The two-fold path of gratitude.

So many popular psychology books and self-help literature revolves around the concept of gratitude and how it can make a difference in our every day lives. Always the skeptic, I have been trying on some gratitude to see how it feels and you know what... it actually does feel good.


So often we take things for granted.... so many things to take for granted... When we are present in this moment, right here, its easier to focus on gratitude. The inverse is also true...


If I am walking up the stairs, I think to myself... Thanks legs for being so strong, for enabling me mobility to get where I am going. Thanks lungs for your capacity to take in oxygen, despite my years of neglectful smoking, you have been incredible at taking in oxygen. Thank you heart for pumping the blood and oxygen I need to my legs and my brain.


I must admit, it seemed silly to me at first, but I kept on doing it, trying to be present and gracious.


Thank you teeth, for doing such a good job at chewing food so I can digest it better. Thank you tongue for giving me the ability to taste all the delicious flavors my world has to offer....
I actually say this to myself as I brush my teeth.


Yes, it does feel silly, or I should say, it did feel silly, but now... I noticed two things...


Practicing gratitude keeps me in the present moment. Thanking my body for its service, thanking my food for giving its life to me, thanking the earth for the soil to grow my food and the sun for providing vitamin D and warmth. It really is just a matter of perspective. Finding gratitude in the present moment keeps my mind from worrying about the future and fretting about the past. Which is another thing all the pop-pysch books say will make me more happy... being present.


Until you actually start paying attention, you may not realize how busy your mind is. I was astonished how much mind is always thinking, calculating, retracing, projecting, analyzing.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

Buddha

There are so many benefits to being present, that's why we hear so much about it, I will go more into the idea of being present in another post.


I just wanted to point out here that practicing gratitude, actually helps me be present or mindful.
Next time you are eating, take note.. what are you thinking about? Are you just eating your meal or are you eating at your desk, working? Watching TV? Talking with a friend? Whatever you are doing, pay attention to your food. Think about all the things on the plate to be grateful for.


You can be grateful for:

• The plants and or animals that gave their life to sustain you.
• The farmer who harvested your grains and or vegetables
• The rancher who tended to the livestock
• The truck driver who carried the food to the grocery store
• The person(s) who packaged it, to keep it clean and safe from unsavory elements
• The person(s) who prepared your food
• The people at the gas or electric company who provided a service which allows you to cook your own food
• The job that enables you to provide for yourself and your family
• The person who made the table and chairs you sit at and the tree who gave its life for them
• The cow who gave milk which helped you prepare the food
• The chicken who sacrificed its newborn egg to sustain you
• The person(s) who crafted the fork you are eating with
• The person(s) who mined for the metal which later became your fork
• The person(s) who crafted your drinking glass
• The lake or reservoir your drinking water came from, or the tea or lemonade or whatever beverage you are drinking.

All of these things above and many others, we tend to take for granted. But, when we bring our attention to the present moment, it makes it easier to think of all the people who had a hand in that single meal you are eating. How often have you actually thought about it?


While the exercise may seem silly at first, once you realize all the people who put work into everything we take for granted, you tend to be a little more humble. This very practice of gratitude made me more gracious which in turn, believe it or not, made me feel lighter.


Try it for a week yourself, just practice being thankful for all the people that contribute to the lifestyle you live. Be grateful for all the living beings that gave their lives (both plant and animal) to sustain you.


It truly helped me to put my life into perspective and made me much more thankful for what I have, which in turn takes away from all the negative thinking about what I don't have or what I want in the future, or what I didn't have in the past. You see, by practicing being grateful for what I do have, it chances my outlook on life. I feel like my glass is half full now, instead of half empty. It truly is just a matter of your point of view.


Try it and see if it changes your outlook. I would love to hear what you think.