"When each day is the same as the next; it's because people fail to recognize the good things that hapen in their lives every day that the sun rises."
-The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
What is the measure of success? Is it the amount of money we have? Is it the level of power we can wield? Is it measured by the vast acres of land one owns? Have we ever thought that success could also be measured by the number of hearts we've touched, kind words that are multiplied a million times over?
If there were reasons for us to feel discontented, I'd say they'd be countless. There would be countless reasons for us to pity ourselves but then we do have countless blessings too.
"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
I am totally guilty of this. I need to be reminded from time to time that I am just like anyone else, that I am not above the rest. I, like everyone else, have dreams too but I must not let my dreams get to my head; so much so that I trod on other people's feelings. So let me count a few of the countless blessings that I have for these are what keep my feet firmly on the ground.
I am alive. I get up every morning (or night) and I breathe freely without pain and breathe in fresh air. I know that some no longer wake but rather have gone silently into the night. So I am thankful that I live one more day to share with others the blessings I have.
I breathe fresh air. At times, I breathe in the pollution but then it is nothing compared to what others breathe in. I have seen people living on top of dumpsites and who smell the stench and breathe in the fumes of garbage and other biological wastes. I am thankful that I do not live near a chemical factory and breathe in the cancer inducing fumes.
I have a home. I am thankful I come home to a warm, clean and safe house. That I do not have to worry about where to stay for the night; that I do not have to shield myself from heavy downpours and that I am safe from any criminal element. I am thankful that I come home to people I love and who I love in return because other people do not have this luxury.
I have a bed. I am thankful I have a big and comfortable bed with clean smelling sheets and pillows to ease my aching muscles and creaking bones. I have seen how many lie on the cold, hard, and wet pavement.
I have a kitchen. I am thankful because this only means that I can at anytime cook good food. That I can partake of nourishment and lavish on myself and the people I love, delicacies that many will never get to have in a lifetime. I am thankful that I do not go hungry dear Lord and I know that many go to bed without food and worse die of hunger.
I have clean water. I am thankful that aside from the food I eat, I can drink pure and refreshing water. In some places dear Lord, I know that drought reigns the land, that the fields are parched, that there is not even a single drop of water to relieve the thirst of many.
I have friends and family. I am truly thankful dear Lord that I have people who love and support me; that they are with me through thick and thin; that I am entertained and that I have true friends too who hold my hand and guide me along the right path.
I have work. I am truly thankful for this especially now when the rate of unemployment has risen. I am thankful I earn my keep and am able to enjoy life. Teach me Dearest Lord to always be humble; that I continue to pursue my dreams and yet keep my feet on the ground. For as I am elevated in other people's eyes, it is nothing compared to the tremendous power You have over the universe. I am but an instrument of your goodness and kindness. Remind me Dear Lord that pride always goes before a fall.
I undergo trials and tribulations. I am thankful because only through these will my faith and trust in You be strengthened. When I am out of funds, when my boss is disappointed, when things at work do not go the way I want them to - I am still thankful because it is only Your way of showing me that nothing can be done without Your help.
I am whole in mind, body and spirit. I know of people who have lost limbs, who are sick with schizophrenia or Alzeimer's disease and other disorders. When I am stressed I am thankful that my problems are too small to drive me completely insane. When at times I feel lazy and have to walk to work - I am thankful that I can still do so. I am thankful Dear Lord for the inner strength you have given, for the fortitude to do what is right. I am thankful that I can still hope. Where others have become hopeless, where their spirits have failed, I know my spirit relies only on You.
I am thankful that I still have something even if I think I have almost nothing. Dear Lord, you have always provided for me. I may not have seen it before but I admit I was wrong and that You have been with me through the years, protecting me, providing for me, and guiding me. Let me never think that material things are the bane of my existence.
I have many more to be thankful about. In fact, countless reasons why I should never stop thanking you Dear Lord.
