What better time to talk about gratitude than today? On #Thanksgiving2020, I could sit upright, put my fingertips to the keyboard and type away words that my mind conjured up in its lucid state, is an awful lot to be thankful for. I am not insensitive to the sufferings of the world, especially this year; but I just want to take a moment to feel the sense of contentment for everything that’s going right for me. Even those that I am struggling with, I am grateful to be dealing with them without falling apart.
What is my life made of? People and everything that comes with people. People are the epicenter of my joy, as well as heartaches. People are my life lessons and wise gurus. If it could be thus simplified, it must be easy to live a joyous life, no? How so? Forgive those who are responsible for all the heartaches and regrets?! Starting with self - for that one wrong decision, harsh words uttered, misjudgments, all the anger inside me, regrets, and all the fights that I fought & lost – for all this and more - to forgive myself. And then, to forgive others, for all the transgressions and hurt.
A friend once told me that he forgives easily but seldom forgets. Now, memory is a funny business. We have very little control over what our mind decides to store away for decades and what it chooses to forget the next minute. It may bring back an unpleasant memory from decades ago, and wreck our peace in the now. What is easier to control though, is what our mind is chewing on at the present moment. Is it an old wound? Then let's just shush that mind of ours instead fuelling the chatter. Let the same arrow not pierce us twice. Not to dwell on the past hurts, is the only way to forgive fully - ourselves and others. And when we hurt no more and are free of regrets, it is a lot easier to count our blessings. And count our blessings, we all must.
This thanksgiving, may our lives be filled with healing, mindfulness, compassion, gratitude and truck loads of adventure. May the spirit of the season linger all year long!
Joy to the world!!
