Gratefulness Project's character development program comes to CU

By Susan Lang

As pollution, terrorism, hunger, cruelty and poverty continue to challenge our world, a new initiative at Cornell offers, organizers say, a simple strategy to buoy the spirit of the campus community and simultaneously to foster change in a troubled world. It is called the Gratefulness Project.

When the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy (CRESP) officially adopted the Gratefulness Project as one of its programs, Cornell became the first campus to embrace this novel program of character development.

Gathered in the Founder's Room of Anabel Taylor Hall last semester are, from left, Brother David Steindl-Rast, the founder of gratefulness.org; Anastasia Uglova '05, co-director of Ivy Associates; and Jonathan Back, the Gratefulness Project director at Cornell. Frank DiMeo/ University Photography

"CRESP's mission is to seek the participation of individuals in fostering vital and caring communities to provide a foundation for a world of peace, mutual understanding and respect for all life," said Anke Wessels, CRESP executive director. "To that end, we support innovative approaches to social transformation. We think, therefore, that the Gratefulness Project is a wonderful match with CRESP's mission and its basic values."

"Gratefulness is more than being thankful; it is an attitude and a simple practice that builds on a virtue approved by every religion and organization," explained Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk with a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Vienna and a well-known lecturer and author of many books, notably Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer (Paulist Press).

The goal of the Gratefulness Project is to raise public awareness of the benefits of practicing gratefulness for personal growth and social change. Gratefulness, as defined by the project, "is the spontaneous response of every human heart to life, goodness, truth and beauty."

Staff and faculty who have experienced the efficacy of gratitude are encouraged to serve as advisers and mentors for the program, organizers say.

"The burgeoning field of positive psychology convincingly demonstrates that a reawakening of gratitude results in increased health and well-being, philanthropy, civic responsiveness and Earth stewardship," said Jonathan Back, a 1971 alumnus of Cornell and the project's director. Depending on what they appreciate in their lives, participants can determine how they would like the Gratefulness Project to evolve on campus, such as whether they want to volunteer or organize events. "What develops at Cornell will be a prototype for other campuses to follow," Back said, "and we anticipate an international network of campus groups, linked by Web sites on the model of http://www.gratefulness.org."

"The practice of gratefulness is simple and immediately effective," said Steindl-Rast, who two years ago founded gratefulness.org, a noncommercial, virtual community in more than 100 countries that shares ideas, essays, tips and dialogues about the investigation, practice and dissemination of gratefulness. "You practice gratefulness, for example, by simply making a daily mental list of what you are grateful for, of seeking opportunity for joy or kindness in any given moment and of practicing awareness to counter walking through life in a daze. By doing so, you will immediately see the effect," said Steindl-Rast, a former Thorpe lecturer and postdoctoral fellow at Cornell and winner of the American Book Award, the Martin Buber Award and a 2003 nominee for the prestigious Templeton Prize. "These practices foster an attitude of keeping the goodness of the world flowing, of receiving that goodness with open arms and then giving it out -- that's the key to happiness," he said.

"The Gratefulness Project has the potential to uplift people's spirits and strengthen the morale of the Cornell community," said Anastasia Uglova, a sophomore from Queens, N.Y., majoring in government and co-director of Ivy Associates, a Cornell, student-run arm of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Ivy Associates is launching a major public awareness campaign to make the campus and local community aware of the importance, and power, of practicing gratefulness.

"The attitude of gratefulness is an antidote to stress and fear," said Back, "as well as a way for students to develop a sense of appreciation and glean a better understanding of themselves, their aspirations and their role as caring global citizens."

"In the tradition of the movie 'Pay It Forward,' the Gratefulness Project gives students reasons to be grateful and inspires them to carry forth this positive attitude throughout the day, infecting others and creating a happier community," said Uglova. "Campus spirit is strong, and student sentiment and activism is very abundant. In such an environment, gratefulness should find itself a likely partner."

"Having Cornell students committed to this initiative is particularly exciting," Back added, "because each one of them represents a powerful agent of change for the future."

For more information or to participate, contact Back at jhb27@cornell.edu or call the Gratefulness Project office at 387-3783.