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I try with any interaction to make life easier for the other person. Even if they don''t seem to care whether or not they are making life difficult for others, let alone thus who seem to get pleasure out of making life hard for others.
Bonus answer. As my freedom to swing my fist ends where the other person's nose starts, there is a cut off point where i no longer offer help but ..what's the word...well, those trying to exploit me or others for money, power or sexual gratification. I have a policy of not making it any easier for them.
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 10-28-2018 at 12:28 AM..
Every day I tell my wife that I love her. I try very hard to treat everyone I meet with kindness and consideration. I work at making the world a little bit better.
But I think that maybe the attitude of graditude may be a religious view. What successes I have had in life is due partly to myself, to luck, to friends and family and mostly to my wife. And to the country I lived my whole life in but none of this is within what I think you are calling an attitude of graditude. What I am totally aware is that the successes and failures and my health and happiness are certainly only a portion credit to myself and mostly to the above listed ones and I am a product of this and live my life as such. I would rather be one with compassiin, caring and emphathy than graditude. Perhaps any graditude I have is that I am not an uncaring selfish individual.
Situations like this always remind me of a patient I had in Gadsden, AL.
Very patriarchal looking gentleman, in his 80s.
I asked him the usual, meaningless How are you.
He pauses, looks me into my eyes,, and says: Son, I woke up in the morning, I put my pants on by myself - IT'S A GREAT DAY.
You all woke up in the morning. Even got as far, as to type a post here. What an effort.
how do you daily live in, and daily express, an "attitude of gratitude"
How do you put into practice on a regular basis in your own daily life, an "attitude of gratitude"
How does an "attitude of gratitude" fit in with your own personal "religion and spirituality" beliefs
bonus question / for extra credit / optional:
Do you include your personal challenges / obstacles / painful situations / difficulties / setbacks
in your "attitude of gratitude." Why or why not?
I think you've got to start by feeling gratitude. This is something a lot of people seem to be unable to do. They seem to think that they are entitled to everything good that they have. They might feel lucky to have had so many fortunate breaks, but I don't think that you can truly feel gratitude unless that gratitude is directed at whoever it was who gave you what you have.
That's something that I seem to think about every year when Thanksgiving comes around. Who is it atheists are grateful to on Thanksgiving? (Not trying to provoke a fight here... just wondering.)
I think you've got to start by feeling gratitude. This is something a lot of people seem to be unable to do. They seem to think that they are entitled to everything good that they have. They might feel lucky to have had so many fortunate breaks, but I don't think that you can truly feel gratitude unless that gratitude is directed at whoever it was who gave you what you have.
That's something that I seem to think about every year when Thanksgiving comes around. Who is it atheists are grateful to on Thanksgiving? (Not trying to provoke a fight here... just wondering.)
It's not a religious holiday and atheists give thanks to family, friends, co-workers, the police force, etc., fills up on turkey/stuffing, watches football etc. just like anyone else... holding hands and saying grace is the only snare.
It's not a religious holiday and atheists give thanks to family, friends, co-workers, the police force, etc., fills up on turkey/stuffing, watches football etc. just like anyone else... holding hands and saying grace is the only snare.
I'm fully aware that Thanksgiving is not a "religious holiday," and I've celebrated it enough times to be aware of the activities that are generally a part of it. I can understand that anyone can give thanks to family, friends, etc. What I was thinking, though, was that it's one thing to be thankful to our family and friends. It's another matter entirely to be thankful for them. So, I guess what it gets down to is that an atheist would be thankful to his family and friends, and would just feel "lucky" that they're a part of his life. A theist would be thankful to these same individuals, but would feel that something beyond just "luck" was involved in their being part of his life. He would be thankful to God for them.
I'm fully aware that Thanksgiving is not a "religious holiday," and I've celebrated it enough times to be aware of the activities that are generally a part of it. I can understand that anyone can give thanks to family, friends, etc. What I was thinking, though, was that it's one thing to be thankful to our family and friends. It's another matter entirely to be thankful for them. So, I guess what it gets down to is that an atheist would be thankful to his family and friends, and would just feel "lucky" that they're a part of his life. A theist would be thankful to these same individuals, but would feel that something beyond just "luck" was involved in their being part of his life. He would be thankful to God for them.
Okay, hopefully one will chime in an answer your query.
how do you daily live in, and daily express, an "attitude of gratitude"
How do you put into practice on a regular basis in your own daily life, an "attitude of gratitude"
How does an "attitude of gratitude" fit in with your own personal "religion and spirituality" beliefs
bonus question / for extra credit / optional:
Do you include your personal challenges / obstacles / painful situations / difficulties / setbacks
in your "attitude of gratitude." Why or why not?
I aim to smile at all the nice little things and to focus on the positives in all situations (the second one is the hardest one, but smiling meaningfully helps). Ultimately it's the little things that count, and it's the little things that we have the most control over. Getting bogged down in challenges and regret won't help you learn anything, and practice/education is something to be grateful for.
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