“A practice of gratitude is not about dismissing sadness, anger, fear, or confusion. Rather, it offers us the opportunity to see that we often experience multiple feelings at once; to welcome joy into the same places where we hold grief; to turn our attention to what is quietly growing and breathing day by day, which, to our possible surprise, includes ourselves.” -Kristin Lin, Editor, On Being
This week’s episode of On Being features Br. David Steindl-Rast, speaking on the practice of gratitude. He says, “You can’t be grateful for war in a given situation, or violence or domestic violence or sickness. There are many things for which you cannot be grateful. But in every moment, you can be grateful.”
How, in the reality of pandemic, in the rub between wanting to take action, serve, maintain forward motion while also feeling mire and isolation and loss? Steindl-Rast offers a practice he calls Stop, Look, Go:
STOP is like pressing the pause button, just for a moment. Ceasing movement, in whatever form it is occurring. LOOK is creating a bit of space to see what is actually occurring in the moment and to contemplate the unique opportunity the present moment offers. GO means to avail yourself of the opportunity you have discovered when pausing to look for it.
The interview with Steindl-Rast feels so fresh and relevant to our current dilemma, even though it was taped in 2016. To listen, use this link:
https://onbeing.org/programs/david-steindl-rast-how-to-be-grateful-in-every-moment/
Jess Stevens, curating mindfulness for Isabella