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Waking up this morning, I see the blue sky.
I join my hands in thanks for the many wonders of life;
for having twenty-four brand-new hours before
me.
— Thich Nhat Hanh in Call Me by My True Names
Why should we care about thanks and appreciation?
Appreciation and gratitude are states of mind - altered states of consciousness from which we can view the entire world, and ourselves, differently. In our every day consciousness, we pay attention to what is missing; we see that the glass is half empty - and all our attention is on what we need. In an altered state of gratitude and appreciation, we come from fullness, what we have: that same glass is half-full! We don't focus then on what is lacking, but on the enormous and wondrous things that we do have: on a beautiful planet, on our bodies which serve us so faithfully, on those dear to us, those who support us, even the stranger who smiles at us and warms our day.
Please look, and see with new eyes, the amazing life you are leading, the choices you have, your potential to awaken to a state of appreciation that creates joy instead of depression. Unlike the Pilgrims, most of us have never gone hungry a single night, have never frozen in the darkness, have rarely worried about our day-to-day survival. So many in the world still face these conditions - the least we can do is appreciate the remarkable lives of plenty we are living.
On this day and the days that follow up to Christmas, we at the Global Dialog Project urge you to take moments every day, to remember and appreciate all that has supported you and aided you on your path. Friends, lovers, parents, teachers, friendly strangers, your pets, your body, your mind, your heart and your spirit- all of these things that you count on without thinking, without remembering the sacrifices so many have made to create a world in which you can have an abundant, warm, loving Thanksgiving.
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Thanksgiving READINGS
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