Thank You!

September 21st, every year? is celebrated as World Gratitude day. At the outset heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for reading my posts and subscribing to the newsletter. This is the 99th Edition.

?It goes back to 1965. "World Gratitude Day" was invented by Sri Chinmoy, a spiritual leader and meditation teacher. It was conceived at a Thanksgiving dinner in the United Nations’ meditation room.?The following year, in 1966, many countries observed the first annual World Gratitude Day on September 21, and the day has been celebrated annually ever since.

Why??wait for occasions to say "Thank you"? Isn't it something we can do more often? If not with others ,at least, spending time with ourselves? Moments where you recall beautiful moments of life to keep us happy & motivated.

As I look back on y journey there are so many moments of my life where there were turning points, I recall fondly how when my very strict Assistant Station Director called me to ask me to pitch a program idea that would be interesting. I jumped in with my dream project, hosting a chat show. Deeply grateful to her for trusting me with that format & allowing me to learn on the way to growth. Met some amazing human beings with inspiring stories on that journey. Recalling how much I have to thank all the officers who pitched in & supported the idea, I am just overwhelmed and grateful. Next week, I will be uploading the 160th episode of? my Human Library podcast, "U n' I with Rashmi Shetty". I recall all the learnings I have had at All India Radio with complete gratitude to become the award winning podcast host, that I am today.

Decided therefore,?to decode the qualities that make up GRATITUDE.

Generosity: Generosity is a quality that is all about what one? can? give & not what will one get. The more you focus on how much you can give of yourself to a role, to help someone, to find the better version of yourself, the better feeling of gratitude. My mother always reminded me of this quote from John Bunyan, "You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."

Resilience: When you set out on a journey, there are many ups & downs that continue to challenge you to be your best version. The ability to face life with confidence is what makes it meaningful. To get up after every fall is when our resilience gets measured. “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving; we get stronger and more resilient.” – Steve Maraboli

Affirmations: Have a set of positive statements that only help you find yourself when you are bogged down by the pressures of life. They should be on the mirror, cupboards on your work table, or inside the drawers, you open often. Roy T. Bennett says it beautifully, “Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down.”

Tenacity: The determination to achieve what you want will make you draw your plan accordingly. This will in turn help you strategize what you want in life. Sometimes we see around us, a lot of people moving ahead, way faster than us. The problem is we give up and that should not be the attitude. Some moments in life are all about pushing that limit we have bound ourselves with. Robin Sharma is spot on when he says, "Capacity, audacity, and tenacity will take you to your mountaintop."

Intent: The intent with which we set out is very important but many times it does not translate into action. What is important is developing the attitude of Detached Attachment. Know when to detach & when to attach. The Lotus is one of the best examples of detached attachment. It stays rooted in the marshy waters to stay alive but does not allow the water to stay on its surface. Likewise, make sure you set out with purity of intent, the outcome however should not disturb you. Dr.Wayne W. Dyer's words say it best, “With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”

Trust: “Self-trust is the first secret of success.” Ralph Waldo Emerson's words are very important for us to understand that trust in the self is the very foundation based on which we move into action mode. It is an action that leads to goal achievement that leads, in turn to success. It's this success that builds gratitude because we cannot do anything alone, Acknowledging those around us who had our backs is very important, but acknowledging your own effort is equally important too.

Uniqueness: This is what each of us carries. Showcase it as often as possible. It is important to do a lot of intrapersonal communication to stay in touch with the essence of who you are. There are a lot of influences that shape the thought processes of who you are & what roles you play! Friedrich Nietzsche's words sum it up powerfully, “The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

Discipline: This is so important for us to achieve the goal we have set for ourselves. Thanking & acknowledging those who help us is important. When we achieve our goal we are happy. What pushes us especially when we fail, is discipline. It is an integral part of who we are to become who we want to become. It is difficult to be disciplined, there are many times when procrastination takes over. Overcoming that to achieve what we want to & acknowledging who we have to is very important. Carl Zuckmeyer 's quote on the need for discipline is priceless. "One-half of life is luck; the other half is discipline – and that’s the important half, for without discipline you wouldn’t know what to do with luck."

Empathy: The quality that allows you to feel the other person from his/her side is very important as it keeps you humble. getting into someone else's shoes is important. The moment you decide to do that, the basic requirement is to remove your shoes. Metaphorically it speaks about humility. That is exactly what Anand Mahindra says "If you aren't humble, whatever empathy you claim is false and probably results from some arrogance or the desire to control. But true empathy is rooted in humility and the understanding that there are many people with as much to contribute in life as you."

Generosity is how the journey begins

Resilience is where it twins

Affirmations we need aplenty

Tenacity is what we need four score & twenty.

Intent is how I would work on myself to grow

Trust in me is what I need myself to bestow.

Uniqueness is what I carry within to succeed

Discipline is how I can go ahead with speed.

Empathy is what would complete the list.

GRATITUDE is what we need to happily coexist.

Heartfelt GRATITUDE to each one of you!

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