Many of the blog posts I read today had some take on the theme of gratitude, what with it being Yanksgiving (that's Canadian for American Thanksgiving) tomorrow and all.
And it reminded me of something I read in What Happy Women Know by Dan Baker:
Psychologist Sonja Lyobomirsky, PhD, at the University of California, Riverside, suggests keeping a daily diary in which you write down things for which you are thankful. Although she uses the term gratitude, I am more inclined to use appreciation. To me, gratitude involves a feeling of obligation, which is fine, but appreciation is much simpler and every bit as powerful.I consider appreciation the highest order of love because there are no strings attached. When you walk in to look at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, you stand in awe, as other do watching the sun set on the Santa Catalina mountains. Appreciation is the highest emotional experience. It is sufficient unto itself, and it's what I suggest you go looking for - everyday things in your life you can appreciate, from the first snowfall in Vermont to the first smile of your newborn baby, from the gentle breeze you feel through the window after a vigorous yoga practice to the delight on a child's face as she learns to ride a two-wheeler.
It's a subtle difference, but one I like.
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
-Dalai Lama
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!
ETA: As usual, Andrea puts it beautifully.
