Photo: Angie Terrell, Stone Mountain GA, Dec. 2020
Everything changed in 2020. Perhaps 2021 will look a lot like 2020. Maybe a little better. Maybe the same. Could it be worse? But on the first days of this year, I am choosing to meditate on gratitude.
Gratitude has become trendy. Just search #gratitude on Instagram and you’ll find a lot of curated posts with smiling people, quotes, and sunsets. Or search Amazon for that word alone and you’ll be served up many journals just ready for you to write all of your daily gratitudes. It’s become a thing.
Why? Intentionally cultivating gratitude is nothing new. We Buddhists have been doing it since Buddha taught about the practice of “rejoicing” and how it’s a cause of inner peace. And as far as I know, giving thanks has been part of the Judeo-Christian religions since the beginning. But it seems science has caught up with religion.
Numerous studies have confirmed what our prophets have known - a mind and heart full of gratitude not only brings you happiness and joy in the moment, but actually creates effects that we don’t normally associate with gratitude, like greater contentment and compassion. And a practice of gratitude makes it easier to succeed at marshmallow-test-of-life than if we didn’t practice gratitude at all.
As a practitioner of Buddhism, I understand the reason we practice rejoicing in our good fortune for many reasons:
It helps us see the abundance we have now, which mostly comes from the kindness of others, and helps us stop craving things we don’t have.
It keeps us humble because instead of thinking how all of this came from us alone, we see that we have many others to thank for what we have.
It makes us happy and gives us the ability to make choices that are good for our long-term happiness.
Contemplating this in the New Year, I sat down and wrote out 10 things I’m grateful for. But in doing so, I realized that once I started listing the things I’m grateful for the list is endless. I mean it’s like a web of interconnected abundance and kindness. It can just go on and on. This is why we meditate on this. We begin to see all that we have to be happy about, to rejoice in, and to be thankful for. And this helps us overcome depression, attachment, envy, anger, and jealousy. It helps us during these times. We need - I need - this practice during these dark times. It’s a practice of strength.
So here is my list, but then I also drew out the web of gratitude because it’s all connected and truly infinite!
I am grateful for…
My mind. I can still use it.
My body, which is healthy right now, and I can still use it.
My family. It’s been hard this past year to love each other fully at times and give each other grace. But we still do love each other and work hard every day to improve our relationships.
My dogs…which are part of our family. But I am so grateful for all three of them and their unique personalities.
Being employed and having a steady paycheck. I know many do not have this right now, but it allows me to give and to share what I can.
Our home. Which has been a perfect place to be quarantined in this year.
The street our home is on because have grown to know and love our neighbors this past year. The pod/community we have cultivated is something special.
Parks. City, state, national…all the parks. I’m so grateful they are open, even if packed sometimes. We need these natural spaces for healing and must protect our environment if we are going to survive.
The birds I watch come to the feeder on our front porch when I journal in the mornings.
The plants (and weeds) in our yard that give us something to tend to.
And the list could go on. A web of interconnectedness. Of kindness from others, from whom I’ve received every joy on this list. Contemplating this fills me with joy and love. And I hope that in 2021, I can cultivate this intentionally every day.
Here’s to a new day and a new year. Stay well.
- Angie
p.s. i love you