The Opposite of Gratitude

 I’m thinking that the opposite of gratitude is yearning. Yearning—wanting what I don’t have—negates the reality of what is present for me in this moment.

I think yearning arises from a sense of lack, and shows up when I desperately want what I don’t have, can’t have, or am unwilling to work for. On the other hand, a desire can be a nudge to action. If I want to have a new skill, I must take the necessary steps to learn it. If it has a high enough priority on my personal wish list, I will do whatever I am able to do in order to make that skill set my own. If I’m unwilling, then I have to admit to myself that the wish is simply a bubble floating by, and I’ve been momentarily struck by it’s temporary appeal.

When I take action to achieve whatever it might be that I would like to see as part of my life, I can enjoy the very real, very present gratitude for being a co-creator of change. I invite the guidance of my Spiritual Posse, and I go with it, giving thanks all along the way. When I find closed doors, I knock and look for other ways to my goal. Often, that closed door is my instruction to move on—whatever I seek is not there for me. I have gratitude for the realization that I don’t need to keep banging on that particular door; I am free to find something else.

When I find myself in that place of yearning, I am best served by bringing myself back to this moment. In this moment, all is well. In this moment, all my needs are met. In this moment, I can’t know what lies in store for me. In this moment, I will be grateful for all that is right, for all that I have, for all that I am.