Gratitude

Often we say "thank you" without much thought—"Thank you for the coffee"..."Thank you for the change"..."Thank you for holding the door"—but how often do we think about Gratitude itself, consciously considering what it may be, what it may do, and all that there may be in life to be truly grateful for? Here Joanna Infeld offers her insights on Gratitude and some meditations for you to try.

Contemplating Gratitude

Gratitude is akin to respect because it too makes a person appreciate what they are and who they are. Gratitude reaches out to the universe or to God or to destiny—because gratitude is usually directed at someone or something, whether defined and identified or not. Who, or what are we grateful to? The answer to this question might differ from person to person. Who, for example, are we grateful to for the gift of life? Yes, we were born of our parents, but who or what decided we should be the unique person that we are? Did we petition to be born? If so, why now and why here? Of course, we cannot answer these questions in a definitive way, but contemplating them can indeed deepen the quality and extent of our gratitude.

The state of being grateful allows a person to appreciate the many gifts they have received. The fact of being born is the first gift and with it came a whole package of working parts—eyes, organs, senses, soul, arms, legs—everything (with relatively few exceptions) in working order. 

Then came the ability to walk, speak and think—those human attributes that make us unique and special in this world. All these gifts were freely given—we acquired them with little or no effort on our part. And yet, how we use them is a reflection of our gratitude. Do we pay back for existence by how we use our gifts? Do we process fine energies which enhance our surroundings and the planet herself? Do we try to improve, be the best we can be and develop our unique skills and abilities, so we can honestly say we have lived life to the full?

To live life fully is true gratitude. Each person is unique and has the opportunity to develop that uniqueness into a symphony of expression that no one else can manifest.

What Kind of Gratitude?

There are two kinds of gratitude—directed and general. Directed gratitude is when we are grateful to somebody or something (like an institution) for an identifiable gifting. It can be an event, a relationship, a job or an object. Being grateful is to say thank you and show our appreciation. Perhaps we reciprocate another’s kindness with a gift or a letter. Then we feel the matter is closed—a gift begets a gift or a fitting response. But the general gratitude never ends. It has no beginning and no end, because it is a natural feeling that accompanies the gift of life. It is not directed to any specific person or deity, but it is an energy that we send into the universe as we thank the powers that have given us life and continue to support us every single day.

Gratitude is a heartfelt thank you that lives in a person’s energy field and radiates out from their aura into their surroundings. It becomes activated when a person consciously adds up that they are glad to be alive. Personal gratitude is then added to the essence of gratitude that lives in the world, and it will cause others who know and value us to be grateful for our existence as well. Thus gratitude can grow and by contagion cause others to be stopped in their tracks to appreciate the small things in life, like the beauty of a flower or the song of a bird, as well as the big things, like the relationship with one’s spouse or one’s parents or one’s children. There is so much to be grateful for—just look around you and open your eyes to the beauty of nature and the intricacies of your own engineering.

There is a scene in the television series, John Adams when in his old age the former president stops while walking in a field with a friend and drops down on his knees to express adoration to the Creator for making a thing of beauty as simple and perfect as a small field flower. This attitude of gratitude is often a gifting that comes to a person later in life (as in the example of John Adams), when one can appreciate and value the seemingly small things in life, which hold a great power of connection to the forces of the universe.

Connecting Through Gratitude

Being grateful connects a person to great things. For example, if we are grateful for our relationship with our partner, we will address our gratitude to whatever it was that had brought us together in the first place. You can call it kismet or fate, or even go as far as adding up that there are frequencies in this world that are attracted to each other and that the Law of Attraction was active in that circumstance of your first meeting.

Belief in the Law of Attraction brings this energetic law into one’s awareness and can be instrumental in activating it (setting it in motion) in order to achieve one’s desires in the future. Gratitude is a great place to start. It acknowledges that there are forces and energies that are greater than ourselves and are at play all the time, working for us (on our behalf) even while we sleep.

Gratitude can connect us to great energies and can cause them to take notice of our endeavors. Just as we like to be appreciated and acknowledged if we give someone a present or help them out in some way, so do universal energies. Being grateful is like sending a thank you note to the universe. Having received our thanks, Creation is so much more likely to help us on our way again. It is like building a highway along which good energies and progressive circumstances can come our way and enhance our future.

