Finding Joy in the Little Things of Life:

Contrast to the image above...... Imagine the image of a teenager who was trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building as the bomb blast hit. After being rescued, the teenager dropped to his knees and exclaimed, "Thank God I'm alive!"

How uplifting and refreshing will it be to develop a daily habit of consistently appreciating every little thing around us?

There is always something to be thankful for, whether small or big. If you are religious, seize every opportunity to say a little prayer and express gratitude for life every hour of the day.

If you are not religious, take some time every hour (a few seconds is all it takes) to appreciate the beauty of our world and the existence created by the universe.

No matter what challenges you may be facing, there are still many things to appreciate in life.

We are surrounded by beautiful things that can bring joy and happiness to our lives, but we are also confronted with the difficult realities of our existence, be it personal difficulties or external difficulties, like the wars that are rampaging our continents.

Choosing to remain positive in spite of any negative circumstances is taking control of your emotions and deciding how you want to feel and be.

Your relationship might not be great right now, but you can be grateful for the fruit of the relationship.

Your family may be apart from you, and you yearn for the closeness and warmth of your family, but you can be grateful for the hope life brings to see them again from the technology of Wi-Fi to the miracle of video messaging. 

You may have experienced a great loss that feels like sharp pain piercing through your heart, but you can be grateful for the love and joy you have had the opportunity to share with them, including the good, the bad and the ugly. 

You may have unfortunately been involved in an accident with a broken leg and massive cast that forced you to stay at home, but you can be grateful for the delivery service, the opportunity to have any meal you desire at your fingertip.

If you have a positive outlook on life, I am confident that you can easily find three things around you that you admire and can be grateful for, from your daily interactions with others to your trips to and from work or grocery shops. 

On the other hand, if you tend to have a negative perspective, I am certain that you will easily find three things to complain about or find fault in within your current surroundings, be it at home, on the street or in your office.

It is the lens that you choose to see the world around you that matters.

I am asking you to take a little time every hour to be thankful and say something positive about where you are right now.

But, remember that in order to say something positive, you must first have a positive mindset. This requires changing your thought patterns and beliefs.

Your perception of life is influenced by your internal compass of thoughts. As the saying goes, ‘Nothing has a meaning until the meaning we choose to give to it’.

Developing a habit of gratitude and positivity is a process that requires effort and may not come naturally. It may be difficult to remember saying something positive to yourself every hour.

However, the more you intentionally seek positivity in your surroundings, the easier it will become to see the beauty of life and the goodness beyond negative behaviours in others.

Create little gestures that could give hope to people around you and be grateful for life.

By doing so, you become an agent of hope to others.

That is the power of gratitude.

Have a great day!