Nonetheless, I feel blessed

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Nonetheless, I feel blessed.

Of course, of course, I am horrified by what occurred in Las Vegas.  And, of course, I have added my thoughts and prayers to the countless compassionate voices sympathizing with the victims and their families.
Nonetheless, I feel blessed.
My life is blessed. This senseless tragedy along with the natural disasters – while painful, while they weigh on my soul – are not sinking me.
 

Perhaps, just perhaps, I have been making one too many gratitude lists. Perhaps, just perhaps, I have practiced the three different gratitude exercises I often prescribe to people.
I feel blessed.

Grace, and how to.

St. Paul wrote letters about grace – and how it is freely given. That we all, at any time, have the ability to feel blessed. That the outside circumstances in our lives – while powerful – do not dictate our internal state. This is the teaching of most gurus – that we can live with love and hope no matter the circumstances.
Please, please, please, understand, I am not saying that we must enjoy eating a shit sandwich. There are days, and there are days. If your loved one died, you are going to feel loss. If your spouse is sick, that illness will take its toll. If you had a tire blow out on the road, it will affect you.
But you can train your mind.
You can. You can train to be spiritually fit so that when your car doesn’t start, you don’t lose it. You can.
You can train yourself to be able to live in a world filled with fear and terror and still feel blessed.
By analogy, let us think about weight-lifting. Most of us are capable of lifting more than we currently do. With some training, some practice, we can build up our muscles to perform better. The same is true for your spiritual life.
  • Try not getting angry or upset when the bus comes late.
  • Try not getting angry when the printer is out of paper.
  • Try not getting angry at the person who has a tone with you.
Shantideva – an eighth-century Indian monk – said:

There is nothing that does not grow lighter through habit and familiarity. Putting up with little cares, I will train myself to bear great adversities.

Nonetheless, I feel blessed.
My life is blessed. This senseless tragedy along with the natural disasters – while painful, while they weigh on my soul – are not sinking me.
Perhaps, just perhaps, I have been making one too many gratitude lists. Perhaps, just perhaps, I have practiced the three different gratitude exercises I often prescribe to people.
I feel blessed.
Start with small problems. And practice gratitude. Practice gratitude until you notice that you think four positive thoughts for every negative one. (This will take time and practice. And in the course of trying this, you might find that you beat yourself up for not doing this well. Be kind to yourself!)
So, my friend, go, be in this world. Live according to this quote by Joseph Campbell:
Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
If you want my help, there are three powerful gratitude exercises in my 2-minute spiritual fitness program. If you want to listen to an old podcast of me talking about habit and familiarity, here is a link.

 

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77% Weekly Newsletter
77% Weekly Newsletter