“Gratitude gladdens the heart. It is not sentimental, nor jealous, nor judgmental. As gratitude grows, it gives rise to joy. We experience the courage to rejoice in our own good fortune and in the good fortune of others. Joy is natural to an open heart. In it, we are not afraid of pleasure. We do not mistakenly believe it is disloyal to the suffering of the world to honor the happiness we have been given. Like gratitude, joy gladdens the heart. We can be joyful for people we love, for moments of goodness, for sunlight and trees and for the breath within our breast. And as our joy grows, we finally discover a happiness without cause. Like an innocent child who does not have to do anything to be happy, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive.”
~Excerpt from A Meditation on Gratitude and Joy from The Art of Forgiveness, Loving kindness and Peace by Jack Kornfield~
In the last post/article I spoke about how much gratitude has made a difference in my life and how much I love this new practice of Gratitude.
With so much gratitude in my thoughts and life, I only felt it fit to share this superb Quote from Jack Kornfield’s book, which has been my favorite for quite some time.
And while you enjoy this quote, think about what gratitude can do for you….joy, happiness, being alive….
Share your thoughts in the comments below….I would love to add to my gratitude journal all the lovely definitions of gratitude I havent thought of as yet 🙂
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Zeenat,
I love the continuation of Gratitude here! So good to let this really soak into my soul, and you have a beautiful way of doing that. And that leading to more joy within…what a wonderful place to be! Happy Sunday to you, dear friend.
Happy Sunday to you too Lance!
Gratitude brings Joy among so many other beautiful emotions and feelings inst it…And that is indeed a wonderful place to be!
So glad you could stop by and share your wonderful thoughts 🙂
I especially like this line: “We do not mistakenly believe it is disloyal to the suffering of the world to honor the happiness we have been given.”
Sometimes, that’s hard to remember.
Hi Holly,
It is hard sometimes….but never impossible 🙂
Glad you liked this 🙂
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Dear Zeenat,
Gratitude makes a person feel good and happy with life.
Thank you for the lovely post!
HI Zuzanna,
Its hard for us to sometimes see how awesome being in gratitude means….but once we do experience it….happiness just flows in….
Glad you liked this.
Thank you for sharing you wonderful thoughts here 🙂
Thanks Zeenat..Awesome Post, With Graitude we find and feel peace within us…. 🙂
HI Fatima,
Glad you liked this 🙂 Gratitude for stopping by 🙂
Hi Zeenat, what a fantastic quote for my Sunday. Thank YOU!
Hi Stephen,
Always happy to add to your Sunday’s wonderfulness 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Not only does gratitude allow me to be happy from within but i also believe it is an action word and can show how grateful i am today! Danny
Hi Danny,
That is a wonderful way of looking at gratitude…an action word! Wow!
Doing gratitude is so much more wonderful than just thinking it…
Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts here 🙂
HI Z
I love this; “Joy is natural to an open heart. In it, we are not afraid of pleasure.”
Feeling joy is a good radar. If I do not feel joy, that means I have to stop and find my heart again.
Feeling joy is more important than we think, when joyful we radiate joy and joy heals. I do not consider myself a healer, but I know that my joy adds to world peace. I believe it is that powerful.
Your grandpa was joyfyl as you wrote in your previous post, and look he still has an impact as he appears in your blog and impacts me. Powerful stuff, joy, xox Wilma
HI Wilma,
Joy..ahh the eternal healer and benefactor..!!
I wish we all could soak in the joy and be channels of healing to all around us!
Thank you for your awesome comment here 🙂
Hi, Zeenat! I love, really love, this quote you share. Especially the last part, “we finally discover a happiness without cause. Like an innocent child who does not have to do anything to be happy, we can rejoice in life itself, in being alive.”
This, I think, is the greatest place to be: happy, just because! It’s also a fun place, because people stare at you, scratch their heads, and say “how come you’re so happy?” and you can grin and say “dunno, I just am!” Gotta love it:)
Hi Jeanne,
Arent kids just beautiful…we often need to just look at them to learn how to truly enjoy life!
