Thinking about It

The saying "actions speak louder than words" could not hold more truth, especially in the case of gratitude. Gratitude can only be complete once it has been thought of, felt and expressed. Ponder upon times you have been treated with gratitude – it is usually a pleasant feeling. Now, reciprocate that feeling and express your gratitude by engaging with today's task of volunteering. Once we realise how much we have received, we also see just how blessed we are and how expressive we can be with our gratitude.

Our eyes provide us with the blessing of sight and vision. Beyond observing the sunsets, landscapes, and physical features of our natural world, we can also be grateful for the more subtle yet extremely meaningful and potent sights, expressions, and quite significantly, colours. Notice the influence of colour, their ability to blend in or contrast with each other, their addition to beauty, dimension and structure. Express gratitude to one of our most valuable senses: sight.

We don't normally meet most of the people that contribute to the finished products we consume. We only really meet the last person in the chain. Today, we focus on the people we do meet and acknowledge how we interact with them. How do we progress from automated, transactional interactions to actually showing our gratitude? The answer lies in making eye contact, being physically present, and while saying "thank you" is a start, more statements can be made to elevate our interactions.

The often-asked question, "Do you see the glass as half-empty or half-full?" stands for a few amazing things. While both options hold true, the one each one of us sees makes a tremendous difference in how we feel. Today, we will focus on how perceiving things as half-full can make us feel somewhat complete and content. Try to find your gratitude buddy and message each other three messages with three things you are grateful for in that moment or for that day, three times a day for the next three days.

Today, we focus on the chain of events that have occurred for us to use things. For instance, buying a cup of coffee appears a simple act, but behind the scenes, someone had to design the cup, someone had to source the material, someone had to build the coffee machine, someone had to keep it clean every day – and this is only just part of it! Remember the many hands that have helped you get the things you now enjoy. With sincerity, send out an acknowledgement of gratitude to all of them from your heart.

Welcome to this year's health challenge on gratitude! There is a growing understanding of the concept of gratitude as being thankful; a readiness to show appreciation. Gratitude starts with the acknowledgement of receiving something or possessing something of value. Upon recognizing the value of something, we can be thankful and grateful for it. This 30-day challenge will progressively go deeper into the process of gratitude and involve a 2-to-3-minute meditation session to broaden our gratitude awareness.

While acting, we often relive memories of the past and create desires for the future. Thoughts of failure or success create emotions that cloud thinking. We also compare the past or future with what's now, thus, losing out on present opportunities. Similarly, in the present, confusion or physical distractions take us away from the current action. So take all of these thoughts, and surrender them at the feet of the Lord. Clear them all away and make space in the mind to be able to stay in the present moment.

Efficiency and dexterity in action means acting fast with precision and perfect technique. There is very little waste of time, energy or resources. Also, we do the action in the spirit of Karma Yoga and build ourselves up. When we are present and single-pointed in our action, our mind is less cluttered and detached from the results. In a silent and purified mind, we can feel grace and divinity working through us. This inspires us to focus more on our spiritual growth, taking us closer to our ultimate goal.

Satyam (truthfulness), Ahimsa (to not hurt), and Brahmacharaya (intelligent self-control) are the three pillars of Hinduism because when practiced, they create energy dynamism. With an integrated, kind, and disciplined personality, our energy is not dissipated. Understanding how our energy works is crucial for we can then appropriately generate, conserve, and direct it into a field of our choice. Rather than unknowingly depleting our energy, we consciously adjust to balance it and serve a higher purpose.

Lingering like a smell left behind in a room, our Vasanas are the continuity from lifetime to lifetime. These past impressions on the mind manifest as our tendencies, likes, dislikes, and personality traits. For instance, when something comes very easily to us, we had to have worked at some point to acquire that ability. We create who we are, from the past of this life and that of so many previous lifetimes. So let's put the effort and time in now to master the skills and virtues we value.