It is Sunday - and we all could use a dose of gratitude - especially at this challenging times when thankful feelings seem elusive. But gratitude is more than a feeling. It is a disposition, a choice, a way of looking at the world. It is a spiritual practice.
Some wisdom from Anne Lamott for reflection today:
“Thanks” is a huge mind-shift, from thinking that God wants our happy chatter and a public demonstration and is deeply interested in our opinions of the people we hate, to feeling quiet gratitude, humbly and amazingly, without shame at having been so blessed.
Even now, when there’s so much fear and anger, our lives are surrounded by gifts and kindnesses. In recent months, I’ve certainly learned how much I had taken for granted - and yet how many blessings still attend us. Reminding myself to practice gratitude has made a difference navigating these days.
Since writing Grateful, I’ve loved talking with other writers about how giving thanks shifts things for them - how gratitude shapes their work and their vision of the world. This summer, I’ve interviewed some great colleagues and fellow authors in a short series podcast called The Conversation Corner as part of a larger project on gratitude in difficult times.
Anne’s Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers is one of my favorite books. And I was thrilled (look at my fangirl smile!) to sit down on Zoom with her and talk about gratitude as a spiritual practice.
Here are links to The Conversation Corner — two short conversations with Anne Lamott on practicing gratefulness. Last week was pretty tough, and we all need some of gratitude’s magic power to put things in perspective:
It Is Easy to Have Gratitude When You Get What You Want
In upcoming weeks, I’ll be posting short pods with other writers in The Conversation Corner. (My producer’s wife had a baby, so we’re a little behind schedule!) I’ll let you know as we put them up.
In the meanwhile, please enjoy the insights and joy of The Conversation Corner with guest Anne Lamott.
You can find more information about the larger project Being Grateful in Difficult Times, an online “course” on gratitude, which is a guided spiritual journey including lectures, video interviews, and mini-practice sessions, by clicking on the icon below:
To celebrate The Cottage on Substack, there’s a discount of $10 for the course to my readers available until August 16. Just use the promo code: COTTAGE.
The podcast is, of course, free!
Wonderful! Thank you for this gentle reframing. I've been thinking so much about how to exist in harmony with what *is* rather than wishing for what used to be or what could have been. Gratitude is essential.