Gratitude

Life has its bumps and setbacks and I for one have seen quite a few - the passing of my grandma and father in 2015 in one of the major downturns in the narrative of my life. That being said, I have a deep sense of gratitude for many things. A happy, healthy family is one of my greatest blessings. Two beautiful daughters (inside and outside) who call me mum, a husband who is supportive of my spiritual endeavours as well as my career and hobbies, my mother and my in-laws.

There is much to be grateful for on a daily basis, even though life is hardly a bed of roses. Very often, what throws us back from gratitude is being blinded by things that we yearn for - things that we THINK we need. Apart from the greed of material possessions, which never seem enough, we get blinded by the expectations that we set for others and the expectations of how each and every moment should be. We start thinking we can control what happens around us and how others react - like puppets on strings - but this is all a facade.

We start judging the moment as well as the people around us, when in reality, life unfolds itself as one large narrative that starts at the cradle and ends with our last breath. Why judge the moment and why hold such high expectations of others as though we have any control over how life pans out. We are simply digging potholes for ourselves. We can only do what we can and the outcome is not in our hands. Instead, we need to embrace the moment and experience moments and people as they come and go, without requiring them to be perfect by our own expectations.

Take everything with a pinch of salt (and pepper or paprika) and enjoy the ride. There are bound to be obstacles or bumps along the way but if we choose to see them as steps on the ladder of spiritual growth, then we will be grateful even for the setbacks.

Gratitude is essentially what everything boils down to, because gratitude also encompasses acceptance. Acceptance of the situation and acceptance of the people in our lives. Both, as they are.