Spontaneous gratitude

Description:

This is an awareness of being grateful for the very particular situation: for the colour of cheeses on a platter, for the smoky haze clinging to the window pane. Then the whole world rapidly becomes an object of gratitude: each element, dynamic and relationship a miracle. Life teems about one, showering blessings everywhere, and one hears welling up from inside one's being a mighty "Whoopie !". It may be compared to the song "Life is a banquet" in the film "Aunt Mame", or to "Life is a cabaret" in the film "Cabaret".
A dimension of this experience is a sense of awe, that is fear and fascination. One asks "What did I do to deserve this ?", and fears one may never experience such a time again. The fascination is manifested as exhilaration with the gratitude that is flooding one's life. In this moment one finds one has surrendered to this gratitude. Subsequent contentment and feelings of having been healed will no longer depend on circumstances: a falling leaf or a spoken word will recall this overwhelming sense of deep appreciation.

Context:

This state is number 58 in the ICA [Other World in the midst of this World].<

Broader:

Contentment at the centre

About the Encyclopedia

The Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential is a unique, experimental research work of the Union of International Associations. It is currently published as a searchable online platform with profiles of world problems, action strategies, and human values that are interlinked in novel and innovative ways. These connections are based on a range of relationships such as broader and narrower scope, aggravation, relatedness and more. By concentrating on these links and relationships, the Encyclopedia is uniquely positioned to bring focus to the complex and expansive sphere of global issues and their interconnected nature.

The initial content for the Encyclopedia was seeded from UIA’s Yearbook of International Organizations. UIA’s decades of collected data on the enormous variety of association life provided a broad initial perspective on the myriad problems of humanity. Recognizing that international associations are generally confronting world problems and developing action strategies based on particular values, the initial content was based on the descriptions, aims, titles and profiles of international associations.

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Spontaneous gratitude

About the Encyclopedia

About UIA