Paraphrased summary of Chapter 6 of Coming Back to Life (Joanna Macy & Molly Brown, 2nd ed., 2014). Full teaching points at the Work That Reconnects Network — the primary home for Joanna’s work online. See also the companion training video.
The spiral of the Work That Reconnects begins with gratitude, not because the world’s condition doesn’t warrant grief and anger — those come next — but because gratitude is what grounds everything that follows.
Teaching points
Gratitude as spiritual foundation. The impulse underlying all religious traditions is gratitude for the gift of life — a practice that counters our tendency to take existence for granted. The Tibetan Buddhist tradition exemplifies this by reflecting on the preciousness of human life: precious not because of any moral superiority, but because humans possess self-reflexive consciousness and the capacity for intentional choice.
Grounding in crisis. Gratitude steadies us during turmoil and danger by bringing us into present awareness. Buddhist practice pairs reflection on life’s preciousness with recognition of its brevity, awakening us to the gift of the present moment.
Independence from circumstances. The world’s crisis doesn’t diminish wonder in this moment. Gratitude is not dependent on our external circumstances — rather, we have the privilege of being on hand to take part in the Great Turning.
A quietly subversive function. Gratitude undermines consumerism in industrial capitalism by counteracting the manufactured dissatisfaction that drives consumption.
An indigenous practice. Among the Haudenosaunee peoples, gratitude functions as a sacred duty, offered at ceremonies to all life-giving elements — a practice linked to the resilience and dignity of Native communities facing historical oppression.
For facilitators: begin with a warm welcome, and let gratitude arise naturally in participants rather than prescriptively naming what they should feel.