Reflection from a monk: When we actively and sincerely appreciate the qualities of others and let them know it, it opens their heart, and the contents flow freely into our own hearts.
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” –Voltaire
In Dale Carnegie’s classic book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, he states that a most powerful way to immediately become free from anxiety is to find someone to serve. Similarly, bhakti yoga, the yoga of gratitude, teaches that one of the best ways to engage the mind is to think about how to do good for others. In this way, we can take ourselves out of the center and relieve the pressure and frustration that follows us around when we live as though everything revolves around us. Living in an ashram has given me an opportunity to work towards imbibing this principle more and more, and it truly makes such a difference in my level of fulfillment…
