Slowing Down to Harness Gratitude

Buddhist monk Nhat Hahn shares the perspective: "Around us, life bursts with miracles, a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops." In posting it here, I too wish to spread this point of view. Why? Because it is easy to get caught up in challenges, longing for what one doesn’t have, and fretting about what is next. When we do that, we fail to recognize the wonder around us. Gratitude is noted to be a powerful force for making one’s life happier. So how do you harness more gratitude? You take the time to slow down and appreciate the world around you. Maybe politics have you feeling hopeless lately, or your interactions with strangers make you question if good still exists in the world, but I encourage you to look smaller. Notice how nice certain colors feel to look at. Let you hands run atop a pleasant texture. Fill your head with music that makes your mind tingle. Those very sensory delights are miracles and worthy of appreciation. They make life worth living.

"Around us, life bursts with miracles, a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a leaf, a caterpillar, a flower, laughter, raindrops."

~ Nhat Hanh