Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Right to Expression....Gratitude

Gratitude is thanks.
We acknowledge the value
of any gift or non-obligatory well doing,
blessing or tragedy.

Imagine a cycle of thankfulness spreading an "attitude of gratitude"
from one recipient to the next across the world.

Gratitude's power could lead to world peace, supporting the Right to Peace.

Therefore, I declare the Right to Gratitude.
This right is supported by the Right to Joy and the Right to Expression.


"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues."
Marcus Tullius Cicero, ancient Roman statesman. (106 BC-43 BC)


As with all the Rights for a Right-full life,
gratitude is free.

All Rights for a Right-full life
exist as separate rights to remind us of them
and to encourage us to make them social norms.
Many are supported by the
Right to Expression.

I give thanks for the Right to Gratitude.


Revision: thanks to Chuck F., R.A.T.jr., JBS, *NG*, GLT, JENS

61 comments:

Anonymous said...

I support the right to gratitude! We should all be grateful in some sort of fashion. Having gratitude is an acknowledgement of others action. A blessing is not gratitude is a gift that life, God or others give to thee. We should be grateful for such blessings but can't confuse the 2. I am grateful for this blog, it has challenged my views, open me to new ideas and creativity!

Chuck F.

Chuck F.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to gratitude. What better way is there to live than being thankful for all life has given you? We should show our gratitude on a daily basis and impose the same onto those around us. We should greet each morning with the appreciation it deserves. It should be reflective in everything you do. Those that don’t show gratitude are ungrateful. It is much harder to be ungrateful than not. Join us in exhorting to live life with gratitude! Let’s follow President John F. Kennedy’s quote “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” YYD

Anonymous said...

I am thankful with everyone even if it is something as small as saying "bless you" when I sneeze. I think we should all be grateful for everything even if it it’s something so simple, just say thank you and let that person know that you are grateful. I gave two thumbs up to the right to gratitude. Cd884

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to gratitude. One of the best things that you can do is to have gratitude; for everything that you have, everything that you have done, for all the people in your life.

HM

Anonymous said...

I absolutely support the right to gratitude. Gratitude is an essential feeling to being happy. Being grateful for the things you have, people in your life, opportunities, or simply for being alive, is so important.
~TP~

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Right to Gratitude. When a person expresses their gratitude to someone, the person they are thanking will probably do another act of thoughtfulness. It feels good to be appreciated. Likewise the person who expressed their gratitude may be prompted to carry out an act of kindness as well. When people have a heart of gratefulness it brings about a healthy atmosphere whether it is at the workplace, home, or school. DS

Anonymous said...

This is a selfless right. If we stop our busy lives to be grateful, we will appreciate everything we have a lot more. I also agree with the person who commented above in saying that one act will lead to another. And being grateful doesn't have to do with big extravagant things, simple things like having a good day is something to be grateful about. Gratitude can be found in the simplest of things, that is what will makes the person most grateful. When they are able to appreciate the simplicity of life, they can move onto the appreciation of the more complex aspects of life.

BS

Anonymous said...

The right to gratitude. Is it also supported by the right to charity? The more we give, The more we receive. The more we accept the blessings we have, the more we receive, the more we give.It is cyclical. Not just material things, but emotional , fulfilling things. By being pleased and gracious with our lot and gracious in our charity, the more gratitude and Joy we experience. What a wonderful life.
CTK

Anonymous said...

Count your blessings.

We often don’t understand or accept the path laid out before us.

Things fall into place and a once bitter man understands the purpose of his tragedy.

Through his tragedy he finds himself.

Count your tragedies.


“Delight and Angers. I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to be”.
R.A.T.Jr.

Anonymous said...

Having an attitude of gratitude, can help you change your life. Instead of complaining about what you don't have, you need be grateful for your health,your family,your life and all the others things you take for granted. It will not only make you a better person,you will live a happier life.cjj

Anonymous said...

