GRATITUDE: WHAT'S GUILT GOT TO DO WITH IT?

​In the wake of so many tragedies, here and abroad, it can be difficult to celebrate what we have -- when others have so little.  Our sense of helplessness can override feelings of joy and gratitude and even give rise to guilt.  

​But does it need to?  

Brene Brown, Ph.D., LMSW, a social scientist and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, made an interesting observation about gratitude while researching vulnerability. 

In her book “Daring Greatly,” Brown reported that she asked men and women who survived tragedies, including parents who’d lost children and survivors of genocide, how we can cultivate and show more compassion for those suffering.   The answer was always the same:
​

​Don’t shrink away from the joy of your child because I’ve lost mine. Don’t take what you have for granted -- celebrate it.  Don’t apologize for what you have. Be grateful for it and share your gratitude with others. Are your parents healthy?  Be thrilled.  Let them know how much they mean to you.  When you honor what you have, you’re honoring what I’ve lost.

There is no guilt in gratitude.
​
In fact, celebrating what we have, can empower us to push past feelings of helplessness to step up. Brown’s research found that gratitude gives rise to feelings of worthiness, courage and resilience --  feelings which energize and replenish us.

Gratitude then can be a springboard for action -- an opportunity to transform what you have received into an offering for others, the making of which is empowering.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate who has dedicated her life to securing freedom and democracy for her country Burma, once said:   “If you are feeling helpless, help someone.”

This holiday season, honor what is precious to you, celebrate it AND let your experience of gratitude be the fuel that drives you to create connection, embrace diversity, foster inclusivity, and move the needle in the direction of peace, for all, on earth.   

OVER TO YOU

​Did you find it harder this Thanksgiving to celebrate what you're grateful for?  
Do you feel more grateful now than ever?
How might you have a positive impact on others, that moves us, even a tiny bit, closer to connection and peace?

"If you're feeling helpless, help someone."

Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Laureate