Things I’m Grateful For

If like me, you find that life has been quite overwhelming lately, then this is probably the one article you should be reading. I get it, life is crazy and it can get overwhelming sometimes. With all the news of covid not actually assuring you that things are going to get better soon, and more often than not, things may seem to be getting even worse than they were just a few days ago, then yeah, I get you.

I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately too. With everything being done remotely, I haven’t been able to catch any actual breaks for the past few months, as I’m sure is the same case for you too, but I realize that when things get overwhelming in the way that they are now, the best thing for me to do is to take a step back and analyze the things around me that I’m grateful for, no matter how small it is. This is what this piece is about; me expressing my gratitude and appreciation for everything that I have that I may have taken for granted lately.

So let’s start.

Space

I’m lucky enough to be living in a place where not only do I not pay rent and food (I live with my parents), and while I’m grateful and content with the way things are done at home, I do miss those quiet mornings that I always have back in my old apartment. But lately, I’m starting to realize that maybe that’s not so bad. I’m thankful for the little kitchen space that I have now where I can sit down in relative silence with my earbuds on early in the morning. I use it to reflect on my decisions, get my mind mapped out for the rest of the day, and mentally prepare myself for the tasks that lie ahead of me, and I’m grateful for even having that little space in the corner of my parent’s kitchen.

Health

I’m not the healthiest person in the world. I have my own share of addictions and unhealthy qualities in my life like waking up early despite turning in really late. And sure, I’m a little out of shape. But I try to get my fair share of exercise going and I’m grateful for being in relatively good health despite my unhealthy habits. With a diet containing mostly caffeine, I’m surprised that I’m still functioning like a normal human being and I’m grateful to have the health that I do, and I’m planning to take good care of myself so I can stay in the best health I can, and I’m grateful for it.

Wealth

I’m not a wealthy man. I can’t afford luxury cars or watches, for that matter, but I always have enough money to afford food, and though sometimes my greedier side gets the better of me and I strive to make more money than I do now, I’m grateful for the position that I’m in and I’m by no means looking for a get rich quick scheme. And as someone who has previously had trouble even affording rent, let alone eat anything decent 7 days a week, I’m grateful for the position I’m at now. And sure, being wealthy would be nice, I’m not exactly unhappy with where I am now, and to be quite honest, I much prefer the simple life of a writer on the corner of a coffee shop clacking away rather than partying in a yacht somewhere. That’s just not who I am, and I’m grateful for it.

A healthy mind

I’ve struggled with depression pretty much my entire life, but I’m grateful for the love and support my friends and family have given me over the years and I owe everything I have today to them in one way or another, and I’m grateful to have them in my life. I have a healthy mind that at times may have the habit of questioning things a little too much, but I owe it to myself to satiate these burning questions that I constantly have in the back of my mind. I question everything and I’ve never had an easy time following rules that I felt just made no sense but I’ll always try to come up with solutions to make things better instead of just complaining about it, and for that I’m grateful.

Friends

There are only a select few people that I would consider to be my friends. Some are busy doing their own thing trying to figure out the path that they want to take in life, and others are far away across the ocean, but if there’s anything that ties them all together is how much they all mean to me. And though we don’t spend as much time as we did when we were younger, they still mean just as much to me now as they did back then. If anything, I cherish their time more so now than I did when we used to kill time together all the time, besides, just like my best friend said years ago, that’s not something we could’ve done forever now, is it? And yes, Pat and Bean, you’re right, and I’m grateful to have you in my life.

Life is difficult and sometimes it can lead you to a very harsh, dark place when all you do is look up and see the things that you don’t have. That’s what my parents used to tell me, and when I was younger and cockier than I am now (I know, that sounds impossible, but yes, I’m not as cocky as I was when I was younger), I simply didn’t believe them. But now that I’ve had more years behind me and more lessons learned, I can see the wisdom in their words. This has been a fun little exercise for me to really look at the things that I have instead of the things I don’t, and if you feel like life is getting a little too overwhelming with hairball problems that you simply can’t solve yet, maybe it’s a good time to take a step back and evaluate things. I know I have, and I must say, it felt like a weight was taken off of my shoulders, and writing this particularly long article has felt very enjoyable for me.

If you think you’d like to do it too, then you can do what I did on the cover image. I listed everything I’m grateful for and tried to expand on why I’m grateful for them and what it had given me in life. Maybe share your thoughts with me down below if you have the time, and until then, I’ll see you in the next piece.