Just Wondering: Appreciation & Gratitude
The other morning I was out walking in the woods; walking is a part of my morning ritual that has more to do with connecting to Earth and the Divine than it does to physical exercise. I have to confess, I know what meditation is supposed to work like, but for me, it never quite goes that way. “Contemplation” is much easier for me than any kind of stilling meditation, so it probably makes sense that the more I manage to quiet myself and connect to Goddess the more likely I am to come out of the experience with a new teaching, project idea, or theory. If I still my thoughts, all that does is make room for new thoughts.
So, back to my walk, as I was walking I found myself thinking about gratitude. Gratitude for the bird song, the rattling snake (harmless, I promise), for bright green trees and the gorgeous “real” smell that filled the air. Which made me think of something the Dalai Lama had said.
He told a story about how he learned that mosquitos use our blood to feed their young and be able to reproduce, so he let a mosquito feed off of him. But, he noticed that that mosquito had no gratitude at all for the offering he had made it. He noticed that dogs, cats, and even birds show gratitude for kindnesses offered them, but the mosquito did not.
At the next opportunity when he was sitting with a panel of scientists he told them this story and asked them:
“How big does your brain have to be to feel appreciation.”
Is it our brain? Our hearts? Or where we choose to put our focus and attention that fosters appreciation of all that we have?
After all, when was the last time you noticed the bright green leaves, the smell of flowers, or the sparrow having a dirt bath in your drive way? And, it’s certainly true that I frequently forget to appreciate the greatness of my own son – the one who drives me crazier than all others (except maybe selfish drivers). Our brains are certainly big enough for appreciation, maybe we just need some more practice?
Just something I pondered as I was walking. What do you think?
4 comments
I’d like to know how His Holiness knew the mosquito showed no gratitude. What does a mosquito’s gratitude look like? And I want to know whether he squished the next one…
Yes, we do need to practice appreciation, or at least the awareness that inevitably leads to gratitude.
Tess,
Yes, that’s it exactly: awareness. Gratitude comes from allowing us to be aware of those things worth being grateful for. How can you appreciate the wonder of seeing a woodpecker hard at work today if you never even notice him?
You are, officially, a genius. (On His Holiness, I have no idea he didn’t share that part of the story!)
Yours,
Megan
I always think of appreciation as simply noticing the beauty of something and acknowledging your alignment with it….actually…its more like allowing yourself to see the beauty of everything and everyone in its own being-ness. To me it is the most effect way to shift into being present and in a place of alignment with source energy. I have a hard time meditating myself…but I can easily go into a place of being present and appreciation…which I guess is the same as contemplation, right?
Leah,
I do the exact same thing. I find that when I’m overwhelmed with worry or fear its very difficult for me to get control of my mind. Using awareness of the moment, and appreciation of the things around me, helps me to catch my breath and regain self control.
It is a fabulous tool for getting into the moment isn’t it? We must be genius’
.
Thanks for joining the conversation, it’s great seeing you here!
Yours,
Megan
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