Writing about gratitude has awakened a source of excitement that I didn't even know existed. I think about it a lot, and the practice serves as a reminder when the frustrations of daily life start to get me down. When identifying something I am grateful for, I feel happy to write about it and share with others. In fact, I am sometimes so eager that in my mind I select upcoming events as reasons to be grateful- though they had not yet happened!
When this is the case, I need to slow down. Yes, I believe this gratitude practice is a good thing, but I also must live in the present moment. Though it is perfectly acceptable to regard 'something to look forward to' as a reason for gratefulness in itself, it is essential that I do not become dependent on a specific outcome. Doing so would mean I am replacing my sense of gratitude with attachment and a desire for things to go 'my way', however good my intentions.
Yes, when this happens I need to dial back my ego and just be grateful, for both those things past and present that allow me to be who I am in the here and now. Because a mindful sense of gratitude can also sow the seeds for a hopeful future.
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The present moment
contains past and future.
The secret for transformation,
is in the way we handle this very moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Understanding Our Mind (2006)
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness (1999)
Did you enjoy this post? What do you think about the connection between gratitude and living in the present moment?
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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at ByChanceBuddhism!
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May all beings be happy!
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