Fill the world with gladness

“Writing down one thing you are grateful for each day is the cheapest possible therapy ever.”–Kevin Kelly

With all the world’s seeming issues, it can be hard to decide what to take on first. Should I contribute to the food bank? Should I march for peace?

It seems to me that the above headline, about filling the world with gladness is about as good a place to start as any.

Can you imagine if every person on the planet was filled with wonder, with gratitude? If every person spent their time noticing the extravaganza of trees and birdsong and stars that are available free of charge at every moment of every day?

I even wondered at yesterday’s possibility posse, when discussing strategies for getting kids to do chores, “what if parents modeled loving gladness when doing THEIR chores?” It’s only a learned cultural program that some things are fun to do and others aren’t. It’s us who give cues on how to react to things, how to “do life.”

Today’s Course lesson promises that every time we channel Elvis and say, “Thank you. Thank you very much,” it multiplies. It’s given back to us, it says, a thousand times and then a hundred thousand times more. Talk about compound interest.

Nature photographer Camille Seaman, who gained notoriety in 2003 for her photographs of the Arctic Ocean, said while watching the news after 9/11, “Where are the stories about how beautiful this life is?”

Her grandfather, a native Shinnecock, made her and her cousins sit outside every day for at least an hour. He’d ask, “What did you learn?” He’d point at clouds and say, “See that cloud up there? It’s made of your perspiration. And some day it will water this garden.” His great wisdom started her on the road of recognizing how connected we all are—not only to each other, but to clouds and water and the whole circle of life.

But the story that really got to me was when she was learning to surf. A friend took her out into the ocean, gave her a couple instructions and then abandoned her. Or that’s what she thought. She swam back to shore, livid that he would leave her in danger like that. And he told her something she never forgot. “It is only you who can learn to manage your fear.”

So she went back out on that surfboard and every time a fear would rear it’s ugly head, she asked this all-important question. “But is it happening now?”

She’d think, I could be gobbled up by a shark. And then ask herself, “But is it happening now?” And then a thought like, “I could get pulled under by a tidal wave” or “This heavy board could knock me unconscious.” And again she’d ask, “But is it happening now?”

It’s such a profound question and the perfect way to discover that, right now, in this moment gladness is here, waiting for me to notice, waiting for me to use its profound power to fill the world. #222 Forever

And FYI, here’s my latest podcast interview

Pam Grout is the author of 20 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, The Course in Miracles Experiment: A Starter Kit for Rewiring Your Mind (And Therefore Your World) that has just been turned into an app. Badass ACIM (badass-acim.com)