gratitude

In the previous episode, in this series on attitudes, I talked about humility. And in the end of that episode, I mentioned that humility allows for gratitude. The two come together to some extent. And in this episode, I'm going to talk about gratitude a little more.

Gratitude is a beautiful attitude to have in life, in general, quite apart from its significance on the spiritual journey. We all too easily become habituated to our life. We live through our routines. We, rather unconsciously, assume that we know everything, at least as regards our day to day life. And with this habitual way of being in the world, we often lose the sense of gratitude.

Gratitude comes whenever we remember that this moment has been given to us. Life has been given to us. And it's a miracle. And whatever is happening in this moment is a miracle. The fact that I've eaten food, the fact that I drink water and breathe air, these things are provided to me. They sustain me in a physical way. And there are so many things sustaining me in other ways, too, emotionally, spiritually. There are so many things giving me pleasure, enjoyment. A butterfly has just flown past, red and black and beautiful. What a gift!

 

To feel gratitude in these moments deepens our appreciation and enjoyment of life. And it's also honouring this fact that life itself is such a miracle, that we've been given life. Wow.

And gratitude helps specifically on the spiritual path. Because with gratitude, we are acknowledging that it's not really our doing. This wonder of life is being given to us. And by acknowledging that existence is creating this wonder and that we are a part of it and that we can enjoy it – by acknowledging that this is coming from existence, or god, if you prefer, it undermines our egoistic attitude. The ego can be eroded, diminished in this way. And it also makes it easier to surrender to life.

So gratitude is very much an attitude that is central to the spiritual journey. To help develop gratitude, it's really great to stop every now and again, throughout the day, whenever you remember to do so, just stop and and take a look around you. Take a few deep breaths, really feel the breath. Remember, this air is keeping you alive. And it's being given for free.

Look at the nature around you. See how amazing it is. Enjoy looking at the nature, listening to the nature, smelling it, tasting it, touching it. Enjoy it. And remember also, nature is growing, living, and we can enjoy it.

Moments like this help to develop gratitude. And as mentioned in the previous episode, humility and gratitude tend to go together. So dropping any tendency towards pride will also help this gratitude to flower.