Hi,
This is Theresa Conte and welcome to Day 11 of 30 Days of Gratitude to Inspire and Uplift You.
Once again,
I'd like to do something a little bit different.
I'm going to begin by sharing a quote with you from Thich Nhat Hanh and then share some thoughts to ponder about life,
Love,
And gratitude.
Thich Nhat Hanh was a wonderful Buddhist monk who was just a lovely,
Lovely being and teacher.
He said,
Walk as if you're kissing the earth with your feet.
For me,
This begs the question,
How can we move through our lives with gratitude,
Grace,
And reverence?
For instance,
How can we live in awe and with respect for the people,
The animals,
The trees,
And the environment that we share the earth with?
How can we contribute to the well-being of the planet?
How can we be present as channels of love and light?
The answers will likely be different for each of us,
But they are questions worth considering.
Here are a few other thoughts to ponder.
What if we treated everything we do and see as sacred?
How would our lives be different?
Perhaps it's hard to do in the midst of a challenging situation,
Regardless of what that situation may be,
But a change in perspective could change our lives for the better.
It's easy to feel angry,
Hurt,
Or resentful when someone says or does something that triggers us.
As a result,
We may close down and hold that person out of our heart.
We can do the same thing with a company,
A group,
An organization,
Or a political party we're not in alignment with.
But in doing so,
We constrict our heart and close off to the love within and for ourselves.
The good news is we can take care of ourselves and set healthy boundaries while keeping our heart open.
It makes me think of something I heard Stephen Levine,
One of my meditation teachers,
Say many years ago,
And that was,
Keeping our hearts open in hell is our greatest life's work.
So when faced with a challenge,
Regardless of what it is,
Someone doesn't agree with you,
Or you see something you don't like,
Or you experience something that feels hurtful,
Ask yourself this question.
What would love do in this situation?
Doesn't mean being wimpy or a doormat.
In fact,
The answer may surprise you.
Have fun with it,
Try it out,
And see what your inner wisdom reveals to you.
Wishing you a most wonderful day.
