Day 416: Ruminate

Brilliant flower design

I was having a think this morning and a little look around the internet. Here's what I found.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”  (Ralph Waldo Emerson - Goodreads quotes)

Every little thing - that's the key. The things that piss you off as well as the things that fill you with joy. That's not to pretend that the things don't piss you off - it's just to assume some good intention behind it. Good intention makes it sound all fatey (sorry, Rob Grundel). Sorries aside, that's not quite what I mean. What I mean is that pretty much every thing that happens will have SOMETHING useful about it. It might not outweigh what we perceive as 'bad' but it will be there. It's a question of focus. 

Search: grateful for everything

I'm well aware that I've gone on about this before, but the thing is, it's a daily practice, like mindfulness. Every day, it takes remembering. Every day, there's a little habit that slips into believing that experiences that aren't pleasant are bad. Those two things are not equal. Pleasant experiences are not necessarily 'good' either. A faceful of iced rings will attest to that. Every bit of overeating. Every bit of damaging gossip which might seem titillating at the time will tip the balance. It's not quite like it's eating away at the good bit of you - more like it's covering it up with a tiny bit more padding and the padding's not really needed. It just gets in the way. When it out-ratios the core, it gets tiring. That soft centre is potent - all sorts of extraneous stuff can go on around it and it will always remain there, strong and shining.. it just gets suffocated sometimes. 

Search: 'grateful for every little thing'

This isn't about Being Good, or being saved or reward/retribution in an afterlife - it's about how you feel right now (I'll be specific - how I feel right now when I do things that cover up that pure-love-core good bit). The more I do to feed the things that feed me, the less I need to graze on thoughts that are empty of nutrition - the more I'm filled up. And all this from being grateful? Fuck! That's good, isn't it.  

(looks like I still have to work on the swearing thing)