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Learning to understand gratitude is an expanding feeling for me, because I never understood who or what I was supposed to feel grateful to. For example, I would naturally say thank you, but who or what was I talking to?
I was given one answer of a Deity, a word which carries many labels. The confusion just increased. God? Universe? Higher Power? Creator? Source? I Am that I am? Allah, Buddha - you get the idea!
What I had begun to understand, somewhere between my subconscious and where I am now, which has many levels, is that the choice of label is irrelevant. The single most important thing, is that you truly and deeply feel grateful from a humble place from within.
I once helped a friend who was having a rough month and handed over a hundred dollars towards his rent. Immediately, his eyes began to fill with tears and he was unable speak for a moment. I asked him what happened, he replied, ‘I was just overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude’. It suddenly occurred to me - that is what it looks like!
Another time, I supported a friend by purchasing some tools she needed for work, which made her react in the same way. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke to me, ‘no one has ever done anything like that for me before, thank you. I am so grateful, thank you’. I could see the energy and a look of gratitude in her eyes. Both friends had sensed that they had been seen and feelt that they mattered and were worthy of kindness.
I had been honored in witnessing thier humble gratitude, expressed on both occasions and am thankful for their gift to me.
What they had experienced was a knowing or awareness of what they received - a gift! One that was specifically for them, from somewhere. Gifts come in many shapes, sizes, genders, colours and financial position, maybe even attitude and personality. Hmmmm, food for thought.
Everyone you meet could be carrying a gift for you. If you are aware, you will be able to receive it with humility and gratitude. I have started saying, ‘thank you for your kindness’ to nice people, because not everyone is. I am now profoundly grateful to everyone who offers their kindness, without a sense of obligation. Not just to me, but to one another as well. Kindness conquers fear in all creatures - in time.
Remember that with everyone you meet, you may be carrying a gift for them. Even if you are not consciously aware of what that might be.
The gift may be, to pay off someone’s mortgage, or hold a door open for the person behind you at your friendly local grocers. We may have no conscious idea when we are exactly what someone needs to hear or see in that moment. No more than knowing someone, who was unaware that they helped change your life because of a book, movie or maybe who you just spent a few seconds of time with at just the right moment.
This week, if you spend only 60 seconds each evening just as you are drifting off to sleep in your bed, think this, 'If I could feel deeply grateful for something, what would it be?'
Find, invent, imagine, anything that will help you feel like, 'Omgeeeeee, that was really nice thaaaank you'. Hold that feeling in your heart with a slow, deep breath, then drift off to sleep as you exhale in that feeling tone and you will Reset your mind and body for a morning of gratitude for the new day. Share the experience of gratitude with everyone you share the gift of time with.
Thank you for reading Your Weekly Reset and for spending this time with me. I Am Grateful and most of all, thank you for being exactly who you are. Together, we make the world a fun and interesting place to spend some time. Oh yeah sisters!
Namaste
Char
Thank you Char. As always and interesting and insightful article. For me, it brings to mind a few things, but one in particular about my father. He had very good health throughout his long life, he died as the result of a fall at 93. He tended to be PROUD of his health. Which I really din't get. He was a fine and humble man in most other respects, and great Dad too.
So far my health has been good, and I'm 66 going on 67. For me, I'm grateful of this gift I have right now, and am so aware how quickly it can be taken away. As I said to a friend at an event, "At least we are here to complain about it", not original, but true.
There are many other things to be grateful in our lives, and I believe you are correct, that for most of them, we aren't grateful enough. So much is taken for granted. We are all guilty of that to some extent or another.
Amy
Char, very nice article! If everyone in the world practiced humbleness, generosity, thankfulness, humility and gratitude, just think of what a better world we would be living in. Thank you for writing that article and being who you are!
Ah Char, you DO have a gift-Thank YOU for sharing that gift of your wisdom with all of us! This article reminded me of an incident in my own life. It is that even just a simple smile and saying hello or a kind word can make a huge difference in someone's life. When I worked in restaurants, one of my employee who had a two year old son was standing by the glasswasher three days before Christmas with a sad look on her face . I asked her what was wrong and she said she had bought her son's Christmas presents and put them on layaway, but when she went to pick them up the store told her they had inadvertently given her items to someone else! While they refunded her money, it was so close to Christmas that she couldn't get suitable replacements before Christmas morning.I put a hand on her shoulder and said "it'll be alright." And then kept on with my duties elsewhere in the restaurant. three months later that woman asked me out, and we got married later that year! When I asked her why she was interested in me and asked me out, she told me of that time right before Christmas and that she knew right then that she wanted to marry me. While we ended up divorced fourteen years later , there were years of good times and two wonderful children that came out of a moment that seemed inconsequential to me at the time- it was a simple act of human decency and compassion that changed the course of many lives.
As you said above, you never know what an impact you may have without even realizing it.
Cyn
Hi Char Great Article. You are so right. Just recently I was behind a young woman at the check out. She had to take out a large bag of beans out from her cart just to satisfy the amount owed to the cashier. Then I noticed she was trying to arrange bags so she could carry all of them instead of using cart. I did not understand at first. so i just asked her why she was doing that. She told me she had to get on the local bus with the bags and she did not want to dropped anything.. I quickly noticed there were large cloth carry bags for sale at counter that she could fit at least four of the store bags into. I told the cashier i wanted four cloth bags and gave them to the young woman. She was so grateful and started to tear as she was walking away i told her she forgot the beans she left behind and put them into one of the bags. All she could do was give me a tearing kiss and said thank you so much.The cashier then said you have lipstick on your cheek and it is a great color for you. She asked me for a sister hug. I got to experience both wonderful gifts giving and receiving all in about two or three minutes.Those minutes lasted days and even months. I am able type this story with such clarity and got to experience those feelings again. So thank you for your post. What is so nice this cashier has noticed me buying lip stick and other fem items in the past.She has always commented and told me how pretty the colors were. She chose that moment to confirm my femininity and welcomed me into the fem world. I love that memory. Luv Stephanie