What Does It Mean to Be Grateful? 100-Day Consecutive Posting Commemorative Article

What does it actually mean to be grateful?
Many books talk about the importance of gratitude in life. I am currently living my second life, and as I age, the weight of gratitude has become very significant.

For example, when I receive a favor from someone, I have become able to say "thank you" honestly. When I was young, perhaps because I was a skeptical person, I had a cynical attitude, wondering about the other person's ulterior motives or what they were thinking behind my back. That has gradually decreased now, though.

I feel that age has a lot to do with that.
I suppose it's what you call experience.

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When I actually take action to express "gratitude," I go to shrines or temples, put my hands together, and express my thanks in words.

"I am spending another day healthy and well. I was able to walk here, thank you."

I make it a point to put my hands together and express my gratitude during my morning walk.

It sounds quite like something an old person would do, doesn't it? Personally, I started this habit in my 40s, and looking back, I believe it is an action that has turned my life in a better direction when thinking about life.

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Previously, I viewed shrines and temples as places to offer coins and make requests. I would seriously pray from the bottom of my heart, begging for many wishes to be granted.

But when I think about it, this is an act of relying on others' help while doing so openly in front of people, isn't it?

For example,
in a company meeting room, you wouldn't normally put your hands together and beg for things like, "Do this for me, do that for me," while doing nothing yourself, because it would be embarrassing. It would be like exposing the fact that you can't do anything.

However,
in front of the gods, with just a small offering, you pray for incredible requests in front of others to get the maximum cost performance.

As a matter of common sense, I am not denying the act of praying at a shrine. These are words I am directing at my younger self.

Rather than just making requests without putting in any effort myself, it has started to feel more appropriate to report on what I have become able to do and to thank them for supporting me.

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Living through the casual, everyday life.
Especially health.
Not realizing the value of daily health only after getting sick, but simply giving thanks for being able to spend every day in good health and for being able to walk to the shrine. That is all. It is a place where I feel the joy of being alive.

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It has been over 10 years since I started expressing gratitude at shrines and temples by putting my hands together and saying thank you.

Of course, this is one form of gratitude, but I think I should always be thinking about how to express gratitude through some kind of action.

Taking action by doing what you can is, I believe, one form of gratitude.

As I've gotten older, I've come to be able to say that volunteering is one of my hobbies.

It's not about being conscious of being watched by others or acting like a hypocrite. I simply position volunteering as a hobby because I find it interesting to do.

Rather than having a desire to contribute for someone else's sake, I want to see the happy faces of people when I do something for them. It's been about 10 years since I started simply with that in mind.

The word 'gratitude' is often used, but I think that trying to take action by doing what you can is one way of expressing gratitude.

In today's note, I reflected on the concept of 'gratitude'.

And, believe it or not, today marks 100 consecutive days of posting!!!

Thanks to my friends!
Thanks to my readers!
Thanks to my family!
Thanks to the note management staff!
Thanks to myself for being able to post consecutively!