We've focused recently on developing and using a practice of gratitude. One discovery that has emerged is how effectively gratitude can work to release us from the mindless and devastating stress built by habit into our daily lives. The first step on this path is recognizing that gratitude isn't just an exercise of etiquette: one more virtue we should cultivate, one more damn thing to do. Rather, it is our spontaneous response when we wake up to the fact that life is a gift, and our sense of wonder is restored.
— Alan Jones, Seasons of Grace by Alan Jones, John O'Neil