For most of us, saying 'Thank you' is a habit engraved into our minds. We have been conditioned by our societies to express 'please' and 'thank you' in nearly every transaction. Have we ever considered that this expression may just be a habit of speech, a verbal expression empty of emotion on the inside?
Let's get into this a bit deeper. Let's ask ourselves, do we often consider how fortunate we actually are, or can we admit that we do take things for granted most of the time? For most of us, we tend to live on the gross level of reality. Thus, we express gross levels of gratitude, when we do, but what about the more subtle levels of existence?
We may be thankful when we receive gifts or something big, something we feel we truly needed or prayed for, but do we consider the smaller things we tend to take for granted? This question may not apply to all of us, but it may still serve as a good reminder for those of us that are mindful of our daily blessings.
Taking our blessings for granted
Are we, daily, thankful for the roof over our heads, for the fresh air we are inhaling, for the water which is accessible to us by simply opening a tap? Clean, fresh water. Further, are we thankful for our senses working, for our emotional and physical well-being? Are we truly thankful for these gifts, or do we take them for granted?We tend to be so caught up in the physical world, trapped by our mental attachments and desires, that we completely take our daily blessings for granted. We feel that it is a right to have fresh air and water, electricity, a roof over our heads, etc. We forget how fortunate we are, and get upset that we do not have more, bigger, better... dissatisfied with what we have been granted.
This also concerns our network of friends and families. We tend to take each other for granted, until the moment we lose someone. Then, it is too late to express gratitude, and the only way we can make ourselves feel better is to place flowers on a grave or say kind words, unfortunately, in the absence of the ones that passed away.
The truth is, we need each other. We completely depend on others. Some may differ, no? We may say, I have my own money, I am self-employed, I can cook and wash and do my own thing, I do not need others at all. We have these illusions, don't we?
Well, think about the clothes you are wearing. Someone had to make them, transport them to a store or market. The food that we consume on a daily basis, depends on the farmers, the workers, the packers in the stores, and the cashiers at the till. Even the pots, pans, electricity, and water we use to cook, have been supplied to us by the hands of others. Even the mere fact that we can read this text, means that someone taught us how to read.
We completely depend on others. If this is true, can we then even say that 'others' exist, or are we just part of one magical organism, altogether?
'Sub Ek', as the term in Hindi goes.
All One.
Only One to thank
On an extremely subtle level, we realize that all our gratitude ends up going to God. God manifests as the sun, the earth, the water, climate, intelligence. From the seed being planted to the farmer, to the packer of the shelves in the supermarket, all these are manifestations of God.Through understanding this, we can actually see how kind God is to us, how much God loves us and cares for us. How much we actually depend on God.
Now, with this in mind, let's reconsider the amount of gratitude we actually express. Gratitude towards each person, each factor involved for us to experience anything, each aspect of God is equally important to us, to have and enjoy the blessings we receive daily.
When we take time each morning to count our blessings, we can not help but feel fortunate. How fortunate are we actually? How much do we actually have? So much, we are so fortunate. Even if we just take five minutes each morning to consider how much we have. Not only on a gross level but on a subtle level, the more important things we tend to take for granted.
Each morning we wake up, we have another opportunity to experience this life. We are breathing, we have a place to sleep, fresh air, water, a blanket, mental health, physical health, etc. and most importantly, we know that God lives within us, and is always with us. By knowing this, how can we not feel most fortunate!
The deeper the level of gratitude, the more we realize how much we have! On a gross level of gratitude, we may simply be thankful for a job, house, and money. However, on a very subtle level of gratitude, we realize we have health, friends, love, education, and more. It goes on and on, it is endless, when we actually try to comprehend how much we have. The more we realize we have, the more gratitude we can express towards God and towards our communities and societies.
Even when we feel that we are being mistreated by others, that we are being treated unjustly, or that someone is being rude to us, we can express gratitude! Yes, we can consider how extremely thankful we are for the opportunity we have been offered to practice patience, love, to practice forgiveness, and kindness. How wonderful!
To conclude, a heart filled with gratitude is a beautiful thing. Gratitude does not stop here, by being thankful. Gratitude continues, by sharing our fortune with others. Sharing our blessings, our joys, our gratitude goes hand in hand with kindness. It creates endless cycles of happiness, joy, kindness, and compassion. We are so thankful for what we have, that we want to share it with everyone we know, and with every living being. From the food on our table to the peace and love in our hearts. An endless amount of gratitude and kindness.
Is this not great, this wonderful combination of gratitude and kindness?
A beautiful gift that keeps on giving!
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