“Whoever you are no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination. Calls to you like the wild geese harsh and exciting,
Repeatedly announcing your place in the family of things”- Mary Oliver
I often wonder about my soul choosing this body and this life to experience, evolve, and awaken. This reflection brings with it many questions: What lessons has my soul chosen to learn? What is the deeper purpose of my existence? Why do we receive the life circumstances, the parents, and the environments that shape our early lives? How do we journey through this life, knowing that the soul has chosen it all with intent?
When I look back at my own life, I recognize two distinct phases: one of being asleep, and one of Awareness. The first phase was governed by the ego—fierce, striving, determined to overcome challenges and assert itself. The second phase brought an awakening: a recognition of my limitations and an acknowledgment that forces far greater than me were quietly guiding my path.
Even though egoic impulses did not entirely disappear, their nature shifted. The ego became more willing to listen, to surrender, to align with a higher will. My life’s focus moved from serving self-centred desires to serving others in meaningful ways.
What remained constant across both phases was a thread of gratitude—a quiet, luminous presence in my heart. Even during times of struggle, I remember waking each morning with a deep sense of joy and reverence for the day ahead. The sunlight through my window felt like a blessing. Despite hardships, I carried an unshakeable trust in life, a faith that a benevolent force in the universe held me, loved me, and had given me a life filled with meaning.
Though I didn’t fully understand my life’s purpose in those early years, I never felt that I was here by accident. I assumed my role was to be a good person, a responsible family member, a contributor to society. But as awareness grew, the meaning of my life began to take on deeper hues.
We often forget that our birth and the course of our life are not of our making. We play only a small part in the unfolding. Perhaps we take on this incarnation to experience, to suffer, to love—and above all, to learn a few vital lessons needed for our soul’s evolution. At some point, if grace touches us, we awaken. That awakening is both a blessing and a calling. Life is no longer something we drift through unconsciously—it becomes a sacred journey.
Even when we are asleep to it, the divine is never far. That higher energy is always seeking our transformation. As Rumi says, “What you seek is also seeking you… One day you will realize that what you seek is what you are.” Most of the time we are unaware of this grace. But when we live with gratitude, the presence of the divine becomes unmistakable—it permeates every moment of our existence.
Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” Gratitude, to me, is the heart of spiritual practice. It draws us closer to the divine than perhaps any other state—akin to deep meditation or prayer. It is a state of emotional alignment, of stillness, of presence. It reveals truth.
Gratitude is an Alignment with the Divine
Whenever I am immersed in gratitude, I feel I am standing in the presence of the divine. In that moment, body, mind, and action fall into harmony with something vast, mysterious, and unknowable. There is a felt sense of expansiveness, inclusivity, and joy. It is a return to something sacred.
Gratitude Reflects a Deep Trust in Life
When we contemplate our place in the cosmos, we see how small we are—and yet, how deeply we are held. Life is not random. Our existence has meaning, and our soul seeks out this incarnation as a step in its unfolding. This alone evokes immense gratitude. Life begins to carry a sense of direction and purpose. We engage more consciously, no longer drifting. I personally believe it is a disservice to the divine to not live this incarnation fully and attentively. The soul can—and must—balance the outer life with the inner. The ego, too, can be trained to serve the higher self.
In an interview, Brother David Steindl-Rast speaks about this trust in life. He asserts that gratitude is the root of joy, not the result of it. “It is not joy that makes us grateful,” he says, “but gratitude that makes us joyful.” He calls on us to be inwardly aware and to allow our gratefulness to overflow—transforming our lives and the world around us.
Gratitude is Found in the Now—Beyond Duality
Every breath I take is not mine—it is a gift. When that breath stops, this body ceases, but the soul journeys onward. Life and death are not opposites; they are parts of a greater whole. Through the simple act of observing breath, one touches the divine. The awareness of this evokes deep and spontaneous gratitude.
Kabir reminds us that none of us can escape the grinding stone of duality. Between day and night, joy and sorrow, life and death—everything is in motion. “Chalti Chakki”—the mill of life is ever-turning. Whatever we perceive with our senses is impermanent. Nothing here is eternal.
Gratitude is the Experience of Vastness
A grateful mind is open, non-judgmental, receptive, and full of wonder. It experiences awe. It does not dwell in pettiness or scarcity. It trusts in the abundance of the universe. A soul immersed in gratitude becomes a magnet for grace and blessings. The outer world reflects beauty, and the inner world resonates with peace. The soul moves through life with joy but remains unattached to it—delighting in the world without being caught by it.
Gratitude Cultivates Contentment and Acceptance
When was the last time we felt truly content? Most of us live with the ache of unfulfilled desire. We want more, better, newer—and yet, what we believe will bring us happiness keeps changing. We rarely pause to ask: How much is enough?
There’s a lovely story about Merlin feeding young Arthur a soup brewed with great care. Arthur tastes it and begs for more, exclaiming how divine it is. Merlin refuses, saying, “In one sip, you can taste the entire universe. Why ask for more?”
Gratitude teaches us this lesson. With time, it nurtures contentment. It stills the hunger for more. Those who walk this path begin to welcome both the blessings and challenges of life with balance and grace.
Can we wake each morning and greet the dawn as Rumi does?
“Arise, O day! The atoms are dancing!
For her the spheres and winds are dancing,
Souls ecstatic with joy are dancing.
I’ll whisper in your ear where they are dancing…
Every atom hovering in the air—
Look at it with the eyes of Mercy,
As it is insane for the sun,
As we are for the Beloved.
Every atom, happy or sad,
Is dazzled by the shining sun.”
LIVING WITH GRATITUDE- Meena Kaushik
26th August 2025- Bangalore