A few months back, my husband and I took a road trip to one of my favorite destinations to celebrate my birthday. We spent a few days in a beautiful city, overlooking the sea, and we were fortunate with the best weather we could hope for. We went on walks and ate delicious food, and at the end of the trip as we were packing to head back, I realized that I was happy. I was so happy that I stopped to take a selfie to remind myself of how happy I was at that moment. I look at this picture now and laugh at how ridiculous it was to take a selfie, but at the same time, I did look happier than my normal happy self. And I’m glad to have a reminder of that day!
At that very moment, I realized how often I do this. Take time to acknowledge how happy I was at a particular time, and celebrate it internally. Pausing to celebrate such moments is what I call “gratitude”. To be thankful for having a delicious meal, a good day, a nice car ride, a big discount in your favorite store, a friend that loves you back as much as you love him/her, someone who suddenly remembers and appreciates you, a lifestyle that suits your dreams, a healthy body, a family that means something special to you, …etc.; is called “gratitude”.
I do believe that life is very stressful. And that stress can cause imbalance when looking back and assessing your life. I think that’s the number one reason why people complain a lot. If we don’t take these “gratitude” moments, then the stress will continue to imbalance how we see things and all we’ll see would be the negatives; the “my life is horrible” perspective. But stopping now and then to enjoy how beautiful your partner is, or how smooth your day has been, or how funny your daughter is, is something that can give you balance and strength when facing life’s ordinary curveballs. Though they may not seem like ordinary because of your perspective. You’ll think you’re being targeted by the universe or that something “evil” is causing your misfortune. You probably had lots of great moments, you just missed them because of your perspective. When you practice gratitude, you’ll start seeing the good and not just the bad, which might help you see just how good you have it!
Take the time today to be grateful for something real. Repeat tomorrow. Then see how you feel the day after.