I Believe in Awe and Gratitude

I believe in the power of awe and gratitude. In my view everything is sacred and imbued with the divine spirit. If I am able to find within me a sense of awe for everything I observe – be it the face of a person, the smile of a baby, the water ripples on the ocean, or simply the blade of grass protruding through the pavement – it will help me to be grateful for everything I have. When I wake up in the morning, the first thought that comes to my mind is “thank you, God” for my life; the next thing I do is look out the window and I am in awe of all that I see. I feel connected to everything and again I say Thank You. This attitude helps me navigate the events of the day. It makes it easier to accept whatever comes my way, and in the end, it leads me to peace within myself and with the world. At night I once more look out the window, talk to the moon if she is visible, and say Thank You. I would like to share a poem by Brother David Steindl-Rast:

If you’re grateful you’re not fearful,

And if you’re not fearful, you’re not violent.

If you’re grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not of a sense of scarcity, and you’re willing to share.

If you are grateful you are enjoying the differences between people.

You are respectful to everybody.

And that changes this power pyramid under which we live.