Gratitude
Gratitude is an essential ingredient of mindfulness and conscious living.
The virtue of gratitude grounds us 100% in the present, in the here and now. It helps us recognize the small and big joys of life. It cultivates positivity in a beneficial way, by developing a different way of thinking about our lives. It helps us have better relationships. It helps us perceive our virtues and gifts, so we can recognize our path and our choices. At the same time, in spiritual expression, it opens us to the universal field and creates the frequency for continuously increasing abundance in all areas of our lives.
The practice of gratitude, initially, leads us to recognize the gifts of our lives, through the gift of life itself. We can gradually acknowledge the gifts of the present, then those of the past and consequently those gifts that will appear later.
In the next stage of this practice, we realize that saying “thank you” from our hearts is like a prayer. We understand that this deep sense of gratitude is shared with people and situations around us. It reflects on our face the smile, the inner smile of our soul, with the connection, the certainty, that even in the difficult moments of life, there are gifts. Thus, we allow ourselves to perceive the lessons more directly and quickly, to have our realizations and to move forward in our lives in connection with our hearts.
As we further engage in this practice, gratitude becomes a state of being. It has transformed from simply a practice of writing down in our journals the things, animals, situations, and people we are grateful for in our lives, to the point where we inhale and exhale “thank you”.
Gratitude leads us to altruism and selflessness; we move from the small “I” to the grand “we”. We become concerned with the greater good and become part of it.
The greatness of gratitude
We realize that the greatness of gratitude transcends the limits of mere practice. It is a very deep path, a complete meditation practice itself.
It reminds us of our smallness and randomness while simultaneously, the beauty everywhere, around and within us. How everything is part of everything and only by being grateful can we feel that we too are a small part of it. Gratitude reaches a point of overflowing and filling the space of the heart, and automatically, we want to share it everywhere around us. It transforms us in our communication and in our kindness.
With gratitude, we can also gain and maintain discernment, remaining attuned to what is truly “For us” and in alignment with our path. We gain a deep understanding that the people, animals, situations, and things that have appeared, are appearing, and will appear in our lives are those that should be, always for the greater good. And the cycles that close, likewise. We gain a deeper understanding of cyclicity and the acceptance of the cycle of life/death/life (Clarissa Pincola Estes).
Sense of Fulfillment
We realize that with the constant recognition of virtues and goods in our lives, the moment of feeling fulfilled comes. This, in turn, leads us to maturity, acceptance, to feel sufficient, and to create increasingly better conditions in our lives.
With gratitude, a path opens up without return.
This week's practice!
The well-known to all of us gratitude journal.
There are many ideas and ways to do it.
Find what suits you and incorporate it as a small daily ritual. You can take 5-10 minutes in a quiet place and start writing down what you are grateful for. It may only come out as one thing at first. Keep going until you reach 10. Continue daily with another 10 or however many come to you.
If you have no previous experience, you can place your hands on the center of your chest and take a few breaths. Once you have calmed down and brought your awareness to the present and to the center of your heart, start writing.
You can incorporate into your practice the gratitude meditation from the BrainTuning Podcast.
Whatever is written represents the sharing of personal thoughts and observations. Its purpose is to share and potentially provoke thought. It is not a diagnosis, nor a reference to illnesses, syndromes, dysfunctions, or disorders.
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