Category: Gratitude

Present-Time Paradise

Photograph © 2012 Peggy Kornegger
Photograph © 2012 Peggy Kornegger
Years ago, Stevie Wonder wrote a song called “Pastime Paradise,” which described people who lived their lives glorifying the past or longing for a different future. We all have that tendency because our society fosters dissatisfaction and discontent. The advertising industry feeds on it, as do our social and political institutions. Yet, the quieter voices that whisper “live in the moment” and “count your blessings” are growing stronger and more widespread. If we shift our focus to the present and look at what we do have instead of what we don’t, life is suddenly full and abundant beyond measure.

Personally, I have no doubt that I live in paradise. I love my life. My partner and I live in an apartment in a two-family home with a yard, front and back. Our small-town neighborhood is friendly and quiet. We like our neighbors, and our landlord is kind and responsive. I have freedom to grow flowers, plants, and bushes in the yard, and this is my greatest joy. I spend hours in my garden every day, sometimes working, sometimes just drinking in the colors and light. Hummingbirds visit the red tubular flowers of the native honeysuckle, goldfinches cluster about the hanging thistle feeder, and butterflies and bees fill the air around the large purple flowers of the butterfly bush. What more could one ask of life than moments like these?

Don’t get me wrong. I have experienced my share of life’s heartaches too—the death of loved ones, the end of relationships, loss of jobs, physical pain, etc. But all of it has been part of life and has brought me to where I am today. If I step back and look at my life as a whole, the miracles outnumber the tragedies, and even the tragedies had hidden miracles within them. Events that I feared all my life such as my parents’ deaths ended up being extraordinary spiritual experiences because I was fully present with them as they transitioned. Losing my job late in my editorial career allowed me to step into the freelance world for a couple of years and then gradually move into full retirement. I now have the time and freedom to write and garden whenever I want instead of squeezing it in on the side.

What I have discovered is that paradise is a state of presence, not an aspiration. I truly believe that I came to this planet to have all the experiences I could possibly pack in and that each one allows me to expand more and more as both a spiritual and a human being. Everything that has occurred has enabled me to become more fully myself, my soul self. And I am grateful for every single bit of it, the tears as well as the laughter. It’s a miracle to just be alive. Really. Look at your physical body—how did that happen? You can’t help but be in awe of the infinite complexity of the tiniest aspect of every part of life. Or at least I am. And I think that’s where we’re all heading. Collectively, we are shifting from suffering to celebration, from dismay to full-hearted appreciation for the gifts each day brings. Paradise is with us, within us—now. It really is.

Don’t Miss the Miracle

Photograph © 2012 Peggy Kornegger
Photograph © 2012 Peggy Kornegger

Sometimes we are so submerged in the day-to-day details of our lives that we forget to look up and see the bigger picture. Literally. With our heads down, focused on our endless to-do lists, we lose sight of what is really important in life. It’s not the errands, tasks, or dollar signs that will pass before our inner eyes at the end of our lives. It’s the people we’ve loved and the moments of wonder and joy that we’ve experienced we will remember as we leave this lifetime. As we navigate this time of global awakening, we are being continually reminded to see the miracles in every moment. And we need those reminders. At least I do.

It is so easy to forget, to lose yourself in thoughts or distractions. Yet, if you just remember to take a breath and look around, there is extraordinary beauty everywhere. The other day, as I waited for the bus, I watched towering cumulus clouds forming huge white cotton balls against the bluest of skies. Then, slowly charcoal-gray rain clouds moved in, creating a dramatic play of darkness and light. The entire sky was filled with an infinite variety of cloud formations, and I felt blessed to be standing there at that particular time, witnessing Nature’s pageantry. The rest of my day was uplifted by the experience.

Such moments are not infrequent if we just pay attention. Often it’s as simple as walking to a window in the early morning or evening. Daily, the sun puts on a radiant multicolored light show as it rises or sets. Each day is different. Like snowflakes, no two sunsets are the same. And the colors frequently linger well after the sun has disappeared below the horizon—mauves, lavenders, and pinks against an indigo sky, as the stars begin to appear faintly. What more could any human ask of a day on Earth?

Of course, equally important as connections to the natural world are connections to other human beings. Those we love, friends and family as well as those we may just meet in passing, bring us warmth and happiness if we have ongoing appreciation for each person’s uniqueness. There is a cashier in the store where I buy my groceries who is a true master in the art of appreciating people and lifting their spirits. He always has a smile and friendly word for everyone who passes through his line. I learn from him each week how simple it is to be kind, and what a difference it makes.

At times, life’s passing irritations or problems cause us to forget how special the people and experiences in our lives are. Yet, each one is a miracle—each passing cloud or ray of sun, each spring flower, and each extraordinary person. Every single moment is a miracle, even the challenges. Don’t miss your life as it unfolds before you in glorious living color.

 

From the Heart

© 2011 Anne S. Katzeff / Artist
People in the United States (and Canada) have set aside Thanksgiving as a day for being grateful and counting our blessings—literally,“giving thanks.” Taken to the next level, however, gratitude for life’s blessings also means sharing them with others. At the heart of gratitude is giving. The potlatch or giveaway ceremonies of various Native American nations, predating the arrival of Europeans, exemplify this value. Historically, these indigenous families gave away or shared their own “wealth” or possessions with others in the community as part of the potlatch. Both the Canadian and U.S. governments banned the practice for many years, but it never completely disappeared and has experienced a resurgence since the bans were dropped.

Many other groups in the Americas have included generosity and gratitude within their living traditions. The Andean peoples of Peru practice a form of mutual aid called ayni, which is based on both cooperation and generosity—in essence, helping others who will in turn help them when they are in need. The Maya in Guatemala believe in living in balance with giving and receiving. They make offerings to life, toq, in the form of prayers of gratitude or acts of service, for all that life gives them—air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat.

In the United States, being grateful has not always moved people to share what they have with others. In fact, American beliefs in rugged individualism and competitive economic growth have led to just the opposite. Still, generous impulses have not entirely vanished, and I truly believe that they are making a comeback. We are living through a time of radical shifts in values, from “me first” to sister/brotherhood, from cutthroat competition to generosity of spirit. The old ways that separate and pit people against one another are slowly disintegrating. Once we become fully aware of the web of light that connects all our hearts, there will be no need to speak of giving as a desired value or behavior. Within oneness, there is no separation, and sharing is a part of living, just as automatic as breathing.

We are evolving to a future in which we won’t have to be reminded at special holidays to be grateful or to give generously. We will wake up each morning with thank you on our lips and fall asleep each night counting our blessings. We will live in gratitude, oneness, and sharing. We will live from the heart. That future is Now.