-Gautama Buddha
I would like to begin this addition of Thursday's Thoughts with a sincere apology for not contributing to this series as much as it deserves. Unfortunately, as I search for my own Tao I am finding less time to meditate, let alone write my internal feelings on these quotes. Since meditation is as imperative to me as breathing, it is my time invested in writing that experiences the discourse. Please know that Serenity Sought is of paramount importance to me, as are the thousands of daily subscribers that claim my sources of inspiration for their own.
I have chosen the quote above based on the sincere gratitude that I wish to express based on the success of Serenity Sought. The purpose of these quotes was to provide points of meditation to reflect and discern their meaning as it relates to you, and your response has been overwhelming. Having as many people choose my site, or its sister sites across the social networks, as their daily source of inspiration fills me with an immeasurable amount of joy.
There is a reason that Cicero once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others.” Without truly understanding gratitude, we can not appreciate what is to come next, which is everything. We must understand nothing is owed to us, there is nothing that we have coming to us that we have not already earned. This helps eliminate our sense of injury, and the injury that is associated with it. What is left is the sincerest gratitude for life and everything that comes along with it, especially the darkness that provides us the wisdom to endure.
There are many things in life that you can be thankful for even when being bludgeoned by the dark side of chance. Take joy in your existence, and take care not to forsake even the smallest of things that are easily taken for granted. Do you ever pause to express silent gratitude for the sun rising every day? Do you know how imperative it is that it does? We must make a choice on how we see our life, and dismissing the negative emotions as quickly as they appear is the first step. It can be difficult to see the abundance that life has to offer if you continually feed your sense of injury and ego with negative energy and emotions, and it is imperative to dismiss them, or you will not be receptive to the joys that follow.
