We are 46 months old, seven vaccinations/boosters after the pandemic first came into our consciousness. While COVID may have faded from the news, its impacts are still with us.
I have selected one word in 2024 – gratitude. And I’m grateful that Dr. Allen has been kind enough to let me write a few more blogs.
Gratitude for the simple things
- This could be a spring blossom, a bird chirping, or a breath of fresh air filling our lungs.
- Remembering family and friends first.
- Sitting outside on your favorite bench. (Mine is on the Sun Trail above Muir Woods. I can see the Stinson Beach and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.)
- Hugging my daughters.
- Sunrise touching my window.
- Sunset approaching the early evening.
- Talking less and embracing listening more.
Giving as the second pillar of gratitude
In the Beatle’s song The End Paul McCartney writes: The love you take is equal to the love you make.
Oddly enough, by giving we are the ones who benefit!
Another quote I like is from Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, as it relates to abundance and scarcity.
Give more to others and you will receive more.
https://youtu.be/uK79RxPckOQ?si=isSeaP6AJg2Zb4Q8
The joy received from the few ideas below has made a huge difference to me.
- Tell a joke to your favorite barista and bring a smile to their face.
- Buy a pizza for a teacher.
- Give kindness to the Pacific Ocean or your favorite body of water.
- Dine with your family or loved ones. (I love having dinner with my daughters in Oakland or the North Bay.)
- Give to others.
- Embrace nature and every breath you take.
I happen to love the phrase, my ego is not my amigo!
Gratitude and being present
Eckhart Tolle often writes about three modalities of “awakened doing.” These include:
- Acceptance
- Enjoyment
- Enthusiasm.
For Eckhart, acceptance of the present moment, whatever that might be, and being at peace with it is key. As he says, “Joy is the dynamic aspect of Being.” This means that joy is being present, as opposed to happiness which is tied to the ego. Gratitude comes when we bring enthusiasm to the things that bring us joy.
David Erskine, World Traveler, Poet, Actor, Taxi-Driver…Blogger
Thank you to Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper for inspiring this piece. You can subscribe to her wonderful newsletter here.
“All that we are, is a result of what we have thought” Buddha 563 – 483BC
So true, I’ve met many Buddha’s and felt inspired and truly believe there are ‘Buddha’s’ in all of us. I keep mine close to my heart and enjoy others who keep him close to their brains . . . we live in a world of Buddha’s.