Forcing ourselves to be grateful?
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is primarily an internal endeavor, wherein we try to change the default direction of our thoughts. Still, such cultivation can [...]
What does taking shelter of Krishna mean?
We are often conscious of many things in life, and consciousness can be said to be the energy that enables us to become aware of [...]
A mindful autopilot mode?
We often go into an autopilot mode when the things we do during our daily routines don’t require much of our conscious attention — things [...]
Three steps to mindfulness
We may want to become mindful, but may not know clearly how to do so. Here are three tangible steps that we all can adopt [...]
See discipline as a fight for freedom
If someone were to externally impose restraints on us, preventing us from doing something that is important to us, we would vigorously fight to regain [...]
Beyond stereotypes of a wrathful God
Some religious groups portray God as a mighty and scary entity who sits above the clouds and casts thunderbolts to punish sinners. According to them, [...]
Grateful for our weaknesses?
When we strive to cultivate gratitude, one of the most disheartening pitfalls on our path may be our struggles with our weaknesses, especially if those [...]
Gratitude for the past
If we want to cultivate gratitude, we need to review not just the way we look at our present, but also the way we look [...]
Revising what we feel grateful for
When we decide to prioritize the cultivation of gratitude after understanding its importance, we may still run into a significant roadblock. That roadblock may center [...]
The price for becoming wise
When we have some questions, we may hesitate to ask them thinking that others may consider us foolish for having those questions. Such a fear [...]
Greedy to be grateful
We all have certain impurities within us that sabotage our attempts to live more holistically and wholesomely. One such inner impurity is greed, which fixates [...]
Grab opportunities to express gratitude
Most of us understand the importance of expressing thanks to those who have helped us. And in the long journey of life, there are many [...]
How to be grateful when things don’t go our way?
When things go our way, it's relatively easy to feel grateful. But when things don't go our way, not only is it difficult to feel [...]
Gratitude demanded is gratitude diminished
Many virtues, like gratitude, are difficult to cultivate and easy to lose. One counterintuitive way we may lose gratitude is by our overzealousness in insisting [...]
Outer thanks inner greed — how gratitude may be subverted
When we strive to practice a virtue like gratitude, it is very easy to make it into a ritual that is done externally without [...]
The pillow of gratitude
Even when we understand that gratitude is beneficial for our well-being, feeling grateful constantly throughout the day is not easy, given how demanding and [...]
Gratefully ambitious
While most people acknowledge the importance and even the necessity of gratitude for a happy life, some people fear that if they are grateful for [...]
The healing power of gratitude
When we lose a loved one, for example, or when we experience rejection in an important relationship, the catastrophic severity of the wound to our [...]
Learning the language of gratitude
For two people to connect effectively, they need to learn a common language and be on speaking terms. A similar dynamic applies to our mind’s [...]
Two obstacles to gratitude
When we try to cultivate gratitude, we may encounter various obstacles, with greed seeming to be the most evident candidate. The focus of gratitude and [...]
Two connections between gratitude and mental health
Nowadays, there are increasing concerns about mental health. More and more people find themselves feeling internally slowed, stymied, or even sabotaged by their own emotions, [...]