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Gratefulness
Those people and related situations that I struggle with can teach me to remember to see them as a fellow human traveler. That just like me they have their struggles. Doing this opens up the door to remembering we are all in this world together.
New insights that are emerging for me is that I am finding new ways to grow and nurture myself. I need not follow what culture says I should, but can open myself to new discovery. For me this takes the hard work of personal introspection, the help of teachers, and a willingness to be vulnerable.
My parents who gave me the gift of life. Also my wife who has supported me for 25+ years, my employees who do so much of the heavy lifting at my business. My various teachers who help guide me toward a life with meaning.
Right now it is truly all around. The morning light, my wife, the colors of the flowers and trees, the cool crisp air. There is also a beauty within me that goes with me wherever I go. It is a gift to be able to actually see the beauty around me, but I do have to take the time to look. To look turn toward the beauty of my surroundings and turn toward the beauty within takes intention.
Dear Gratefulness.org team. Thanks so much for sharing this. It so happens that this evening I am attending a volunteer orientation at my local county jail. Starting in Sept. I am taking a program called Path of Freedom which will allow me to teach mindfulness in the jail setting. I am hoping I can use the Prison Express programs as a source of learning. Thank you!
In my personal experience, no. To me the word “deeply” connotates having to look, explore, journey inwards to find my spirit. This looking deeply does not always reveal how I would like things to be…about myself and the world. I feel that my spirit is embodied within in me. It is deeply connected to my heart, mind, emotions. That same connectedness, golden thread, luminous light of spirit runs through each and everyone one of us. To know my own spirit at times involves the great ris...
In my personal experience, no. To me the word “deeply” connotates having to look, explore, journey inwards to find my spirit. This looking deeply does not always reveal how I would like things to be…about myself and the world. I feel that my spirit is embodied within in me. It is deeply connected to my heart, mind, emotions. That same connectedness, golden thread, luminous light of spirit runs through each and everyone one of us. To know my own spirit at times involves the great risk of getting know myself…to know both the beauty and the blemishes contained in my humanness. But, all the while coming back again and again to the luminous light of God that yokes me to something larger than myself.
Showing vulnerability helps to shift a difficult situation by allowing others in when I am feeling less than up to the task or a bit diminished. This more often than not opens the door to new ways of being and doing, and softens the edges/makes more space around the difficult situation.
This can be difficult to answer because it seems that there is so much to do. Thinking of the enormity of issues facing Earth and diversity can be overwhelming and leave me paralyzed as to what can I really do. So my answer is to do little things. I give to conservation groups that strive for a better Earth. But what feels most empowering is doing something simple. For example, I have decided that my produce does not require individual plastic baggies. I just toss most of it in my cart and so...
This can be difficult to answer because it seems that there is so much to do. Thinking of the enormity of issues facing Earth and diversity can be overwhelming and leave me paralyzed as to what can I really do. So my answer is to do little things. I give to conservation groups that strive for a better Earth. But what feels most empowering is doing something simple. For example, I have decided that my produce does not require individual plastic baggies. I just toss most of it in my cart and sort it out at the register and then at home. Gratefulness for the ability to do one small thing.
The most important thing in this moment is to be present to this moment. I find this difficult at times, often it feels like most of the time. But formal meditation and contemplation practice are what have helped me be more present to each of my moments. Having a formal practice allows me to feel more whole and integrated as complete being. This brings more peace more often.
A quote attributed to Nadine Stair (85 years old) “ Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over aga...
A quote attributed to Nadine Stair (85 years old) “ Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.”
As I reflect on an event from yesterday I would have to say I am struggling to be faithful to my values. In a business situation I did not get what I want. I did not leave enough space in my heart to allow for my expectations to possibly not be met, and they were not. This led me down a path of anger, feeling victimized, and frustrated. These are not my values of acceptance, and gratitude for what I do have, which is a lot. Of course my values ship will right itself, but I was tossed far out ...
As I reflect on an event from yesterday I would have to say I am struggling to be faithful to my values. In a business situation I did not get what I want. I did not leave enough space in my heart to allow for my expectations to possibly not be met, and they were not. This led me down a path of anger, feeling victimized, and frustrated. These are not my values of acceptance, and gratitude for what I do have, which is a lot. Of course my values ship will right itself, but I was tossed far out of proportion to what situation and its outcome really means. I am amazed and grateful that life offers me the opportunity to keep learning…even if the lesson is repeated many times. It takes awareness to turn toward the innate goodness within me. I can practice this in many ways.
Give them a deserved compliment or offer a simple gift. But in my experience I have found that if I smile at someone they will smile back…”doing” a smile almost always helps. Like laughter a smile is contagious. Here you go 🙂
Self-doubt needs to released in order for me to live more fully. Not always, but often I have the feeling that I am going to be somehow “found out”. Found out of what I am not sure. Sometimes my internal life (thoughts and emotions) are completely separate from what happens externally. I have good health, own a business, lead a small meditation group, have a happy marriage, and am trying new things. When I release self-doubt I realize that my life is full and I am whole.
This is a great question. I am fortunate enough to have the strength and ability to still mountain bike. Recently while out riding I was asked by a hiker; Isn’t that hard work? I had to laugh because he was right. But, I reflected a bit and responded that it was both hard work “and” fun going up a steep trail on a bike. As I was descending I noticed that there was both a bit of fear “and” thrill all occurring at the same time. Even while pursuing what is enjoyable there always seems...
This is a great question. I am fortunate enough to have the strength and ability to still mountain bike. Recently while out riding I was asked by a hiker; Isn’t that hard work? I had to laugh because he was right. But, I reflected a bit and responded that it was both hard work “and” fun going up a steep trail on a bike. As I was descending I noticed that there was both a bit of fear “and” thrill all occurring at the same time. Even while pursuing what is enjoyable there always seems to be some sort of paradox going on. Wishing you all a good and grateful day where ever you meet it!
Too many to list in full. The people who made this tablet I am working from, those who assembled the couch and those who delivered it on a day a cannot recall. The great, great, great, relatives who passed on life that becam part of my future. The list and services that anonymous strangers provide is long, vast, and really never ending. It extends far into the past and will continue far into the future. I am grateful for them all.
My mother’s. She passed away March 26th and of course I miss her, but I am grateful for the kindness, love, support she showed me over my entire life. Thanks, Mom!
If gratefulness is humbling or promotes an attitude of humility then this has to mean that I am not better than others. If I have a wide and open perspective I can walk through life with humility. This means that I and all my fellow human travelers are interconnected and each is reliant on the other. I can be grateful for the uniqueness of each being and bow to the necessity that each contributes to making our shared humanity complete.
What keeps me from trusting and knowing that my life is already extradorinary is my tendency to look outside myself for what culture tells me is necessary to be extraordinary. I often forget that it is not the things and objects I have that make make life extraordinary. And there is nothing wrong with the things, but they are unreliable at best. If I trust in my own inherent value and the value of all beings is when the extradordinary is revealed.
Thanks for these words about self and other. As you allude dissolving (“shining the flashlight”) our tendency to think in terms of us and them can help heal.
Such a nice message pkr.
Christine, I really appreciate this honesty. I often find myself conflicted between what I desire for my self and the actions I do. I often just have to tell myself to do one small, seemingly inconsequential action that moves me in a direction I want to go. For me, developing a deeper level of awareness of how I feel throughout my day can open the door to new possibilities.
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