My journey of 'Gratitude diary'

I wrote the first entry in my 'Gratitude diary' on 12th July, 2002, and that was a special day! I had read about the value of writing things one feels grateful about, and so started my diary. When I read these entries, it recreates that time and warms my heart. And then I chanced upon this piece from the scriptures, which so clearly emphasizes the virtue of being grateful. So here is the story:

Long ago a bird was living in a desert and its living conditions were awful; there was no green tree and water. It was very sick, with no feathers, nothing to eat and drink and no shelter to live, so he kept on cursing his life all the time. The bird was perpetually stressed because of the lack of food and shelter from the scorching sun in the desert. One day an Angel was crossing from that desert. The bird stopped the Angel and inquired, ”Where are you going?” Angel replied ”I am going to meet God". So the bird asked the angel, "Please ask God when my suffering will come to an end?" Angel said,” Sure, I will!' and bid a good bye to the bird.

Angel reached the God’s place and shared the message of bird with Him. Angel told Him how pathetic the condition of the bird was and inquired when the suffering of the bird was going to end ? God replied, "For the next seven life times the bird has to suffer like this, no happiness till then". Angel said, "When bird will hear this he will get disheartened. Could You suggest any solution for this?"

God told him to recite this mantra ‘Thank you God for everything’.

Angel met the bird again on the way back and delivered the message of God to the bird. After seven days the angel was passing again from the same path and saw that bird was so happy. Its feathers grew up on his body, a small plant grew up in the desert area, a small pond of water was also there, and the bird was singing and dancing cheerfully. Angel was astonished how it happened! God had told that for seven life times there was no happiness for the bird. With this question in mind he went to visit God.

Angel asked his query. Then God replied,"Yes it was true that there was no happiness for the bird for seven life times but it was because of the bird reciting the mantra 'Thank you God for everything’ in every situation. When bird fell down on the hot sand, it said 'Thank you God for everything'; when it could not fly. it said 'Thank you God for everything'. So whatever the situation was, the bird kept on repeating 'Thank you God for everything' and therefore the seven life times karma got dissolved in seven days.

When I read this story it further guided me towards the power of gratefulness. I felt a tremendous shift in my way of feeling, thinking, accepting and viewing the life situations. I adopted this mantra in my life whatever the situation I faced, I started reciting this mantra ‘ Thank you God for everything’. It helped me to shift my view from what I did not have to what I have in my life. This simple mantra really left a deep impression and I started feeling how blessed I am!