I strongly agree with the right to Gratitude.
Something free in this material world. Being grateful is just a simple act that can change your attitude towards the world.
It’s hard to be grateful when things don’t go the way we want, but I believe that everything happens for a reason, that why in some point of my day, I close my eyes and I try to remind myself what I am grateful in life.
My life changed completely, when I decided to remember that short phase that I mentioned before. “Everything happens for a reason”, and be grateful every time no matter if it was for good or bad.
I want to have in my life positive energy, and remember that no matter how bad the situation is, there's always someone worse than me.
*NG*

Anonymous said...

Gratitude it something that your born with, some people feel they deserve everything while others feel gratitude even for simple things, like when someone opens the door for them or tells them their shoe is untied. I believe it is a value and it has to do with your morals.
CP

Anonymous said...

I believe a cycle of gratitude could help the world become a better place. A cycle of thankfulness, repaid to the generous or paid forward to the next recipient, could spread an "attitude of gratitude" across social groups to a grand scale. Maybe this is how we could accomplish a peaceful protest as mentioned in this site's prior blogs. JBS

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is being thankful for all that we have been given. to be grateful brings many good things to our lives. I consider myself to be a grateful person. I am grateful even for the most simple things. I agree With the right to gratitude.

S.A.

Anonymous said...

The right to gratitude is being able to freely express thanks to someone who we feel has done something that benefits us. It is technically the right to express ourselves freely. It seems weird to have it as a separate right. Separating this right makes it seem that it is not included in the freedom of expression. I do agree that we have a right to gratitude, but I do not see the point in it being a separate right since it is included in the others. GLT

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is a very important emotion or feeling. It does not only tell an individual that you appreciate their action but that this action is valuable. I believe that when one is truly grateful for the action received, one will have a more positive behavior not only towards the individual that provided the action, but to everyone as well.GIM

Anonymous said...

The Right to Gratitude is a very important right. I have recently noticed how important gratitude is for the ones who are giving you blessings and yourself. I was never one to be grateful for anything, much less show gratitude to others. Now, I make it a point to be loud and clear to others when I am grateful. Those around me are well aware of my gratitude and this makes me a better person. I believe if others were more grateful and showed gratitude more often; this world would be a peaceful place. JENS

Anonymous said...

I support the right to gratitude. Everyday we should be grateful that we have an opportunity to live. I give thanks to god for everything that he provides us in life. We should be happy with what we have because we never know the day that we can loose everything. H.I.V

Anonymous said...

I really like the Right to Gratitude. We have to be thankfull for what we have as well as for what we do not.Let's look around and count our blessing. Let's take this very moment to say "thanks", it doesn't cost a thing and makes you feel wonderfull.
Cyn.U

Anonymous said...

I am for the right to Gratitude. It is a great movement. Believe it or not, showing gratitude to someone is so rewarding to both the person receiving the thanks and the one giving it. It really makes people feel a sense of reason. Its also brings happiness to know that someone was aware and noticed your good deed. So I have to say I very well support the right to gratitude and I believe it should be done more often. -VA

Anonymous said...

I believe in the right to Gratitude. I think that we should all be thankful for everything we have and will receive in our lives. Many of us take for granted the things we have been given and are not grateful for them. I feel if this became a very strong movement it could change the world and how people think about life.
C.Munoz

Anonymous said...

I totally support the right to gratitude. I have been living my whole life supporting this right. It makes you a better person yesterday, today and tomorrow. Have you ever done something and then years later someone thank you for it? To know that the act has been acknowledged may make you want to do more good things. If you do good things you are rewarded with gratitude. A person may not say thank you but their actions may show gratitude. So be careful that they are different forms of gratitude and you may not receive it immediately but you will definitely receive it someday. RR

Anonymous said...

The Right to Gratitude is very simple but yet so many people do not know how to use it. As children's we were taught by our parents to always say "thank you", "excuse me" and "please" but some parents at times failed to truly tell us the meaning of being thankful. I sometimes believe that since these words were taught to us and have been used for so many years that its more of an automatic response rather than a true feeling for what projects out of one's mouth. In the end, as adults due to circumstances, life's lessons and experience is when we start to understand the right to gratitude. NOBRA

Anonymous said...

I live by the right to gratitude, but I don't feel it would bring about peace if everyone felt it. There will always be that one who will use it to get something back in return. For a selfish reason.

-YODA

Anonymous said...

