Gratitude. How to REALLY feel it?
The trick to feeling gratitude is imagining the worst case scenario of the situation first
Are you one of those people who practices gratitude on a daily basis? And yet you don’t see it working?
They say it is humbling. They say it is the key to happiness and yet,
Are YOU happy? Are you humble?
Brace yourself. What if I told you you are doing it wrong?
Let’s say you wake up early in the morning and you pray, “Thank you for this! Thank you for that!” everyday to the point that you don’t even have to think if you are doing it right because, by now, you are a robot. By now, it comes mechanical to you.
But hang on, Ron! Let’s give them the benefit of doubt.
>shrugs<
Cool. Let’s say you feel it intensely. You earnestly feel grateful while expressing gratitude, right?
If I asked you to describe that feeling right now, how would you do it? How would you describe that feeling? Imagine. Go ahead. We will take a picture break meanwhile.
Exactly. When it comes down to it, you can swell with emotions to the 100 right now. You can feel so much but is it really gratitude? Is that how it is suppose to feel?
The trick to feeling gratitude is imagining the worst case scenario of the situation first. Hear me out.
Let’s say I’m eating a Mango right now. What is the worst scenario for this situation because right now I want to convey my gratitude for a Mango I’m fortunate enough to have.
I will imagine there so many people who are not even this lucky. Then, I’ll imagine, forget Mango, forget meal, there are people who are starving. This will humble me and in my humbleness I’ll pray with all genuinity. But, it is few days later and it’s back to the mechanical self again and this time,the same example is not, can not have the same impact.
Why is that? What is missing?
Because my darlings, it is not about you and the example we used is associated with others. We, Humans, tend to disassociate when it is not about us. It’s like our minds can not bother to bother much. In short, we are our egoic mind. So, what is going to be of utmost priority for an egocentric species? Self preservation.
Now, that we have that knowledge, let’s tap into it and improvise the scenario. This time I see myself craving for the mango and not being able to get it due to the circumstances of covid 19, lockdown, no money, living alone and then I’ll imagine all of my food resources been used up and I’m starving. Not just for mango, not just for rice, I’’m starving for food for days and god! will someone please save me! gasp!
You feel that? That’s fear.
Hold on to that and associate it to the mango you are holding in your hand currently. That feeling you feel is gratitude because what is gratitude but a feeling of “What we have right now is MORE than enough! “.
It’s not about yesterday, not about tomorrow but right now this mango is a blessing!
To be in this state of mind gives birth to adoration and ‘how to preserve’ attitude meaning making the most of it.
Hence, Gratitude, is a responsibility.
