Five Guiding Principles

Grateful Living is supported by guiding pathways, daily practices, and behaviors that make us more appreciative and available to life. These Five Guiding Principles are touchstones to support your practice. Click on each principle to play an audio meditation and learn more.

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Life is a Gift

When you greet each moment gratefully, you are always receiving.
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Everything is Surprise

When you open to wonder, opportunities abound.
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The Ordinary Is Extraordinary

When you take nothing for granted, life is abundant.
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Appreciation Is Generative

When you tend what you value, what you value thrives.
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Love is transformative

When you embrace the great fullness of life, your heart overflows.

Digging Deeper

For continued exploration, dive into these additional resources organized by principle.

Cornucopia of squash on the ground in fall
Collections

Blessings and Practices for a Grateful Thanksgiving

by The Grateful Living Team
A collection of Thanksgiving resources — both old and new — handpicked by the Grateful…
A woman faced away from the camera walking down a city street full of people with text that reads "We are all connected"
Videos

We Are All Connected

by Reflections of Life
In this short film, six people share their unique stories of how community, vulnerability, deep…
Sun shining over a range of mountains
Meditations

Life is a Gift: Guided Meditation

by The Grateful Living Team
Grateful Living is fundamentally grounded in the invitation to see life itself as a gift.…
A bee on a purple and yellow flower, amidst others
Meditations

The Ordinary is Extraordinary: Guided Meditation

by The Grateful Living Team
This short meditation offers an invitation to walk through your days taking nothing for granted,…
A woman holding a plant in her hand and looking off into the distance with text that reads "Fascinated by Nature"
Videos

Fascinated by Nature

by Reflections of Life
“The world that I dream of is the one that we’ve got because I think…
Overhead view of person wearing Converse sneakers standing on a stone surrounded by fall leaves on the ground
Stories of Grateful Living

Gratitude Lists Didn’t Work For Me

by Andrea Gibson
In this Story of Grateful Living, Andrea Gibson shares their story of learning to be…
Young woman looking over her shoulder and smiling with text that reads "We're All Lost - Exploring Our Shared Humanity"
Videos

Lost Together

by Reflections of Life
In this short film, Siti Nur Iman reflects on the beauty of being “lost together,”…
Man sitting in front of a brick archway with text that reads "The Constant Gardener"
Videos

The Constant Gardener

by Reflections of Life
In this short meditative film, Corné Pretorius shares his story of not taking life for…
Headshot of a Black man standing outside under the share of a tree
Bright Lights/Young Lives

Bright Lights/Young Lives: Greg

by The Grateful Living Team
In this short video, Greg Corbin shares his story of expressing gratefulness through relationships and…

Wake Up Grateful

The Transformative Practice of Taking Nothing for Granted

What does it mean to truly live gratefully, every day? Wake Up Grateful unlocks the path to recognizing abundance in every moment, and gives readers the tools to bring this transformational shift in perspective into their daily lives.

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