_____Update_____[/\]
BEING GRATEFUL
During Ramadan, I saw a man with a rosary in my doctor’s office waiting room. I asked him about the rosary, which was made of amber. He told me his prayer was “thank You, thank You, thank You.” He had the right idea and the right attitude. In fact, “thank you” can be a good multipurpose mantra!
Any thought can become another. We all have that power to decide where our mind leads us. I’ve been practicing gratitude in a lot of ways. One way is to compliment my Ishta (Lord Krishna) on everything I encounter. It’s very effective in combination with basic, daily practices (walking, chanting, asanas, SBP, DM, samyama, prayer). Here is how the gratitude came today while walking:
My sudden smiling:
Thank You for smiles, Lord.
“Smile” written in sidewalk four paces down:
See, I was right! Thank You, Lord.
My footsteps:
My legs are working well. Thank You for letting me walk, Lord.
Putting in a job app:
Thank You for letting me apply for a job, Lord.
Traffic lights that hold me up:
Thank You for these lights, Lord. They are so useful in keeping things orderly. I wonder who thought of them?
A little bush with uneven branches:
Thank You for this bush, Lord. Even though it’s not the mightiest, it’s getting by just fine.
Old brickwork over a window:
Thank You for this brick, Lord--a nice, careful, handmade design. The masons did a great job.
A man with glasses and nice shoes:
Thank You for this man, Lord. He seems to be getting by just fine.
Three round windows over each other:
Thank You for symmetry, Lord. Thank you for asymmetry, Lord.
A pink ad on a mobile phone store’s window:
Thank You for this pretty color, Lord.
A huge building with modern design elements:
Thank You for this building, Lord. It must have cost a lot of money and is very attractive. Thank You for giving people an attractive place to live.
The illumined sky:
Praise Thy breath, Lord.
A man and his brother:
Praise Thy being, Lord.
Water in a drinking fountain:
Praise Thy life-bearing blood, Lord.