Appreciate What You Have

"It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack. Take time daily to reflect on how much you have. It may not be all that you want but remember someone somewhere is dreaming to have what you have." - Germany Kent

Why is it we take things for granted so often? Most the time they are those very things that deserve our gratitude and thankfulness the most. There are many things we fail to realize the true value of until they are missing from our lives. It is said that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Often the truth is, you may have always known what you actually had, you just never thought you'd lose it. We often don't realize this until after we lose it, or it is gone out of our possession. We take things for granted on a daily basis thinking that they will always be there when we need it. This is true of both people and of our possessions. Both little things and big things. We need to enjoy the little things in life because someday you just might realize they were the big things all along.

 

For example, think about technology, like the Internet and your cell phone. You do not realize how vital your cell phone is to your life until you have to go days without it. We feel absolutely lost without it. And the internet, OMG! Especially now during this pandemic while we are all working from home. This happened just last Monday, when I was logging on to work remotely. I was so eager and ready to start the week on a good note. I woke up especially early to get a good jump start on the list of things I needed to do, and found that our internet was down. Well, actually it had gone down at 9pm the night before, but the forecast at that time from the internet provider was they expected it to be up by 1am, so I thought nothing of it.  "It will be there when I need it," I thought. In the morning, however, still down. Not only that, now the internet provider company was  saying it may be down most of the day! Instant panic. "How am I going to get everything I needed to do, done? Some responsibilities I haven't yet trained others to take over, just in case something exactly like this happens!" Needless to say, I got by, but ONLY because I still had my cell phone service. But we always expect it to be working. And when it isn't, our lives get turned upside down. 

 

Relationships are another common theme we do this with. This is a common thing once a relationship reaches its conclusion. When you become complacent with your partner, it is easy to fall into this trap. Happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting what you don’t have, rather it’s recognizing and appreciating what you do have. If someone once made you happy, there is a great chance they still will. Think about it maybe you are bored with your familiar routine, but that doesn’t mean you should get rid of it. Don’t lose something you have for something you think you want. When people break up, it’s common to regret it. You end the relationship because you can think you can find someone or a situation that is better. But more often than not, as time passes, you realize you had something amazing. Sometimes it is too little too late and you must learn from your unfortunate decision. That's life. What screws a person up is trying to live up to image they create in their minds. There is no such thing as perfect, only perfect for you. We tend to want other people to be a certain way. We want them to change to what would be ideal to us. We think we can change them. But in reality we cannot change other people. It's true we can influence others to change, but it is them who have to make the choice and the decision to change on their own, otherwise they won't. Or they may do it reluctantly and this in turn will cause other issues. Really the focus of change needed to be on ourselves. That we can change.

 

Remember, in the beginning, you did everything in your power to attain what you originally wanted. It was everything to you. But life happens and time passes, and things change. People just change as situations change. And we end up reminiscing and longing for the way things used to be instead of appreciating it for what it has evolved into. Here me now, learn to appreciate what you have before it becomes what you had. Just because things become routine, or repetitive in life doesn't mean it is bad, boring or needs to be replaced. Think of how lucky you are to have someone you can be completely comfortable around, that is a true gift and one that should be cherished at all times.

 

Appreciate all the things you have in life because you never know when that time will come to an end. Too many times people don’t realize what they have because they are out there looking for something better. People constantly think they want something more, something new, but sometimes the most valuable things are what have been with us all along. Everyone falls into the trap that the grass is always greener on the other side. But the grass isn't always greener on the other side, it's just different grass. Take the time to think with a clear mind realize all of the goodness you have in your life right now. Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. Happy and unhappy people tend to have very similar life experiences. The difference is what they focus on. It's your choice. Approach everything with an Attitude of Gratitude and focus on what you have, instead of what you do not. Realize the life lessons you have learned along the way and you will be a happier, more confident person. The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best out of everything. The more mindful you are about happiness, the happier you will become.

 

Make today great!

 

Curtis

 

"Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance." - Eckhart Tolle