on gratitude

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Gratitude is a simple concept, Yet, as humans, we simplify it even further to an unsafe extent. It is ironic now I think about it. “The concept of gratitude is not  appreciated enough.” There are just so many things in life that we have no control over. So what do we do? The more we appreciate the place we are in right now, the more internal peace we feel. 

It is also an ongoing process. We might feel gratitude the moment we hang out with close friends, but we might lose track of it when we have normal dinners with our family.  

It is a strange process that sometimes appears to be counterintuitive. Are you being grateful when you go through life struggles? Without difficult times and challenges, we can’t truly grow and form a stronger mindset. Whether it is “I’m grateful for the time when I fell while snowboarding” or “I’m grateful for my recovery from a drug addiction”, there’s always something to appreciate even during the dark times. 

It struck me recently that I never truly appreciated social gatherings. I had always thought that group gatherings were mandatory burdens that both wasted my time and my life. Transitioning from being an extrovert to an introvert, I thought that my solitude (not loneliness) satisfied me enough to a point that a gathering of 5 or more people would drain all my energy away. However, it’s simply just not true. My mindset simply locked me inside the bubble and forced me into believing in that paradigm about myself. Last Saturday, when I saw the faces of my old friends -- who I thought never vibed with me -- I was truly happy. It was such a surreal moment when I came into full circle and embraced that level of familiarity.

Life is so precious and we have to be grateful for every part that we engage in. Here are some random things on my recent gratitude list.

- The presence of those who I love: I’m grateful that they are all safe and sound.

- My body: I’m grateful for how it still functions despite all the pressures I’ve put on it. 

- My family financial situation: I’m grateful for the level of financial freedom that I have.

- My art supplies: I recently got really into resin making. It clears my mind a lot and it was nice making stuff for friends and families. 

- My Nespresso machine and the new pumpkin spice flavored coffee pots.

- My medium account: my main source of inspiration.

- The fact that I live close to a Trader Joe’s.

- My motivation and a body alarm that wakes me up at 5 am every morning. 

- Spotify’s Release Radar playlist.

- The fact that I enjoy Zoom learning.

- The fact that I don’t get sad at night anymore.

Try to practice gratitude and make your own list. Dig deeper than just “friends and families”. You’ve got more things to appreciate!