* “Gratitude turns what we have into enough" (Aesop - https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/appreciate-what-you-have.html).
* ”What you appreciate appreciates”( Unknown - https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/appreciate-what-you-have.html)
* “ Appreciate what you have while you have it” (Taylor Swift - https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/appreciate-what-you-have.html).
How do we move through life each day, each week, each month with intention, curiosity, style, and grace? Three key aspects make the journey meaningful: learning new things, slowing down to make the most of each moment, and acknowledging appreciation for what we already have. Two weeks ago, the topic was about lifelong learning and about what you want to learn this year as the first key aspect. Last week’s blog topic was about slowing down to make the most of each moment as the second aspect to making life’s journey more meaningful.This week’s topic is about the third aspect of making life’s journey more meaningful: recognizing and showing gratitude for what we already have in our lives.
Researcher and writer, Avram Alpert, explains, “How to appreciate what you have to better face an imperfect world, try a deeper reflection on the things, people and legacies that make your life possible. To appreciate what you have is to recognise the value of the people, things and world around you, as well as your own attributes – and to treat all of these with the care and consideration they deserve. In this sense, appreciation means not just being grateful for what you have or what you’ve been given, because gratitude does not necessarily imply an attitude of care and consideration. Appreciation, as I use it here, may begin with thankfulness for what you have, but it goes beyond that to a broader understanding of how the world works and what is valuable in that. Appreciation can also lead us to a critical attitude in a way that gratitude does not, because we may recognise that the world and its inhabitants are not cared for as they should be” (https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-appreciate-what-you-have-even-when-it-is-not-perfect).
I am not naturally a contented person. I’m always endeavoring to go beyond what I’ve done, learn all I can learn, strive to improve all areas of my life, to contend with social wrongs and injustice, to campaign for freedom and rights. So, it’s not easy for me to maintain an appreciative heart when so much needs upgrading. To help me recognize, acknowledge, and curate gratitude for what is and what I & the collective ‘we’ already have, I have to intentionally practice gratitude every day. Sometimes, I focus my morning meditation on appreciating simple things like my comfortable bed, the convenience of a working washroom and kitchen, for working heat / AC in my home, for each breath and beat of my heart. On other days, I write what I’m grateful for in a notebook. Other times, I look at photos of people and places that I’m thankful are or have been in my life. Acknowledging and appreciating what I have now opens the way for more good to come into my life.
How do you recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate what you already have in your life? Please share your stories, thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com.
Thank you for reading and participating in this blog essay; I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.
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