This question arrived in my inbox a few days ago, but it's taken me a while to come up with a great answer.
"I recently hurt myself and I've since learned to appreciate the feeling of being pain free. When everything is fine how do you remember to appreciate what you have?"
If this were an easy question to answer countless poets wouldn't have waxed and wained about it endlessly. When everything is going along perfectly it's all too easy to take your blessings for granted; the health of your loved ones, the relative soundness of your home, even the simple things like a morning kiss. Sometimes it takes an accident or an injury to remind you of what you have and how it should be treasured. OK, maybe treasured is too strong, how about simply appreciated? In truth though, it shouldn't take a catastrophe to make you aware of the world that surrounds you.
All you need is a subtle mind shift, and maybe the creation of a habit or two. When you stand in the shower in the morning, instead of going over your list of to-dos, take a minute to make a mental list of 5 things for which you are grateful. Don't have five minutes in the shower? Make your list just before you fall asleep, or in the moment before you finally have to open your eyes, or whenever you are doing a mindless task. If you have a ton of spare time, feel free to write this short list down, maybe on days when you are feeling under the weather it can help make you feel more positive.
Thinking positively is just the first step. Being aware is the second. When you drive down the street, take a moment to notice a pretty yard or a nice house. When your child yammers on non-stop in the car, appreciate the fact that he is yammering, one day he'll be a teen and you won't hear more than grunts out of him. When a friend wears a nice shirt, tell her! Taking a minute to notice and making a note, mental or verbal, is what is going to help you appreciate the minutia of daily life. It's what makes living life a million miles an hour bearable, and, dare I say it, pleasurable.
How do you make sure to take notice of your world? What do you do to make sure you don't take things for granted?
I am grateful for:
ReplyDelete1. My children's hugs and kisses. (We are approaching the teen years and I fear they will drop off sharply for awhile.)
2. My husband. (He just had his 2nd go round with gallbladder surgery and I nearly lost him the first time.)
3. My job. Sure, it's aggravating at times, but I get to see the difference I make every day ... and that is something special.
4. My oldest son's CONSTANT questions. I'm glad he is thinking about his world.
5. Blog posts such as this one, that lift people out of the ordinary and every day!
have been through a lot of bad things in the past 6 years and now I finally have peace. I "schedule" my moment of appreciation to occur at 8pm every day. Its the moment when all the housework is done, the dinner dishes are done, the baby had her bath, & the dog is walked. I sit out on my patio, have my one cigarette for the day (My ONLY reward) and look in through the sliding glass doors at my hubby reading to our baby daughter on the couch. And then I appreciate what I have. You actually have to make yourself do this.
ReplyDeleteMine is late at night the house is quite. I slip in and look to make sure the 16 year old has not fallen asleep with the headphones on yet again. I look in on the 12 year old and make sure he has not left the Tv and the Playstation on again. I gently cover hubby up. check his water, his many bags and gadgets. then I slip outside and walk across the yard to see if my daughter's lights are still on, and her car is in the drive...then i sit down on the swing in the yard and look up at the many stars and Thank my AWESOME maker for all the many blessings he has bestowed on me. I use to sneak out for my one and only cigarette at this time....now I enjoy a glass of water and a apple..I don't dwell on the bad things that happened throughout the day. Or the many bad things I have overcome. I just spend that time to rejoice in the good the day has brought about. Then ask for a better tomorrow. Hugs Sissy
ReplyDeleteI guess it's an "opposition in all things" thing. :) Having rough times makes us appreciate the good times all the more. My children are going through a lack of gratefulness stage. Maybe having them think daily about 5 things for which they are grateful, would help improve their attitudes!
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