Attitude of Gratitude
If there is any pill that we could keep taking without any limit, it is that of gratitude. The more we take it, the better we feel in the journey of our lives. So, whatever other pills one may take, always include one pill of gratitude.
When my children were growing up, they were often stressed due to their exams and various other events. It was my late mother in law who told me to ensure they slept peacefully by remembering all that they needed to be grateful for to do as well as they could the next day.
This mantra stayed with us throughout our lives. Even today, all of us thank the universe every night before sleeping. This may sound like a cliche, but the more we thank, the more the reasons to thank emerge.
Focusing on gratitude
Once, I went with friends to a cancer hospital that housed young children inflicted with this terrible ailment. A little girl came and hugged me tight with a request for a notepad or book to enable her to write all that she was grateful for. We were extremely moved and asked her what all she would write on that day. “I will write thanks that many lovely ladies came and spoke to me for a long time today. I will write about how kind the doctors and nurses are to me always in this hospital. I will write about the wonderful view I have of the sea everyday from the balcony.” This event was so deeply entrenched in my heart that I began writing such a journal the very same day. Every hour I would write something as a regular routine. This made me feel so much better about life that I strongly recommend it to all. We could maintain a gratitude journal and keep writing all the things big and small that we need to be grateful for. We could even note down positive emotions that we feel. This is actually quite simple to do but like in all areas, regularity is what makes it effective. The mind then starts noticing all the aspects that we need to be grateful for and in the process we begin ignoring irritants that may come our way which is again good for us.
Gratitude and the divine
This is a principle of life told by many seers too. The seers tell us to be grateful even for challenges as overcoming them makes us better people. Surdas, the well known poet thanked the Lord for being born blind so that he could focus on praying and singing and not get distracted by his senses. This is what many Krishna devotees have said and keep saying in their journey of devotion.
We can see everywhere it is a matter of perspective and how we make use of the cards that are dealt to us in the game of life. What we have we can make the best use of only with the nectar of gratitude. This nectar increases exponentially and makes us a better version of ourselves very soon in the journey of our lives.
The fact is, nobody has been able to control their minds. Without a spiritual anchor, it runs hither and thither, causing ups and downs in a person's life. It gets easily affected by external stimuli. It has to be disciplined through various spiritual practices.
Practising gratitude is one of the important practices that can keep the agitated mind under control and keep it positive.
Fortunately, again like in all of life,practice makes us perfect. So practice gratitude and see the miracles it works in your life.