I have a gorgeous 3 year old running around to show me that everyday 🙂
I like how you get that scratching head reaction from people…its got to be so much fun !!….I have had those reactions come my way many a times too 😉 (shhh….our little secret 😉 )
Hi Zeenat – we all have so much to be grateful for .. gosh we are lucky if we can read this blog, share our thoughts, live our lives and have some control of our day etc … I love the idea of being grateful and a lot has happened to me recently that is making me grateful for where I am now – yes I have lots of ups and downs to go through – but thank goodness for now and where I am. It’s wonderful – I love the quote .. Gratitude really does gladden the heart .. and we’re so lucky to be able to achieve that place. Thanks .. lovely thought for the week ahead – and long may it stay in our hearts for ever for all to see .. Hilary
Hi Hilary,
I am glad you liked this quote 🙂 And youre so right….may the joy of gratitude stay in our hearts for ever!
Much Love~
p.s. I am grateful fro your visit here…:)
Gratitude is opening up your heart and mind to appreciating all around us. Love your article.
Hi Bunny Darling,
Youre bang on …
If we open our minds and hearts…we experience such delight…..and gratitude is just one of the many wonders we truly experience…:)
Thank you fro your gorgeous smile and comment here 🙂
Gratitude is a true sign of emotional and spiritual maturity. Through gratitude, we can cultivate a happiness and joy for the world that cannot be matched by those who are constantly striving, but never thankful.
Very wise words Zeenat! Thanks for sharing.
HI Steven,
Very well said..gratitude is indeed a sign of emotional and spiritual maturity and growth. It somehow humbles you and lets you appreciate everything and everyone….
Glad you liked this..and thank you for your lovely comment 🙂
Hi Z! Gratitude is a song the heart sings, longs to sing, loves to sing! Letting the heart begin and end each day in that song makes the day joyful.
Z, I hear your heart singing in every post! Let me join in the chorus! 🙂
Hugs
suzen
HI Suzen,
Oh my heart sings everytime i read your words… 🙂
So glad you liked this..and may we all be in this heart chorus…
Hugs to you too 🙂
Hi, Z! As always, your post is beautiful, inspiring, and really stirs my heart!
What I find most gratifying is helping others – especially the homeless…. There’s nothing – absolutely nothing – like seeing pain-filled, tired faces brighten and light up as the people realize that yes, somebody does care and that they are not alone. SO gratifying!!!
Big hugs to you, sweet Z!!!
Love,
M
Hey Michele,
Helping the homeless is such a noble cause….its just giving pure and simple….gratifying is understating what you can get out of the experience of helping others…:)
Glad you liked this Michele….
Love to you too…~
Hey Zee,
I like to be grateful for the bad things that happen as well as the good because they are the events that cause me to grow the most!
Hi Amit…I agree with you…its those bad little things in our lives that teach us valuable lessons….the important thing is …to actually learn from them…and not ignore the gratifying life lessons. Gratitude just grows on you….
Hi Zeenat,
Beautiful quote!
I have never understood the emotion of envy or jealousy. If something good happens to someone I know, I am thrilled for them. There is enough beauty and joy for all of us. The Universe is merciful and abundant. And the more gratitude we have, the happier we are and the more enjoyable is our experience of being alive. For each day is filled with numerous blessings.
Love and hugs to you!
Hi Nadia,
What a beautiful comment…I do so wish everyone thought like that..this world would be so so heavenly to say the least 🙂 Just recognizing these blessings can cultivate gratitude in abundance…
Love to you too 🙂
Gratitude is like the moonlight shining on the darkness of our lives. 🙂
HI Walter,
How simply wonderful….!!! Gratitude is moonlight…now thats a beautiful comparison…:)
Gratitude is my reminder to be grateful for all that I have…all that I give…and all that I receive.
Blessings Z!
Peggy
I have really been thinking about your RAOKA Gratitude post! No, I have not started my Gratitude Journal. But I will soon!
I think gratitude is like a great big bouquet of roses that never wilt, but continue to blossom and become more fragrant and more beautiful the more grateful we consciously become. Gratitude just begets more of it!! And it snowballs into a life of joy.
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