gratitude

People always ask why bad things happen, which is a really troublesome question to answer if one doesn't believe in a higher power and mysterious ways.  Politics aside, the best answer I've heard is that terrible things happen in order to give us perspective.  To what degree would we recognize how fkn amazing we have it right now if we didn't appreciate that it could be ripped away from us in a split second?

Sure, your job may suck at times (whose doesn't?), but it's better than not having a means of making a living.  Yes, your family is annoying, but for most of us, they mean well and love us.  And sometimes they even make us smile and laugh.  Or make us dinner.  :)

Gratitude doesn't mean we have to appreciate having a shitty day.  Rather, it's the conscious choice to focus on the positive instead of the negative.  Let go of your co-worker's bad mood and focus on the paycheck that allows you to feed yourself.  Or the sense of purpose that you feel after completing an intricate task.  Let go of your family's nagging about your life's choices and focus on the last time they made you smile.  Or expressed their love.

That's the world I want to live in.  I try very hard to let go of the difficult health hand I was dealt and focus instead of what is working well for me.  Sure, I have debilitating migraines, but not in 12 days, bitches!  Yes my vision has decreased from that surgery (fuck you with a sharp stick, doc!), but my mobility is great.  [Perhaps I'm having a little harder time letting go of the vision thing as of yet.  ;)  Especially when my family annoyingly keeps fucking asking me.  It's a work in progress.  :) ]

Gratitude is not an easy concept to embrace all of the time, which is why these horrible tragedies like what happened in Paris, can at least serve to remind us to acknowledge and be grateful for what we do have.  Emotional hygiene isn't a skill that is frequently (or ever) taught.  But it's undoubtedly important.  Just like we wash germs from our hands or brush debris from our teeth, we need to cleanse negative emotions from our heart or brain or gut, wherever you feel like they're stored.

Right this minute, I'm grateful for a roof over my head, food in my belly, and people in my life who love me.  My house isn't fancy, but it's safe and doesn't let in the elements.  The food isn't always tasty (have I mentioned I suck at cooking?), but it's nutritious and satiating.   My loved ones are far from perfect (QUIT ASKING ABOUT MY EYE FFS), but they mean well, love me, and frequently make me smile.

What are you thankful for?