Today in the UK the weather is its characteristic grey. That may be an outer reflection of how people are feeling inwardly. Often at this time of year, as the evenings draw in and and it gets colder and it rains, November is when people often feel depressed. With the economic storm clouds gathering and people's livelihoods on the line, this may feel a doubly depressing time for many.
It can be very easy to lose sight of hope. With depression, life closes in and becomes heavy and lifeless. One feels hopeless.
It can also be hard to see what is positive in life and to lose touch with what one does have that has value.
Losing sight of oneself and one's value is a deadly process. It is also a complete denial of who we are, which is infinite value. Part of the human condition perhaps is to be tested in this.
The practice of gratitude can seem a remote activity at this stage but it has great merit. With gratitude, you tune in to yourself and state what it is in your life that you can be grateful for at some level. Make a list. Bring in everything, even the body which you inhabit and the beauty of nature that surrounds you and the air that you so freely breathe. You might find that gradually the list gets bigger. After all, as a human you do have great merit. Like everybody else, you're just learning.
The practice of gratitude is a way of saying thank you for something given, freely given. In expressing gratitude, we open our hearts and energetically give our love to others, or in this case to ourselves for what has been given. After all, what is more important than to love ourselves - because we are temples of love.
With these thoughts of giving in mind, especially to those who have not or who are without, as we do as Christmas approaches, you might like to watch this touching short (5 min) film on YouTube. I think it's been around before but I just got the bigger version today. It certainly touched me.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0ux90HFe7Ds
And not lose sight of what really matters.
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