Gratitude seems like a foreign concept in the world we live in today. So many people approach life as though it’s happening to them, as if they’re just passive observers of their own existence.
Gratitude’s identity lies in recognizing that life is happening for us, even when it doesn’t seem that way.
Shifting your perspective isn’t an easy task. It takes patience, practice, and the willingness to see things differently. But once you start choosing gratitude, you’ll realize just how much it changes you. Even the most difficult moments can become turning points when viewed through the lens of gratitude. The truth is, many of those moments are here to teach us something. Life’s not easy, and it’s not always going to give us what we want. But it will always give us what we need to grow. Things might not always be changing the way you’d hoped, but they are changing in a way that aligns with your path. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time, your mind is growing. The real gift is that you have the power to lighten your load by putting gratitude first. Life doesn’t have to feel so heavy when we approach it from a place of appreciation.
As a woman in my 20s, I can absolutely feel the weight of societal expectations. Despite having a whole lifetime ahead of me, it often feels like there’s never enough time and that I’m constantly racing against the clock. The thoughts in my head would spiral out of control, always focused on what I should be doing, what I should have accomplished by now, and what I still haven’t figured out. Things like:
- I should have a partner by now.
- I should be thinking about kids; I’m getting too old.
- I need a better-paying job.
- I need to spend time with everyone I care about.
- I have to find my most enlightened self.
- I can’t believe I still live at home.
These are just a few of the thoughts that weighed me down. The pressure was intense, and I could feel myself spiraling. Then, someone said to me
“Sometimes, our burdens we carry are actually the blessings that someone else has been begging God to give them”
That statement was a game-changer for me. It was in that moment that I realized I needed to center my life around gratitude.
So, I started to shift my thinking. Instead of:
- I’m so upset I don’t have a man
I began to think: - I’m grateful that I’m not with a man who makes me sad.
It wasn’t an overnight change, but it made all the difference.
I challenge you to do the same:
Take a moment to write down all the expectations and pressures that are weighing on you. Then, try rewriting them in a way that helps you see they are happening for you—not against you. It’s amazing how much lighter life can feel when you make the choice to focus on the good, instead of getting stuck in what’s lacking.
Choose gratitude. Stop letting life make you the victim. What a blessing is it that our minds are not in the hands of another!
So, be grateful for the hard times.
Be grateful for the good.
And bring others along in this journey of gratitude.
When we choose to see the world through a lens of gratitude, everything changes. Let’s embrace that power.