Gratitude means being thankful for every small or big thing you have, any minor or major achievements you have attained, being thankful for every moment you live, being thankful for your body, and for everything around you, from people to nature. It’s a kind of mental exercise to cleanse your thoughts and recognise the good in your life. Psychologically, practicing gratitude is considered one of the daily rituals for a healthy lifestyle. Gratitude is such an exercise that can be done anytime, anywhere. One can be grateful for the things they have in the present, or one can be grateful for all the memories they had in the past. This article is all about showing gratitude for all the memories of your past. Sometimes, worrisome past memories can hinder present gratification. Why can’t we be grateful for all the memories, either good or bad, that we had in the past? Why do we always seem to be grateful only for the good things we have? Let’s be grateful for every passing experience and rewire our thoughts, diving into gratitude with all our heart.
Embracing Human Age
Life is quite a lengthy process. Although it’s often said that life is unpredictable, considering the human life expectancy, it’s generally a long period. After all, if all goes well, living 80-90 years on this planet with all the ups and downs can sometimes become quite exhausting and daunting. Irrespective of any phase in life, we keep going. I guess we deserve a pat on our back for this bravery.
Embracing Change
In life, over these many years, we meet many people and come into contact with many faces. When we move from one place to another, some contacts get lost, while some close contacts still stay in touch. Additionally, new contacts are made. Irrespective of the place—whether it’s where you live, your neighbourhood, or where you work—we form good connections or sometimes get a bit messed up. After all, in life, nothing goes straight. Just as you might get into conflicts with your family members, in the same way, in this big universe, you sometimes get into conflicts with others living on this planet.
Messing up with someone is common. The problem arises when you move on in life but still harbour unkind thoughts about the person you had a conflict with in the past. Moments can go wrong, but a person as an individual always changes. This is akin to watching a movie’s part 1 and, without watching part 2, still holding onto the old story from part 1.
The exciting fact about real-life stories is that they never truly end. Year after year, the same characters evolve and change.
Embracing Memories
Let’s do an exercise. Think of a person with whom you had some arguments in the past, and you are no longer in touch with that person. Do you still feel angry whenever you recall memories related to that person? You don’t feel that angry, right? Yes, those bad memories are still there, but they don’t really bother you now. Now, let’s remember some good memories you had with that person. It’s unlikely that you met someone who only left you with bad memories. There must be some good memories as well.
Focus your attention on those good memories. It could be anything—maybe a few kind words that person said about you, or a time when they helped you. It could be something small, like dropping you home when your car broke down, or empathising with you when you were feeling down. Even if that person is not in your life anymore, you can still feel grateful for those positive moments. It’s beautifully said by internationally renowned author and speaker Wayne Dyer: ‘It just depends on what you decide to have in your heart. That’s what I have learned. Where I am at this stage in my life is that if we can fill ourselves with love and appreciation, and be in a state of gratitude… Every event of your life is an opportunity to be in a state of gratitude for it.’
Embracing Consciousness
It’s strange how people drift apart because they can no longer face each other. But going separate ways doesn’t mean you should only carry the last bad memories you had with that person. If, for some reason, your memories take you back to that person, you can go a little further and consciously think about the good times you shared.
Embracing Gratitude
Often in life, we cover decades of our journey without expressing gratitude to everyone we meet along the way. In the process of making new connections, we forget to show appreciation to all the travellers—both good and bad—that we encounter. With each new step you take, knowing in your heart that you cherished each and every individual you met, you can grow gracefully with a clean soul. This way, your entire life, step by step, sums up in gratitude.
