LESSON LightofRestorationPeace,WorldCulture,Heavenly 25 GRATEFULBEING FOR KINDNESS LESSON OBJECTIVES 1 Understand the need and benefits of gratitude. 2 Understand that gratitude starts with remembering the grace one has received. TERMS TO KNOW • Gratitude • UNICEF • Ambassador
StepKindnessAcknowledgingistheFirsttoGratitude
2 25. Being Grateful for Kindness
There was a girl living in an underprivileged environment. She was so poor that she almost starved to death but thankfully, her neighbors found her right before. On top of this, World War II broke out so she spent her childhood in hunger. At that time, UNICEF, a relief organization, delivered relief goods to her. She was able to endure the period of starvation by eating bread she received from UNICEF.Shegrew up to become an actress in the U.S. and was the main actress in “Roman Holiday” which was directed by William Wyler. Through the movie, she received an Academy Award for Best Actress and became a globally known celebrity. Her name was Audrey Hepburn. After she retired, she served as an ambassador for UNICEF, the organization that helped her through her childhood, and traveled across the globe to extend a helping hand to children in need. Even when she was being treated for cancer, she visited Somalia, a country in Africa, to help the children there. As a result of all of her efforts, received praise from all over the world. She said, “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” Audrey Hepburn, who remembered the kindness she had received when she was younger, lived a life full of gratitude and volunteer work. Still Figure 25-1 Roman Holiday poster, Audrey Hepburn
• Thank you for being there for me in times of difficulty (Acknowledging another person’s existence)•Thank you for your effort (Acknowledging someone else’s effort) Expressing gratitude makes a person happy, and that content feeling spreads to others. Without any physical contact, the happiness of one person spreads and can impact our happiness. According to research, if I am happy, the chance of my friend being happy increases by 15% and the chance of my friend’s friend becoming happier increases by 10%. The chance of a friend of my friend’s friend becoming happy rises by 6%. A simple expression of thankfulness can start a chain effect where many people become happy.
It is not easy to be on good terms with members of a society where diverse people live together. Diverse societies not only have varieties in physical appearances and personalities, but also in backgrounds and values. With all of these differences it is easy to have misunderstandings and biases. What prevents such conflicts from occurring is “expressing gratitude.” By saying “Thank you,” we can open the hearts of the people who we talk to that create good impressions of each other. When we exchange words of gratitude, we naturally establish bonds and familiarity. Unless we explicitly express thankfulness, it cannot be delivered, so we need to actively express it. By doing so, we show support for each other and feel better together. Below are some examples of expressing gratitude:
Being Grateful Helps RelationshipsHarmoniousEstablishing
25. Being Grateful for Kindness 3 today, she is remembered in our hearts.
• Thank you for understanding (Acknowledging others’ efforts and sacrifices)
Despite having lost his hearing ability completely, he continued to rely on his inspiration to compose songs and had left behind masterpieces that move the hearts ofAsmany.wecan see, gratitude becomes the engine of strength to overcome and control difficult situations. It is not that we need a situation worth gratitude that we become thankful, but even in times of despair, if we focus on what we can be thankful for, we find what we can appreciate and overcome crises. Figure 25-2 Beethoven
4 25. Being Grateful for Kindness Being ObstaclesHelpsPerspectiveChangesGratefulOurandusOvercome
Beethoven, known as the saint of music, started suffering from hearing loss and by the time he was 32, he could barely hear anything. At the time, he was thinking of committing suicide after writing a will at a small town called Heilligenstadt on the suburban side of Vienna, Austria. However, he accepted reality and overcame it with gratitude, which led him to determining that he will continue his career as a musician. That moment marked Beethoven’s prime time as a musician. He released Sonata No. 2, 7, 10, 13, 14, 22, in a series and composed symphonies such as Heroic, Destiny, and Pastoral. In particular, Symphony No. 6 Pastoral’s Finale is a song of thanksgiving that a shepherd sings after a storm. This song is known to be written while he was reflecting on the comfort found within the forest of Heilligenstadt. Hence, people sometimes refer to the symphony as a “symphony of gratitude.”
25. Being Grateful for Kindness 5 Reviewing the Lesson 1 According to Audrey Hepburn, explain why people have two hands. 2 How does gratitude affect the formation of relationships with others? 3 What will be important to do since gratitude is not easily communicated? 4 How can gratitude help us when we face difficulties? 5 What is the nickname for Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 [Pastoral], which he composed after overcoming hearing loss? Activities 1 Let’s think about a time when I expressed my gratitude to someone. To whom, and how did you express it? How did that help you? Let’s share these with classmates. 2 For a week, let’s keep a diary of gratitude and share what has changed in our hearts by the end of the week. 3 Let’s express our heart of gratitude to family, friends, and teachers by using letters and notes. Let’s also collect replies.
Lesson25. Being Grateful for Kindness 5th floor 20, Nambusunhwan-ro 347-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South-Korea Tel. +82 02-514-1963 Fax. +82 Thehwpl@hwpl.krhttp://www.hwpl.kr02-514-1961firsteditionon31 July 2022 Published by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light Copyright 2022 Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light All rights reserved. You must get consent from a copyright owner to use all or parts of the contents of this book. Image Credits Figure 25-1 poster%29.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Roman_Holiday_%281953_ Figure 25-2 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Beethoven.jpg
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