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When someone asks me the question, “what are you grateful for?”. I reply with standard answers like “my family, friends, a roof over my head, food on the plate and education”, and my answer is the truth. I am grateful for them, and yet sometimes when I say those words I feel empty. I think it’s because those are things that I am already internally grateful for and saying them is like a reflex. However, the small things I am grateful for always leave a bigger impact on me. And it's the small things that really open up my eyes.
Gratefulness, gratitude, thankfulness and appreciation are all important to have. I have had a normal life. I grew up in a happy household in a family of 4, never had to worry too much about financial problems, had food to eat everyday, moved around, went to school and now to college. Up until now, I haven't had any major obstacle in my life to face. So with the life I lead, it is important for me to appreciate all the things I have. And I do.
But sometimes, I wish life could be a lot better. Sometimes I wish I didn't lie and it was more exciting. Sometimes I want things to do that I cant get because my parents wont get me, I want to pursue them because that may not be acceptable by my family ,or just pursue some dreams that I cannot right now. I am grateful everyday for my life but I do yearn for more. And that's just human nature.
It is okay to complain and want more. We all aren't all happy 100% of the time because part of being human is to have our emotions fluctuate. However as long as we recognize the things we have, we are naturally allowed to complain. It's about finding a balance.
Gratitude is not something that we can all achieve overnight. It is constantly shifting as our life events are shifting and we are going through the motions. I am very grateful for things I have right now but I am also at home where my parents are providing the basic necessities for me.
In five or ten years from now, that will change. I will be living on my own and have to give myself pretty much everything. There will be times when I am yearning more but I just can't get it, because it's out of my bounds. I think for the future I will have the mindset that as long as I have my basic resources, I will be grounded and work towards my dreams. Again, it's all about balance.
Gratitude is something we all should practice. I like to do it through journaling about 3 things I am happy about each day, talking with people about our lives, and reflecting (check out last week’s blog post). It's important to recognize our privilege and what we have.
Gratitude is an important attitude!