Sometimes the smallest things show us what gratitude really means
I’m sitting at a project that simply doesn’t bring me any joy. Suddenly the doorbell rings. A package arrives. A big one. I open it and what do I see? It’s my new office chair that I just ordered. I’m excited and immediately take it to my “office” – or rather, home office with sleeping nook.
At first I’m skeptical because I ordered it from a Chinese portal (let’s not do any stealth advertising right now *smile). I just think: “I hope it’s stable.” The reason why I mainly bought it was because you can fold up the armrests. I also notice that it is stable, and what’s even better – I can also sit on it cross-legged, yeah! With my hip dysplasia, I have to do that from time to time.
The plan is actually to eventually have a ground desk with a PC. Basically a PC on the floor. Why? Because living on the floor makes you much more active. But that’s material for another post. In any case, I’m as happy as a little child. I immediately annoy my kids when we get ready to watch our TV Series “Turkish for Beginners” again. Priceless chilling with them.
My first encounter with recognizing abundance
I have a friend who now lives in Mexico. Citas. When I met her, I just thought in my Coolio hip-hop film: “Sh***, what’s up with her?”
She constantly talked about God and how cool he is and how grateful she is to be so blessed. She never questioned anything and always had that glow in her eyes. All the guys from my crew back then had a crush on her. Not just them. She had the aura of a small, virginal goddess, full of love in her heart, ready to convert everyone.
I somehow had a different access to God. Mystical, hidden in the concealed – a quiet spirituality that didn’t show outwardly but burned within. Nevertheless, we got along very well. We even prayed together at some point, shortly before she moved to Mexico completely. It was beautiful. I was also allowed to create a seal for her wedding cards (I’m quite good at that. It’s probably a remnant from a previous life *smile).
Through her, I actually saw for the first time that inner abundance can also be visible on the outside. She was so lovable and innocent. I don’t want to convert everyone now, but simply show that true spirituality to your God is already within you and can be activated by being grateful from the heart for the small things.
It’s not about toxic positivity
It’s really not about “sugar-coating” the things that burden us. It’s about giving the brain the right signals, no matter what situation you’re in.
Grief is part of our being, anger too. But everything is also energy and frequency that we can influence. Suppression doesn’t help here, working with the energy does.
It doesn’t mean saying “Everything is fine” when your heart is broken. It means, despite the pain, also seeing the roof over your head, the air in your lungs, the people who stay with your during hard days.
I’m also not trying to create the next movement where everyone is just happy, acting on ego, leaving their families because they need to find themselves.
The longing for the Rize City – a universal human dream
Yet somehow it must be possible, as a civilization with families, to create a culture of gratitude, as praised in all holy books.
In the Middle East, it’s the “Rize City” – Rize means gratitude. A place where everyone lives together in peace and gratitude.
And this vision? It exists everywhere:
In Judaism there is the concept of “Tikkun Olam” – the healing/repair of the world – and the vision of the messianic age in which peace and justice prevail.
In Christianity there is the notion of “Heaven on Earth” or the “New Jerusalem” – a state of perfect peace and divine presence.
In Buddhism, “Shambhala” describes a legendary city of peace and enlightenment, where all inhabitants are spiritually developed.
In Hinduism there is “Satya Yuga” – the golden age in which virtue, wisdom and harmony prevail.
In old Turkish culture is “Ergenekkon (Ergenekon)” – The mythical place of origin of the Turks, a valley surrounded by mountains from which the Turkish people emerged. It is often described as a place of peace, renewal, and new beginnings.
In indigenous North American culture, the Iroquois speak of the “Great Law of Peace,” a vision of harmonious coexistence of all peoples.
In Western philosophy, Thomas More’s “Utopia” (1516) has literarily processed this longing for an ideal society.
So everyone dreams of this “utopia.” How wonderful – I do too, and that doesn’t change just because some rulers think otherwise. You either have character or you don’t.
True abundance lies within yourself
I have to admit that I currently watch a lot of YouTube videos about how inner abundance must be achieved first in order to also achieve more external abundance. The central nervous system also plays a major role here. If you’re constantly in an environment where it’s triggered and negatively stimulated, it’s even harder to reach this state of abundance and gratitude. But there are also methods that can help deal with this better and regulate the nervous system better, such as walking, making music, listening to music, and simply taking yourself out of everyday life. You don’t always have to go to the limit, because the price is very high – it usually costs us our health.
I’ve been actively dealing with this topic for about two years now. How could it be otherwise – I also created a guide for this. A compass with proven methods. If I hadn’t done that so far, I would have emigrated long ago without children or sent them to Siberia *lol.
Inner abundance becomes external
Every time I catch myself getting upset about something, I immediately reflect: Why does this trigger me?
Every time I eat, I silently thank my God for the food. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to saying prayers with an atheist as the father of my children.
I’m happy about small things, like the health and vitality that is granted to me every day.
I’m happy when I’ve found a nice pillow that I can sleep really well with, or an office chair that I can sit on cross-legged.
I’m happy when I meet people who are nice to me and have shared some wisdom.
Since I’ve been actively practicing this, my consciousness has completely changed, and it feels good.
Damn, I’m also happy about every day of peace in this world when I look at the current state of world politics. (“When the curtain falls, look behind the scenes, the bad ones act good, the good ones are cunning”…)
Why a compulsive, collective movement could also go wrong here
Whenever something becomes compulsion, it can actually go wrong. All world religions and sects have demonstrated this to us. The moment something becomes a must, it becomes dogma and loses its shine and glory.
But we humans simply love dogmas in the collective. They connect us and make us a pack. It’s simply programming. Genetic programming. I believe this will never change – or maybe it will. I haven’t given up hope that we can live in more peace with each other and still be ourselves with our roots, our principles, our culture. A place of peace is not a place of uniformity, but a place of encounter where you at least have common ethical pillars.
My way: Gratitude as a free choice, not as an obligation
For me, gratitude is not a rule that I impose on myself. It’s a decision I make a new every day – sometimes I succeed better, sometimes worse. And that’s okay.
I celebrate my office chair because I can, not because I have to. I give thanks for the food because it feels right, not because it’s a law. And if I have a day when nothing makes me grateful? Then that’s also part of the journey.
Well then, if we need dogmas as a collective – then please those that lead us to true abundance. As within, so without. Chapeau.