Gratitude: Implementing a Sparkling Lifestyle Reform

I found an illustration that made me realize that the casual, everyday life I lead is, in itself, a blessed and wonderful way of living.

In both the left and right images, a lot of water is coming out of a faucet.
In the left image, it is flowing down the drain.
In the right image, the water is being collected in a glass.

The water coming out of the faucet represents 'Awareness of blessings,' or noticing the grace of God and things to be grateful for.
The 'Entitlement' at the drain refers to rights granted to us or government social security benefit systems.
'Gratitude' means being thankful.

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The grace of God and things to be grateful for are bestowed upon everyone equally. However, this likely expresses that there are two types of people: those who ignore these rights and pay them no mind, and those who feel a sense of gratitude for them. Probably.

I don't think anyone would intentionally ignore the benefits and rights they are given and let them flow down the drain. But in reality, it is a fact that many people let them flow away without catching them.

Why is that?

Are they unaware of the benefits they have been given?
Are they aware, but find it too much trouble?
Is it because they don't know how to catch them?
Do they think there is no need to catch them?

Various reasons can be imagined, but I feel that the more people want to be happy yet take no action, the more they are letting their benefits flow down the drain.

There are many kinds of actions, such as:
gathering information,
keeping your antenna up,
acquiring knowledge,
reading, and so on.

Even if you aren't physically moving,
there are many actions you can easily do at your desk.

By taking such small actions,
the casual, everyday life you lead
can sometimes looksparkling.

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I am currently practicing and exploring how to spend my second life. I am not trying to 'become' happy, but am taking actions to 'be' happy every day.

The sun rises from the eastern sky every day.
It rises every morning as if to announce a new day.

I am grateful to that sun.
I am grateful for the beginning of a glorious day.
Since it is the sun, it is trulysparkling after all.

◇

I go for a walk every morning. I express my gratitude to the shrine for the joy of being able to walk. I am thankful for the joy of having been able to walk here.

Since I work up a sweat,
my skin is sparkling in the morning sun, after all.

◇

By the roadside, at this time of year,
crape myrtle trees are blooming with red and white flowers.
I am grateful for them showing me their beautifully bloomed forms.
Each flower and leaf is also proudly sparkling, after all.

This is what a crape myrtle flower looks like
→The origin of the name crape myrtle

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I was a hard-working businessman who kept running in a competitive society, thinking "me first." Shifting away from that competitive nature is difficult, but I am implementing it one step at a time.

When I was a company employee, I implemented work-style reforms to avoid overworking and to ensure I took enough vacation time. My work-style reform was a success, as I was able to take long vacations every year.

And now, in my second life, it is a lifestyle reform. A year has passed since I started my lifestyle reform. It will likely take a while longer, but I am keeping in mind to put small actions into practice every day.

While being grateful that I can write on note every day like this.

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