It never occurred to me that we lived in a world where gratitude fell short. We constantly want more - never satisfied, and are continuously drunk on the idea of being the biggest and the best.
Competitive by nature, dynamics haven’t changed since cavemen were fighting over campfires; replace the campfire for a desk in the swankiest office in London or anything that will bring more dollar dollar and there you have it – a generation set up for failure, and we don’t even know it.
In all honesty, I, along with many other late teens or people transitioning into their 20’s, have fallen at the hands of this competition. It can seem so severe and overwhelming, that we deem ourselves failures before we’ve even tried.
In my head, it was me who had been dealt the unlucky at life card; it was me who fell behind whilst everyone else succeeded; it was me who had no luck with relationships whilst everybody else were moving in or getting engaged to their other half. Basically, the universe was obviously against me, doing everything in its almighty power to make me unhappy.
Along with that mentality comes a bout of anxiety, self-pity, and the glass undeniably, always, half empty.
But what would happen if we look at that glass differently? What would happen if we looked and saw not just substance, but an ocean of opportunity, filled with reasons to be happy and grateful to have a glass of anything to begin with? It’s a glass to be filled with anything your heart desires. Cherish what is already there and see its potential to grow and fill right to the top, overflowing with everything you love: friends, family, passions, dreams, anything that will help you to grow and continue to blossom as an individual.
A positive, educated mind that appreciates what is already there will always defeat a negative mind, easily alienated by greediness and ungratefulness.
Gratitude is something anybody can welcome into their lives if they really want to, and incredible things happen when we embrace the life we’ve been blessed with; make friends with it instead of feeling at loggerheads all the time.
Look at the small things intertwined into your daily life and feel grateful that they're yours. Your coffee in the morning (or herbal tea for me). Your friends and family - the people who make your smile so big it hurts your face. Feeling the sun on your face when you leave the comfort of your cosy bed, or the cold chill as you wrap up warm in a big wooly scarf. The overwhelming sense of achievement and confidence you feel after a productive gym session.
Always strive to be better.
However, with gratitude at the core of our minds and actions, it can make all of our journeys or everyday routines much more enriching and positive. So, when the time does come to ‘compete’, we are already grateful for the opportunity - and even if things don’t turn out the way we intended, who cares? We already have a glass half full.
I no longer look back at bad things that have happened, or situations where I've considered myself to be the unlucky one. I'm grateful to have learnt valuable lessons that have shaped me into the person I am today. It's not that I was originally dealt a bad card in life, it's that I never saw the potential to take that experience and turn it into something positive. In fact, through tough times, I've come to cherish the people in my life who have stuck by me through thick and thin. I know what's important and I'll have the whole world at my feet after completing my final year of university.
Nature and the universe are always on your side. Show them gratitude and you'll be surprised by how full and vibrant your life really is - or has the potential to be.
LAURA
