I thought gratitude was a concept I had mastered. I am a consistent thank you note composer after every birthday and holiday gift. I always say thank you when someone opens the door, express it to my doctor after a visit, and when someone runs an errand for me. Yet gratitude as a concept is more rich than that.
The examples above are moments of gratitude when one received something from an external source. Gratitude, to be truly honored and explored, must also be acknowledged when a gift is experienced from the inside. For example, gratitude should be felt and expressed when we are our own source of happiness, generate our own fun, or are at peace. Gratitude should be realized in these moments because they are worthy of being celebrated. Therefore, the next time you reflect and want to give thanks, be mindful that you feel the richness of the emotion and honor the external and internal factors that precipitate it.
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