Life Skills #3: Thankfulness
One of the harsh realities of life is that we just can't have everything we want. Or so we think.
I have learned the hard way that I can actually have everything I ever wanted simply by wanting everything I have! How I wish someone told me that earlier...
You see, all our frustrations, grudges, and discontentment are rooted deeply in our
inability to accept "everything" with gratitude. Ever wondered why we tend to be so focused on what we don't have that we almost always take for granted what we already have? "If only I have this... they have everything I don't." Or at work, in our relationships, even in our private thoughts, we'd go on everyday obsessing about what we didn't get that we live passionless, meaningless lives "I hate my job, I'm supposed to be.. I deserved that raise..." Worst, we're so busy planning our next steps that we've forgotten where we're heading. "I'm stuck in a rut... I just can't get things right!" Well, how about finding a direction first?
Gratitude is a state of mind. It is our ability to look beyond our present uncertainties through the lens of hope. It requires the habit of optimism. That turns into an attitude of gratitude. It starts with the realization that we don't deserve "everything". Because we never created life in the first place. Life is given to us. So, we ought to be thankful for all things. It won't do us any good to grumble and whine because we only waste time. It's how life becomes a drag.
And here's the thing: be thankful for everything life throws your way and you'll eventually gain the power over the "wanting". Your circumstances, or worries, or pains cannot anymore dictate what you ought to become because you now have the control. They can't boss you around. You call the shots on them. Then, you'll quickly learn to want everything you already have.
So, just imagine how much time and energy it can save you in the coming days —regardless of what will come your way. And you can make your life more meaningful.
I have learned the hard way that I can actually have everything I ever wanted simply by wanting everything I have! How I wish someone told me that earlier...
You see, all our frustrations, grudges, and discontentment are rooted deeply in our
inability to accept "everything" with gratitude. Ever wondered why we tend to be so focused on what we don't have that we almost always take for granted what we already have? "If only I have this... they have everything I don't." Or at work, in our relationships, even in our private thoughts, we'd go on everyday obsessing about what we didn't get that we live passionless, meaningless lives "I hate my job, I'm supposed to be.. I deserved that raise..." Worst, we're so busy planning our next steps that we've forgotten where we're heading. "I'm stuck in a rut... I just can't get things right!" Well, how about finding a direction first?Gratitude is a state of mind. It is our ability to look beyond our present uncertainties through the lens of hope. It requires the habit of optimism. That turns into an attitude of gratitude. It starts with the realization that we don't deserve "everything". Because we never created life in the first place. Life is given to us. So, we ought to be thankful for all things. It won't do us any good to grumble and whine because we only waste time. It's how life becomes a drag.
And here's the thing: be thankful for everything life throws your way and you'll eventually gain the power over the "wanting". Your circumstances, or worries, or pains cannot anymore dictate what you ought to become because you now have the control. They can't boss you around. You call the shots on them. Then, you'll quickly learn to want everything you already have.
So, just imagine how much time and energy it can save you in the coming days —regardless of what will come your way. And you can make your life more meaningful.
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." ~Oprah Winfrey
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