itadaki Mas - The Japanese thank you for the meal at the table .

 頂きます（いただきます） to receive; to get; to accept; to take (humble). This explains why you say it before you eat. You're "receiving" food, after all. Itadakimasu (and its dictionary form itadaku 頂く いただ ) comes from Japan's roots in Buddhism, which teaches respect for all living things.

I was introduced to itadaki masu by my Japanese friend Etsuko who had dinner with us at my home in Lonavala. It turned out that Etsuko had a sudden pasta craving and wanted me to cook some for her. 

Before our meal, Etsuko thanked my mother with clasped palms as a gesture of gratitude, for the hands that cook our meals. Etsuko then introduced us to the concept of itadak imasu and also told us that this meant saying thank you to everyone in the chain of food distribution - bringing to mind the farmer and his family, the truck driver who drives the produce to the city and so on . A second of thought is given to each person in this chain of bringing food to our table.

At that point, I remember being fascinated by the concept. Yes, my catholic upbringing always had me saying the grace before a meal, but it was more of thanking God for the food.  This little thought of gratitude that I had learned from Etsuko stayed with me.

This is one example of gratitude. There is a lot of research available on the connection between gratitude and internal happiness. Most mindfulness activities would include a gratitude journal or a gratitude meditation.  Practicing gratitude for oneself is very simple and effective.

All you have to do is count your blessings. Some things that we naturally take for granted:

• Our 5 senses - our ability to see, touch, feel, smell, and taste.

• Our 5 sense organs

• Our ability to express

• Our intelligence and intellect

• The roof above our head 

• The shower 

• The water we quench our thirst with - the lakes, the rivers and the vastness of the ocean.

• Our capacity to love 

• Our capacity to heal 

• The smell of coffee/tea

• Our sexuality 

• The rising sun , sunsets 

• Our ability to be good at one thing

• Our uniqueness 

• Food, shelter and clothing(maybe) - Our basic needs

• Family and Friends - People!

• Technology 

• Travel and the experiences

• In today's day and age - the Covid experience

• Warmth

• This beautiful life 

The list to start with is endless and probably does bring us to a realization that we are blessed abundantly . How lucky we are despite our adversities, our heart breaks , our situations , our circumstances …. We are lucky to experience life the way it is .