Ever since I have been doing the daily gratitude exercises that Shobhs is sending out to a small group, I have made some important discoveries (to me). Firstly, it struck me that without gratitude I somehow saw myself as alone - non-gratitude seems to be the first separator from the oneness of the universe. Secondly, how little gratitude I have for the things in my life - good and bad. Thirdly, the chain of gratitude is amazing - every person and experience we meet /have leads to another and to another until it almost seems like the whole world is working overtime to support us and help us. Fourthly, how I take so many things for granted (especially the big things) and am not grateful for them at all. I have conditions - what to be grateful for and what not to be grateful for!
Now, after a little practice with the idea, I can see that every single call I get on the phone has something to be grateful for, every interaction, every thought, word or deed. Everywhere there are connections beyond connections, people who stood up and made life good for me even when they did not need to.
An example. When I went to the mall yesterday I tried to see both perspectives - my normal reaction - not enough parking, crib about the security check, crib about lack of choice of display in the mall, crib about salespeople who are not making me feel like an emperor.
Then I put on the gratitude outlook. I saw there was enough to be grateful for - there was parking and help to park, there were security personnel keeping me safe at danger to themselves, there was a mall which conceived this need and brought hundreds of brands and hundreds of patient and knowledgeable salespeople, the comfort of shopping in such a mall, the fact that I had the money to pay, the bank that helped me with a credit card, the clients that paid me so I had money to pay, education that allows me this, teachers who taught me, parents who gave me life and an education, incoming leads for business....on and on.
One look at the large crowd before me and I could suddenly see that the customers were all working hard and spending their money in the shopping mall, paying taxes, so we could all have the infrastructure, the power company, the road company, the clothes manufacturers, the building contractors, the lighting manufacturers - so the overall business environment looks up and there is more to buy and sell and the salespeople get more money as salaries...and on and on again.
It's incredible to see how so many are connected with me directly and indirectly and make my life so comfortable. When I feel the connectedness to people, ideas, energy that goes in to support me, known and unknown. I cannot but a wee bit of the phrase 'my heart is filled with gratitude'. When I feel how everything is connected I can see how significant I am and at the same time I can see how insignificant I am. Everything now is a gift, a miracle.
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| For me - Pic courtesy Parth Gokhale |
An example. When I went to the mall yesterday I tried to see both perspectives - my normal reaction - not enough parking, crib about the security check, crib about lack of choice of display in the mall, crib about salespeople who are not making me feel like an emperor.
Then I put on the gratitude outlook. I saw there was enough to be grateful for - there was parking and help to park, there were security personnel keeping me safe at danger to themselves, there was a mall which conceived this need and brought hundreds of brands and hundreds of patient and knowledgeable salespeople, the comfort of shopping in such a mall, the fact that I had the money to pay, the bank that helped me with a credit card, the clients that paid me so I had money to pay, education that allows me this, teachers who taught me, parents who gave me life and an education, incoming leads for business....on and on.
One look at the large crowd before me and I could suddenly see that the customers were all working hard and spending their money in the shopping mall, paying taxes, so we could all have the infrastructure, the power company, the road company, the clothes manufacturers, the building contractors, the lighting manufacturers - so the overall business environment looks up and there is more to buy and sell and the salespeople get more money as salaries...and on and on again.
It's incredible to see how so many are connected with me directly and indirectly and make my life so comfortable. When I feel the connectedness to people, ideas, energy that goes in to support me, known and unknown. I cannot but a wee bit of the phrase 'my heart is filled with gratitude'. When I feel how everything is connected I can see how significant I am and at the same time I can see how insignificant I am. Everything now is a gift, a miracle.
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