Don’t be stubborn and only think about yourself, because “when you hold onto something tightly without letting go, you only have that one thing. If you are willing to let go, you will have the opportunity to choose other things.”
Take a moment and express gratitude. Thank the elevator doorman, the neighbor who took in your mail, or the waitress who cleans the table at the restaurant… You may feel awkward at first, but gradually those moments of pausing will give you the joy of receiving a smile from the person you thank.
The world will be filled with suffering if you don’t see the good things in life. If you can live through peaceful days, then that is your luck, your blessing. How many people today have become disabled after an accident, how many people today have lost their freedom because of war, how many people today will not see the sun of tomorrow? So always be grateful for what you have. When you cultivate gratitude within yourself, you will appreciate everything, from the seemingly smallest things.
There are things you should be grateful for, even though they may seem irrational at times. Like thanking the people who made you stumble because they made you stronger. Thank the person who abandoned you because they taught you to be independent. Thank the person who criticized you because they helped you grow in wisdom. Thank the person who deceived you because they increased your knowledge. Thank the people who hurt you because they tempered your mind.
If you change your perspective, you will see that these are the things that make you appreciate and be grateful. The people who have inadvertently hurt you will make you carry hatred and resentment in your heart. You always think about how to repay the pain that others have caused you in the fairest way possible. But harboring such negative thoughts will only make you tired. Have you ever wondered how long this revenge will last? Is it worth sacrificing so much time for? Will you be happy when you make others suffer?
Try asking yourself such questions and you will realize the problem that needs to be solved. That all hatred should not be solved with hatred. It will only make things worse. When you learn to forgive others and cultivate gratitude within yourself, you will see a remarkable change in your inner self.
Instead of hatred, your heart will now only have room for love and gratitude. “Form follows the mind, environment follows the mind.” When your inner self is good and virtuous, your face will also become more beautiful. Surely we all want others to feel the beauty that comes from within, from our thoughts, not a beautiful face with a soul full of hatred.
That is why we should try to be grateful for everything around us. Don’t be stubborn and only think about yourself, because “when you hold onto something tightly without letting go, you only have that one thing. If you are willing to let go, you will have the opportunity to choose other things. If a person always clings to his own beliefs and refuses to let go, his wisdom can only reach a certain level.”
Try to pause and let go of a few trivial things, and you will find peace. Peace in thought will lead to peace in every action and in life.
The Buddha said:
“Everyone enters life the same way, the first step is from the womb. Then they grow up… The way people think… The way people live… The way people react to the gains and losses in life push them in countless directions. Those who only hurt others to satisfy their own ambitions go towards the storms. Those who do not hurt others but do not know how to love themselves for their future days go towards fleeting happiness. Only those who do not lose their heart no matter how much hurt they go through, always love others, love themselves, can go towards true lasting happiness.”
We thank those who have walked with us for a short period of this life. The pain and difficulties, the stumbles in life have made us the mature person we are today.
Thank you, life, for giving us another day to love every morning we wake up.