Too Much Gratitude Could Be The Reason You’re Unhappy
The dangerous trend of forced gratitude
I hold on to the brittle vine as if my life depended on it. Well, it did.
I hang on a cliff, and a tiger waits at the top. Several hundred feet below a river roars. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Suddenly, a small mouse sticks its head out of a slit in the rocks and starts gnawing on the vine.
As she enjoys her dry meal, I notice a bunch of strawberries at arm’s reach. They are beautiful, and look so tasty!
Just as the mouse cuts through the vine and I fall down the canyon, I grab a fruit. While falling toward my sure death, I enjoy its delicious taste.
I am so grateful for it!
Right before hitting the bottom, I woke up.
I know where the dream came from: a famous Zen story I had read the day before.
Its message is to be grateful. Always. No matter how bad you have it, there’s always something to be thankful for.
Isn’t that wonderful?
Imagine ending up in that horrible scenario while still being thankful for it. Life must be a breeze if you can think that way. That’s why I decided to give it a try.
