"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not."
-Epicurus (341 - 270 BCE)
Often, we take things for granted. Or we feel entitled. Our daily lives are so filled up with things to do, and our individual problems, struggles, and annoyances, our desires and our needs, that we so easily forget how lucky we really are.
I find more and more that to take a moment and realize how fortunate I am, to accept gratitude for every moment, I become calmer and more at peace within the world.
I am grateful for the air I breathe.
I am grateful for the food I eat.
I am grateful for the water I drink.
I am grateful for the people I have relationships with.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.
I am grateful for the experiences I am able to have.
By turning our attention over to being grateful for the things we do have instead of lamenting the things we don't, our happiness can grow exponentially. Rather than feel like we are a foreigner in this external world, feeling like we never get what we want, we can instead feel at home and at peace by being grateful for our life, one with the universe and just go with it. Life is good. It is not our enemy.
Try it: this morning, write a list of 5 things you are grateful for. Try doing this for 30 days and see how it makes you feel differently throughout your day.