We live in a ‘material world’; we cannot get enough of gadgets, amenities, possessions and comforts.
When we look around us, we fail to see the conditions of those who are worse off than we are – instead we only look at the rich and the powerful, the mighty and the influential, and we yearn so needlessly – “Why can’t I be like them?”
Why don’t I have a Benz? Why can’t I have a bungalow to call my home? Why can’t I go abroad for my holidays? Why can’t I shop in the best stores for branded products?
Tell me, do you ever look at the migrant labourers living on the sidewalks of roads in crowded localities and say to yourself: “I thank God that I have a roof over my head, a home to call my own!” Do you ever cast a glance of compassion at severely disabled people, who are bravely struggling to live a dignified life and say to yourself: “How fortunate I am, that God has given me healthy limbs and good vision and speech and hearing?”
If you are, on the other hand, a differently abled person, have you thanked God for giving you a healthy heart and a good appetite and other faculties?
Count your blessings! The trouble with most of us is that we dwell incessantly on our negatives – on what we don’t have, rather than on what we have. And in the bargain, we overlook the most precious gifts that God has bestowed on us in such abundance!
It is not for nothing that Reiki practitioners and others emphasise what they call an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ – because saying ‘Thank you’, and feeling grateful are wonderful ways of infusing yourself with positive energy.
Count your blessings! You are far more fortunate than you think.
Count your blessings – and thank God for the great gifts of life!
(Dada J.P. Vaswani is humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader.)
