“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.”
– Denis Waitley (1933 – ) U.S. spiritual author
How has your own joy resulted from love, grace, or gratitude, lately?
Grace – U2 (4:08)
Denis Waitley Quotes on Winning and Greatness (1:35)
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Mantra for Grace
The Dangerous Helper
In a dense forest, there was lake. All the animals used to drink water from the lake. The water of this lake was so sweet that many fish lived there for long time. In this lake there lived a crab. The crab’s best friend was a swan. That swan was in the same lake. They were happy in the company of each other. Their happiness lasted until one day a snake made its home near the lake.
Every day the swan laid an egg. The snake would come and eat it up. “I have to find a way to save my eggs,” thought the swan.
One day, he went to the crab and said, “Please help me, dear friend. My eggs are under threat. That cruel snake eats all the eggs in the nest. What can I do?”
…
The crab decided to help its best friend. The crab thought for a while. Then he said, “I have an idea. Let us catch some fish from this lake and scatter them from the snake’s house till the mongoose house.” That mongoose lived in the nearby tree.
Then, the crab and the swan caught some fish and dropped them from the mongoose’s house all the way to the snake’s house. Then both of them hid behind a tree and watched. They waited for some time. After a long time, the mongoose came out. He saw the fish and was overjoyed. “Mymm! Fish right outside my own house!” he said, smacking his lips. He happily ate all of them one by one. As he ate he kept following the fish trail to the snake’s house. Finally, the mongoose reached the house of the snake. Both the crab and the swan were watching all these events, waiting behind the tree.
When the snake saw the mongoose, he thought, “That mongoose is here to attack me. I had better fight with it.” After some time, the snake started to fight with the mongoose. They fought for some time. After a fierce battle, the mongoose killed the snake.
…
Watching this behind the tree, the swan and the crab heaved a sigh of relief. But her joy was short-lived. The next day, the mongoose, looking for more fish, came upon the swan’s nest. There the mongoose found more eggs of the swan. He immediately ate all of them. The swan and the crab now felt helpless. They had brought this new threat upon themselves. They did not know that the mongoose was the dangerous helper. “Our thoughtlessness has got us a new enemy. Even more dangerous than the previous enemy,” cried the two friends.
After few days, they decided to form one more plan to get rid of the dangerous helper – mongoose. It is must to be careful while fighting with an enemy.
I am most happy why experiencing the things I’m most grateful for like my friendships and the participating in the activities that bring people joy.
I need to communicate more with my higher power. I am going to pray and meditate now. Sundays are a good day for me to review myself.
I’m not sure if I ever associate happiness with love, grace, or gratitude. I tend to be internally driven towards happiness, and out of experience, don’t look to be fulfilled in this sense from the outside world. However, I do recognize the importance of feeling happiness, love, gratitude in our relationships with others.
I have a co-worker who challenges my capacity to love her. I just recently learned a new acronym: TRUST (Try Really Using Step Three). Even though it seems like a real stretch to be loving in the midst of being verbally attacked, I will set some boundaries and let go and let God. Today I am grateful; today I choose joy. Namaste
over the holidays , some friends of mine also in recovery and I saw a movie together and had lunch afterwards. the conversation we had on the movie Django was so heartfelt that I could really sense the love we shared for each other which continues to make me happy to this day.
Recently, a dream I’ve had for the USFZ meditation site has been realized through the addition of fence made exactly how I had envisioned it. My gratitude for the blessings in my life are so huge I don’t know how to express it.
I had not realized that every time I write my Gratitude List, I am choosing joy. I can really relate to the “daily reprieve” granted contingent on my spiritual awareness. As some on this website have noted, being aware of my breath, becoming aware of my gifts, learning the daily lessons helps move me into a space where I can see and feel the power of miracles every day – every moment.