Lately, I’ve found myself in a rut: I ruminate on what I lack in life. I see others on social media being active outdoors, going to concerts and plays, and spending time with friends and family. I’m sorry to admit that I envy them.
I don’t believe I’m alone feeling this way. No one’s life is always ideal; most of us want more from our existences.
While meditating, I was shown that by dwelling on what’s lacking in my life only makes me more miserable. The poor me attitude holds me down and turns me into a victim. I refuse to be a victim of my mindset any longer.
The benefits of focusing on the bright side:
- Focusing on what we lack, magnifies our challenges making it harder for us to work through them.
- When we concentrate on what’s wrong, we minimize what is going well. This leads us to take those good aspects for granted.
- When we turn our mindset to recognizing our blessings, we strengthen the positive energy around us and foster gratitude in our daily lives.
Shifting to a gratitude-centered mindset can be seismic; it has almost as much power to shape us as love. Being thankful rewires the brain and helps us to fully appreciate every blessing. Practicing gratitude can lower our stress and help us take positive steps to overcome challenges.
If we allow our challenges to consume the predominant part of our brain, the blessings get pushed to the background. Let’s bring them forward and fully appreciate what we have. Can you imagine what life would be like without your children, grandchildren, fur baby, significant other or friends? Or not having a bed to sleep in at night? Or what if you didn’t have the health to attend a farmer’s market, concert or party?
By shifting our focus, we’ll find that even the smallest actions will brighten our day. We’ll even notice how the good—the reliable in our lives—outweighs the bad. Being grateful keeps us in the present instead of focusing on past mistakes or future worries. For me, this exercise makes me value my support system, caring doctors and having a roof over my head.
Most importantly, we’ll learn that The Most Divine will always give something of comfort even in the most difficult of times. So, what’s right in your life?