Acknowledgement and Gratitude.
Acknowledging Those Who Make a Difference In Your Life
“If the only prayer you ever say
in your entire life is
Thank You,
it will be
enough.”
~ Meister Eckhart
Yesterday, a group of students from my 6th grade class got together and took our teacher to lunch – after 45 years!
She was firm and loving, and she truly cared about each of us. She believed in us and wanted us to succeed.
She’s 83 now, and with our acknowledgement and gratitude, we got to make a difference for her. It was an honor to be able to honor her after all these years!
Every human being has the basic need of purpose – to matter, to have meaning. One of the best things we can do for someone is to reinforce when they truly are making a difference, even in the simplest of ways.
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Shortly after I began helping out with my nephew’s children, I realized the power of positive acknowledgement and gratitude. In the early years, our children are developing their relationships to the world and to themselves – what they believe to be true about themselves, who they are and what they can and cannot do, be or have.
It became clear that one of the best things I could do for them is to set up situations where they could succeed and I could THANK them. No matter how simple or small the task – thank them.
Even with my dad, at 96, he loves giving treats to my cat. We set the cat treats next to his chair where he watches television. Every time he gives her a treat, we get to say thank you – and we make an important deal of it! As simple as that is, I believe hearing the words “Thank you” several times a day has made a difference in his health.
Who are the people who have made a difference in your life? Who are the people whose lives you want to positively impact?
Acknowledgement and gratitude – they make a difference for the people you love, and making a difference for others returns the sense of purpose back to you.
In today’s Prayer & Healing Circle, we’ll take the opportunity to reflect on that which has made a difference for us. We’ll access the sincere gratitude in our hearts and feel it, and we’ll take the opportunity to send our gratitude to the people and to our Source.
We’ll ask for guidance. Are there things you are guided to do to express the appreciation and let people know they matter?
You’re invited to join us today.
As always, you are welcome to bring your prayers for personal struggles, challenges of and with those you care about, for peace, for fulfillment, and for the health and sustainability of our planet.
Bring whatever is on your heart. Come as you are, receive, heal and grow. Please invite your friends to join us, too.
Divine Attributes / Meditation recitation:
Ash-Shakur, The Grateful, The Receptive, The Understanding
Book references:
Divine Names: The 99 Healing Names of the One Love, by Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi
The Sufi Book of Life: 99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish, by Neil Douglas-Klotz
One of the best things we can do for someone is to reinforce when they truly are making a difference, even in the simplest of ways. Share on X
Important Links:
- Joyfully Living Wellness
- Community for Conscious Living
- Community for Conscious Living Facebook Group
- Self-Care for the Soul podcast
