Gratitude Is A Must // Happy New Month!! 🙌🎉

December is upon us, so is the end of the year! We should have a lot to be grateful for.

Boakye D. Alpha

Dec 01, 2022

1×

0:00

-3:05

Listen to this while you read.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius

Everyone’s life is unique, but almost all of us experience hard times at some point in life. Life can get so difficult and frustrating that we lose all hope that it will get better. Sometimes we may feel lonely or depressed. Often, we may be ill or confused. Imagine the worst suffering a person can suffer, and we endure it. Sometimes it becomes impossible to continue fighting and not concede defeat. But there is always one thing we can do to make life warmer and happier. We must be grateful!

Join Boakye D. Alpha’s subscriber chat

Available in the Substack app and on web

There are certain people and certain situations we sometimes get exposed to that humble us. Whenever are feeling our "worst," they help us to remember how fortunate we really are. They show us that even at our lowest, there is always someone who has it worse than we do, and that helps us realise how much we take for granted. They remind us that we have something that a lot of people will be glad to have.

This article was inspired by the many times I have recently been reminded of this same fact.

Some people could be given an entire field of roses and only see the thorns in it. Others could be given a single weed and only see the wildflower in it. Perception is a key component to gratitude. And gratitude a key component to joy.

— Amy Weatherly

People are going through situations worse than yours and sometimes you just have to think about that and put yourself in their shoes to that know that maybe your problem is not that bad. It is in our human nature to long for more, to grieve over the things we don't have yet. That's totally acceptable, by the way. But sometimes instead of beating yourself up for all the things you wish to have, all things you can't afford (yet), all the wins you haven't had yet, all the dreams not fulfilled, all the plans delayed, all the pain and heartbreak you have to endure, and what have you, remember that someone was not even given a fighting chance to worry about not winning. Some people cannot even dare to dream to even beat themselves up for these unfulfilled dreams or failures.

It's possible that there are people who are no longer with us who would rather be alive than dead, even if it means experiencing the same level of suffering that you do. Many people are clinging to the brink of survival. The lack of even the most basic necessities, such as clothing and food, has left some people with nothing to live on. Many people have it far worse than you do right now (no matter what your situation may be).

I would advise you to give yourself some slack from time to time, despite the fact that it is reasonable to worry about the things you lack and to strive with all your might to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Be kind to yourself. Breathe. Everything will be just fine.

Instead of being grateful for achievement and good life, we can be grateful for our circumstances, regardless of what they may be. Being appreciative during difficult times does not imply contentment with our circumstances. However, it does indicate that we have the faith to look beyond our obstacles. When we feel grateful, we have faith and hope in things that we cannot see but that is true. When we are appreciative, we recognise that our conditions could have been worse.

Stop focusing on how stressed you are and remember how blessed you are. It could be so much worse.
—Unknown

It is the first day of the last month of the year! Happy New Month!

I know that while we are nearing the end of the year, many of us might feel a bit overwhelmed by what we couldn’t accomplish this year. We may feel disappointed that our bad situations didn’t receive any improvement. We may feel left out because we didn’t make much progress while our fellows are over the top achieving great things.

As I said, all that feeling is valid but I want to remind you that if for nothing at all, hey, you have life! You are alive! You have been given another chance to try again the next year. There is still hope for things to change for the best. You still got this!

As John Green said,

What an astonishment to breathe on this breathing planet. What a blessing to be Earth loving Earth.

Remember that your circumstances may not always inspire gratitude, but focusing on the things you have to be grateful for may give you a lift, perhaps put a smile on your face, and encourage you to keep going and bring more reasons to be grateful into your life. Even in the worst of situations, good can always be discovered. And when you choose gratitude in the midst of adversity, this may be the catalyst that propels you forward.

I hope you find more reasons to smile this month and in the years to come. Know that you were made for greatness!