By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

Focused on family, giving thanks – it sounds like a recipe for worldly bliss, an important part of life.  While you may have found that family time is not always blissful, gratitude certainly is.

When you focus on gratitude, your thoughts change. Instead of fixating on problems or on a checkered past, you make a choice to stay present in the present, even loving and appreciating the best in each and in all. Yes, this will make it be a beautiful day.

Your focus on gratitude changes your brain chemicals. When you express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for you feeling good. They enhance your mood immediately.

Research has shown gratitude to be a ‘natural antidepressant’. When practiced daily, the effects can be almost the same as medications. It provides a long-lasting feeling of happiness and contentment. Gratitude is also linked to more vitality, energy, and enthusiasm to work harder.

The word gratitude is related to the word Grace. They both come from the root gwere, meaning “to favor,” dating back to 4500-2500 BCE. It also shows up in Sanskrit as grinati[3] which means to sing, to praise and to announce.

I sing your praises, that you are here and choose to receive these teachings. On this American Thanksgiving day, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you. I share what I received from my Baba, which brings me to more gratitude!  Yes, it is going to be a beautiful day.