Even setting aside what it inspires you to do for others, when you cultivate gratitude, you certainly gain a great deal yourself in terms of well-being and happiness. When you feel grateful, you recognize that you are the beneficiary of others’ kindness. You feel fortunate. Gratitude just feels good, and it can be extended in all directions, since not only clothes but every single thing you use comes to you from others. At mealtime, you can feel grateful for each and every ingredient on your plate, for those who did the cooking and the planting, even for sunlight, for rainfall, and for the minerals that enrich the soil.
17th Karmapa
from the book Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society
Read a random quote or see all quotes by the 17th Karmapa.
Further quotes from the book Interconnected:
- Individualism or interdependence
- The air we breathe
- Naturalness
- The deeper common ground all living being share
- Everything and everyone is benefiting you
- The imagination to see the other as free and happy
- The interdependence between us and the world
- The impulse to connect
- Cultivating a spirit of generosity
- Interdependent individuals
- A greater sense of possibility
- Interdependence always works both ways
- Our innate ability to connect with others
- Thinking about the consequences of our collective actions
- Collective actions and attitudes
- Viewing others through the lens of interdependence
- Our intimate dependence on the natural environment
- Extend yourself and connect
- The opportunity to love
- Noticing the collective effects of our individual actions