Good morning, dear friends. 

 Once, an Angel was passing through a village. A man said, “Please tell God I have nothing. Ask Him to give me at least something.” The Angel replied, “I will pass your message,” and moved on. Another man said, “Please ask God not to give me anything more. I already have too much. I cannot handle more.” Again, the Angel replied, “I will pass your message.”

 The Angel met God and shared the first man’s request. God smiled and said, “Ask him to thank.” Then the Angel shared the second man’s message. God replied, “Ask him to stop thanking.” Such a simple story… yet so profound. 

 Let us pause and reflect for a moment… Do we thank enough?

 Do we thank our body — this living temple that serves us every moment? Do we say thank you to our eyes, our hands, our heart that beats tirelessly, our lungs that breathe? Each organ works silently, day and night, for our life and evolution. When did we last say “Thank you” to our body? 

Do we thank our food ? Our resources? The people who support us — including domestic helpers — who make our life comfortable and give us time for our Sadhana and growth? Do we thank the doors and windows that protect us? The roof that shelters us?  The air we breathe?  The sunlight that nourishes us? 

 Let’s make gratitude a way of life.

 And there is an even higher level of gratitude… To say “Thank you” even when life does not give us what we wanted. At that moment too, we say: “Thank you, God… You know what is best for me. I trust that this is for my safety, my wellbeing, and my growth.” For, often failures and denials do more good to us than success and approvals. 

 Gratitude is therapeutic. It heals the body and relationships. And opens the doors to greater joy and abundance.

 Let us cultivate the art of thanking — the visible and the invisible.