Next, I'd like to discuss the theme of "gratitude."
I believe that gratitude is the most important emotion for human beings to live. This is because people who cannot have a grateful heart will always live their lives dwelling on their current dissatisfaction. Isn't there anything more miserable than a life in which one rarely feels happiness? Our lives are a series of "now" moments. Therefore, whether or not we can be satisfied with "now" is a question of whether or not we can be satisfied with life itself. What is necessary to be satisfied with the present moment is a "feeling of gratitude." The feeling of "I'm happy" is born from the emotion of "gratitude."
I believe that truly happy people are those who feel a stronger sense of happiness than others. For example, no matter how wealthy, high-status, or prestigious someone is, if they are dissatisfied with their current situation, can they truly be called happy? There are many people who live lives that others envy, but I don't think all of them are happy. They must have their own worries. This is because human desires are endless. If you have a lot of money, you want more and more. If you have achieved status and prestige, you want to aim even higher. As your standard of living rises, your standard of happiness also rises, and therefore, the standard by which you feel "happy" changes.
People who are free from desires are happy simply by being alive. They can be grateful just for waking up in the morning. They might even feel happy just seeing the sun rise. They would surely feel grateful for all kinds of ordinary events. If everyone were free from desires, the world would be a very peaceful place. That being said, I'm not saying you should become free from desires. Having desires leads to ambition and is a good spice that keeps life on track. I think what's important is the balance between satisfaction with the present and hope for the future. If you only complain about the present, you'll end up with a dull life where you're always frowning. Conversely, if you're completely satisfied with the present, you'll end up with a life that's dull and where you don't challenge yourself at all. The ideal state is one where even greater happiness awaits you as an extension of your current happiness.
There are so many things in the world to be grateful for. Have you forgotten that? Let's reaffirm that and start by being grateful for the present moment. It will make you feel incredibly happy. First, let's be grateful for being born as a human being. What if you had been born as another creature instead of a human? Just imagine for a moment. Isn't it terrifying to even think about? Next, let's be grateful to our parents for giving us life. Without them, you wouldn't exist in this world. Of course, we should also be grateful to our grandparents and our ancestors. There are still so many things in our surrounding environment that we should be grateful for. In the natural world, for example, the air, water, sun, seasons, other animals, and various plants—how fortunate we are because they exist!
There are so many wonderful things that humans have invented. Electricity, gas, cars, airplanes, televisions, cameras, washing machines, refrigerators, mobile phones, computers. Thanks to the invention of these things, the world has become so convenient, hasn't it? There are still many things you take for granted that you should be grateful for. Think about it. Do you take it for granted that your partner always cooks meals and cleans the house? Do you take it for granted that your partner works every day and provides a stable income? The same goes for SiNQ, which you all use. Have you started using it without really understanding its purpose or value, and have you just taken it for granted that you can use it?
In this way, having a grateful heart allows you to reaffirm your own happiness. You can escape into a state of contentment. Take a moment to reflect on the things you take for granted and feel grateful. If you can cultivate this habit, your life will become considerably more elegant. What I want you to realize here is that gratitude doesn't arise from a state of happiness, but rather happiness arises from gratitude. You become happy by being grateful. In other words, the degree of your gratitude becomes the standard of your happiness. You are not grateful because you are happy, but you are happy because you are grateful. Furthermore, as you begin to have a grateful heart, your luck will also improve. For example, people who think, "Ugh, is that all?" when they receive their salary are disliked by money and have difficulty saving money. Conversely, people who think, "I'm so grateful to receive so much," are favored by money and more and more money will accumulate.
The same applies to human relationships. People who always think, "I'm glad I met you," at the moment of meeting someone new are blessed with more and more new encounters, and people are drawn to them. The probability of people meeting is miraculous. There is a saying, "Ichigo Ichie" (one time, one meeting), and as that saying suggests, let's be more grateful for the encounters we have. It is said that humans cannot live alone. We are always supported by the people around us in some way. Whether or not you can make irreplaceable friends in life depends on how grateful you are. It feels good to be thanked, and it brings joy to those who express gratitude. A feeling of gratitude deepens the bonds between people. No one wants to be around people who have little gratitude, who always seem dissatisfied and sullen.
I think "thank you" is the most beautiful word in Japanese. Doesn't it feel good when someone says thank you? Thank you has energy. It has an incredibly powerful ability to make people feel happy. Having a grateful heart brings so many good things. So, save up lots of thank yous. It's simple. Just say thank you a lot and hear thank you a lot. That alone will make you and the people around you feel very happy. In other words, you can create a group that is always happy.
