The Art of Gratitude

The Art of Gratitude

If you have read my earlier articles and you are practicing meditation, then you may be wondering how to be more meditative, when you don’t get time for a meditation sitting or how to bring more peace into your current lifestyle. Here comes the dire need for gratitude. You have to fill yourself with gratitude. Now the imminent question is how to do that?

Let me elaborate it –

1. Accept everything in this existence

You must understand the fact that everything in existence is for some specific purpose and has the importance of its own. Nothing is useless in this world. Starting from the tiniest algae to the mighty elephant, every entity has some purpose in this world. Similarly, every human being has a purpose. You may not like someone or something in your surroundings but he/she too must have some purpose to fulfill in this world.

For eg. Someone is bugging you creating anger in you, then this person is unknowingly helping you by ringing a bell in your mind that you need to work on your anger issues. If you are getting angry that means you are still not accepting his presence in the existence. At the subconscious level, you are still fighting against the existence and that why this person exists in your life.

You must be thankful for his/her existence as this person will help you grow, by making you aware of your own flaws or the areas you need to improve in life. You can’t see your own flaws until someone else shows them to you. So practice accepting everything in existence.

2. Learn to take your own responsibility

When we understand that we are responsible for ourselves, our situations, pains, and pleasures, then gratitude comes by itself. As we don’t hold the other person for our situations and feelings. Don’t get entrapped in a vicious circle of forgiveness.

Know the true meaning of forgiveness in another article ‘Forgiveness – The Truth‘. When you get angry at someone, then understand and accept that it is your problem. The other person has nothing to with it. People can affect your outer world, but can’t impact your inner world. That’s your inner journey. Hence gratitude manifests in your behavior.

3. Be thankful to everyone and everything

This is the most difficult part of this art of Gratitude. It’s not at all easy to thank someone who hurts you. But once you accept the above-explained fact then you gradually feel thankful to each and every person who hurts you because he/she has contributed in your overall life experiences.

How will you know the true meaning of breakup, heartache until someone actually breaks it and make you feel that pain? You got to go through the pain and then you become stronger. This path takes you towards falling in love with yourself. You learn to love yourself unconditionally and you realize that no one except YOU truly loves you as much as you do to yourself.

Everything happens for your own good. Only darkness will inspire you to look for the light. Only pain will make you appreciate pleasure. If you have never felt any pain, then how will you understand pleasure/happiness?

4. Bring this thankfulness in every aspect of life

I once heard about a tribal community. When they use some part of a plant for medicinal purpose, before plucking they say thanks to the plant and ask for the permission of the plant.

Also, they seek the plant’s blessings that the medicine made from the part of plant heals the patient. Organisms other than humans may not be able to communicate with you, but they also have energy flowing through them. This energy connects all of us.

5. Being humble doesn’t mean to be a coward

If you are filled with gratitude then you will automatically become more humble. It is in the same way when a tree is laden with fruits then it automatically arches downwards But being humble never means to behave cowardly. Learn to differentiate between humbleness and cowardice. Always stand for your rights.

Whenever you are giving anything to someone whether its money, love, care or a thing, give it with gratitude. The person who is taking your anger, feel gratitude towards him/her. A person to whom you are paying for a service or product, be thankful from the core of your heart as this thing or service will add value to your life.

Pain increases the importance of health. Just as sorrows increase the importance of happiness. So when you accept this fact, then you must realize the value of pain and sorrow. So you must learn to pass through the pain and sorrows with a smile. Show gratitude towards every condition that you are going through. Only after passing through this painful condition, you will find immense pleasure.

This gratitude will lead you to a more calm and peaceful life. No situation will hurt you, as you will understand the true meaning of its existence. Meditation is being in a state where there are no thoughts left. When your every step and activity is filled with gratefulness, energy passes through you without any obstruction.

You become present at each and every moment without disruption. This consciousness becomes meditation, where you are watching every step, emotion, and activity. You don’t react to the situation. You just watch it and let it pass through you.

Be thankful for everything you have in your life. Don’t think that the best will happen in the future. Think that best is happening right now. Be grateful for the life opportunity you have got. Practicing gratitude is as important as practicing meditation.

Kia Singh

Kia Singh is an entrepreneur, spiritual seeker, writer, and life coach. She writes to convey her own life experiences which has inspired many in their life journey. In leisure time, Kia is found sticking to books or reading science research papers. You can reach her at [email protected]

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