A lot of work has gone into the study of gratitude. I have even written on it being one of the keys to loving life right now. Another dimension of gratitude is appreciation.
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE EXIST IS WHAT OPENS YOU UP TO LIVING.
I came across this Humans of New York photo of a woman alone at a Mets game. She told us of how when her first husband passed away she felt like she would never love again. She told us how she went from pillar to post, home to work to home, feeding the cat, sleeping, only to just do it all over again the next day. Then she said that one day she just decided to re-enter the world of the living once again. She met a guy, fell in love, and is very happy.
This is very true of a lot of people, and everyone I have known and know have gotten to this point of not living life. Appreciation and gratitude are two sides of the compassion coin. I have found that by meditating on my appreciation and gratitude for the parts that others play in my life I am more deeply compassionate, forgiving, and loving…
AND I LOVE THAT!
So how do you mediate on something? I thought it was all “clear your mind” (oooooo…. best ghostly impersonation) think of nothing… Meditation is not actually thinking of nothing. It’s clearing of your intention to get involved with your thoughts. It should be more like watching a movie than acting in one.
- So start by contemplating how awesome it is to have people in your life that allow you to experience the spectrum of emotions.
- Feel that swelling in your heart? Lean into it. Open up to it. Stay here for as long as you can. No forcing, just being.
- Now bring your awareness back to my favorite definition of Namaste: “The light/good/divine/awesomeness in me sees and honors the light/good/divine/awesomeness in you.”
BEING DEEPLY COMPASSIONATE IS THE KEY TO A PEACEFUL EXISTENCE. GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION ARE STELLAR VEHICLES TO GETTING THERE.
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