This week in gratitude #SoulfulSunday

The last few weeks have been whooshing past me. The week begins and ends, all at the same time. I felt like there was no time to catch up with anything unless there is some automated process developed to tackle those. The ones that were in autopilot mode went through without fail.

I have lots of books to read. The books I bought from the store a while ago and the books I got from the library. Then the ones on my kindle app. I don’t have a Kindle. I use the app on my phone to read ebooks. I have a kindle unlimited subscription and it is quite a delight. So many books which I otherwise wouldn’t have come across are brought to me through the kindle unlimited plan.

I was under the impression that my reading time had gone down these past months. But the truth is I have finished quite a few books so far this year. Definitely more than my goal of one per month.

I love reading poetry books. The simpler the poem the more spectacular I feel. But of late, I have been feeling a little off in reading poetry. Like I was unable to find the charm in poetry reading. It didn’t entice me like it used to. Reading a poetry book is not just reading a book activity for me. I gobble the poem at first. Then I let the words sink into my head. I marvel at the way words have been chosen and used to convey the thought of the poet. I adore the whole process – the process of writing poetry by the author, the process of getting the thoughts into a book format, and the process of reading by this reader in the present. As a poet, I know how these thoughts play in one’s mind before released into the world in different forms. To me, it is all mesmerizing no matter the role one plays in creating a poem.

But, as I said, of late, I was not enjoying reading poetry as I used to. The way I appreciate things took a beating.

And that time frame definitely coincides with the fewer number of gratitude posts. Truth is, gratitude figured lesser and lesser in my daily journaling as well.

I am glad that I am able to understand what’s what. Now it’s time to take action and fix the mistakes and ensure that I don’t repeat them again. But that’s okay if I make mistakes again. Because I believe it is our willingness to learn from our actions and their consequences that matter in the long run.

A mistake-free life doesn’t mean everything is working out well. I would rather see me improving and making progress each day. I understand the value of gratitude in my life. I find myself happy when I can focus on the things I am grateful for.

But, does it mean to be grateful in life means accepting life as it is and not working toward a goal in life? Does being ambitious and having a goal means one is not grateful for the life they have?

Actually, these questions were distracting me. And the answer is no. An ambitious person can live a life of gratitude. I believe, when one stops complaining and fills their mind with thoughts of gratitude, that shifts their mindset towards that of abundance from despair and chaos.

When gratitude is absent complaints take over one’s mind. I experience that. Our mind surrenders to the incessant complains – focus goes on everything that is lacking – and it becomes cluttered and difficult for the mind to process.

The mindset of gratitude is that of abundance and courage. That is exactly what we need, to live a fulfilling life.

Overall, these past weeks were not an easy one for me with a cluttered mind that kept pulling me down. But I was able to get some clarity as time progressed. The most important lesson I would share is to take one day at a time. No one knows what tomorrow may bring. Today is all we have.

Today is ours. Make it count. One step at a time.

© Vinitha Dileep

Joining Esha and Shilpa for #SoulfulSunday..

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