I completely agree with the right to gratitude. What better way is there to live than to be thankful at all moments of your life and achieve happiness through it? I believe gratitude is the best attribute a person can have, to show appreciation when something is done for them and being able to give back. When we are grateful, we view life with a different perspective and we get to influence directly the people we surround on a daily basis. AO

Anonymous said...

Gratitude - such a positive and powerful word. The faithful tend to look at each new day as a blessing, grateful for the opportunity of a new beginning, a fresh start. When we are grateful, something positive has happened. An outcome, a solution we have been anticipating is better than expected. We are the receiver of good news; someone has come to our aid, offered assistance, given of his or her time willingly for our benefit. As recipients of goodwill we need to respond in kind. By giving, we receive. VMR

Anonymous said...

The right to gratitude should be a part of our daily lives. We as a nation should be so grateful for the people that have shed there lives for us. This country, as much termoil that is going on right now, has given us a dream we could never dream of without the people who gave their lives for us to have a better life. Be grateful for every day on this earth for the ones who gave their lives for us! DH63

Anonymous said...

Gratitude, disguised as a simple "thanks", a smile or a thumbs up, it is the recognition of an action that has somehow, somewhere helped someone. Appreciation as defined by the Merriam-Webster is "The recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.", so even the act of appreciation come hand in hand with gratitude. I am grateful and thankful to you for having helped me earlier, correct? I think every person should try to put this right in use, that is the kind of thing that helps our society grow and be more considerate of everyone in it. Be thankful to those who help you and help those who need you. A grateful gesture will always make someone feel better.

-DBM

Anonymous said...

The right to Gratitude is a great idea. This shouldn’t have to be a right but maybe this way people would be more grateful for what they have. Everybody is grateful for something or to someone, but most people don’t accept this. Most people are too proud to say thank you. I guess that what I am trying to say is that maybe by making gratitude a right, maybe just maybe people won’t be too proud to be thankful. CMP

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Right to Gratitude.I believe everyone should be very Thankful for there blessings and Show gratitude towards those who help them being generous and showing your appreciation towards those who help you will show gratitude.If people would show more gratitude and respect towards eachother the world would be better peaceful place.JP

Anonymous said...

I agree with the Right to Gratitude. Just the other day my psychology teacher gave us a homework assignment in which we had to write three things we were greatful for at the end of our day, for a week. I found out that there were many things to be greatful for not just the basic thigs we have everyday like food, but also friends, family and things we did in the day to make our lives or others, easier.
-LizR

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love this blog! It is like a bible or code of ethics that everyone should go by. We should all express gratitude and maybe by doing so we will know how good it is to receive and give a little more. I feel like everyday is a blessing, I am grateful for every single little thing in my life and praise God for it. When people see that you are humble and grateful for something it makes them want to give you more or help you more. Amen to the right to gratitude!
SG

Anonymous said...

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." "Joy is a heart full and a mind purified by gratitude". I believe being grateful is very important in it open many doors and build stronger friendships . I get so irritated when I see someone being so polite and helping someone and that person doesn't even say thank you back, I think to myself where in the world did they receive there education. Just a simple thank you or a smile can change a person day.That why I agree with this blog one hundredth percent we should have the right to Gratitude.
Y.A

GT said...

From the moment we are born life gives us an infinite array of blessings. The right to be grateful should not only be expressed with words but with actions. I believe the only way to honor our gratitude for life is to enjoy it to its fullest, be as good to others as life has been to us and to explore our God given gifts and share it with the world. Motivating and inspiring people can also create an endless chain of gratitude in others.

Anonymous said...

I think gratitude is a wonderful thing i think its wonderful to know that someone appriciates the things you do for them, when someone says thank you to me for something ive done it gives me a good feeling to know that someone cares.i live by the right for gratitude because it shows others how good of a person you are, but when people use gratitude for selfish gains than that just makes me sick.-RBM

Anonymous said...

The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer. If you give thanks for the little things you will come to see how much you really have to be grateful for in life. The right to gratitude is a beautiful thing. Being grateful is an enormous factor in our happiness. If we are not grateful then no matter how much we have we will not be happy because we will always want to have something else or something more. -KKP

Anonymous said...

