Don’t take anything for granted in your life. Not even the smallest things.
“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at.
This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.”
– Edward de Bono
We go through life never expecting bad things to happen, but when they do, we somehow learn to cherish the things that we have more.
Things don’t always go the way we hope they will.
We work hard, we prepare for good things to happen and then something just doesn’t go our way.
Is it because the universe is out to get us? Or maybe it’s just something that shows us we should be more grateful?
Sometimes, the bad things that happen are just more obstacles that we have to work through on our way to a happier life.
Those little bumps in the road to success are lessons that we need to learn.
They say that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.
He gives us trials that serve us to become better people, we learn a lot, we develop our character, and become even stronger individuals.
The little scars that we get, emotional or mental, we carry with pride. But more often than not, we forget the things we need to be grateful for.
Don’t take anything for granted
The last time I checked, things seemed to eventually work out in our favor, even in those hard times when you forget to believe in yourself.
Just think about it for a moment; one minute, you’re worried about your grades, and the next, you’re a medical doctor, a teacher, or a store manager.
Think about all those times when you went through something life-changing.
Back then, even your loved ones were skeptical about whether you’d make it in life.
There are so many little things that we take for granted, but once they’re gone, we feel like something’s missing.
We can’t always put our finger on it and say, “Ah, that’s what’s missing!” but we feel its absence for sure.
Yes, life has a funny way of working out in our favor, but don’t take anything for granted.
Charles Dickens once said: “Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
He emphasizes the fact that we all go through a lot in our lives, to the point where we forget how blessed we are.
We forget how grateful we should be for the little things.
We’re all in the same boat, more or less.
That’s not to say that one person’s misfortune is the same as another’s; there are people out there whose only goal in life is to get better.
Many of us can’t get out of bed in the morning because of how bad our mental health is.
Others don’t get out of bed in the morning because they know that they won’t have anything to eat that day.
Our struggles are different, but we can relate on certain levels.
We shed tears for each other. Then we realize how fortunate we are.
Don’t take anything for granted. There are so many things that you can be grateful for, from the very tiny things to the big occurrences in life.
I was always very curious about why we actually do take things for granted.
As a veteran Tumblr user, I can remember a time when we would see all those posts and strive to become someone else.
Those things made us completely forget about who we were.
We would romanticize everything and everyone, it didn’t matter how unachievable any goals were.
Because of that, more often than not, we took things for granted.
All those wonderful things posted about made everyone so oblivious to the things we already had.
Today, with the impact of social media, we are constantly comparing our own life with the lives of others.
We want to make positive changes, but we compare our misfortune with the success of someone else.
That’s what makes us even more oblivious to the things we’ve achieved.
All the simple little things are taken for granted and that shouldn’t happen.
We are happy when we have a ton of notifications and likes and when multiple people Snapchat us during the day.
That’s how we measure a happy life, which is so sad. This became even more obvious with Covid and the pandemic happening.
Many people have been very bad mentally, and we don’t know how to help each other.
This has also led to us having to share spaces with our family and friends.
We’re just patiently waiting for a cure. If anything, this pandemic has shown us that we can’t take anything for granted.
Don’t take anything for granted! Especially not the little things
“I think I do appreciate things more now.
The small moments of joy that we find each day are so much more precious now than when I looked at them before.”
– Chris LeDoux
Instead of just babbling on about how we forget to be grateful, I thought I would make a little list of things that we take for granted.
These are things that we forget about most of the time, but we really shouldn’t.
There are people in your life who really do things to make you happy and they make you realize how special you are to them.
1. When someone makes you a Spotify playlist
Music is the soundtrack to your life so how could you not be grateful when someone does this for you?
Don’t take anything for granted, especially not when someone makes the effort and takes the time to make a playlist for you.
They thought about all the songs that reminded them of you and put them all in one place.
Every single song that’s on that playlist is a little message to you, a little letter that they’re sending your way.
