“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ― Epicurus
Gratitude.
A word that I strive to encompass in my everyday mindset. I believe in living every moment to the fullest without worrying about all unanswered wishes. To be grateful is not to stop dreaming, but it is to appreciate what is and to strive for what could be. Life is too short to be disregarding what God has blessed every life on this earth with. Life in itself is a blessing. I believe I am merely more than a bunch of cells connected together by circulating blood, I am a powerful source that is capable of reaching immense happiness. That’s all I want: intense contentment.
I believe in seeing the best in each and everyday, not worrying about what was not yet attained but to see the importance in every moment. I know everything happens for a purpose. And in situations where it may seem like life is such beating me down for no clear reason, I have put in upon myself to make sure I always seek a purpose in every event that occurs in my life.
Laugh harder;
Love harder;
Smile harder;
Fight harder.
Is what I wish for every new day.
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Appreciation is something everybody needs. It binds people together, emanates love, encourages interaction with one and the world. Appreciating the people in my life for WHO THEY ARE is always going to be a priority for me. I have been emotionally beaten by people in my life who were suppose to love me unconditionally for me. I cannot come close to explaining how awful and cruel it is to be constantly tormented for not being a certain way. My own mother, has torn and picked at me for my whole life. Never has there been a moment of sincere appreciation towards me from her. My mom’s attitude towards life is everything I wish to avoid. Her unhappiness, her unhealthy obsession for wanting more is a constant reminder for me to treat the people in my life and myself as something marvelous. Not as something broken, incapable of reaching satisfactory, let alone perfection. Loving people for who they are, thanking them, appreciating them for being here is something the world needs more of.
The danger associated with not showing intense love for life, is to never truly reach happiness. Greed is inevitable. But it can be tamed, through gratitude. Thanking God for what I have in my life each and everyday is what will ensure my contentment. It won’t restrict my ability to aspire for more, it will in turn help me on my path to success by keeping my mind and heart positive.
“Sometimes life knocks you on your ass… get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Every moment is an opportunity for growth, and every turmoil I will face will be a representation of the strength that has grown within me. There is no losing with being thankful. Only hope and comfort.
Dear Sunena,
Throughout reading your piece, I found myself nodding and agreeing with your spirited recognition of gratitude. Every sentence plays a magnificent, vital role to strengthening why you believe “gratitude is contentment.” You were really able to encompass what this statement means to you using purposeful words and phrases: like acknowledging how gratitude is incomplete without appreciation, how the lack of it leads to discontent, and how “there is no losing with being thankful.” These succinctly addressed thoughts were effective in compelling me to also look at my life in terms of how I sometimes dismiss the need to show gratitude– because like you said, we tend to forget what we already have in search of better things.
Though I found your writing to be clear, precise, and effective, I would encourage you to expand on some of your points (answering the “whys”) in order to truly depict the depth I can see you feel about this topic. The example with your mother helped this to occur, as your description of how you perceive her rejection of gratitude helped me comprehend why it is so important to you to embrace it. With that in mind, I felt as if you could have further enhanced and discussed sentences like this one: “I believe I am more than a bunch of cells connected together by circulating blood, I am a powerful source that is capable of reaching immense happiness.” Why is it that you feel you are more than just your body? Was that meant to depict the links and contrasts you feel between your mind and body? What connects your transcendence to gratitude?
Overall, your piece was extremely engaging: from the title to the last line. It addressed a quality that is often overlooked, but, as you eloquently described, is the foundation of contentment, hope, and comfort.
Sincerely,
Ayisha