Thursday 6 April 2017

It’s a Wonderful Life

“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” – Meister Eckhart

Most of us only attain happiness when we compare our current state to a previous state or to another person’s situation. A man who has commuted by bus his entire life feels elated when he finally buys his own car, but before long this ecstatic sensation wears off. Over time, the car becomes just another possession. Moreover, when his neighbour becomes the proud owner of two cars, in an instant this man feels miserably poor, deprived and depressed.

The difficulty with having incessant desires and carrying an unhappy victim mentality burden upon ourselves is that we fail to glimpse the beauty and bounty abounding our life. Due to this, our spirit gradually gets poisoned with misery, resentment, jealousy, anger, deprivation and worthlessness. Over time this serves to only eat away at our health, relationships and wellbeing. 

Develop the practice of being grateful for every little thing that comes your way. Offer thanks continuously. And because every person, object and situation encountered throughout your life has contributed in some small measure to your progression, you should include all things in your gratitude list.

The spirit of gratitude opens up a doorway to abundance. It turns our mere possessions into a wealthy bounty. It transforms hatred into love, defiance into acceptance, turmoil into structure, and bewilderment to lucidity. Being grateful changes your house into a loving home, a meal into a celebration, and a guest into a friend.  The miracle of gratitude can revolutionize a boring day into a joyful occasion, a monotonous task into a delightful project, and an ordinary occasion into the happiest memory of your life.

Most of us fail to take time out to marvel, admire, applaud and offer gratitude until it is too late. Gratitude is a multi-hued attribute that encompasses everyone and everything that has touched your life. Recognizing and bowing down gratefully to the blessings that you have already received in your life is the foundation for the rest of the abundance that will follow you through your life.

As William Ward reminds us, “God gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?”

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