Whether we realize it or not, gratitude being our backbone, is the underlying feeling of our highest, most ecstatic experiences. In moments of undeniable and indescribable aliveness there is a rush of gratefulness that is dispersed into the aura of our being. This energetic force becomes one that is contagious and can be felt as well as transmuted to those present. When we love and laugh or celebrate and look back, there is an intense and rhapsodic sensation for all that is. There is an essence of connectedness and unification that is fused into moments of gratitude or rather just a feeling of oneness. As far as I can discern, to be grateful is be in a state of present appreciation for both the simple, intricate, as well as light and dark nature of this miraculous happening that we call life. Furthermore, a binary example of this is expressed by Einstein as he states, “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.”
It seems the more aware we become of who we truly are the more grateful we become. Any intrinsic energy instantly grows stronger the more attention and focus we bring to it. It seems the primary reason for the lack of gratitude in most stems from compulsive thinking of the trivial, superficial, as well as an absence of awareness and appreciation for life as a whole. Without perspective one cannot blossom. Perspective allows for free-flowing and natural growth. It gives rise to ones authentic form, in which rigidness cannot exist. Yet, we tend to focus on that which is front of us and not what is foundational to us. It is this approach that breeds a pathological cycle of incompleteness and an external search for our figurative “missing pieces.” All of which accounts for the the feelings of not having or being “enough.” Furthermore, a shift of focus and energy is all that is necessary to facilitate a new perspective which then can generate a greater awareness over our wholesome being, producing an abundance of gratitude. Our lens is our life and like any other emotion, feeling or state of being, the more you focus on it and think about it the stronger it becomes.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance”
Eckart Tolle
Well-being in many ways can be defined as the ability to be aware of the light in life, but at the same being able to acknowledge the light in dark or rather just the beauty of it all. When faced with adversity or a seemingly dreadful moment, the way one sees and maneuvers it speaks volumes to ones capacity to look past the surface level and to recognize the inner-magnificence that lies within each experience. Rejection can lead to resurrection; hurt can lead to hope and loss can lead to love. All this is within reach by simply being grateful for everything no matter how it may seem at first sight. To accept and embrace the absurd happenings of life and to flow with the moment and not against it. It is not about looking for something particular, but instead understanding the wondrous nature of the experience itself and fully surrendering to whatever it may bring. To not see life as something that is happening to you, but rather to see it as something that is happening for you. As challenging as it may be sometimes, it seems that is what makes it all worthwhile, the uphill battle that is a seemingly endless journey, and yet to take each step with a sliver of gratitude.
“The only thing that could be bad is to take it seriously”
Alan Watts
In the end, whatever that means, it is within each of our hands to live pleasantly or not, to take things too seriously or not and to live gratefully or not. When we wake up first thing in the morning, do we look to rejoice in the day or to the aching that lies at bay. Do we breathe with a grace like the sweeping leaves of trees or do we fall victim to reacting to technology as though it is a need. When the day darkens and the rain drops fall, do we dance and flow with it or do we complain and persist against it. With every rise and fall there is only one thing that remains through it all, and that is the way you see things and what you choose to believe.
Infinite Seeking 
That’s a lot to take in. I think basically you’re saying that keeping a positive attitude and being grateful for life itself are essential to our wellbeing.
I’d like to add, that a relationship with our Creator who gave us life is important.
LikeLike
I have found that life becomes deeper when one becomes grateful for the smallest things in life as well as for the problems that we have and what they REALLY mean. I am thankful for the sunrises I have seen, for the dew on the grass, for the spiders making their webs, for weeds that need to be cut because it means I have a yard, for the car problems I have because it means I have a car, for the headache I get from reading too late at night in poor light because it means I found a good book. I am thankful for those dark moments in life because I know the night is darkest just before the dawn.
You wrote, “It seems the primary reason for the lack of gratitude in most stems from compulsive thinking of the trivial, superficial, as well as an absence of awareness and appreciation for life as a whole.”
If we focus on the negative, we will lack gratitude. If we are constantly craving over what we don’t have or cannot have, then gratitude is a foreign language. If we are content with what we have than I believe gratitude is a natural flow of our character.
I like when you wrote “rejection can lead to resurrection.” People need to realize that change is possible. One can become grateful for what they have. It is my hope that this period of self-quarantine, shelter in place and social distancing will lead to self-discovery, contentment in place and a joy of being socially close to people rather than treating it as an annoyance. Be thankful for the person standing close to you on the subway, be thankful for the time you have to learn something new, be thankful for a roof over your head.
LikeLike