Meditations

Gratitude for the Planet Meditations

Earth

Imagine walking barefoot in the sand on a warm beach. Try to imagine the feeling of being connected to the earth. Think how the earth is always beneath our feet, even under concrete or several feet below, if we are on a higher floor of a building.

Think of planting a seed in the

ground and over time watching a seedling appear above ground, reaching toward the sun.

The earth is a propagator of all floral life—it does not discriminate, but gives nourishment to all organic life which in turn brings sustenance to our daily lives—providing us with food, fuel and many things we eat, own and process. The earth also supports fauna life which provides us with food, service, clothing and companionship. Always there, the earth supports our every step.

Mentally express gratitude to the earth. Take a moment to do this.

Water

Think of a warm shower after a sweaty workout or after a particularly dirty, grimy job, like digging in the garden, repairing a car or cleaning an oven. Think how refreshing, invigorating and cleansing that feels. Take a moment to do this.

Now think of a swim in the sea on a hot summer’s day. The sun is beating down, but the cool, cleansing waters keep you feeling refreshed and cleansed. Take a moment to do this.

Now think of a mountain stream high up in the mountains—the pure waters are fresh enough to drink. They taste so clean and refreshing after an arduous climb

to these high elevations.

Now mentally express your gratitude to the water, which is always there for you, on tap, ready to quench your thirst, cleanse your body and invigorate all your inner lives. Take a moment to do this.

Air

Think of a walk in a forest on a warm day. Breathe in deeply and feel the fresh air filling your lungs. Take another deep breath and imagine the energized oxygen traveling throughout your body within your blood. Take a moment to do this.

Now look up at the sky which is clear blue in color. You are looking at a whole expanse of air all around you and above your head. This protective layer of air supports your life and separates you from harmful radiation. Take a moment to picture this.

The air supports your every breath, every moment of your life without any conscious effort on your part. It is always there for you, free and willing to oblige. Take a moment to express your gratitude for the air.

Fire

Think of a warm fire on a cold winter’s evening. Imagine you are stretching your hands toward the burning logs and imagine the heat spreading throughout your whole body. Take a moment to feel this.

Imagine the glow of a candle illuminating the darkness of a room; imagine your ancestors sitting together around a table, and how the family circle is lit up by candlelight. Take a moment to picture this.

Imagine a campfire somewhere out in the wilderness and a group of friends sitting around the fire, telling stories and sharing their experiences of the day. Now mentally express your gratitude for the fire, which gives warmth and sustains life. Take a moment to do this.

Energy

Imagine that you can see energy. Imagine walking down a busy street and all you see are not physical people but colorful, pulsating, illuminated egg-shaped auras walking alongside you and opposite you. The entire street is pulsating with energy—everything processes energy; every atom, every tree, every car is emanating energy—all different colors and hues. Take a moment to picture this.

Now imagine you are taking a walk in the country. The energies emanating from the trees, the flowers, the grass and the animals are so clean and bright. Energy is everywhere. Take a moment to imagine this.

Now imagine that in that setting you are looking at your hand. You notice the illumination coming out of the tips of your fingers. White is emanating from your thumb, red from the pointing finger, blue from the middle finger, yellow from the ring finger and green from the little finger, also known as the “pinky.” Take a moment to imagine this.

Now imagine yourself sleeping in your bed. Imagine a shaft of energy entering your body and your soul—energy which allows you to act, be, feel and do. It is the life-giving force supplied by the planet that supports your life every minute of every day. Take a moment to picture this.

Now take a moment to mentally express your gratitude for the energy that supports and enhances your life.

Gratitude For Others Meditation

Think of five people that are closest to you—family, friends or colleagues. It can include someone who has passed on or someone who is currently at physical distance from you. Take a moment to do this.

Take the first person who is closest to you. Think of an incident between you that has caused you to feel love for this person, or appreciation or inspiration or joy or all of the above. Take a moment to do this.

Now mentally express gratitude to this person for this special moment and all the special moments you have shared. Take a moment to do this.

Now repeat this process for the other four people you have thought of.

[Excerpted from Joanna's book A Garden of Qualities - Living a Quality Life (c) 2014, Kora Press.]

QUESTIONS:

• What are you grateful for?

• What other "gratitude meditations" can you think of that you may wish to do?

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