Several years ago, I stumbled upon a short film called A Grateful Day that stopped me in my tracks. The narrator, Brother David Steindl-Rast, with his gentle Austrian accent and profound wisdom, invited viewers to see the day not as just another day but as “the one day that is given to you... today.”
His message was simple yet revolutionary: What if we approached each moment of our lives as a gift? That film planted a seed in me that has now blossomed into something I’m excited to share with you.
As women in the second half of life, we know that gratitude isn’t just a feel-good emotion—it’s a skill, a practice, and possibly one of the most transformative approaches to living we can embrace. But what does it really mean to live gratefully?
What Grateful Living Really Means
When most people hear “gratitude,” they think of saying thank you for something pleasant received—a gift, a compliment, a kind gesture. That’s certainly part of it. But grateful living goes much deeper.
Living gratefully isn’t about denying life’s difficulties or ignoring pain. It’s not toxic positivity dressed up in spiritual language.
It’s an orientation to life that recognizes opportunities amid challenges, loss, and uncertainty. As Brother David explains, “It’s not happiness that makes us grateful; it’s gratefulness that makes us happy.”
Joe Primo, Chief Executive Officer of the global nonprofit organization Grateful Living, puts it beautifully: “Living gratefully is a commitment to observing and responding to the opportunities in every moment. When supported through daily practice, it helps us perceive what we can be grateful for, not just what we find pleasing.”
This approach acknowledges that life includes joy and sorrow, gain and loss, ease and struggle. Living gratefully doesn’t mean we only recognize the “good” parts—it means we develop the capacity to hold both the difficulties and the gifts simultaneously. And that makes all the difference in how we experience our days.
A Daily Practice
Brother David distilled grateful living into three simple steps that anyone can practice:
Stop: This first step invites us to pause, to become fully present in this moment rather than rushing on autopilot from one task to the next. Stopping might look like taking three conscious breaths before answering the phone or setting aside a few minutes each morning to sit in silence.
When was the last time you stopped and became fully present? For me, it often happens during the early morning. Something about the stillness of early morning helps me step out of the whirlwind of thoughts and just be. My solo hikes in Nature have the same effect.
Look: Once we’ve stopped, we can truly see what’s before us. Looking means awakening to life with all our senses—noticing the pattern of light through the blinds, feeling the warmth of your tea mug in your hands, hearing the birdsong outside your window.
Looking doesn’t require exceptional circumstances. It can happen while washing dishes, sitting in traffic, or waiting at the doctor’s office. The key is bringing your full attention to whatever is happening right now.
Go: The final step is to respond to what we’ve seen—to take action. Having recognized the opportunity in this moment, how will we meet it? Go is about embodying our gratitude through how we live. It might be reaching out to someone who’s hurting, pursuing a creative project, speaking up for what matters, or simply treating yourself with greater compassion.
This simple practice—Stop, Look, Go—creates a rhythm that can transform ordinary moments into opportunities for presence, joy, and meaning. It’s not about adding more to your busy schedule but bringing more awareness to what you’re already doing.
Why This Matters
If you’re like many women I connect with through How She Thrives, you may be navigating significant transitions—children leaving home, career changes, retirement, caring for ailing parents, health challenges, or simply questioning what brings meaning in this chapter of life.
During these passages, grateful living offers a powerful compass. It helps us:
Navigate loss without becoming lost. When we practice gratitude, we develop the capacity to acknowledge pain while still appreciating what remains. This doesn’t diminish grief but gives us somewhere to stand while experiencing it.
Find meaning in everyday moments. Rather than waiting for some future time when everything aligns perfectly (which rarely happens!), grateful living invites us to discover the richness in ordinary days.
Build resilience for challenging times. Research confirms what wisdom traditions have long taught—grateful people are more resilient, experience better mental health, and even show improved physical wellbeing.
Rediscover joy and awe. You know how easily children experience wonder? That capacity hasn’t disappeared in us—it’s just been covered by years of busyness, responsibility, and routine. Grateful living helps us reclaim our natural ability to be moved by beauty and find delight in small things.
The practice of grateful living isn’t about adding one more thing to your to-do list. It’s about approaching what you’re already doing with greater awareness, presence, and appreciation. It’s accessible to everyone, regardless of circumstances, health, or resources.
Grateful Gatherings - An Invitation
This brings me to what I’m most excited to share:
I’ve recently completed facilitator training with the Grateful Living organization and will host free monthly Grateful Gatherings starting next month. I’m seizing this volunteer opportunity as a personal expression of the values I hold most dear.
These complimentary gatherings will allow us to explore the transformative practice of grateful living together through meaningful conversation, reflection, and community. Each month, we’ll focus on a different theme, like Say Yes to Joy, Welcome Imperfection, Navigate Grief, Reimagine Rest, Awaken to Awe, or Act with Courage.
The conversations are guided by carefully curated materials from Grateful Living, including readings, poetry, videos, and simple practices to try between gatherings.
What draws me to this format is its simplicity and depth. There’s no complex philosophy to learn, no rigid rules to follow—just the invitation to bring our whole selves to the circle and explore together what it means to live gratefully.
If you’re seeking a space to connect more deeply with yourself and others while developing practices that enhance everyday life, I’d love for you to join us.
When: The last Sunday of every month at 2:00 pm ET, 11:00 am PT, 7:00 pm UK
Start Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025
Where: Online in a secure, private Zoom room. The link is provided after registration.
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Register Here - It's Free!: https://grateful.org/gathering/linda-wattier
Living gratefully doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means we’re awake enough to receive the gift of this one precious life—challenges, joys, sorrows, and all.
Isn’t it amazing that in a vast universe, we get to be here, now, experiencing this incredible journey together?
I’m grateful you’re part of this community, and I hope to see you at our first Grateful Gathering.
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Little Bits of Light
Words to open your heart and SOOTHE YOUR SOUL
Thank You for Sharing
How She Thrives!
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