Gratefulness: The Key to a Meaningful Life

Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses

-Alphonse Karr

Sunday morning. As I lovingly water the dew-pink roses in my balcony, I feel an inexplicable joy. Could be the ripple effect of single-mindedly pursuing gratefulness for over a month now.

It all began a month ago, when I was cuddling my friend’s 2-year-old. Whenever I said thank you, the baby instantaneously let out a toothless grin. After they left, I extended the learning that I received from the little one. I began by being grateful for each and everything that came my way.

If the phone rang in the middle of our Sunday noon nap, instead of getting irritated, I calm my nerves and answer the call in the most amiable of tones. I am thankful that the “ringing noise” is indicative of a phone. And since there is a phone, I am able to connect with family any time I want. And since it is portable, I have it at arm’s length, a sharp contrast to the olden times, where you had to often rush to the living room with the single thought while rushing out of the kitchen that I should make it before it stops ringing. In the thankful mode, I am tempted to look, who invented the portable phone after all? Thanks to Google, I have the answer on my finger tips. And again in the thankful mode, I bless the soul who envisioned the idea.

While lighting on the stove, I am thankful for the lighter for, I do not have to rub two stones together to generate heat or look out for good quality fire-wood, and then get on with my cooking. I discover that whenever I initiate any activity by being grateful, the transition to the next stage, which is concentrating on the task at hand comes effortlessly to me. I am convinced thankfulness is a key element to mindfulness. I do not have any research data to support my hypothesis, yet my personal experience is encouragement enough to keep up the practice.  Let me also list down the other benefits that I received in the process, which to my surprise were addendum to the ones already mentioned in any article or book on Positive Psychology that I came across till date.

1. I found an amazing improvement in my memory. Could be that because I was associating things or events whenever I was being thankful, I was forming greater neural connections
2. I was overcoming my inertia to meet “difficult” people. Difficult did not seem to be that difficult from then on. I discovered that interacting with them was akin to shifting gears while driving. When the traffic increased, and one didn’t get an inch to move, one just brought the gears down. Similarly, whenever I sensed that the conversation could make me uneasy, I just needed to slow down with a knowing, gentle smile. I am grateful that such people are there, and they are in some ways responsible for my evolution into a better person by increasing my empathy and compassion quotient.
3. Mundane tasks are more joyous now. I do not get bored, however, monotonous and repetitive the task may be, for, I know that when I do not rue about the repetitiveness, I get auto-programmed for happiness. And, who knows, by continuing the repetitive task with a smile on my face and joy in my heart, I might discover something new that may make life better for humanity. Was not apples falling off trees an unremarkable event, until Sir Issac Newton contemplated deeply and brought forth the concept of gravity!

I am now convinced beyond doubt that gratefulness in many ways holds the key to a meaningful life.