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Are You Taking Your Life for Granted?

Lauren Grace Living

Archive

Are You Taking Your Life for Granted?

Last week I found myself in a funk. Feeling down, unmotivated, and apathetic. I couldn’t stop ruminating over the fact that I wasn’t able to make it to New York City this year on my annual fall trip. I love New York, and when I’ve been away for too long I really begin to crave it. I’ve been itching to hop on a plane and get to the city all year long. But last week I had to face the facts that for a number of reasons, it just wasn’t going to happen this year. And I had to come to terms with the reality that I might not be able to get there anytime soon either. Bottom line, life wasn’t working out quite how I had planned and I was upset about it.

We’ve all been there. Faced with disappointment and let down. Expectations not being met, things not turning out quite as we had hoped. Broken expectations could send anyone into a funk.  The question is, do you want to stay there?

I wanted to stay there. I felt like a bratty little kid, standing in the corner with my arms crossed, pouting at the universe. Refusing to smile or feel grateful for anything else in my life, because I didn’t get what I wanted. I’m pretty sure I even stomped my feet a few times to emphasize my frustration.

Of course I was being ridiculous, I was well aware. I was basically throwing a temper tantrum over the fact that things didn’t go my way, and yes I’m 31 years old. I knew that my little fit wouldn’t last forever, but I was riding it out for the time being.

3 days into my pity party I went out for a run on Siesta Key beach. Running is one of my favorite ways to get out my frustration and anger. So as I again began to dwell on all the things that weren’t going right in my life, I suddenly realized where I was. I was out running on a gorgeous morning, at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I slowly felt myself being pulled out of my funk by gratitude.

Gratitude for the fact that I live in paradise. Gratitude that my body is healthy enough to run. Gratitude that I make my own schedule and can run whenever I want. And the list of things to be grateful about just kept coming to me. Soon my mind and heart was overflowing with appreciation for my life. I’m one blessed girl.

Suddenly I felt so silly for being such a brat about the whole New York thing. Yes I wish I could have been there this year, and maybe things didn’t go as I had planned. But I realized I was so focused on what was going wrong that I was taking for granted all the things that were going right.

And this is from the girl that writes a gratitude list every night! At the end of the day I list 5 things that I am grateful for. But it’s been so easy to breeze through the list, writing quickly, without really feeling grateful. So I realized that I need to slow down when I write this list. Give myself a moment to really take in the gratitude, to acknowledge the good in my life, and not just take it for granted.

When we take things for granted it is all too easy to find ourselves acting like a brat and throwing ourselves a pity party. Now sometimes you do need to throw yourself a little pity party. We all have the permission to have a bad day every now and then. But it doesn’t serve you or anyone else to stay in that state. You need gratitude to pull you out.

Feel like you have nothing to be grateful for? Think again.

If you are reading this blog, you have access to the internet, which is amazing!

Did you sleep in a bed last night? Have a roof over your head? Food in your stomach? Can you walk, talk, see, and hear? Then you have something to be grateful for. This list might seem ridiculous to you, but just think of how your life would be if you didn’t have those things? Because a good third of the world doesn’t. Sometimes you have to focus on the basics to really get into an attitude of gratitude.

With Thanksgiving coming up this week it is the perfect time to get grateful. Really think about the things you take for granted in your every day life and feel gratitude for them. I bet your life is way more amazing then you realize, and I hope this little blog will help open your eyes to the good that is all around you.

Happy Thanksgiving.