Gratitude: a Practice for a Fulfilling Life

The Thanksgiving holiday is an annual reminder for all of us to embrace and express gratitude. But what exactly does that mean? Gratitude is thankfulness or gratefulness, showing appreciation, counting blessings, and returning kindness. Gratitude means embracing the good that we have a tendency to take for granted. From big to small, we can express gratitude for all sorts of different things in life: celebrate family and friends with a delicious home cooked meal, explore gratefulness for the small things (like health, food, and shelter) in a daily meditation or gratitude journal, or commit a random act of kindness.

Gratitude is an important and powerful practice to demonstrate on a daily basis. Scientific studies indicate that embodying gratitude can increase your overall energy, improve emotional intelligence, foster more forgiveness, decrease depression and anxiousness, reduce frequency of headaches, improve sleep, and make you feel more connected socially. In other words, being grateful is a self-reinforcing practice – it will give you even more to be grateful for!

Practicing gratitude is as easy as it sounds. Send thank-yous or notes of appreciation to friends and loved ones. Keep a journal in which you record things you are grateful for on a daily basis. Take time each day to meditate on things for which you are thankful. Do favors for friends, family, or even strangers just because. Tell your family member or coworker how much you appreciate them. Give thoughtful gifts. Take the time to really listen and offer your support. Acknowledge someone's effort publicly. Smile and be respectful. Volunteer your time to a good cause. Refrain from gossiping or complaining. Be present. As Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Here at the co-op, we have so much to be thankful for. We have amazing, supportive owners and pleasant, engaged customers. We have dependable suppliers and a vibrant and strong local food system full of motivated and conscientious food producers. We have support and encouragement from three other Rogue Valley co-ops: Grange Co-op, Rogue Credit Union, and Ashland Food Co-op. And we are eternally grateful for each and every opportunity to contribute to the health of our community. We sincerely thank you all for your support and look forward to serving you in the future. Happy Thanksgiving!

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.
– A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh