For All Things Give Thanks?
An ancient philosopher once wrote, "Rejoice always . . . in everything give thanks."(Paul - circa 55 ACE). Whether or not I agree with his theology is secondary to the healthful message in his enjoinder. I have found that one of the most powerful attitudes I can express on my integrally healthful path is that of total gratitude (Johnston, 2006).
Breaking it down, I have found there are essentially two times to be thankful . . . one, when things are going well and the other when they are not going so well. In the former case, as you know, it is easy to be thankful. Why wouldn't it be when everything is coming up roses?
It is in the midst of adversity -- especially adversity over which I have no control or influence to change -- I find it most difficult to be grateful. Yet, it is during such circumstances I have come to see it is most beneficial to remember to appreciate the wide range of experiences our Source has provided through various events in our lives for our learning and development.
An example more extreme than any I have experienced is Viennese psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's (1946) imprisonment in a Nazi death camp. He observed two kinds of fellow prisoners: those who despite their unspeakably horrible circumstances went around consoling and sharing what meager scraps of food they had with other prisoners; and those who in utter despair committed suicide by throwing themselves against the electric fences. As you may know, Dr. Frankl survived to develop a new kind of therapy called Logotherapy ("meaning" therapy) based on insights gained from his ordeal.
Paraphrasing another ancient idea, all events work together for integrally healthful learning -- individually, socially, and ecosystemically -- for each of us who have found our true identity in conscious oneness with our timeless Source . . . and is working toward realization of our soul consciousness development plan for this incarnation (Johnston 2008).
If true, then all the various and sundry events and circumstances in my life can only enhance my conscious awareness of my oneness with our Source and the other 'fish in the infinite cosmic ocean' of our psychoelectromagnetic being. Ultimately, every thing, every entity, every event, every circumstance -- whether for good or ill -- serves to further my growth in conscious empathy, understanding, and wellbeing. Consequently, each is a blessing in that I have learned something new from it.
Although giving thanks for every experience has been a simple principle for me to accept, it has been far more difficult to apply in my life, especially when I have experienced deep suffering of emotional or social origin. Yet, a sourceological principle (Johnston 2006) tells me that every adversity, every force opposing my integral health and wellbeing contains the seed of a greater healthful good over the long run.
Following are three examples: I have lost a dream corporate vp position due to a corporate merger only to find another of greater potential for soul growth and development. I lost a spouse through divorce after thirty-six years of marriage only to find another terrific woman who is almost perfectly attuned to my balanced anima-animus values and is among the very best 'things' that has ever happened to me. And I have lost a fiction-based delusional faith only to find a high probability evidence-based integral natural science knowledge by which to better live my life with the joy of genuine self-realization, a deep inner peace, and optimum integral health.
Consequently, I have come to see that when I began to live a life of total gratitude every adversity became an opportunity for expansion of my height, depth, and breadth of consciousness, understanding, and transformation. When I meet adversity with self-talk like, "Find a way to enjoy it" or "Love it anyway," or "What am I suppose to learn from this?" or "Thanks for the insight I got from that tough experience" the difficult situation at hand begins to change for the better. That includes a diminishing of potentially damaging effects of prolonged stress on my body caused by the over-emission of biochemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline and the increased secretion of mind-body biochemicals which heal, such as endorphins and serotonin (Justice 1988).
Such is the pragmatic miraculous power of giving thanks for all things on my mind-body-social health and wellbeing.
AN AFFIRMATION
I am a transparent, timeless microcosmic constituent of our all-pervading macrocosmic transparent, timeless, aware Source of all helping, neutral, and opposing entities affecting the realization of my intentions for healthful good or ill.
As such, I am not anything temporal -- such as my biobody, feelings, thoughts, images, behaviors, and material possessions. However, I reside within, and with our ageless Source, co-manage my feelings, thoughts, and temporal biologic body in intercommunication with every other temporal entity and ecosystemic force in my environment.
Relying on the experimental premise that all entities, events, and circumstances work together for the expansion of the height, depth, and breadth of my healthful consciousness, empathy, understanding, and realization of my soul development mission for this incarnation, I give thanks for the learning I gain from all my experiences.
Yours with empathy and trust in evidence-based integral natural science and our timeless, all-pervading Anima-Animus Co-Source of all consciousness -- individual, social, and ecosystemic.
Bob
REFERENCES
Johnston, Robert Wayne (2006). My Integral Noetic Allegory About Our Origin and Purpose on Earth http://www.shiftinaction.com/node/2333
____________________ (2008). Life Between Lives http://www.shiftinaction.com/node/5052
____________________ (2006). Integral Healthful Aging: My Noetic-Based Checklist http://www.shiftinaction.com/node/3130
Justice, Blair (1988). Who Gets Sick. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher Publisher
Paul (circa 55 ACE). First Letter to the Thessalonians, Gideon Bible.
