Spirit Of Gratitude

If we walk a busy road with people chit-chatting as they trod along, we come to notice the large number of people who seem to be very discontent with their lives.
Numerous people find comfort in blaming the universe for not satisfying their needs and desires.
Come to think of it, is it not true that we feel poor when we want more and we feel rich when we give more? I walk the streets of my city and see the numerous beggars seated on the footpaths, though I see a certain amount of sorrow dwelling in their faces, I must admit that I believe that a beggar with probably just a buck in the palm of his hand to somehow get his hands on a meal for the day is without doubt a hundred times happier than an entrepreneur with a billion dollars under his belt!
Why are we living lives where we choose to complain rather than thank?
Instead of complaining about the little hike in the price of vegetables today, why can’t we be grateful for the fresh oxygen that is entering our bodies every second? Don’t you think our minds would be happier then?
Why can’t we thank the God for all that He has given us rather than complain for all he has not?
Showing gratitude instills a sense of positive pride in our minds! Showing gratitude is very important for it is in this act that we feel free of all debts! If an act of kindness is shown to us and we are not grateful, in due time a feeling of guilt crawls up our spines like a slithering snake. Rather if we our grateful and express our thanks with just a word or two it causes a pleasant smile, I’m happy, and so is the other person! Awesome!
We live our lives piling up our treasures, building mountains of gold and hoping to find trees with diamonds for leaves! We dream big building castles sometimes higher than the sky, we are ambitious, always desiring to go higher, sparing not a single moment to just sit and wonder, when the time comes for my breath to abandon me, of what use will these mountains of gold and trees of diamonds be to me?
Instead of piling up pointless treasures, we must find the time to appreciate the little things in life that actually matter. Appreciate a rose for its beauty, or sit to imagine the glory of the creator to create such a wonderful world, such a marvelous world! Only if we learn to thank for the little things, we will find the ability to enjoy the big things!
We must inculcate the spirit of gratitude, its vitality is inevitable!
Before we complain about one thing, think of the million things around us there are for which the Almighty deserves sincere gratitude!
I will tell you a tale that I hope serves its purpose to explain the importance of gratitude!
Once there was a little boy who lived in a village on a hill. A little above the village there was a castle in which lived a rich man with his family. The rich man, though with all the money he could ever desire in the world, with a large castle for a home and ten horses of high standards in a large stable to serve him for transport, and food of various cuisines from across the world and rare expensive wines to drink and a family which had everything it ever needed, still never found it easy to smile! He found reasons to smile very difficult to find! One evening, the rich man took a stroll into the village to gain acquaintance with the latest happenings. He came across the little boy who seemed to be laughing at almost everything he saw. The rich man stopped and asked him, ‘What is it that causes so much laughter in you boy?’
‘Sir, I have no home, but the sky tells me it will serve as my roof! I have no bed, but the benches in the park though not as soft as cotton serve the purpose! I have no money to buy food but yet the big red delicious apples on the trees and the berries that grow on the outskirts satisfy me! Today the wind tastes sweet and the fragrance in the air is pleasant, so I am happy, very happy, and I have so many reasons to smile and laugh and jump about!’
The rich man stroked the little boy’s chin, pleased with his answer and walked away! That day he realized that life is not about the things that elude you but the things that find you! Life is not about the things you can never have but the things you always have!
The spirit of gratitude teaches us this!
The human tongue sends forth a million words of anger and hatred day by day. But remember, the two words that bless our lips. ‘Thank You’. Though two words, they take just one second to say! But they give us one hour of joy!
Laughter is food for the soul, and gratitude is a great reason to smile!
Spread the joy, spread the peace, life is beautiful!

Screamjack