PACE Your Life with Gratitude
By Payal Shah
(Based on a class by His Grace Chaitanya Charan Dasa)
Everybody wants to be happy. We are all in a way looking for happiness through the things we do or the people we surround ourselves with. We may wonder why we cannot be happy at all times. Why do we have to go through distressing situations and how do we deal with them? Just as we experience different seasons like summer and winter, feelings of happiness and distress also come and go like the seasons. The Bhagavad Gita advises us to tolerate both happiness and distress as they are temporary manifestations of the material world, the world we live in.
Feelings of resentment, frustration, anger, betrayal, loneliness and distress can weigh us down. In such situations, it is important to have hope against hope – to never give up on hope. This means counting your blessings in all given circumstances, whether positive or negative.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Being says:
mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata
“O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” B.G. 2.14
In distressing situations, having gratitude towards the Lord allows one to not only understand the reality of a problem, but also enables one to slowly move ahead from the distressing situation. Gratitude can be explained as a positive emotion that can help us focus on being thankful for everything that we have. Research has shown that high levels of gratitude have been linked with high levels of positive affect such as inner peace. Gratitude towards the Lord can be explained as the readiness to show appreciation for everything provided by Him. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Controller; He is the cause of all causes; and what is not possible for us to achieve is only possible by the grace of the Lord. No one is greater than He. Having faith and gratitude towards the Supreme Being helps us to strengthen our relationship with Him; and enables us to move ahead from distressing situations in three ways:
Look Within – Be conscious that we are not this body, but pure spirit soul. The soul has no birth; the soul has no past, present or future. The soul is not slain when the body is slain. Therefore, as spirit souls, we are indestructible, and exist beyond our situations and emotions.
Look Up – Be conscious that there is a Higher Being who shapes our lives. The Supreme Being, Lord Krishna, has a plan for each and every one of us. The Lord is always there – you are never alone. Therefore, take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord and practise this process of Krishna Consciousness. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:
nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt
“In this endeavour there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” B.G. 2.40
Any activity begun in Krishna Consciousness has a permanent effect and is the highest transcendental quality of work. One percent done in Krishna Consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent. That is the unique quality of work done in Krishna Consciousness.
Look Ahead – Be conscious that the Lord is looking after you. Take one step forward and start to move ahead. We may be products of our past, but we are not prisoners of our past. The past does not have to equal the future. What you think against, takes your energy away; but what you think for, gives you energy. So, give Krishna a place in your heart, and Krishna will slowly expand and become the ruler of your heart. The Lord is our protector and He reciprocates with our devotion, so endeavour to surrender more and more.
Feelings of happiness and distress will be experienced depending on our conception of a situation. It is not possible to be grateful in all situations, but we can be grateful for all situations. So, how do we shift our perspective from feeling resentment to feeling grateful?
The answer lies in the acronym ACE:
A: Look for the good around the bad- Count your blessings and be compassionate with yourself. Focus on what you have, not on what you do not have. To be satisfied with what we have is an austerity of the mind. Acknowledge what is working well and make a list of your blessings. For example, “I have a house” or “I am lucky to be able to practise Krishna Consciousness”. Keeping a ‘Gratitude Journal’ may help one reflect on the positive aspects of life. During times when you are feeling low, flicking through your ‘Gratitude Journal’ may help to increase feelings of gratefulness and happiness. If you are amongst those who prefers not to write, say your blessings out loud.
C: Look for the good to counteract the bad- Be conscious of all that you have when dealing with a difficult situation. Every situation provides an opportunity to work around it and to become wiser. For example, “I may have lost my job, but that’s alright, I have help and support from my family and I have Krishna in my heart”. Sometimes we do not understand how the Lord is helping us in every step. Difficulties will come; say ‘Thank You’ to Krishna; and write down reasons to thank Krishna for the difficulties. Difficulties bring us closer to God. Pray to the Lord and speak to Him like a friend – Krishna is a person and He will reciprocate. In this way, have patience and determination when difficult situations arise.
E: Emerge from the bad- You cannot put something behind you unless you put something in front of you. So, have a clear vision of who you want to be. Be conscious that the present moment is just one part of your life, just one scene. Your life is much bigger. If you are going through a troublesome period, it may be setting you up for something better. Do not give up for you do not know what may be coming along. Krishna has a plan for you; and He will guide you through it all.
And finally, celebrate your success. The fact that you stand up and continue on your path, despite difficulties, is your real success!