“The richness of gratitude is not in the use of words but in the heartfelt response to something, someone, or some experience. Words can be the messenger but the heart provides the power and the source of light to the thankful.” ~ Wendy Meg Siegel, from Parenting the Gratitude Habit.
First, there is a prompt that engages our heart and we find ourselves in a state of gratitude. This may have been triggered by a personal experience or as a witness to someone else's words or actions. We might be responding to the beauty of an image or a piece of music, or reacting to seeing a newborn, a sunset, or the crashing of ocean waves.
Meaningful feelings develop within ourselves as we experience the grateful moments of life. Acknowledge those moments and allow yourself to fully experience the gifts. Feel the way your inner-being processes thankfulness throughout the day. Let it light you up. This is where the true power of gratitude resides. And then, by sharing those grateful feelings, with your words, you are spreading the gratitude habit to others.
The words I wrote in the last post seem to beautifully describe some of the ideas expressed in this quote.
