How do you express gratitude for your good fortune in life?

[ecstatic]

When I think about all the tragedies occuring in this country and abroad, every single day--people losing their loved ones left and right, people who are homeless, broke, starving... I feel so grateful to be living such a comfortable life. Nobody can control the type of situation they are born into! Statistically speaking, the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps meme is pure BS.

How does one begin to express meaningful gratitude or does it even matter? For religious people, is "thanking God" really enough? For non-religious people, what or who do you credit? Yourself? Your parents? Luck?

What constitutes a meaningful expression of good will and gratitude?

[flamin lib]

1. It really is all about luck. And choosing your parents well.

I like to perform little random acts of kindness. Pay it forward. And work like hell to defeat Republicans.

[CrispyQ]

2. Give back to those who need it.

This year we "adopted" a family of four. They provide a list - via the sponsoring organization -- & we shopped for them. Coats, shoes, jeans for all, a watch for the dad & some bath towels for the mom. They requested no toys for the kids, but we still got a few books, a game & a couple of movies. It was the most gratifying holiday shopping I've ever done!

Highly recommended! :thumbsup:

[Az]

3. I thank my family, friends, and those who have helped me

That includes all those in the past who paved the way for me and others.

In general its the whole interconnected web o life thing.

[Igel]

4. The church I was in had no policy.

But in the OT freewill offerings were made and feasts held to express gratitude.

Many in my ex-church took this as a hint: they would donate to the church, in excess of their tithe; they would donate to the poor, in excess of their tithe; they would set aside extra money in addition to their tithe for transportation/lodging for church observances, and use it to help people that couldn't otherwise afford to go.

At one church retreat (in the late '70s), one man handed out $10 bills to all the young church members old enough to know what to do with it but who were unemployed--teenagers, students; he did this on more than one day, so some kids got a fair amount. Another time, widows and the unemployed or severely underemployed simply found their meals were paid for when they asked for the check, or their motel bills were zeroed out when they checked out. It wasn't until months later that a rumor--true, as it turned out--circulated who their benefactor was.

Another time at a retreat we were all invited to dinner; nearly a hundred of us showed up. It wasn't clear who was paying; it turned out he wasn't there; he'd booked the restaurant, told them to keep a tab, put down a large deposit, and settled up the next day.

One time the church got a large cashier's check--5 figures--with the note to use it to help people that had never been to a retreat. We knew who sent the check, but the official response was that it was anonymous (accurate but not quite the whole story).

[Finder]

5. Pay it forward...as others have stated. n/t

[Random_Australian]

6. (Atheist) I'm grateful for my life, sure, but not 'to' anything.

Credit? What do you mean, credit?

Well, let me put it like this.
I don't think God had anything to do with it; I don't believe She exists.
I can see how I came about from nature, and while that means I believe nature was behind it all.

That said, giving gratitude to nature makes no sense - it does not want it.

What constitutes a meaningful expression of goodwill? Trying to make the world better, I say.

[Random_Australian]

7. Dupe-a-licious!

[NMMNG]

8. If what I get is due to somebody else I thank them (when possible)

If not then I don't "thank" anybody.