Gratitude is the act of appreciating what One receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, we will learn to acknowledge and see the goodness in our lives. In this learning process, we will learn to recognise that the source of goodness can come from WITHIN. As a result, we then learn to be at peace with ourselves and learn to love ourselves more.
How have you expressed gratitude recently?
We recently have been met with a challenge that is affecting the whole world. I don’t know if you agree, but something invisible came and put everything in its place.
Suddenly the gasoline went down, pollution went down, people started to have more time – so much time that they do not know what to do with it – parents are spending time with their kids as a family, work is no longer a priority, or traveling or social life either.
Nature is forcing us to clean up the mess made by ourselves.
As we move into the enhanced MCO phase, have we taken stock of what has happened in our lives? Have we taken a moment to reflect and be grateful for what we have received and have at this moment?
To help you on your gratitude journey, here are 4 ways to express gratitude daily:-
- Appreciate everything, even the little stuff. During this pandemic, I am truly grateful and thankful that I am healthy and have the basic necessities available to me and my family.
- Spend time with your loved ones. With more time spent indoors, let us not get caught in the online world and spend quality time with our loved ones that we may have taken for granted.
- Keep a Gratitude Journal. Inculcate a habit of taking time at night as you unwind to write down 10 things that you are grateful for today. It will be difficult initially, but I can assure you that this process will become easier and make you realise that life in all its beauty, is just waiting for us to explore.
- Pay It Forward. In the current situation, there are many who may not be as fortunate as us. Take this opportunity to research on the NGOs that are working tirelessly for the destitute and offer your contributions in cash or in kind. Every little bit counts.
This pandemic has taught us much. But most importantly, it has taught us to be more grateful for what we have at hand, to slow down and be patient with the current situation and it has also increased our compassion and empathy.
Now is the time to review, reflect and re-organise through meditation. Look at areas in our life that we may want to improve and develop a strategy that will allow us to move forward smoothly. If we take active steps to evolve, we will definitely come out of this stronger.
Blog post courtesy of Master Sarika Malhotra
