Heal Yourself with Gratitude
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While it is all very well to ask God for this and that, be thankful for all the spiritual help you receive at every moment of every day. Give thanks for the unceasing guidance of spirit beings and the enduring spiritual energies that allow you and all others to become all you can be.
And with all your prayers give thanks—ascend to worship.
The Urantia Book
With the continuing troubles in the world, it is easy to be cynical. But for those who think life has never been as bad as it is now, I urge you to honestly examine what human societies were like 100 years ago, or 500 years ago, or 10,000 years ago. Only a long-term view of social history can offer a balanced perspective on the spiritual progress of humanity and the evolution of civilization.
Yes, Things Are Better
A study of history and archaeology firmly attests that, from an extended perspective, humanity is on a path of progressive evolution and enlightenment, a path that can no longer be inhibited by ignorance and fear. Thankfully, this positive and heartening trend is receiving more attention in recent literature, as seen through the works of Johan Norberg, Hans Rosling, and Stephen Pinker.
- Johan Norberg – Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future
- Hans Rosling – Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
- Stephen Pinker – Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress
Hans Rosling maintains that humanity is prone to the “negativity instinct,” a tendency to see the worst in things. But in almost every major category of civilization, such as education, human rights, or health care, things are much better worldwide than they were even fifty years ago. We should be thankful for the increasing well-being and goodness in the world, while keeping in mind that we still have a long way to go, and things can be much better yet.
The Positive Power of Gratitude
According to Psychology Today, those who are more thankful feel less pain, less stress, and sleep better. They are also less prone to depression, have stronger immune systems, have healthier relationships, and do better in all walks of life.
We become grateful by looking for the good rather than the bad. This includes looking for the good in all people, in society at large, and in all pressing moments. Avoid darkening your mind with cynicism, bitterness, sarcasm, or doubt—these are not spiritual attitudes. Be grateful for the little things.
Having said that, I sympathize with the many unfortunate souls who have suffered much in life and who may find it difficult to give thanks for anything. For those who feel that life has treated them unfairly, I can only draw their attention to people like Helen Keller, who overcame the challenges of being deaf and blind from childhood and went on to become one of the greatest inspirational teachers in America.
Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
– Helen Keller
Just as impressive is Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs but who overcame this tremendous challenge in life, eventually emerging as one of the most touching examples of how God can work through an individual of faith to inspire and motivate a whole generation.
I’m not a religionist who believes we must suffer in order to know God—far from it. But we cannot escape the fact that many people have suffered and still do. Ideally, all people of the world should step up to help those less fortunate.
Even so, those who have suffered greatly are left with the choice of giving in and giving up, or of overcoming their challenges and becoming better for it. Along with Keller and Vujicic, there are thousands of other remarkable individuals who have overcome tremendous difficulties in life—Christopher Reeve, Nelson Mandela, Bethany Hamilton, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ludwig van Beethoven are just a few.
The Swiss-American psychiatrist, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, was a pioneer in near-death studies. After World War II, she worked with Polish refugees and with people who had suffered in concentration camps. What amazed her most in her work was the indomitable spirit of so many people she interviewed.
The most beautiful people we had known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.
– Elizabeth Kübler-Ross
God teaches us the eternal value of adversity. The Spirit Way is to be courageous, not cringing in fear; it is stepping up to the challenges of life, not running away from them; it is acting, not procrastinating; it is being persistent, not capricious; and it is being industrious, not indolent.
Great and noble characters are forged in adversity. Learning from our mistakes, failures, shortcomings, and life’s challenges is the true test of spiritual status. Those who have the courage and sincerity to follow the guidance and inspiration of their Spirit Teacher are those who receive the spiritual gifts of wisdom and insight.
And throughout all these challenges, we are truly thankful. Never doubt or underestimate the magnificence and power of the spirit domain, which is far greater and far more glorious than we could ever possibly imagine at this time. And never doubt that every one of us can be a unique part of that good spirit.
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is ‘thank you,’ it will be enough.
– Meister Eckhart
Do not become jaded by the endless flow of negative media. Look for the good in others, look for the spiritual, look for the love. And give thanks.
Accept and believe that our Creator God loves us with an infinite and eternal love, because that is the truth. And give thanks.
Accept and believe that our guardian angels are helping us to advance in the spirit. They may not make our lives easy, but they work day and night to help us cultivate and expand our immortal souls. Give thanks.
After you have finished asking God for all the things you want in life for yourself and others, take a moment to thank him for what you have already received and, with faith, for what you will receive. Give thanks for the Spirit within you, the Spirit of Truth beside you, and the Holy Spirit of the angels all around you. All this guidance is there for the taking. Give thanks.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to the name of the Most High.
– Psalm 92
Thankfulness is the beginning of worship. It is the beginning of our veneration and adoration for an infinite, eternal, loving, and compassionate Creator of a Universe.
Prayer, thankfulness, worship, meditation, and contemplation are sincere expressions of our love and devotion to the higher ideals of divinity. They are all effective psychological techniques for putting ourselves in contact, or communion, with the very Source of all reality.
