Lucy's story reinforced to me, how I need to appreciate the little things in life and to also focus on the positive parts. The fact that I wake up every morning with a healthy body is a blessing and not everyone is so fortunate. There are many people with various physical and mental health issues and to wake up well each day should be celebrated.
I hear people complaining about life, whether it is about their job, their spouse or the traffic. They spend their day whining and seem to wallow in their misery. I realise that everyone is different and respect that they have their own view of life. However my impression is that these people want to be happier but do not know how to go about it. Everyone has a choice and you can actually choose if you want to be miserable and waste your energy on focusing on the negative. Or start to be happier and thankful for your life now. In my experience, I have found that some of the most peaceful people in the world have had some of life’s most traumatic events. They have learnt to be resilient and use life’s experiences to grow and develop.
There are people who are comfortable being melancholy and that is fine, it is their decision. However, if you genuinely want to start to be more content and feel enthusiastic about life, you can start with being thankful for the everyday things in your life. If you have a roof over your head, running water, electricity and three meals a day, you are much better off than most people on earth. We have all seen the starving millions of people on television. There are countries where families go to bed with the sound of bombs exploding around them, not knowing if they or their children will wake up the next day. Imagine living like that. I mean it, for a moment, stop and close your eyes and imagine how you would feel living in such conditions. The fear you would feel and the helplessness that surrounds you. They have every right to feel scared and dejected.
Now look at your life and notice how much you have. I am not talking about material things such as cars, clothes, shoes and gadgets. I am referring to the fact that you can go to bed safely in your home each night. When you wake up, you can turn on the light and actually brush your teeth with clean running water that is in your house. You are indeed very lucky.
The next time you want to start to complain about the job you have or some other part of your day, stop a moment and realise just how fortunate you are. Be thankful for the little things in your world because in other parts of earth, they are dreaming about having your life.