Later in September there is a dynamic day where an International Day of Peace comes on the same day as World Gratitude Day. Sounds like a great time to get together and talk about creating a world where there's lots more of both of these! Unfortunately it's a Monday: September 21st. But let's not let this be an impediment. I plan to do something to celebrate both of these important holidays on Sunday the 20th. Get a head start on peaceful gratitude!!
I've regularly ended the day by myself or with my young son by thinking/talking about what we were most grateful for that particular day or week. Living with a sense of gratitude is one of the most life affirming ways to happiness that I've ever found. Even when I didn't have much material wealth or much to be grateful for. I could always find something that would give me some joy or hope.
The idea of World Gratitude Day is to foster “an attitude of gratitude” in people so that they appreciate and return all the favors and good deeds that people have done for them. It could be something as simple as a thank you note or a certificate for people’s contributions.
If you haven't seen the movie "Pay It Forward" starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, please do, as it's a beautiful concept and is VERY appropriate to an attitude of gratitude. In the film, Helen Hunt's character's son is Trevor, a junior high school student. He thought up a social studies project where he teaches people the gratitude concept to "pay it forward." If someone does a favor that really helps you, you are supposed to ask them not to pay it BACK, but to pay it FORWARD to three more people, thus exponentially spreading kindness and decency out into the world in a tidal wave. A beautiful idea and one to emulate if we can keep it in the forefront of our regular routines!
