Gratitude and finding happiness in the tiniest places.
On days when I can’t figure out what I am doing, I turn to gratitude.
Prelude
I wrote this article a few weeks back but never published it because I thought it was not there yet. However, in my recent resolve to do things, I am publishing the pieces in my drafts and hoping you find a story that you can relate to, learn from, or share your experience with us.
Hey buddy,
I hope you’ve been well. The past few weeks have been amazing. I am more calm and collected. I love my new job. I am figuring out my fashion and style while creating Pull requests that get merged with little or no feedback.
I still worry about things, and the panic comes now and then, but I find solace in gratitude.
Note from my musings…
David and I used to live in a two-bedroom apartment. It is spacious and has an open plan. It is the most lovely space I have ever lived in. But sometimes, I feel bad for not having a balcony while failing to realize I have a beautiful rooftop to watch sunrise and sunset.
I don’t live in a condo to see incredible young people every day, but I have a landlord who lives downstairs and can’t bear to see me carry even a pack of water and will rather drive David and me to and from the mall.
I don’t live in the city center and barely have any friends. But whenever I go for a walk, everyone smiles and cheers me on when I am learning to ride a bike.
I don’t have a full-time job that pays insanely, but from the little I earned in the last two years, I went back to school, moved to a new country, and even got married without relying on handouts from anyone.
These are things that lots of people my age can only dream of. My parents are proud of me, and my siblings all wish to take after me.
Some of the things that bring me sparks of happiness
I don’t earn the most or have a car, but it makes me happy to offer to take photos of random people. These strangers are always delighted, which puts a smile on their faces and mine.
And when I notice that someone is trying to figure out a bus stop, I stop to ask them how I can help. Seeing the relief on their faces makes me super happy.
I love speaking to my landlord and his wife because all they do is care, love, hug, and kiss us at every chance they get.
These small deeds make me super happy and fulfilled. And it is a reminder always to be grateful for what I have and achieved.
Take some time to reflect on “What small deeds make you happy.” And always hold onto those thoughts.
Postlude
(Yeah, that’s a fancy word I just learned.)
Something else I wanted to share is an update on how I am staying positive and what’s working.
These days, when I get overwhelmed with everything happening around me — new job, meetings, house hunting, moving, getting lost, and missing appointments, I take a break from doing anything, breathe and say this to myself:
“I got this! I just need to focus on what I can control. I just need to figure out the next step, not the whole journey”.
After this pep talk, I drink water and figure out the next tiniest thing I need to achieve and get it done. Doing even the most tiny things gets me excited about the big ones, helping me sort through my procrastinator tendencies.
I am not where I wanna be yet, but I am here.
Till I write you again, Ciao.
