Gratitude

We often fail to see the most wonderful things that are right in front of us. It only seems to be when we experience loss, illness or restriction that we truly become grateful for the things that are most important.  We also often fail to see the sheer amazingness of the fact that we have been born in this country with such an incredible opportunity.

The search for the “perfect life”. You know the clichés, the extremely beautiful wife cruising around in BMW cars, big house with excessive spending and accumulated debt.  The brainwashing mentality of what success is leads us to become sad and feel inadequate that we are not achieving these things, its like there is a sense of entitlement that along with these things we should experience happiness without doing anything to promote that. We then become bitter and complain, get stuck and continue to do the same things over and over again and remain in the same ungrateful situation. We forget how lucky we are to be given this chance of living and to still have breath in our lungs. 

We spend half our time thinking about stuff that doesn’t matter, like how much money we have in the bank or how many people like our social media posts also what people think about us, we lose track of the important things. We look to the future, and how wonderful life will be when we get that job, woman or material possession and fail to see the wonderfulness in our lives that’s happening right now. Neglecting ourselves and the people closest to us.

In romantic relationships we concentrate on the things that are missing or not perfect rather than focusing on the wonderful things that constitute that relationship. Taking each other for granted and not appreciating the love and connection that you share. Often we sabotage them unwillingly through thoughts that everything should a certain way and perfect, which is so unrealistic and as a result don't pursue oppurtunities. It takes a relationship ending often to truly open your eyes to how important it is to you. 

The most important things, like the health of your loved ones, the ability to drink clean water, speak and give and receive love is what truly matters. The relationships between the people who you love and reciprocate the love cannot ever be put lower in the category of importance as a fancy education or a two story mansion. On your death bed are you going to ask for that photocopy of your bank statement or are you going to ask to have your loved ones around you to tell them one last time how much you love them and are grateful they love and respect you the way you are?

In my own life I can look at all the things I am grateful for that I know I take for granted far too often. The fact that I have been born into this healthy body, of reasonable intelligence in a middle class family in Australia, I have almost won the lottery. My close blood family are alive and healthy and my two brothers have found the love of women that I know bring them joy and happiness.  Hopefully there is so much time to experience things with them, I really am so lucky to have all these things in my life.

I’ve wasted so much time dwelling on what I don’t have and have neglected the things i do. I mostly don’t have it for dwelling on all the things I don’t have and procrastinating and being ungrateful.  This life is such a gift and I need to fill it up everyday and be thankful for that. I can have everything I want in life if I do the work and make the required sacrifices. Pay the price so to speak. It’s really that simple, there is no physical or mental barrier in front of me. There is so much opportunity and endless avenues for happiness.

God, I am grateful for the life I have been given and I like who I am and how you have created me. I am also grateful for the love I have in my life as well as the pain and lessons I have experienced by my poor decisions and shortcomings, it makes me the man I am today. I’m not going to waste anymore time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Be grateful and look at what you’ve got right in front of you. Chances are it’s the most wonderful gift that you have ever received and one day will no longer be there.

Big love,

Nath.