The Gift You're Missing

Have you ever given a great gift and you could tell the recipient didn’t really appreciate it? It probably made you feel a bit bad, somewhere on the spectrum between disappointed, sad, and angry. Often we are that recipient. Life brings us many gifts, with existence itself being the foundation - yet we may struggle to feel gratitude. As we notice this reality, our own ingratitude for life, our first reaction may be shame. But shame is its own form of ingratitude. It’s ingratitude for ourselves. When we learn to accept and love not only the gift of our lives, but also the gift that is ourselves we don’t turn to pride and selfishness, we turn to deeper generosity. The natural response to a gift is wanting to share that gift with others. 

THIS WEEK: Most people carry various forms of self-hatred. It may feel justified because of our own perceived failings, but it’s not very useful. Consider in what ways might shame be coming up as a form of self-indulgence, and how redirecting this energy towards the service of others may fill your life with greater meaning.