In every opening
–a birth, a new Spring, the breaking dawn,
an inhale of refreshing life–
Lead and begin
with gratitude;
knowing this moment
is made for you.
In every closing
–a death, an aged Winter, the setting sun
an exhale of what’s left–
Leave and end
with gratitude;
knowing that moment
was made, yes, for you.
And in every infinite cycle
–of a lifetime, of a season, of a full day,
and in every single breath–
Live, Give, Love and Turn
so others may look to you
with gratitude;
knowing these fleeting moments
and everything in-between
was, is, and will be
all made
especially just
for all of
us.
Be Intentional to Cultivate your Garden of Gratitude
Dr. Robert A. Emmons, the authority on Gratitude in Positive Psychology, has spent the last three decades dedicated to understanding how we can boost our well-being through gratitude. His extensive research and expertise have shed light on the science behind this powerful practice.
In his book Gratitude Works, he writes:
“This is a book of practices. It is all about the concrete things you can do to grow your mind and direct your actions toward gratefulness.
I have found the organic metaphor of growing gratitude to be a powerful way of conveying basic truths about the nature of this quality.
It is about cultivating a grateful disposition, which is an inclination that can become deeply ingrained.
Through practice, giving thanks grows from the ground of one’s being.
Grateful feelings, once buried, can surface if we take the time to notice and reflect.
A Russian proverb says that ‘gratitude waters old friendships and makes new ones sprout.’
Gratitude is like fertilizer for the mind, spreading connections and improving its function in nearly every realm of experience.
My hope is that this book will give you all of the gardening tools that you need to shape and grow your grateful thoughts and to weed-whack the ungrateful ones.”
