Philosophy, Faith and Thought: "These are a Few of my Favorite Things"

It's day six of my attempt to maintain a list of all the things I am thankful for and I have missed day four and five; so, today, I will attempt to list three things that I am thankful for. It is interesting how many things I have that I have started to take for granted. Even as I try to list the things I am thankful for, I realize how hard it is to list. You wouldn't think that it would be difficult to list all the things you are thankful for, but it is hard to do. I think the toughest part is just thinking of one thing a day to be grateful for when there are hundreds of things that I have taken for granted. So, today, I will attempt to come up with the three things that stand out to me.

I am grateful to have a belief system that was instilled in me from the time I was a child. I am grateful that, though my beliefs may have morphed into something that was not originally what my parents intended, I still have something to believe in. I am grateful for everything my parents taught me and the faith they helped me to achieve. Some people see putting faith in something that you can't see or prove with science as a weakness, but there is no greater strength than allowing faith and belief take you to the unknown and raise you higher than you knew you could go. 

I am grateful for the great philosophers of life, i.e. Plato, Socrates, Jesus Christ, Gandhi, Laozi, Siddhartha Gautama, Rumi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mother Theresa, and the many others. These are the people who, through their teachings, allow us to look deeply within ourselves with their words and see the possibility and the potential for much more than we think we are capable. They help us to see beyond the self and see the inter-connectivity of all life and all beings here in this life. Their words have inspired many people and will continue to inspire many more. They have taught selflessness, life, love, charity, hope, and many other things that we allow ourselves to take in and utilize for the betterment of ourselves and/or the betterment of society. 

Finally, I am grateful for the ability to think. I mention belief and the philosophers of the world, but without the ability to think for ourselves, what would be the purpose of belief? What would be the purpose of philosophy? What would be the purpose of the pursuit of truth and happiness if we are not allowed to think critically? I am grateful for the ability to take in information and meditate on it for truth hidden within the metaphors and analogies. I am grateful I am able to think for myself and find truth in the beautiful gems of belief and philosophy that are so abundant.

These are a few of the things I am thankful for...what are you thankful for?

Namaste