GRATITUDE! Something that we can all, always, use more of in our lives, and our world. Something that transforms our lives and helps us be successful, conscious life creators. Something that enhances our state of being and shifts us out of states of victimhood, anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, etc. Something that heals and nurtures our wellbeing.

As the season of “giving thanks” approaches, this year I am dedicating my month of October here to be fully focused on expressions of gratitude. For the last 11 years I have lived with conscious gratitude leading the way and playing a major role in my life, and today am reaping the rewards and living the amazing results of that mental focus and mindset. This is why I can say with certainty today that it truly is transformational, in the best of ways!

Each time I write a post this month, I will be sharing with you a message of gratitude and something I am grateful for. I invite you to spread the amazing energy of gratitude through your own online and offline expressions, as part of your everyday life. Share all that you are grateful for that very day or moment. This is us being the change we wish to see and infusing more positive, healing and effective energy into our world.

And so today I share with you my gratitude for the awareness of the power of gratitude. Below is an image from a photograph I took a few years ago, of some of my favorite wild flowers growing in my garden, to which I added the words “Live with gratitude”. This picture, in a large format hangs in my bedroom to serve as a daily reminder of how to live to enjoy the best of this Earthly, human experience.

When we live with strong attachments and aversions to the seemingly physical reality before us, it is easy to forget that a life based on joy and gratitude is possible and available to all, right here and right now. Whether in the best or the worst of circumstances, what we choose to focus on and how we choose to express ourselves will make all the difference to the quality of our life and state of being. A better world will not come from more sad and angry, people, but from more joyful ones.

Here is a wonderful message that can help us put things into perspective on this theme and hopefully apply in our lives:

The Egyptian legend says that if one wants to enter heaven, at the point of entry you will be asked two questions. Unless you are one big “Yes” to these two questions, there is no entry for you. The first question is: Have you known joy in your life? And the second question is: Have you given joy to those around you? If your answer to these two questions is “Yes”, I must tell you, you are already in heaven.

To become a joyful human being is the best thing that you can do for yourself and all around you. Especially when anger, hatred, and intolerance are rearing their heads in hideous ways, joyful human beings are the only insurance. Only those who know the value of being pleasant will strive to create pleasantness all around. May you know the fulfillment of making all you touch joyful.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev