Quotes with thought-provoking comments, contemplating the spiritual. Inspiration for lovers of words and deep thoughts. Thank you for your visit! - Denny Lyon
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Why Is Gratitude Important to Practice in Our Lives?
Photo of Scott Falls (Michigan, USA) by light2shine @ flickr
From Denny: While this quote was spoken and recorded over a century ago its meaning still resonates. There is so much violence in the world today, from senseless domestic violence in the home to senseless global terrorism. Humanity is restless and far too angry, fighting over stupid things like bruised egos.
That's what war really is - the end result of battling egos. Rarely, is it over something important. A few years ago an art school in Vienna, Austria, finally made the admission: "We should have admitted Hitler into art school and then WWII might never have happened." Basically, an admission of "our bad."
It's pivotal points like this in history too few people recognize at the moment it is happening. Had Hitler been fulfilled as an artist he might never have become an effective tool in the hands of greedy big business. And 20 million Russians would have lived out their lives and 6 million Jews and other ethic minorities would have flourished as well.
What has this historical reference got to do with today's quote? Easy. Because of an arrogant choice in judgment by an art school admissions committee - from arrogant unthankful hearts who were emotionally stingy and merciless - they set Hitler off on another life track without fully realizing the exent of their influence upon him. His heart closed in anger and became bitter and vengeful as a result of that rejection.
How many people do you know in Life who are not thankful for anything? They just arrogantly assume they earned it. We all know that many times the reason something good comes our way is because Life - and God - is choosing to be generous with us in the hopes we will use Wisdom in our abundance.
There is also this Law of Attraction in operation. What you focus upon does come your way. If you focus upon fear then what you fear becomes your reality, often in some twisted bizarre occurence like the Holocaust. What you love, fulfills you. When you are thankful about what you do have - and also what you instinctively know is coming your way - then you attract it into your Life.
What true gratitude is really all about is developing a strong house to hold all the blessings Life wants to bestow upon us. Think about it; would you use an open mesh sieve to hold water? Of course not. So it is with spiritual blessings that translate into physical reality if we are able to provide the correct container for them.
So, the question of the season is: Do we truly have thankful hearts?
Quote
* The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~ Henry Ward Beecher
*** Thanks for visiting!
Labels: quotes,spiritual,inspiration,advice
egos,
gratitude quotes,
Hitler,
peace,
Religion and Spirituality,
Thanksgiving quotes,
War,
WWII