HOW TO FIND THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHEN YOU ARE STRUGGLING
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
-Proverb
It was on a cold rainy morning, Lambo was especially enjoying his sleep. As he toggled his blanket tossing underneath it, he thought about how much he loved the warmth the blanket is providing him. Suddenly, an image from the pitch deck he was working on the previous night appeared on his and he remembered there was a report he still needed to get through to complete the pitch deck. ‘Oh! He needs to submit it before 10am. He jumps up from the bed as he feels around for his phone, he presses the power button so he can check the time but he couldn’t see anything ‘is his phone spoilt?’ he wondered. He presses it again and still couldn’t see anything. Then it occurred to him that maybe it was his eyes, it felt like he couldn’t see any other thing in the darkness. He stood up to go turn on the light just to be sure, he turned on the light but nothing came to view ‘maybe NEPA has done it again’. Moving forward, he hit his head on the wall and slowly he began to wonder ‘it had to be his eyes, HE CAN’T SEE!’
The story is not meant to scare but to show that we take many things for granted on a daily basis, things that if we woke up without would completely change the course of our lives or even our paths. Our day would not go on as usual so maybe be thankful for your day going on as usual. Your day went by as planned; it is something to express gratitude for.
There are messages out there every day asking you to express gratitude and you scoff at it wondering if it really changes anything but Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury says that…
‘When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.’
If you are looking for things to be grateful for on a daily basis maybe take a look at the things I am grateful for and think deeply about your life.
I am grateful that I have this beautiful ability to write, that I got an inspiration to write an article that many people find relieving and useful. I am grateful for the rich, dark, strong hair that defies breakage that I have, I am grateful for the skin I am bestowed with where wounds heal fast and doesn’t leave a scar, I am grateful for reaching 90 followers on Medium within a few days… you see where I am going with this.
Instead of complaining about that unexpected bill, why not be grateful for having the means in the moment to sort it out, instead of being consumed by fear of your expiring contract, look at all the things you have accomplished while you had that job and bask in the joy. With time, you’ll find you find things to be grateful for more easily.
