Our listeners are setting the agenda again in this episode, another of our regular “Ask Me Anything” series.Thom starts with what you might find to be a surprising twist on gratitude. While gratitude is, of course, a good thing, sometimes our perspective can distort our level of gratitude, or even what we might be grateful for. Thom refers to one of our favorite teachings from Guru Dev, who told us, “You deserve the best…”In answer to a question about the role of community in our self realization, Thom points out that our evolution actually removes our sense of separateness, making community the natural consideration in anything and everything that we do. He describes Cosmic Consciousness as ‘the ultimate social experience.’And on the matter of ‘mixing mantras’, he points out that Vedic Meditation, while being compatible with, and complementary to, any other practice, it needs to be practiced specifically as it has been taught, without any ‘modifications’ by the practitioner. In doing so, each practice will have its intended benefit, and not be watered down, or even harmed by another.Episode Highlights: [00:45] Q- Is There a Truth to Gratitude Being a Divine Emotion?[01:01] You Deserve the Best[02:30] You Have to Accept It[03:57] You Are Not Wretched[04:59] What Does Expecting the Best Do to Our Sense of Gratitude?[06:16] How Do We Show Our Gratitude?[07:31] Vineeta: Humble Pride[08:59] Too Much Gratitude[10:11] Q - How Can Community Play a Positive Role in Realizing the Higher Self?[10:56] The Funnel of Consciousness[12:04] Cosmic Consciousness - The Ultimate Social Experience[13:45] The True Meaning of Tribe[15:22] Unity and Empathy[16:49] Siddhi: An Extraordinary Human Capability[18:22] Expanding Our Capacity to Be a Relevant Member Of Any Social Group[19:43] Having and Developing Shared Experience[20:59] Q - Can I Use a Different Mantra to Practice Vedic Meditation?[21:56] All Roads Lead to Rome[22:36] An Appropriate Mantra[24:18] No Damage is Done[25:36] Vedic Meditation Will Only Bring Aid to Everything Life Supporting[26:31] Let Vedic Meditation Be Its Own PracticeUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/