Gratitude
Often new routines can be a drag to implement. They require a certain energy and focus so as to not go on autopilot and merely cruise through life. We are prompted to stop, question, and be present in the process of life, as we attempt to try something new and/or create a positive change for ourselves. However, the energy that is required of us is only the amount of energy that it takes to shift the momentum of our habitual patterns, that is all. For once the tide has turned, we find ourselves sailing along the tide of positive reformation. From this vista we forget some of the tougher moments and look towards the shore with gratitude for what we have endured and how far we have come.
Miester Eckhart, 13th century German theologian, philosopher and mystic, once said,
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
A sense of gratitude is often much greater than what two words could describe, but Miester Eckhart reminds us how simple, pure, and sufficient those words can be. They need not be uttered to anyone specific or about anyone in particular, rather they can be merely spoken to the Universe, creating ripples of gratitude for moments of trial and those of triumph. The power of the process is to be able to ride the waves of life with a sense of neutrality and appreciation for what life presents us, the Ultimate Gift of being here to experience it all and to learn in mysterious and adventurous ways.
On the Whole30, I have felt a sense of gratitude for the delicious food I have been consuming, the farmers who helped bring it to my table, and the animals that have given their life in order to provide nourishment to mine. It is beautiful cycle of self-less service. A common prayer of thanks around the dinner table is,
“Thank you for this meal and the hands in which prepared it.”
“…The hands in which prepared it,” if one really thinks about this phrase and contemplates all the hands that touch every particle we eat, we send a blessing not only to the cook but the farmers, the land, those who helped transport the food to our homes, the grocer, and the product itself. Each food item has a story and a journey before we ever encounter it, as do we. Thus, it is important to recognize both journeys and to honor the divine moment in which we meet. No encounter, albeit with animate or inanimate objects, is nothing less than sacred, meaningful, and one of service.
It has been an adventure to include more animal-based protein during each meal over the last 29 days. During this food experiment, I have been aware that one can feel the history and life of an animal, for each animal as an energy it carries with her. Chickens have a lively, clucky energy: Cows have a powerful, strong energy: and fish have a flowy, fluid-type of energy. With each animal we consume, we also consume its characteristics and while we digest the meat, that energy becomes part of us, our stories meet and become one. If you pay close attention, you may feel hyped up after eating certain types of meat and more stable and strong when eating others. It is a clue as to how we are all connected, no matter the species, and also how one being can serve another.
Gratitude opens our circle of awareness and reaches far beyond where the eyes can see. The Ultimate Gift, beyond good health and humor, is the honor of being here, being human, and having this experience called life. We have the good fortune to be able to experiment with our body’s nutrition, try a new hobby, change jobs, move to a new city, etc, all in the hopes of not squandering the gift of life and using our time wisely to live a life of peace and fulfillment, in which gratitude plays a significant role. When we can’t see an outcome or understand a situation, we can still give thanks for what is not yet known, because everything is in the works for our common good. Although change is hard, its journey can be easeful by remembering that in everything we can always give thanks.
Anything we consume, from food to technology to good conversation, becomes part of our journey and continues to serve its purpose through us, this is why no man could ever be an island, for we are all connected and in service to one another, whether as food or form. Perhaps this is truly the Ultimate Gift, the seeds of presence we gift to one another. Thus, could there ever be a greater reason to say those two words, no matter the situation or circumstance? For if life is an adventure in oneness, then gratitude is the most abundant source we have to fuel the changing tides and positive reformation we call enlightenment. Namaste.