The right to gratitude can pave the path to peace, if we could all learn to be happy for everything that we are given whether good or bad. This of course should come with time. We would need to focus on whats important like being grateful for all of our blessings, and to not take them as if they must be given to us. The reality is that just as easy as it came, it can all be taken away just as easy. Something to keep in mind. I'm thankful for the right of gratitude for it has once again reminded me of how fortunate I am to exist. JE

Anonymous said...

I agree completely with the Right of Gratitude. We should all be grateful for everything we have and for being part of this life. Many people do not have food, a house, or even a family. When we complain about the things we don't have, we don't look at our surroundings to notice all the beautiful things we have next to us. Being grateful is beautiful and satisfying. ME

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is something that should be practiced on a daily basis. Whether it is to a family or friend or even a stranger that opened a door for you. I don't believe that gratitude has to necessarily be a thankyou, but it can be by actions. For example, your in an elevator and the person next to you lets you in first. When you get in and the elevator door opens, let that person get out of the elevator first. It shows and says " thank you" even though you did not say it verbally. If you don't show gratitude a person may feel that there is no reason to do a good deed and may stop and turn selfish. In a way, without gratitude there will never be peace.-NR

Anonymous said...

The right to gratitude should be in everyone’s vocabulary. We should always have gratitude for the life we live. Showing gratitude in the smallest ways can make a persons day. In my opinion without gratitude we would not value ourselves. Many people take their life for granted instead of being thankful. Other countries around the world aren’t as fortune as the United States. Instead of life passing us by we should be thankful and help out for a better future and the less fortunate.
Signed-SB

Anonymous said...

People should be grateful. Just the act of being born is worth being thankful for. I believe the right to gratitude will ultimately enlighten your life and make you more humble to life. More often people should appreciate things like education, family, and health. Let's not take life for granted...mlv...

Anonymous said...

I declare the right to gratitude; I think all of us should show gratitude to one another, we should be great full and give thanks each and every day we wake up. If each of us each day showed some gratitude for each other I think there would be more peace in the world and people wouldn’t be so angry all the time. I think really the only time we show gratitude is on Thanksgiving Day, but really it should be everyday. Our parents show us different manners as kids but it’s up to us to continue with it and share it with others. So why not say thank you for time to time, it shows you appreciate. AFF

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is a feeling and feelings should be sincere. Therefore, I think we should only express our gratitude if we really feel it. We should not confuse it with politeness or turn it into some kind of behavioral etiquette.
Torpedo179

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, I get caught up in so much of the day to day aspects of my life that I don’t get the chance to be grateful for the little things. Just being alive, having my family, food, water, and so forth, I have much more than a lot of people (mostly in comparison to those outside of the U.S.). I try to be grateful; I wish to show appreciation but the “small” things I often overlook. This saddens me. Maybe tomorrow I wake up a little more thankful.  Cbereng

Anonymous said...

I strongly support the right to gratitude. It is just the right way to be and is instilled in most of us from childhood. It feels good to say 'thank you' and to receive thank yous. RhW

Anonymous said...

Gratitude is best served with kindness. We need to continue to educate to the whole world how important it is to be grateful and to let others know that you appreciate whatever they have done for you. Parents need to make an extra effort to their kids to make sure that that they teach them to show gratitude. If every person said thank you to the next one this world would be a much more peaceful place.

Anonymous said...

AAA..

Anonymous said...

Gratitute, Thankfulness, and gratefulness are all beautiful emotions. What better way to live to be thankful of how fortunate you are, to be able to acknowledge and be thankful of how blessed you truly are.
KP

Anonymous said...

In my opinion everyone should support the right of gratitude. It is important to be thankful for all the things you have in life. As people grow older and begin to mature I think they become more grateful and acknowledge a lot more. Many young children aren’t aware that having a home and a decent family is something to be grateful for and at times it can be taken for granted. Also it’s important to show that you are grateful towards those that try and do well for you out of kindness. The act of gratitude is something that should be shown threw out our everyday lives. Showing a person that you appreciate what they have done for you can make them extremely happy. Just remember always show gratitude and be grateful for the life you live and the things you have including the time spent with your family, your education, freedom, and good health.ML

Anonymous said...

