If you are conceited, arrogant, and cynical, you might as well forget about reading this. It’s not for those who are not grateful for every little thing in their lives.
Just this morning, the water supply returned—albeit weak. When you don’t have water, you realize just how essential it is. You need it for bodily hygiene, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, washing floors, windows, and more. The absence of water is a great analogy for the things we take for granted.
Water may be a relatively low-cost item on your monthly bill, something you only notice if it’s unusually high. Otherwise, in day-to-day life, you don’t give it a second thought. Decades ago, water was practically free, and it’s hard to understand how we are now charged for it the way we are.
It’s a good daily practice to reflect on the things you take for granted. Everyone has their own list. Some might appreciate their health or their wealth. Others might be grateful for their job, for their children’s well-being and education.
Some might simply be happy to be surrounded by loving family and true friends—friends who support them, not use them. Friends who are kind, who enjoy their company, who stand by them through thick and thin. Real friends. True friends.
Then there are the basics: water, electricity, the weather, having clothes to wear, a roof over your head, food to eat, transportation. The list goes on and on.
But gratitude goes deeper than just acknowledging what you have. When you start to be grateful for the things around you, your mind expands. You become more aware of the opportunities coming your way—opportunities you may have overlooked before.
Take resources, for example. Sometimes, through simple connections, you gain access to things you never imagined possible. Maybe you’re job hunting, and a friend connects you to the right person, and suddenly, you land a six-figure job. You’d be grateful for that.
I’m not here to tell anyone what they should do. I’m not here to preach. I’m not some kind of guru. I’m just an ordinary person, humble, and anything I’ve learned, I’m grateful to pass on to others.
