Nurturing Seeds of the Future

Seed heads in summer

Thanksgiving is sweeter than bounty itself.
One who cherishes gratitude does not cling to the gift!
Thanksgiving is the true meat of God’s bounty;
the bounty is its shell,
For thanksgiving carries you to the hearth of the Beloved.
Abundance alone brings heedlessness,
thanksgiving gives birth to alertness…
The bounty of thanksgiving will satisfy and elevate you,
and you will bestow a hundred bounties in return.
Eat your fill of God’s delicacies,
and you will be freed from hunger and begging.

Rumi (Persian Poet)

Are you suffering from ‘gratitude fatigue’ yet? We live in a world which offers many distractions and sometimes we can become like butterflies flitting from one idea to the next. It is a long time since I read the word ‘cherish’ (in the poem above) anywhere.

Cherish is a word to savour and reflect upon. Not simply love or enjoy, but more than that to nurture and to be nurtured by. It is a slow word, not a fast quick fix. It means to treasure, to value and take pleasure in.

I am learning how to cherish the daily routine of gratitude. In the process I hope that I am sowing some seeds of compassion, gratitude and patience. Our actions bear fruit, impact on other people. When I complain continually or I am irritable and impatient it can become catching and we find others around us joining in. We set off a whole chain reaction of negativity!

Feeding ourselves and those around us by paying attention to gratitude, to what and who is inspiring and good in our lives, improves our satisfaction and sense of well being.

Today: I hope you will join me in sowing seeds of gratitude. There are many apps to help you keep a diary, make notes or by answering a question, for instance, what inspired you today?