Gratitude Is The Memory Of The Heart

Being grateful is an act of kindness, it’s a way of crossing boundaries on a personal and emotional level. Why not be grateful for life and being a part of it? Why not recognize others for who they are and for the qualities that make you love them?

And above all, why aren’t we thankful for ourselves? For our dedication, bravery and our self-improvement?

We know that sometimes it is not easy at all to dive into what can be called the ‘memory of the heart’, something that for Jean-Baptiste Massieu stands for gratitude. Almost day in and day out, people are stuck in a train of thought that leads them along the more objective and rational road, the road where envy and irritation also lurk.

The simple gesture of gratitude is based on a certain sense of personal liberation. It means activity with humility and without pranks and learning to appreciate what is really important in life. Let’s talk about this,  let’s get into the value of the power of gratitude.

The Four Pillars of Gratitude

1. Emotional openness

Why do so many people find it difficult to say ‘thank you’? When we do something for the people around us, we expect (almost obligatory) to get a thank you for it that shows you didn’t do it for nothing. What we really yearn for is recognition for what we have done; the knowledge that that person knows how much we care and that we have invested not only our time, but also our feelings.

People who are not grateful typically exhibit the following traits:

• Emotional neglect: they hardly ever expose themselves to others and often act in a defiant or self-sufficient manner, when in reality they lack self-confidence and are quite vulnerable inside.
• Selfishness: These people often act in quite selfish ways, are ungrateful and sometimes even quite proud.
• Denial: Their lack of acknowledgment for other people makes them incapable of even acknowledging their own efforts. As a result, these people often have many flaws on an emotional level.

To show gratitude, we need to be able to open up emotionally. This is the only way we can learn about ourselves and others, with a sincere, strong and active heart.

2. Gratitude and recognition are gifts

There aren’t many values ​​as valuable as acknowledging those around us by showing gratitude to them. This is a universal form of appreciation and association and the creation of connections. ‘I appreciate you for who you are, for your virtues, for your personality and I am grateful that you are a part of my life and that you enrich my life with your presence.’

2. Being grateful doesn’t mean you owe anyone

Some people think that when they receive something from someone and thank them for it, it automatically means they owe that person something.

If you feel obligated to give something back, then you are not practicing a sincere, free and spontaneous form of gratitude. Gratitude is an attitude that does not impose obligations; it is a way of being that transcends all our actions.

If you do something for your brother or a good friend, you don’t put a cross on your calendar because you expect that he/she will one day do something for you. You do it because you want to do it, because you recognize this person as part of you. You have performed this favor unconditionally and of your own free will without expecting anything in return.

That said, we may not expect anything concrete in return, but we do expect recognition. We create a bond between each other in which we all form a unit. It is almost the same as the meaning of the word ‘namaste’ ( I greet you, thank you and bow to the divinity within you, which is also a part of me ).

3. The Importance of Personal Gratitude

We spend half our lives thanking others for anything and everything: the devotion of our family, the altruism of our friend, the affection of our partner, or the recognition of the people who come and go in our lives and enrich our lives with small acts of kindness.

However, when was the last time you took the time to thank yourself? Do you think this is a selfish and misguided attitude? That’s not it at all. Whether you are religious, skeptical or spiritual, self-recognition does not cross borders; it’s a basic moral crutch necessary to boost your self-confidence.

What if you act humbly from now on and appreciate the simple things in life more? Be thankful for that cool breeze that makes the heat a little more tolerable during the summer, for that good decision you made recently. Be grateful for your family and for your pet who shares his unconditional love with you.

Just be grateful for existence, for the fact that you are well, for the understanding that we are nothing more than shooting stars that come and go, looking for a way to live their lives to the fullest. Why not?