I was checking in with an old colleague of mine a couple of days ago and was asking him how he is and his response has stuck with me since. He said “I’m well, too blessed to be stressed”. The reason why that struck me is because I know that his conditions aren’t exactly ideal, he’s in London doing his second lockdown alone and in isolation without a partner to even keep him company virtually. He has been in the same job for almost 10 years and although it’s a stable job with steady income, by no means is it high paying job that affords him luxuries.
There are other things that come to mind, which from the outside I would have thought would be difficult for him and yet his response reminded me that so much of our experiences are based on how we perceive our circumstances. In reality there are a large number of us that are actually too blessed to be stressed, yet we probably take it for granted and or have other worries on our minds because we’ve never known life to be any different.
That is going to be one of my mantra’s now, something that I will repeat to myself to remind myself of the blessings in my life instead of all the gaps and or obstacles. I do think that generally speaking I am a grateful person, but I also know that there is room for practicing more gratitude, so that I can live a more joyful life. With so much uncertainty still hovering around, with the obstacles that aren’t going away and with the trauma that is still healing, the only way I can develop more energy for myself is by focusing on the beautiful things that are around me and the opportunities that have been granted to me.
Like the other day, I was thinking about how lucky we are to have food supermarkets; where we can access such a broad variety of foods and produce from all around the world, without even having to work for it. What I mean by that is that we’re not harvesting it, we’re not spending time growing it, shedding tears when the environment damages it etc. we are simply utilising the opportunities afforded to us through being employed and earning, to purchase foods that we enjoy and love. This is a daily blessing that we probably take for granted in western society. This is an example of how our day to day lives are full of wonderful blessings that have been camouflaged into the background of our lives. There are countless number of opportunities and blessings like this. It’s just a matter of taking notice of them on a daily basis and not feeling entitled to them.
Let’s lead a day where we recognise all the beautiful blessings in our lives, no matter how small or big they may be. Let’s shift focus and make the most of every breath and every moment.
I know it’s easier said than done, but with practice there will be progress.
Love Always,
M
Souloom™ 