It’s pretty easy to lose ourselves in our day to day challenges. We can start to feel overwhelmed, like life is just full of one problem after another.
The plain truth is, if we already have a roof over our head, our freedom, are in a safe environment with no threat of impending violence and know where our next meal is coming from, we’re pretty damn lucky already.
There are so many people in the world not in this place. Some that endure unimaginable hardships on a daily basis, just trying to live their lives.
I believe we have a responsibility not to waste, and overlook, the precious gifts we already have in our lives. Not to complain too loudly about ‘how tough we have it’ just because we had a somewhat difficult day, as doing so does a disservice to people that have it much worse.
Losing Touch with Gratitude Habits
Somewhere along the way, many of us have lost sight of gratitude in our lives. We’ve spent so much time chasing more, chasing our goals, trying to keep up with, or get one over on, others, trying to get that promotion, that we have forgotten to embrace gratitude in our lives.
We have forgotten to practice being grateful.
What if we focused less on what we don’t have and instead were thankful for all we do have.
What if we made time to notice the small everyday wonders all around us.
Wouldn’t this lead to a deeper state of gratitude and general happiness with the way things are? Wouldn’t this highlight the fact that if first world problems are all we have to worry about, life is not too bad after all?
Develop a Gratitude Habit
Finding something to be grateful for can transform our outlook. It can alter our perspective and help us see all we already have. All we have already achieved. All we already are.
We can make a little time, each and every day, to reflect on something in our life we are grateful for. This doesn’t have to be time consuming and it doesn’t have to be complicated.
We can ponder on one thing or come up with a handful. Many ways can work.
Our list can include large or small things we are grateful for. What we’ll realise is that the things we often consider small (a walk in the park, a cup of coffee with a loved one) are actually the big things. They can add so much to our feelings of wellbeing.
Reframe Your Problems
Before you complain too loudly about your day, pause for a moment and reflect how lucky you are if what you’re complaining about can be considered a first world problem. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really a problem at all.
Instead, commit to using that energy to find something to be grateful for.