Reminders of Gratitude

Teaching yourself to have a thankful mindset can seem like a frightening challenge. However, by dedicating a few moments to introspection, we might wonder: do I spend more time appreciating the nuances of my life, or do I find myself incessantly complaining about it?

Often, we find ourselves preoccupied with aspects we believe demand alteration before we can fully embrace our identity. We set our standards at a certain point and try to reach it so it makes us feel satisfied once we achieved it. We set our standards based on what everyone else is doing. Planting a thankful mindset does not have to be difficult. Small, daily habits add up quickly to form a more grateful mind. Let’s take our time to train our brains to see the good in ourselves, our lives, and the world. Even the most difficult tasks can seem brighter when we look at them with appreciation.

I can complain about going to class or I can be grateful that I have an opportunity to have an education.

I can complain about the taste of food or I can be grateful that I can fulfill my stomach.

As human beings, the act of expressing gratitude can lead to a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us. This humble act of recognizing the good in our lives allows us to savor our experiences fully rather than taking them for granted. Each moment we spend immersed in gratitude is a step towards understanding the worth of the intangible gifts life presents to us — peace, love, kindness, joy, and so much more. Being grateful isn’t about denying life’s challenges or hardships. Instead, it’s about finding the strength to focus on the silver linings, even in adversity. It’s about appreciating the lesson hidden within every failure and the opportunity veiled within every challenge.

My journey towards embracing gratitude has been transformative, particularly following an encounter with grief due to a recent life event. Encountering grief can be a profound, life-altering experience that shakes you to your very core. Amidst this deluge of pain and loss, the concept of gratitude may seem distant, even incompatible. Yet, it’s within this sorrow that the seeds of gratitude can find fertile soil, pushing through the pain to bloom anew.

I’ve become reminded of life’s fleeting nature, which has deepened my appreciation for the moments of joy and love I’ve been fortunate to experience. My grief has heightened my awareness of the invaluable worth of relationships, the profound warmth found in shared memories, and the soothing comfort offered by communal empathy. This newfound recognition has shaped the essence of my gratitude — a quiet, inner acknowledgement of the bittersweet dance between love and loss, joy and sorrow. It’s a powerful reminder that while I may have lost someone deeply cherished, I was lucky enough to have something — or someone — in my life worth cherishing so deeply in the first place.

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