The Practice of Gratitude (2014)

Tampa | November 30, 2014

In this talk to students of FCM, Fred teaches that gratitude is a view of life that results in a feeling of openness, warmth, ease, fulfillment and wellbeing. We can learn to generate this view by reflecting on the innumerable acts of kindness that have been given to us in this lifetime, from the gift of life given by our parents and ancestors, to the many who have provided shelter, food, healthcare, friendship and many other types of love and support in our lives. The opposite is to live with a view of ingratitude, or dissatisfaction with life, a view that results in a feeling of aloneness, separation, and constriction. This opposite view is very focused on "self," whereas a deepening practice of gratitude helps us dissolve this sense of separation and realize our interconnection with all of life.