Daily Hakarat Hatov# 21

Gratitude rituals - Reclaiming Your Life's Wow Factor

1. As you open your eyes in the morning thank G-D , with the energy and excitement of someone who has just been granted a new lease on life, for the sublime privilege of being granted another day

2.Thank G-D constantly for everyone and everything

3.Thank people for everything they do great and small whether what they do works out or not

4.Take some time each day and reflect on what G-D has done and does for you (in specific detail)

5.Take some time each day and reflect on what each of your loved ones have done, do for you and what they mean to you( in specific detail)

6.Take some time each day and reflect on what each of your friends , co workers etc have done and do for you

7.Make a gratitude strategy journal and list the ways you are planning to unconditionally show your gratitude to G-D , to your loved ones, to friends coworkers etc and then put those plans into action

8. Take nature walks while noticing the miraculous beauty and genius even in the smallest blade of grass and consider the many areas of the world that are devoid of such beauty and those who cannot behold it

9.Pick a miracle at least once a week ,like pollination for example , research it in detail ,appreciate its awesomeness and realize it is but one in the endless miracles that surround us daily

10. Take an apple for example and before eating it stop and even just before the blessing you make prior to eating it consider that for that Apple to get to your hand G-D brought the whole world to bear.In other words the rain , the sun,the appropriate soil the seeds, the tree , the ripening at the right time,the picking , the packing the cleaning , the wholesaling, the retailing etc.

11.Pick a person at the very least once a day to say thank you to in detail ,take the time to tell them what they did for you and why you appreciate it etc even if it was nothing for them

12.Make sure to spend quality time with those you love

13.Do something daily for someone even if they could do it ,there is no greater way to show gratitude for the gift of life than giving.

14.Take one day a week where you totally focus on someone else's needs wholeheartedly demanding absolutely nothing for yourself

15.Take one day a week or even some time every day where you decide you are not going to correct your spouse, children etc,you are not going to criticize them ,preach to them,"teach" them any type of lesson etc.What you are going to do is let them be themselves as they are now,as G-D has let them be at this very moment. Experience , them ,enjoy them , love them,let them express themselves for who they are and exactly as they are right now. Be totally present in the privilege of being around them ,let them flourish and shine.

16.Pick one person a week that impacts your life positively now or has done so in the past, give them a call, send them an e-mail and let then know how they changed your world, no matter how small the change and you might find that in doing so you change theirs as well.

17. When you return home, if your day has not been what you would have liked it to be,before entering your home instruct yourself that your family does not have to suffer in anyway because of the day you had.

18.Write on a piece of paper and resolve to glance at it every hour at least and your gratitude to G-D and to people will skyrocket bringing more meaningful joy into your life

1.I will( bli neder) take nothing and noone for granted

2.Nothing is guaranteed or a foregone conclusion but a gift from G-D

3.Things did not have to turn out as they did(they could have been worse in many ways).

4.Life can change in a second

5.See everything that G-D does as a blessing,a miracle and G-d's unconditional love

6.See whatever people do for you( no matter how small etc) as a huge favor and not an expectation.My life changes immediately when I choose appreciation over expectation.

19.In your gratitude strategy journal mentioned above reevaluate daily and ask yourself the following questions

Did I show my gratitude to G-d in my thoughts, deeds ,language, speech etc today?

Did I show my gratitude where necessary to people in my thoughts, deeds ,language, speech etc today?

Where was I successful?

Where could I improve?

Celebrate your daily successes no matter how small, enter your answers daily and apply your daily resolutions (bli neder) to upgrade

The life we want , the person we are and want to be is expressed in our rituals and habits when they change eventually so will we.Our lives are too important to lock them up in our comfort zones.We are granted life by the Creator and Maintainer of all that was is or ever will be,"Who" thought that we were worth creating and that we are always worth the effort.

Start with these rituals at a pace you can handle , be persistent, be resilient, be determined and the gravitational power of gratitude will keep you grounded in the miracles, beauty,majesty and blessing that is all around you no matter your circumstances

You can always take it higher you have G-D within you

Daily Hakarat HaTov# 20

A greater danger still, said Moses, would be a lack of gratitude during the good times. This is what he warned:

When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery … Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ (Deut. 8:11-17)- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov# 19

When we sing "Dayeinu," we list what seems like an itemized account of everything God did to take us out of Egypt. After each line, we say "dayeinu," it would have been enough if that was all God did for us. Then, but wait! There's more! The next verse lists another. We say "it would have been enough" to show that we recognize and appreciate the benefit of every single thing the Almighty did for us.-(The Haggadah: Gratitude in Action,
by Rabbi Noach Orlowek..aish.com)

Daily Hakarat HaTov# 18

"In his listing of mitzvot, the Sefer Ha-chinukh describes the aim of this mitzva that "a man recognize and bestow kindness upon one who has done him good and that he not be base, a dissimulator, and one who denies the good done him by another.... Once a man has assimilated this trait he will ascend by it to recognize the largesse provided by God, so that he realize how much effort he owes in the service of Hashem." The Chinukh thereby installs the trait of hakarat ha-tov (recognition of good) as the driving force behind the mitzva of Kibud Av Va-eim. "-(THE AIMS AND ATTITUDES SURROUNDING THE MITZVA OF KIBBUD AV VA-EIM
by Rabbi Moshe Taragin)

Daily Hakarat HaTov# 17

Here is one way to exponentially increase gratitude to G-D that many of us miss.

