like i said in my previous post the word gratitude has been appearing in all regions of my life recently..my good friend kate surprised me by sending a book in the mail...it came at the perfect time when i was having a particularly disheartening day..the title of the book is 'the gifts of imperfection' by brene brown..if you haven't heard of her before i highly suggest you check out her two ted talks 'the power of vulnerability' and 'listening to shame' and this book if you like the looks of the excerpts i've used..
within her book there is a chapter titled 'cultivating gratitude and joy'...the author explains that she found through her many years of research that these two concepts emerged together consistently..she encountered these three powerful patterns with the relationship between gratitude and joy
"-without exception..every person i interviewed who described living a joyful life or who described themselves as joyful, actively practiced gratitude and attributed their joyfulness to their gratitude practice
-both joy and gratitude were described as spiritual practices that were bound to a belief in human interconnectdeness and a power greater than us
-people were quick to point out the differences between happiness and joy as the difference between a human emotion that's connected to circumstances and a spiritual way of engaging with the world that's connected to practicing gratitude"
as part of my gratitude practice like a lot of people these days i take the time at the end of the day to write down three things or experiences where i felt joy throughout my day...some days it's easier than others..but it reminds me of all that i have to be thankful for..i also try to take time throughout the day to repeat a quote that i have used as a prayer to keep me centered and intentional with my life..
"be with me in my silence and in my speech..in my haste and in my leisure..in company and in solitude..in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening..and give me grace of all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship" john baille
i have always cherished this poem and when it comes to gratitude the end really stands out to me...'and give me grace of all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship' because when i take a breath in my day and recite this poem out loud or in my mind the amount of appreciation i feel for this mysterious companionship i have with god is remarkable..and i'm flooded with gratitude
later in the chapter brene speaks about the difference between happiness and joy
"anne robertson, a methodist pastor, writer, and executive director of massachusetts bible society, explains how the greek origins of the words happiness and joy hold important meaning for us today. she explains that the greek word for happiness is makarious, which was used to describe the freedom of the rich from normal cares and worries, or to describe a person who recieved some form of good fortune, such as money or health. robertson compares this to the greek word for joy which is chairo. chairo was described by the ancient greeks as 'the culmination of being' and the 'good mood of the soul' robertson writes 'chairo is something, the ancient greeks tell us, that is found only in god and comes with virtue and wisdom. it isn't a beginner's virtue; it comes as the culmination. they say its opposite is not sadness, but fear"
these are two things i can say that have been very obvious in my year here in new orleans..both joy and gratitude were and continue to be major aspects in my daily life..not until i read this chapter devoted entirely to both was i able to grasp that this is what has made my year most meaningful..yes i've been plenty happy here but that is often linked to external influences...it goes much deeper than that..i've been joyful and felt much gratitude towards my life and more importantly to god throughout this year..it's by my intentional efforts to seek god through my day and take a step back and appreciate life..this isn't always an easy effort but it is one that makes my life fulfilling..
peace & love
jillian
#18 seasonal: since there are hardly four distinct seasons in new orleans..i choose mardi gras season as my favorite 
it's funny what a difference a few days in nature makes...away from technology..sirens..even the sight of pavement..when i'm thrown into the thick of it i find that it's in my second nature to take in all of god's creation..it always becomes blatently obvious that life is breathtaking when you slow down a bit to appreciate it..so while we were enjoying each others company and the great outdoors we were encouraged to spend time meditating on the present..this was very relaxing and therapeutic for me..it redirected my priorities which gave me an overwhelming sense of joy and admiration..
