Manifesting Gratitude Beyond the Feeling
The emotion and feeling of gratitude is something we talk about, aspire to and enjoy to wallow in. It shifts our vibration, for sure, and opens our tight hearts to renewal, abundance and next-level manifestation.
But it came to me the other day, as I was eating the most amazing fresh plum I had been gifted, that perhaps that feeling is only half the process of gratitude. Maybe we sell ourselves short.
What if the feeling of gratitude is there to prompt us to ACT in a way that magnifies that feeling into the physical world? So others can share the feeling?
Pema Chodron explores this idea at the thought-energy level in her exploration of the ancient maitri practices. One mindfully holds, and then shifts, a feeling - an intent, a prayer - through the 7 layers of connection from the self, slowly outward to all sentient Beings. Sidebar: have always wondered about the exclusion on non-sentient Beings and why that limit needs to exist?
But it came to me a second time as I was eating steamed chestnuts, and thinking about the GIFT the chestnut tree itself has been to Oo and how the tree had enabled her to find food, some income and some connection with us. Missed that post? Here it is again.
Standing in my kitchen, sucking on plum pits and looking at a pile of chestnuts on my kitchen bench, the IDEA came to me that gratitude maybe isn't complete till we take it beyond the idea-feeling-emotion realm and DO something practical to share that feeling.
This is what I decided to do:
I planted. Mindfully. Chestnuts and plums. Sitting on the back step in between monsoonal deluges, I FELT and TASTED the gifting, the flavours, the smiles and the feeling of being provided for. And I extended that feeling energetically into my pits as I planted them. Saw them in my mind's eye 10 years hence, providing shade and fruits in a poor mountain village somewhere. Like my little planting technique with old toilet tissue rolls? Stops the young roots being disturbed when they need to move to bigger pots.
Perhaps my gratitude will only be complete when it touches the gratitude of a hungry child, who lets the sweet plum juice run down her chin and runs back to the village with her pockets bursting with free chestnuts?
I am intrigued always between the interplay of "mindful" and "mindful life". It could be argued that the first is inward looking and maybe a little self indulgent, whilst the latter is generous and flowing towards others.
I'm thinking today about what I'm grateful for, and how that feeling might be completed by mindful actions which enable others to find, connect with and also feel that gratitude.
BlissednBlessed in my Thai natural world.
Allowing and enabling myself to be more mindful.
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This is awesome 👏
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Certainly, it is an excellent idea to take advantage of the benefits of gratitude to activate the renewal of trees that not only provide shelter and food, but also accompany the energy growth of those who are aware that we are a unit and that together we generate a harmonious whole that provides more opportunities to participate in processes that most of the time go unnoticed and are always present before our eyes. Sowing with positive energy should provide, in due course, sweet and loving fruits that revere universal harmony and balance.
The idea of sowing in recycled cardboard rolls, attracts even more the idea of gratitude for what has been received, because nothing is wasted, changes use; similar to the physical law, that nothing dies or is lost, it only transforms.
Greetings and my respects, appreciated @artemislives.
yes this is so right, we need to pass it on, share or gratitude and planting the seeds of the food you eat is a wonderful way to do it, And yes taking the time to show our gratitude is such a wonderful mindfulness practice xx
You have just nailed something I do with really being able to articulate why I do it. I was talking to a guy I met in town the other day about abundance and the desire to share it, but you are right, it stems from gratitude. My heart fills, so I want to extend this to others. When we planted big mahogany gums on our property I loved the thought of people in years to come sitting under its shade, just like your girl eating plums, and it stems from me feeling grateful for the shade from trees others planted.
I guess it depends what you define as sentient. I have been thinking a lot about the earth beneath my feet as such... full of funghi and microbes and organisms, a network of sentient beings that extends past dust or mud. Maybe the things we think of as inanimate, not sentient, are more sentient than we think. Ooh, here us a thought for you @alchemage.
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I love this. Yes, please and thank you. Let's all spread gratitude beyond feelings and into action. The gift of giving turning into the giving of gift :)
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What a beautiful way to show your gratitude!
That is what I loved about gardening and how gardeners love to share their abundance!
The idea when you are gifted plants or seeds (or in your case fruit and nuts) how you can propagate them or save the seeds and play it forward, sharing the gift of food!
Having a well established garden I love to share with others who are just starting out or to teach the children to grow their own food so they will never have to know hunger!
Such an inspiring post - Thank-you! Thank-you!
Dear @artemislives
Caring for the earth and yielding lovely results- what a sweet and fantastic way to live. Excellent stuff, specially about the hungry child biting into fruit.
Please visit my blog for a post about the G7 : https://steemit.com/climate/@sarez/what-it-takes-for-the-world-to-wake-up-nearly-10-000-fires-naaaah-that-results-in-a-usd20mill-snooze-button
Such a lovely post @artemislives! I think tending to our own internal thought "garden" first means we have more of that kindness and positive energy to share with others. Though I think we could all use more of that forward-thinking mentality to really focus on how our actions now influence others for years to come. Food grown with such intent and care is truly the stuff of life. So many people miss out on that in our highly processed and packaged world, though I have hope that we can continue to shift the tide and reclaim our own roots in that sense by planting things one seed at a time.
The "thought garden" is always such a lovely image! 🌷🌿🍒
The tide IS shifting. One seed at a time - I like that. 😍🌱
Thank-you.
This morning I was contemplating something happening in the work environment with one of my clients, and reading this I came to realise that what I am picking up on is that the person in charge of the situation (i.e. the manager) doesn't express gratitude for the hard and amazing work people are doing around her.
It really does permeate the environment... or should I say doesn't permeate...
It absolutely does make a difference.
Thank-you again for a piece of the puzzle. I think I need to change my approach to the situation, and see if I can't shift the energy in the field.
😊🙏🏽☯️