“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.” – Meister Eckhart
It is amazing how one simple word can mean so much and convey so much of positivity from one person to another, as gratitude does! And yet, how rare it is to find people grateful to another for the good that happens to them. Realising this truth has taken me half a lifetime, but I can say for sure that it has changed my attitude towards any good that comes my way now. In fact, it has changed the way I now look at life itself.
Showing gratitude means taking nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kindness that stands behind the action. Everything that is done for originates in a will for the good, directed at us.
We can train ourselves never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. To begin with, this week I decided to start my day with an extra special helping of gratitude for the difficult and painful situations in life that are teaching me the value of a regular (normal) day when we are physically fit enough to carry on our normal activities! As I suffer from acute pain and the search for the remedy goes on, I am deeply grateful to everyone who comes and gives me help and solace and warmth and makes me feel the surge of positivity that makes me value every single moment of my life today.
Life is so precious and I wish to make the most of whatever has been given to me, viz., my family, my inner strength and willpower, and most of all, the unconditional love and affection showered on me by my family, friends and well-wishers!
And this week, my resolution is to begin my day and make the most of it, irrespective of how much pain I am feeling at any given moment.
I begin the day, every morning, by taking a few minutes to think of the people who have done something nice for me… to think of all the things in my life I’m grateful for – grateful for the beautiful sunset I watched a couple of days back, grateful to my boy who tended to me when I was unwell and for the lovely things he does every day to cheer me up or make me smile or even the wonderful gesture when my better half reaches out to me assuring me that I will be better sooner than I expect, or the way he takes time out from a busy day to spend it together with me; I am also grateful to all those who send me warm, positive thoughts each day, and to all my readers for being there! Trust me, it does mean a lot and all I can say to each one of you is a BIG THANK YOU!
It’s true, we won’t get to everything in a few minutes of gratitude, but it’s enough for a starter. Showing gratitude is a matter of habit and every trial and tribulation teaches us that we can also take away something even greater from these adversities: gratitude for the life we still have!
A genuine appreciation for the ephemeral beauty of life itself. And, of course, love for the people who are still in our lives!
“Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.” – Dalai Lama
(This post was written as part of the Gratitude circle posts which features on the 4th Thursday of every month)
There’s so much to be thankful for even with our pains and sufferings. Having an attitude of gratitude actually changes our perspective on life 🙂
Absolutely Shilpa…I agree gratitude makes us see and appreciate the small but the most important things!
Thank you so much, Laurel. Grateful to you and all my readers for being there 🙂
What a beautiful and inspirational outlook! Thank you for sharing your story and gratitude list.
Thank you so much Laurel. Glad you stopped by 🙂
Beautiful post ! I loved the last paragraph, thanks for sharing with gratitude !!
Thanks Angela for stopping by at Soul Talk. Felt wonderful to share this with everyone 🙂
So important to be grateful for all the small little things in life no matter what the condition…That gives us the strength to move ahead I think!
True Nabanita. Often we focus less on the little moments and where they come from…but these are the ones which add up to make a big difference in our lives 🙂
Gratitude in the midst of intense pain is very difficult, but I’ve found that it’s the only way out to change our mindset!
Agree Corinne. It is and yet it can also be very liberating.
Beautiful message, there is almost everything around we should be grateful about.
Most importantly, You’re a good Human being and should be proud of yourself.
Thank you so much, Alok. That’s a wonderful compliment from a fellow blogger to start off my day! You are very kind as you see the good in other people.