“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.”
– Brother David Steindl-Rast (Austrian-American Author and Benedictine Monk)

In this episode we explore Judy Graves and Shahram Vahdany, two spiritual people who prefer the simple life and live in the moment to help others. Through their embodiment of gratefulness, we understand how simply we can live and still be happy. All the commodities around us provide false comfort. Life is not to be taken for granted, every moment is a blessing we can feel grateful for.

Judy Graves takes us to the streets where she is welcomed because she is a familiar face. She is often referred to as the Mother Teresa of Vancouver. Through extraordinary measures of wisdom, courage and compassion, Judy Graves helps thousands of homeless people, and works to bring about meaningful change in the delivery of social welfare in the province of British Columbia. How does Judy remain grateful?

Judy Graves takes us to the streets where she is welcomed because she is a familiar face. She is often referred to as the Mother Teresa of Vancouver. Through extraordinary measures of wisdom, courage and compassion, Judy Graves helps thousands of homeless people, and works to bring about meaningful change in the delivery of social welfare in the province of British Columbia. How does Judy remain grateful?

We are introduced to Shahram’s Zen Buddhist philosophy and how this plays into his happiness. Shahram meditates daily and everything he does is with complete focus on the task at hand. Shahram prefers a more solitary life, spending much of his time writing for his alternative news blog. His engagement with disturbing news constantly reminds him that he is fortunate to live in a peaceful and well-governed country. Shahram is a parent who has lost a child to suicide. How has he managed to stay happy?