Happiness isn’t having what you want; It’s wanting what you have. ~Garth Brooks
Often, we don’t show appreciation for something until it is gone, then we realize things weren’t as bad they seemed. We just wanted more! Most times what we have is more than what we need. It’s enough. We often get caught up yearning for all the things we haven’t got in life, a mansion, a certain size, flashy car, designer clothes, drastic weight loss or vacationing on a yacht. We mistakenly think that these are the things that we need to make us happy. However, truthfully, happiness comes from within! We need to nurture the ability to appreciate all the things that we HAVE in life. Good health for ourselves, our friends and family are worth far more than all the riches in the world. A roof over our head, food on our table and the resources to educate our children is all we really need in life…anything else is a luxury. These luxuries may make us feel good temporarily, but are not essential for our happiness.
In 2010 I went on a mission trip to Kenya, Africa. It was truly a life changer for me. Prior to going I took clean running water from my home faucets for granted. Often, I would turn on my shower to let the water get hot and before I knew it 10-20 minutes would go by because I would get distracted and think nothing of all the water I had wasted. While in Kenya I witnessed the villagers standing in line for hours to get water from one water spicket that was running slow. These buckets of water were for the entire family’s daily consumption in addition to having to cook and bathe with. For 10 days, while in Kenya, I watched the village kids come down the hill towards the school taking turns kicking a cloth ball they made from scraps of clothing. I never heard one child complain that there was only one ball, that it didn’t bounce or that it wasn’t a name brand ball. They all took turns kicking the ball smiling and laughing the entire way to and from school. If only we could adapt this spirit, there would be less depression, less jealousy, less obesity and more happiness.
We often lose touch with the beauty of life in pursuit of false happiness. ~Tadda
A dear friend of mine recently shared this story with me. She stated she is currently the biggest size she has ever been in her life. She said I never thought I would weigh this much and feel so out of shape. She said she had recently gone through some old pictures of when she first started working out some 10 years ago … “just think I actually thought I was fat back then and she laughed. I wish I could go back to my so called "Fat Self". I didn’t realize I was perfect the way I was. I have allowed what society says is fit and fine to define me. Through years of chasing one diet to the next, I got so fixated on the next big gimmick to lose weight that I have seem to get bigger and bigger, unhealthier and unhealthier. I wish I could go back to that girl in that picture and say, yes workout to be stay healthy but you are beautiful the way you are.” What would you say to your old self?
Of course, I encouraged my friend to realize that her size does not define the amazing human being that she has become. I also stressed that if one doesn’t like what they see in the mirror it is within their control to change it the healthy way and that every day is a new day to start fresh. It is never over until you believe it is over. We often feel disappointed when we start to look at ourselves through someone else’s mirror, when in fact we had the beauty all along if we only looked at our own mirrors the way we look at others. When we learn to feed our soul and not our desires this game of life shifts us into a grateful atmosphere. To breathe is a gift, to appreciate life is a gift, to be alive is a blessing. Don’t take it for granted. Adopt an attitude of gratitude for all that you have and all that you are! No Mess
