“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” – Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving is upon us, as a holiday yes, and in my mind, as an opportunity to remember and acknowledge all the ways I am blessed.

My own personal world has been stunned and shaken by the turn of events in the US political scene, the ongoing concern about how we (collectively) treat our dear Mother Earth, and my own life and how it is evolving.  I keep wondering, how can I best respond to these circumstances?  Gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation for what I DO have, that just keeps coming up.

There is a story by Alan Cohen about a woman Zen Master named Sono who taught one very simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to her to adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all conditions. The affirmation was, “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”

Many people from all arenas of life came to Sono for healing. Some were in physical pain; others were emotionally distraught; others had financial troubles; some were seeking soul liberation. No matter what their distress or what question they asked her, her response was the same: “Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.”

Some people went away disappointed; others grew angry; others tried to argue with her. Yet some people took her suggestion to heart and began to practice it. Tradition tells that everyone who practiced Sono’s mantra found peace and healing. 

Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.  http://bit.ly/2galzdJ

I know that we all have the capacity to go to gratitude, but it is so easy to go to the place of drama, trauma, judgment, and complaints.  But I know we are so much more than all of the complaints.  Thanksgiving is an opportunity to practice having “no complaint whatsoever”.  This idea of “Thank you for everything”, is such a powerful concept.  How wonderful it could be if we could just be a vessel of appreciation and gratitude and share that with those we encounter, even when others are complaining.   Yes, I know there is much to complain about, but those things require action, not complaints.  So, right now, that’s how I am choosing to respond, to be a channel of gratitude.

My prayer for this Thanksgiving is “Thank you for everything, I have no complaint”.

Many blessings and a deep bow for this Thanksgiving week.

Genevieve

Genevieve Mitchell is a Partner with Goddess Ink Publishing.  She is a Priestess, a Seeker, a Flower Essence Practitioner, a photographer, a socially responsible  investor, a mother, a grandmother and a devotee of God/Goddess/Divine/Spirit. You can contact her at genevieve@goddess-ink.com.

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