When I first started on my path again and heading towards the Path of Love, the first of many God winks on my path began. I found myself enjoying a Train Cart table called “thankful for thanksgiving”.

Oh it was wonderful. People talking about their kids and spouses and family and friends with positivity. Probably the most beautiful moment I ever seen on social media.

Then it disappeared as abruptly as it appeared. It was the day after thanksgiving and…… no one was thankful anymore?

Maya Strikes Again

The Maya Express was throwing its annual parties Black Friday Table Bonanza and Cyber Monday Craze Cart . Spending a year’s worth of earnings on excess. Charging even more on all the trappings of the Maya Express material holiday decoration distractions.

One of the guiding principles of Bhakti is about being Grateful and counting our blessings and here I was being taught this lesson by all my friends on social media. I was loving everyone’s posts and now they are gone.

So just to encourage people to not stop, in the middle of December I started posting three grateful things every day on social media. I didn’t realize the impact those posts had on me and so many other people during the next twelve months.

Three Grateful Things

Later I would read some scientific studies about gratitude actually reprogramming my own brain to view the world differently.

What the science doesn’t tell us is how important Gratitude is to our Spiritual Path. And how important it is to our relationships.

When times in my life, since starting my path, I have had the most strife in my heart for those I care about most it’s when I was failing at listing Three Grateful Things. Either I didn’t practice or didn’t put my heart into the list or posts. That’s right even when posting on social media, many posts felt like I had to at one point.

It became a social media ran by Maya Express. She takes control most the time on all social media platforms. Using it for your Spiritual Path isn’t what is the intended use.

Even people who write blogs with good intentions, it has to be constantly brought onto your Spiritual Path, or the Maya Express takes over and blogs become about not so spiritual topics. It’s a constant question I ask myself before posting these. What are my true intentions of each paragraph of each post?

Gratitude Reminds Us What’s Important

Every relationship whether spouses, children, parents etc. has those chairs at different tables we sit at on the Maya Express. The more tables we sit at together, the more we apply importance to their roles in our Path based off events with them.

Now most of us know the new Love. That new Love you feel for someone you just met and connect with at one of your tables. You add each other to more tables, their friends become some of your friends. Then…….

Everyone has these annoyances that don’t normally bother us, but we notice some. We tolerate them at most tables we hang out at. Then when we are angry and upset with them, we notice them more. Even sometimes at the tables we will point out those annoyances out when really upset. Always leaving toilet seat up. Or the sound friend of a friend makes during meetings, leaving something on or open that annoys you.

Never anything actual serious. Nothing worth even saying out loud, other than to cause strife.

How do we keep hold of that Love that makes those annoyances (or differences) far from our thoughts or words? It is the same way we hold on to our Love with anyone. By practicing gratitude.

A Simple Practice

Every day, every morning. Sit up in bed. Have a notebook nearby. Then number the day, don’t date them. Dating them will cause you to mentally begin with anguish if you see you missed a day.

Then write down 3 Grateful Things.

What happened the previous day that you are Grateful for? Who are you Grateful for? If you are struggling repeat some. Spouse, kids etc.

Then end with one prayer for yourself or someone else. This piece I missed for years and only added recently. It anchors the gratitude. Most my prayers end up being for someone the day before. A prayer I may never have given without this prompt.

See what happens is amongst the daily grind and events, good or bad there is always something someone did for the good of the situation. When we force ourselves to look back each day and see the positives, we evaluate and find that our loved ones still matter; and you show a little gratitude in your heart for them.

Over the weeks of daily gratitude practice you build up the Light of Love as it removes the shadow of unappreciation for those we Love. Then those annoyances no longer are noticed by us.

The First Steps

The first step on My Path of Love literally could change the world if everyone did it. It was the first step, and I wasn’t even aware how significant a role it would play in the rest of my life. Every relationship you have, will become better if you practice Three Grateful Things.

I’m not saying it will excuse poor behavior. But it won’t let the insignificant things be significant. Your decisions will be clearer.

Any friendship on paths like mine, where both people practice a true from the heart with no coercion Three Grateful Things practice, will be impenetrable.

If you only adopt one practice I do on my path, to your own path. I ask this be the one. The most simplest, easiest, but world changing daily question.

What Three Things Are You Grateful For?

Yours Forever Grateful

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