1.If we slip at home and catch ourselves on the wall many say "whew" ...or something like that and move on

2.When we drive over something small we barely pay attention ,drive on without a second thought

3.When we feel the need to go to the doctor for some pain or irritation etc and there is nothing serious ,we might say" good I can get out of here" .."great nothing serious" and thats it

4.When we drop ,by mistake, something heavy and it misses our foot, some of us might say " whew" and some might just carry on without a second thought..

The possible examples are endless but the point using the above examples is

1.Do we consider with heartfelt gratitude that we might not have caught ourselves on the wall and something a lot more serious could have happened?

2. Do we even pause with heartfelt gratitude to think that the small thing we drove over could have been a nail causing a puncture and depending on our speed etc could have ,G-D forbid resulted in an accident?

3.Do we consider with enormous gratitude what a small pain could have G-D forbid been the start of?

4.Do we even entertain with all encompassing gratitude that the heavy object could have smashed our foot, broken toes etc?

There are those of us who walk in continually increasing gratitude but there are those of us who numb our senses with the law of averages or statistics, who pocket awareness for a false sense of tranquility etc.

Lose yourself in gratitude to G-D let it permeate every area of your life and then you will find a new attitude and a new life with eyes more open to see the miracles that surround you

Daily Hakarat HaTov#16

WHAT IS A WORLD WITHOUT GRATITUDE
A world without gratitude means a world without goodness for without gratitude giving becomes the domain of the unconditional few
A world without gratitude heralds the reign of the selfish for the selfless only exist when they give to others more, when they acknowledge others more ,when they thank others more,when they think of others more.
A world without gratitude means an unhappier world for everyone knows that grateful people are happy people
A world without gratitude is a world without lasting love for love does not ensue when gratitude is not true.
A world without gratitude is a world without positive relationships for gratitude is a bridge of validation, sturdy with appreciation that keeps people together
A world without gratitude is world blind to blessing hiding away from miracles
A world without gratitude is a world blind to the positive which lets the negative roam free
A world without gratitude is a world without hope for a lack of gratitude is a red carpet to arrogance, to pride which bring destruction in their wake
A world without gratitude is a world without peace for without gratitude we are left with greed the pied piper of discord
A world without gratitude is a world without a soul for a soul means G-D and the reality that is G-D means that every second is a gift

Daily Hakarat HaTov#15

Ben Zoma used to say, "How many labors Adam carried out before he obtained bread to eat! He plowed, he sowed, he reaped, he bound, he threshed and winnowed and selected the ears, he ground, and sifted, he kneaded and baked, and then at last he ate; whereas I get up, and find all these things done for me." (Talmud, Brachot 58a.)

In our generation of instant satisfaction, the art of gratitude is nearly lost. How often do we pause to consider the seamstress who tailored the shirts that we wear? The truck driver who delivered the goods that we purchase at the store? The many hands that labor in the background to provide our many comforts?

The farmer grows the wheat, the wholesaler sells, the distributor supplies, the truck driver delivers, the baker kneads and bakes and the salesperson sells the bread. If you consider them, their support staff and those who provide the background material and ingredients, it requires hundreds of laborers to provide a single loaf of bread.(http://www.chabad.org/)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#14

It is hard to feel grateful to a universe that came into existence for no reason and is blind to us and our fate. It is precisely our faith in a personal G-d that gives force and focus to our thanks.Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#13

Part of the essence of gratitude is that it recognizes that we are not the sole authors of what is good in our lives.Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#12

Jewish prayer is an ongoing seminar in gratitude. Birkot ha-Shachar, ‘the Dawn Blessings’ said at the start of morning prayers each day, form a litany of thanksgiving for life itself: for the human body, the physical world, land to stand on and eyes to see with. The first words we say each morning – Modeh/Modah ani, “I thank you” – mean that we begin each day by giving thanks.- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Daily Hakarat HaTov#11

How can we begin to thank Hashem for all He does for us, for every atom in our body. Chazal teach us that kol haneshama tehalel Kah, can be read as kol haneshima - with every breath I inhale I must thank Hashem. We are so accustomed for all that Hashem does for us that we are unable to appreciate how much thanks we owe him.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#10

The Chovot HaLevavot explains using the following comparison: a generous family took in an orphaned little boy, raised him, fed him, paid for his education and gave him all his needs for many years. At the same time, they took a poor adult who had been imprisoned and cared for him until he was able to get back on his feet. The Chovot HaLevavot asks: which of the two will have greater hakarat hatov? The Chovot HaLevavot answers that the former prisoner will have more gratitude than the child, why is this so? The prisoner was taken out of prisoner as an adult when he was able to appreciate all that had been done for him. The child, on the other hand, grew up in the benevolent person's home, he never knew any better. He was given food, education, and all his needs just as any other child was - it all came naturally, he is therefore less grateful.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#9

