Gratitude 4.0

by Andrea Goeglein

I know the word gratitude within Positive Psychology holds a central skill building focus.  I was taught back in 2003 by Marty Seligman that gratitude is the one strength all people should develop regardless of where it falls in your list of natural values and strengths.  There are many TED talks on the subject of gratitude, but one I recommend (and have posted before) is by Brother David Steindl-Rast. I went looking for his TED talk on gratitude because his name popped up on the cover of a book I had just bought five more copies of:  Love is Stronger than Death.  Brother David had added a new forward to Cynthia Bourgeault’s  1997 love story.

I bring gratitude, Brother David’s talk and Bourgeault’s book up together because each informs the best way to live from a moment-by-moment perspective.  I found that I had to recommended each repeatedly over the last several weeks, and given that each had been in my life for a while, I took notice. What I re-learned was that each suggests a single-minded focus on the present, knowing that the future will take care of itself.  Taken together, each informs the best way to live so you are always living your best ‘don’t die’ spirit.