“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward
I’m Amazing You’re Amazing
As a forward looking society, it is quite easy to get lost in the rat race and lose sight of the things we should be grateful for in our lives.
We take so many things for granted. We fail to see what such an amazing mystery this reality truly is. We get caught up in trivial matters that we end up taking for granted the most important thing in our lives, which is life itself. And since we are actually one with life, we take ourselves and our existence for granted.
Life, reality, happiness…is always in the present moment. It will never be found anywhere else, so all that is needed is that we learn how to notice and pay attention to the rich and alive texture of the present moment. We need to become aware of all the things that keep us from being in the moment (mainly our thought process). We need to develop an awareness that stays alert moment to moment without clinging to anything (meditation practice). Being in contact with the moment you will come to see all the beautiful things in life that you may have neglected being grateful for.
When you begin to live a conscious life you will have many moments and thoughts like..”Whoa…I am alive!…how amazing is this!…even more amazing is how I somehow loose touch with this sense of being”.
So the number one thing we should be grateful for, is for just being alive. I know life can be extremely hard, but when you can actually grasp at how amazing it is that we even had an opportunity to experience this reality, all of life’s challenges can be dealt with, and ultimately evolve to a deep sense of appreciation for life as it is.
As Buddha said, life is Dukkah…life is suffering….but life is only suffering when we live in ignorance…when we go against life, when we go against the present moment. When you have a vertical growth in consciousness (awakening and breaking identification with the mind) and your able to see life for what it is, you develop a strong sense of determination to rise above many of the things we label as suffering. By understanding suffering, you then understand what it is to live a blissful life, a happy life.
If you are reading this, YOU are ALIVE…how awesome is that..let that sink in…take a few moments to just enjoy “being” here now and feel the energy and intelligence that animates your body…it’s quite a miraculous thing.
Albert Einstein said, there are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. The choice is yours, now isn’t that amazing 🙂
What are you grateful for? Leave a comment and let me know….
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(editors note: originally posted on 11/03/2011)
Ivan, I am grateful for coming across your blog. It is so inspiring. Thanks.:)
thank you so much :)…happy you found me…
Just wanna say.. Life is joy, be not coy. Live upto date, but not relying on fate. To fun in every passing moment, is the trait of a real prudent.
thanks for sharing :)..i agree 🙂
hey ivan!! i am grateful for this post 🙂
sometimes people ask me who my favourite DJ is, or my favourite musical artist, and i usually tell them its whichever one i’m listening to, or the one thats playing at the moment.
I only mention this because its my example that there is no greater place than the place you are right now, and there are many great places. Hope that makes sense! peace
thanks so much for sharing my friend :)…loved your response…be well 🙂
I am grateful everyday for my beautiful girlfriend and the joy she has brought into my life
that’s awesome :)…make sure you let her know that :)..
🙂 Ivan you’re a tremendously amazing person. Much love to you my friend.
you too my friend :)…much love…
I am truly grateful for being alive, being able to see, hear, touch, taste and feel the beautiful world around me and for the wonderful family, friends, teachers and other people who have made me who I am today.
And for articles such as these:). The Internet is a blessing…
Thanks for writing. I have put up a link to one of your posts on Facebook.
Thank you so much for sharing Lakshmi :)…I appreciate your kind words, hope all is well….namaste
Nice blog. I want to know more about this in future.
I have infinite love and gratitude for the fact that I have realised that I have the power to create my own life! Since learning this, I have been making conscious efforts to let go of all that doesnt work for me and that keep me stuck and not let me move forward in life! I am the one who has been creating my dhukha all this time and I am the one who has to use wisdom to remove all ignorance that is creating dhukha for me! :)Thank You Ivan for sharing “You” with us!
Just to let you know, I also want to make a conscious effort to let go of all that doesn’t work for me and also keeped me stuck. Now I have to work on finding what does work for me, I have always looked to other people to find my way which was their way. I never had confidence in myself always afraid I would make a wrong decision or being rejected by others.
I’m grateful for being able to wake up everyday and see my loved ones. I’m grateful for my job that’s helping provide for my grandmother and the delicious food I eat everyday. 🙂 I’m also grateful for coming across this blog. All the best!