Gratitude. Appreciation. Respect.
These are abstract concepts we rarely put into practice – words we pay lip service to, but not experiental attention to.
Part of this is nature. The other part is choice.
We might be wired to constantly look forward, scan the horizon, and orient ourselves towards the next challenge.
But a life spent casting our focus forward in time – without ever stopping to appreciate where we are – is not one well-lived.
Rather than the gap between where we stand and where we’d like to end up, we’d often be better served looking at how far we’ve come since we began…
And how good this place is. Right here, right now.
If we woke up tomorrow and it had all been taken away, would we miss it?
If the answer is “yes” (and it usually is), then what are we waiting for?
We don’t need to wait until life takes away the things we take for granted in order to realise what they’re worth.
Our wake-up call doesn’t need to be inflicted at random.
We can choose the time of our awakening.
As it with rising from sleep, so it is with seeing – with new eyes, perhaps for the first time – all that we have to be thankful for.
We’ve travelled a distance to get from where we started to where we find ourselves today.
When we look back on this moment months, years or decades from now, we’ll see another gap: one created by our forward progress and the relentless march of time.
Whether things are better or worse, they’ll be different.
What we curse today could be fondly remembered tomorrow.
The assets we neglect while we’re pursuing something new could change. Or leave our experience entirely.
Perhaps we’ll wish we could return to that moment – a fork in the road where we we’re forced to choose between appreciation and ignorance – and make a better decision.
Wish as we might, there’s no going back.
This is a problem which can be solved as it’s happening, not something you can fix afterwards.
It’s as trite to hear as it is difficult to practice:
Appreciate what we have, where we are, and who we’re with.
If we shy away from gratitude because we think we’ll lose our hunger for progress, we’re mistaken.
Contentment doesn’t need to breed complacency. We can strive for better and acknowledge all that we’re blessed with: the two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
A journey where we take regular time to reflect on all we have, give thanks for our good fortune & continually remind ourselves how far we’ve come is one well-spent…
No matter where our final destination lies.