Express your gratitude; Recharge yourself and others

Many times we may focus on what we don’t have and fail to appreciate what we do have. Every time we take this approach we lower our energy level and the energy of people we interact with. What if there is a way to lift up your energy? This way you (and others) can celebrate what you do have and have more energy to work on things you want to improve.

Here are the situations that helped me reflect on this:

1. Experience at my kids school
Our kids are at a school based on experiential learning. It is mandatory for parents to participate in class room exercises a couple of hours a week. During a snack recess last week, I noticed a special needs girl. She was hugging another child and didn’t let her go for some time. The other child was nice but she couldn’t support for too long, naturally. As I helped the situation, I was thinking about the special needs girl and her parents and the big heart they have.

2. Funeral events
All of us are going to die one day, no surprises there. I attended a funeral some years ago. It was eye opening listening to the thoughts expressed by other people about the man who passed away. He has done so much and touched his wife, kids, friends and the company where he worked in many significant ways. I knew this person for many years but didn’t know about any of this when he was alive. I wondered why we wait for someone to pass away to express our thanks to him in a big way.

3. Yoga
Years ago I was in a weekend yoga retreat in the mid-west. The yogi asked us “When was the last time you cried in joy?” That was the first time I faced a question like that. It had a big impact on me. As I was thinking of the answer to that question, I couldn’t find many instances. Many in the audience shared similar answers. The yogi said that if there weren’t many such situations we have not experienced life fully. A couple of friends and family (including several grandparents) went on a trip to Yosemite Valley about 2 years ago. The day of our return was mothers’ day. After we had lunch, we found that the restaurant was empty. Motivated by a friend (Jay), we decided to do something interesting. The adults had the task of reflecting on the impact their mother had on them and convey it liberally to everyone. It was such a joyful experience to watch the next hour play out. There we saw happy tears from 30 to 40 year old adults and their parents.

I am 100% confident you have a lot of things that are going great for you and many people have helped you in significant ways. Think about the people you are grateful for and express your thanks, liberally. Don’t be surprised if you have happy tears. Feel the recharge in you and others. If you like it, try it the rest of 2014 and throughout 2015.

by Nirmal Chandrasekaran, December 13, 2014