“You don’t really know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone, “
– A line from the Fort Minor Song Where’d You Go
Too often when I look back at my own life, I have often failed to realize some of the simple things that I have been blessed with. I was thinking about this the past whole week as I celebrated my 27th birthday. It was only when I was thrown a surprised birthday party I began thinking of the simple things I have begun taking for granted.
Truth to be told, I am blessed beyond a doubt. As my brother candidly put it the other day when we had an open discussion about his life and searching for God’s presence in his mundane world, you are blessed!
Indeed I do feel feel blessed and I do take time to acknowledge my Creator for that. But acknowledging it sometimes, as I have come to realize isn’t merely enough. I used to think it was more than enough to learn how to acknowledge these blessings in life, but I think what I ought to learn next to learn to appreciate the good and simple things in life, and not just wait until the big stuff – stuff that I have always wanted and hope for to lend on my doorstep for me to start to appreciate.
I am talking about the simple things in life – family, friends, a good career, a kind boss, good colleagues, a wonderful community – basically the things that we would often take for granted or overlook due to our hectic non-stop adrenaline pumping lives that we live.
Even just having a good laugh and spending time with friends is something that should be appreciated and be thankful for, because at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, things change. The only thing that is constant is change and it’s the reality that we live in. I have come to observe in my own humble years of living and seeing others live their lives around me, that most people are unhappy not because things are working out bad for them or anything like that, rather it’s because they have failed to see the good in their lives, and even if they do see the good in their lives, it is often filled with some form of pessimism or cynicism, often failing to take the time to just appreciate the fact that something good has happened in their lives.
And I find that sad simply because one is just failing to live the moment. The worse part comes when you once again feel sad because the joy is no longer there, as Mike Shinoda says it well in his song – You don’t know what you’ve got till its gone
So do take the time to appreciate the things around you, especially your friends, your family and your career. It might not be what you’ve expected, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t be thankful and appreciative of it right?
