In so many ways that it boggles the mind. I recently asked myself this question within the context of my “economic privileged” life and realized two major economic factors were primarily responsible. First, was my fathers access to the GI bill as a veteran of WW2 which allowed him to get an education. Second, was my great grandfather’s, on mothers side, access to the free land thru the Homestead Act. Both events significant changed the financial fortunes on both my mothers and fathers side of the family. These events were were largely denied to people of color by the way.

Grateful living is the antidote and door opener to so many spiritual issues and can help to relax the aversion to pain but important to realize its limits to reduce chronic physical pain for most of us. My wife is a long term cancer survivor with more than 27 surgeries and has three types of chronic physical pain to manage. We need to use our wisdom and bring other tools including medication to help us with the physical aspect. The next spiritual question of “how to be grateful for chronic physical pain” and did it come from the “source” for our benefit is an ongoing discussion at the breakfast table. Grateful living allows her to drop the blame, get to a general “trust” in life and let the learning occur, BUT it is a daily challenge.

Family, friends, difficult people in my life (if/when they are ready), and whoever needs a hug (which is probably everyone). What a wonderful way to start a ripple of blessing.

True story about hugs starting ripples. My wife was in the hospital one day recovering from massive cancer surgery and just transferred to a chair when her surgeon walked in. She spontaneously stood up and gave him a hug before he told her to sit down due to the pain it caused her. After a brief medical update conversation, he left and after a few minutes the attending nurse walks in the room. She asked if Dr. W was her doctor and she said yes and asked, “why do you ask?” She said that she had worked with Dr. W for 25 years and that was the first time he EVER gave me a hug.

Ripples my dear friends!!

I would make a couple of suggestions to add with your gratefulness practice here. First, use the headspace app every day to both answer your questions about awareness and practice it on a daily basis. It is best to do it first thing in the morning when you wake up and can do it in bed laying down if that helps. Second, start walking every day. You can start by going around the block and add time/distance from there. A good walk (no special shoes or work out dress needed) will help clear you body of unhelpful energy that is impacting your mind/thoughts. Hope this helps.

My approach is to see ALL of life as it arises as a rainbow and to try and fully experience life’s beauty and challenges to learn from them. If there is enlightenment or something like it, my sense is the mountain is inverted and requires ALL of us to go thru down thru it and not bypass the difficulties of life. It no doubt requires the courage of a “Warrior”. Christ had his faith challenged as he walked thru the desert for 40 days. I too have felt that feeling more than once where everything inside was dry and dead. But, I had the “guts” to keep going until faith came back in fullness. Can we not, after going thru difficulties, look back on the beautiful and difficult rainbows with a smile and smell the rose of the gift?