The other day, I heard an airplane flying overhead as I walked across Central Park in the morning and, as I looked up and saw the plane, I was reminded of the contributions of countless people to everything I take for granted in my daily life.  It boggles my mind when I imagine how many people and how many resources are involved in the smallest portion of daily experience and how much we depend on one another for our survival and well-being – a dependence we often take for granted.

For this week’s experiment, I invite you to become even more mindful of the contributions of countless unknown people to the well-being in your life.  Some are people in your own community.  Some live across the country, some across the world.  As you turn on the water faucet, notice your experience when you imagine all the people involved in bringing that water into your home, from the people who made the pipes that carry the water, to those who work in the reservoirs and pumping stations that process the water before it gets to you, and so on. 

Or, when you turn on the electricity in your home or office, take some time to imagine all the people involved in bringing that electricity to you, and maintaining its availability.  Even as you read this experiment on your computer, imagine the incredible numbers of people that made it possible for you to be able to do so.

Think of the resources you use everyday, and those you have come to depend on for your quality of life.  The dry cleaners, your washing machine, the grocery and drug stores – everything in these establishments is only available to you because of the efforts of other people, people you will never know.  Without these people doing their part, none of us would have a place to live, food to eat, ways to get from here to there.

As part of this week’s experiment, I invite you to acknowledge the innumerable contributions from unknown people to your quality of life, and to internally express gratitude to them in whatever ways are comfortable for you.  Then, notice the quality of moving through your day, encountering and interacting with others, as you focus on this practice of acknowledgement and gratitude.

The practice invites you to focus on the smaller details of daily life, to bring gratitude for the everyday elements of life into awareness and expression.  For example, when you brush your teeth in the morning, take a moment to acknowledge the people involved in creating the toothbrush, toothpaste, and water that are part of the process.  When you comb your hair, become aware that there were uncounted numbers of people involved in making the comb or brush, the shampoo and conditioner you may use, and – again – the water that makes cleaning your hair possible.  When you make your bed, become aware of the people involved in making your mattress, sheets, blankets, pillows – all the elements that make a bed possible and comfortable.

As you can see, this practice of acknowledgement and gratitude can unfold throughout the day in any number of ways, as you choose to focus actively on the fact of our interdependence on one another.  Throughout the week, notice if there’s a difference in your day when you do and don’t take time to feel gratitude for the contributions of everyone who has given of themselves to make your lifestyle possible.  And, play with what happens when you take the time to actively express gratitude to the people you actively encounter along the way.