"A new king arose over Egypt who did not know of Yoseph" (Shmot 1:8). Our Sages ask: can it be that he did not know of Yoseph? Even if he were a new king, did he not have some basic knowledge of Egyptian history? What the Torah means is that he knew who Yoseph was, but he did not WANT to know who he was! He lacked hakarat hatov for all that Yoseph had done for the Egyptian people. Chazal comment: "today he does not know Yoseph, tomorrow, he is destined to say 'I do not know Hashem'!" (Shmot 5:2) (Shmot Rabbah Parsha 1). This means that one who lacks hakarat hatov for his fellow human being will eventually deny the good Hashem has done for him.(HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#8

When you open up to the trait of gratitude, you see clearly how much good there is in your life. Gratitude affirms. Of course there will be things you are still lacking, and in reaching for gratitude no one is saying you ought to put on rose-colored glasses to obscure those shortcomings. But most of us tend to focus so heavily on the deficiencies in our lives that we barely perceive the good that counterbalances them.(jewishpathways.com)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#7

Whenever Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the Kotzker Rebbe, replaced a pair of worn-out shoes, he would neatly wrap up the old ones in newspaper before placing them in the trash, and would declare, "How can I simply toss away such a fine pair of shoes that have served me so well these past years!?"-(jewishpathways.com)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#6

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter once noticed that a fancy restaurant was charging a huge price for a cup of coffee. He approached the owner and asked why the coffee was so expensive. After all, some hot water, a few coffee beans and a spoonful of sugar could not amount to more than a few cents.
The owner replied: "It is correct that for a few cents you could have coffee in your own home. But here in the restaurant, we provide exquisite decor, soft background music, professional waiters, and the finest china to serve your cup of coffee."

Rabbi Salanter's face lit up. "Oh, thank you very much! I now understand the blessing of Shehakol -- 'All was created by His word' -- which we recite before drinking water. You see, until now, when I recited this blessing, I had in mind only that I am thanking the Creator for the water that He created. Now I understand the blessing much better. 'All' includes not merely the water, but also the fresh air that we breathe while drinking the water, the beautiful world around us, the music of the birds that entertain us and exalt our spirits, each with its different voice, the charming flowers with their splendid colors and marvelous hues, the fresh breeze -- for all this we have to thank God when drinking our water!"(http://www.jewishpathways.com/)

Daily Hakarat HaTov#5

There are two famous Rashi’s which refer to the idea of hakarat hatov. In connection with some of the makos, Hashem tells Moshe to do an action which will, in a sense, bring the makah onto the Mitzrim. However, by the makos of dam, tzfardeah, and kinim, Hashem tells Moshe to say to Aharon that he should do the action .

Rashi explains why Moshe was not supposed to do these actions himself. Rashi writes,
“Say to Aharon because the river protected Moshe when he was thrown into in and therefore the river was not smitten by his hand neither by dam nor tzfardeah. ”
Similarly, regarding kinim, Rashi writes,
“Say to Aharon- the soil did not deserve to be stricken by Moshe because it protected him when he hit the Mitzri and hid him in the sand .”

It seems strange that Moshe has some sort of debt or obligation of hakaras hatov to the land or water; the land and water do not have emotions or feelings, they certainly do not appreciate Moshe’s sensitivity. What is the point? Obviously, the answer is that this is supposed to teach a lesson to Moshe and to us. If a person has some sort of obligation to show hakaras hatov to inanimate objects, then kal v’chomer, all the more so, that we need to have hakaras hatov to people who do things for us. This is one of the lessons of the makos. We have to be careful how we treat people. We need to thank them when they do things for us. ..B.Ginsburg

Daily Hakarat HaTov#4

The Midrash equates the sin of ingratitude with fundamental theological denial (kefira b'Ikar) of Hashem. One who is ungrateful towards his fellow man is ultimately ungrateful towards the Almighty as well. One who is an ingrate to his boss, his friends, his spouse, his parents, and his neighbor will eventually come to deny the favors of the Hashem.-Rabbi Yissocher Frand,Ki Tavo

Daily Hakarat HaTov#3

The Alshich answers that the mitzvah of Bikkurim contains within it something that is fundamental to being a human being -- the obligation for people to express their gratitude and hakaras haTov. HaKaras haTov is so basic and primary that the whole world's creation was actualized just for this mitzvah, which teaches us and trains us in the attribute of gratitude.-Rabbi Yissocher Frand,Ki Tavo

Daily Hakarat HaTov#2

How do you recognize the good people do for you?

By seeing all that they do as a huge favor, they could have done something else with their time, effort ,emotions , resources etc

Daily Hakarat HaTov#1

How do you recognize the good in your life?

By seeing nothing as deserved and everything as a blessing,a free gift from Hashem, a Matnat Chinam.