One must be grateful for the things they have and receive, thanks to gratitude people can appreciate what they have without always expecting more and hating what they have as if it wasn’t good enough. Let’s take a family for example, you are grateful for having one and if you aren’t then that family will never come to be the beauty it could have been and as a result raise a child in a poor and traumatizing environment, all because of the parent’s selfish views and lack of self-satisfaction.
AG

Anonymous said...

In life we have to be grateful for everything that we have in life. The right to gratitude is what keeps us humble and appreciative for what we are blessed for. My grandfather always use to tell me that no matter how bad you think you have it, there is always a line behind you with people that have it even worse. This small little phrase has always allowed me to have more gratitude.
Robert M. Pino

Anonymous said...

A lot of bad things can happen in someone's life. I don't begrudge anyone feeling angry at the world after seeing what can happen, but that's why this right is so important. Being thankful for any kindness, even by rote repetition, can be a compelling way to see how much good can happen in the world as well.

--DenisA

Anonymous said...

Without gratitude, there would be even less incentive and motives for someone to go out of their way to do something nice for another. We are all human and if we don’t feel appreciated for something we tend not to do it anymore. A little gratitude can bring a lot of positive attitudes.
LZ-

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to gratitude. I believe that people should be more thankful for what they have. There's a saying, "You won't know what you have until you lose it." I have asked myself many time before why it is that people are so blind to the efforts other do to please someone else and why it is so much more difficult to thank someone when you were the cause of their pain? If people where more honest with one another and give credit where credit is due there would be a lot more peace amongst us.
M.D.L.

TrustMeImADoctor said...

The best person in the world can become wicked and inflicted with hatred and anger. The little things that people do to help others are truly incredible. But many people don't appreciate them as much as they should. I'm grateful for everything that happens whether it is good or bad, some things are just not meant to be. However life is short and many times I personally take them for granted too. That is why the right to be grateful would be an amazing right.

LXC said...

The right to gratitude is not only an attitude, but a way of life. Expressing gratitude is important because it allows us to focus on the positive aspects of our lives instead of the negative. Instead if listing all the things that have gone wrong, being grateful and focusing on the positive will give you a different outlook on life. I think it is easy to take for granted the simple things in life and focus on what we do not have. However, the right to gratitude ensures that we count our blessings.

Anonymous said...

The best gift in life is "to be grateful":
To God, to frineds, to everyone that surrounds us on a daily basis
The biggest challenge i have had in life is to be able to admit it, live it, breath it and pass it on to others, gratefullness IS a big word in my vocabulary!
If everyone in the world was grateful, we would have WORLD PEACE!
Gratefulness is a part of my life every day, when I wake up I thank God for what he's given me, before I go to sleep, I thank God for everything that happened that day, the message I was able to pass to others, the way I behaved myself, and the happiness I created for myself and others.
IML

Anonymous said...

I am a proud supporter of Gratitude. If everyone would be grateful for the actions of what we say or do, this world would be a much better place.

Vilma S.

Anonymous said...

Although gratitude is great I think too many people use it as an excuse to not be charitable at a lower level. Like doing things for someone who is always ungrateful, eventually most people want a little bit o recognition and if they know that they will not receive it than there is no point to them. (This is not how I feel about the subject though it's just a point I thought I would bring up),

-AJG

Anonymous said...

I completely 100% support “The Right to Gratitude”. Every day I have breath in my
body; I ‘am grateful and give my upmost gratitude to the Lord. If everyone in the world
were to throw their problems in a landfill, I bet you will grab yours back and be
thankful for the little things in life. In every bad situation, there is a lesson so
have gratitude for the life you live. No matter how hard it is and give respect, to the
ones who make life worth living or easier for you.
JD

muaath alheji said...

The phrase "Thank you", no matter in what language you say it, is one of the best, simple and free thing to say to anybody. This phrase is simple, yet rich in worth and value. There is nothing wrong with saying thank you to anybody no matter what the situation is. Majority of people are afraid to say thank you because they think they might lose their value as a person but thats totally wrong. If I ever ask a friend for a favor I will thank him before and after you does that favor. M.A. ( Muaath Alheji )