas and creativity like at no other times.

So, let’s see what happens . . . will a purposeful Gratefulness Experiment lead to a more promising direction in my life?

Will it for you?

Holler at me here and let me know what you think and whether or not you’re participating in your own Gratefulness Experiment.

Adiós,

Michael

PS  If this inspires you at all, you may wish to check out one of the book projects that Brother David was involved with, Words of Gratitude.

PPS I find some of Brother David’s work, world view, and outlook on life somewhat reminiscent of Rob Brezsny, my favorite astrologer, if I believed in astrology, of course.  Check out Rob’s book on Pronoia, and another article I wrote about Rob awhile back in The 3:00 a.m. Willies Gotcha?

 

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