Grateful

Are we grateful for what we have now?

Gratefulness comes from within. Many of times, we like to be grateful for the things that seem pretty on the outside but have forgotten the important things in life.

The nitty gritty things are often overlooked, not only by you but also by me. How often do we thank ourselves for being alive? How often do we thank the people around us who stand by us through thick and thin? How often do we thank the disasters that happen in our lives that nurture us to become who we are now?

We are humans after all. What we can see, we are grateful for. We will thank the all mighty for granting us a child, a house, a car, a computer, or even a phone. These are merely things that we can hold, and interact with. These are material things.

Some may say that a child is not something we call material. Perhaps we have not truly opened up our minds and be true to ourselves. A child can be as material as the things we buy with money. Do you expect the child to be successful one day? Do you expect the child to succeed your business when he grows up? Do you expect the child to take care of you in your golden years? When there is expectation of the child, what position do you put the child in?

This is questionable. Some may disagree.

Has anyone ever thought to thank the air that we breathe? We are taking in oxygen every single day. The air is fresh with the morning dew, polluted throughout the day, and settles down during the night. There is a reason we sleep at night. When we sleep, our body is at rest, and we take in less air. This allows time for plants to take in some oxygen too after the much hard work they did during the day.

We are all connected. Have we ever thanked the connections we have between animals and plants? Plants go through photosynthesis to produce food for themselves and also oxygen for all other living beings. They are the hardest worker nature has created. Even the little plants that we call weeds contribute to the air that we breathe. What do we do to thank them? Have we ever nurtured them and tell them that they are important? Have we ever thought that weeds can be food too?

Some of the animals that are still existent today have been walking the earth way before humans do. They are so welcoming to us. They allow us to share their home. They are wonderful. Each animal plays a huge part in the ecosystem.

Wherever there is water, there will be plants growing. Where there is water and vegetation, grazing animals will be around. When the population of herbivores grows too large, there come the carnivores. There will be a time when food is scarce and the top of the food chain will deplete. This will allow time for the prey to increase their population, and the cycle continues.

However, when humans appear as the gifted species, many lands have been sold. Those that do not use money as a currency have been driven to near extinction.

It is easy to blame global warming. Have we ever questioned ourselves, what we have done to stop global warming? Very often we blame the factories for emitting toxic gas without realizing that we also contribute to the carbon footprint by commuting to work daily, going on a holiday in faraway lands, and much more. We blame the hunters and poachers for animal cruelty without realizing that we also consume meat and dairy produce. Do you think all farms take care of their animals in a humane way?

Instead of blaming others for what they have done, why not ask ourselves what we can do. It is not a matter of becoming a vegan or vegetarian. It is the realization of how life is sustainable and everyone is grateful for what we have.

Namaste. नमस्ते.

 

Be grateful for what you already have while you pursue your goals. If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more.    

Roy T. Bennett, Author of The Light In The Heart