Tag: gratitude

Struggles

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Sometimes,  things happen that make you stop and think.  There are two ways to go with those thoughts. You can either dwell on the struggles you’ve gone through and hate the world for putting you through them or you can look at those same struggles and thank the world for putting you through them. 

I think back on just what I have gone through this past year or even the past few years and as much as it was tough at times,  there were such good things that also happened to me that I have to appreciate them.  

The tough stuff makes you stronger. It makes you realize what you are capable of handling.  It makes you realize that life will never be predictable but that doesn’t mean it won’t be good.  

I can look back and worry about the future based on my past.  Or I can look back and thank God or the universe or whichever supreme being you believe in for giving me the opportunities to live.  

How Do You Break Out of That Funk?

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Yesterday, I had a friend text me. She was going through something I have way too much experience with. There is a point where you feel like you’re alone and nothing is going right and you have no idea how to get out of it. It’s a hard feeling to break out of and it definitely takes a lot strength to do it. 

When it feels like you aren’t headed anywhere and that no one understands you, it’s important to try to remember that this is how you feel in the moment. It will pass. As someone once told me “it will get better”. Then, it’s good to distract yourself with something that will at least temporarily alleviate that feeling. A few things that work for me are reading through inspirational stories on a few websites (makesmethink.com, The Secret website), communicating with people, and some sort of exercise. Trying to picture my future,writing, and making gratitude lists also help a lot. 

Emotions often cloud our common sense. And while it’s definitely a good thing to be in touch with what you are feeling (it’s what makes us human), it does help to put things into perspective where you know that this is something temporary. I really respect those that are eternally optimistic. It must be amazing to always have hope and feel that way. I also know that I am not that person. I have the days where I can’t imagine that anything is going to get better. It’s hard because my logical brain tells me things have already gotten better for me. I just need to recognize and appreciate them. 

Yesterday, I made a wish. I wished that I could appreciate all the positive things in my life. And that’s my goal. There are things that could improve but there are so many things that are already the best they could be. I have to trust that the things that need improvement will get better because I want them to, because I work hard at appreciating everything else. 

Getting out of that funk isn’t going to happen because the world owes you something. Getting out of it is going to happen because you owe it to yourself. Enjoying life is something we should do seeing as we only have one (unless you’re Hindu and reincarnate). So try to enjoy the little things today. Try to see the good in the madness of this world. And share it with the person next to you. Sometimes, all it takes to change gears, is someone acknowledging that you’re there. 

When Things are Good

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I want to take a second to write about appreciation for the good things in life. When things are going well, it’s always good to stop, look around, and realize that this is happiness. Right now, I have nothing to complain about (although I’m sure I could find one if I tried). But overall, it feels like everything is where it should be.

Having gone through a lot in the last 3 years of my life, I’ve learned to appreciate the times where things are calm. Life making sense isn’t something that’s always present. It’s nice when it does.

Appreciation is something that collectively we don’t do often. We take things for granted when they are good and curse out the world when they are bad. I know I have been over the last week while I’ve had some neck and back pain. I still have it but it’s Friday and I feel a little better and I slept enough last night. These are a few things that I’m grateful for today. And I want to make sure that I acknowledge these things while I feel them. Life changes every moment and I want to make sure that if I’m keeping track, that I do so fairly with the positives in my life as well.

Various books and empowerment articles talk about keeping a gratitude list. It’s supposed to help us see the good things even within a rough day. It does work. The hardest part is committing to doing it especially when you have a bad day. It helps though to recognize the good things. It keeps us grounded while pointing out that even though our day has not been the best, there are a few things that we can smile about. I’ve even listed things like eating ice cream and reading a book as positives. Not everyone is lucky enough to even get the opportunity for those things so I want to make sure I fully appreciate them.

Today, I am grateful that everything is where it should be. =)