We need to be more appreciative of people who take the time of day to do these things for us.
2. Waking up next to someone each morning
It’s not just about opening your eyes and seeing the love of your life next to you. It’s the feeling of safety that comes with it.
You’re in the arms of someone who’s so extremely precious to you. Not many people in this world can experience this.
Don’t take anything for granted, especially not these moments.
Like the mornings when you wake up before your partner and you get a few minutes of just appreciating their sleeping face.
Sometimes, it’s funny. They snore, they sleep with their mouth open, but all of those things make them even more endearing to you.
This is the love of your life and you need to appreciate their presence in these quiet little moments.
3. Don’t take anything for granted, especially not clean sheets
Why would you want to be grateful for something so small? I know that it sounds like something minuscule but bear with me.
It’s Sunday, and you have cleaned your whole house, you put clean sheets on your bed, and you took a shower.
The moment you step into your clean pajamas and your head hits the pillow, you can feel your entire body relax.
Your entire day was filled with productivity and this is your reward at the end of it all.
I don’t know about you, but something like this always makes me feel extremely happy.
I forget to be grateful, I take this little thing for granted, but the happiness it brings me is always there.
4. Singing in your car at the top of your lungs
Don’t take anything for granted, but especially not this little pleasure.
You know those summer days when you’re taking a road trip with your friends or your family.
The sun is out, the windows are down and your jam is on the radio.
All of you are singing at the top of your lungs and the world seems to revolve around you.
This in particular is a small pleasure everyone tends to take for granted, but the happiness it brings is there.
This is when the past and the future don’t matter. The only thing that does is the music, your friends or family, and the wind in your hair.
If you could, you would spend a lifetime in that moment. Don’t take it for granted and be grateful that you can experience it.
5. Taking a nap in the middle of the day
It’s funny how we fall asleep in the middle of the day like something knocked us out.
Like we haven’t slept in days, even if we had a full night of sleep.
Taking a nap like that should be considered a luxury and you should be grateful for it.
Don’t take anything for granted, even when you believe that this is something that everyone can afford (because it’s not).
Remember how lucky you are to be able to do something this small that still makes your body recover for a short time.
When you wake up from a nap and you don’t know what time it is or even how you fell asleep, you know that it has served its purpose.
Your body, mind, and soul are very thankful to you.
6. Don’t take anything for granted, especially not the smell of rain
Rainy days are like a little treat for your anxious mind; unless you are extremely afraid of thunderstorms, of course.
On a stormy day, the sky seems angry, but it really gives the world the water it needs to survive.
So when it’s raining and you’re curled up in a blanket, reading your favorite book, you know that it’s a peaceful time.
When this happens, don’t forget to open the window and enjoy the smell of rain.
So many countries in the world don’t get enough of it, so don’t take anything that the universe gives you for granted.
There are people in this world whose biggest moments in life are related to the rain after long months of sunny days, so be grateful when you get it.
7. Laughing so hard that it takes your breath away
Laughing hard with your loved ones is like a little more than just a moment you should cherish.
You feel so much happiness that it actually takes your breath away.
There’s nothing more special than being surrounded by people who truly get you.
You share the same sense of humor that not everyone will understand.
These people make you bend over from laughter. Tears start to stream down your face and you can’t contain them.
Even if you try to stay serious, you know that you’ll burst into laughter because they know how to coax it out of you.
Don’t take anything for granted and this little moment that you might even forget about should really be special. You should be very grateful for this.
8. Compliments from total strangers
There’s nothing that can empower you as much as a compliment from a passing stranger. They stopped you just to share something nice!
We often feel a little bit apprehensive about sharing compliments with strangers, but we should really make that a practice.
This little gesture can turn your entire day into something very positive.
Like when you wake up and you expect the day to be bad but then someone stops you on your way to work just to say that your outfit is nice, or that you’re very pretty.
My favorite compliment from strangers is when they tell me that I smell really nice.
I know that we shouldn’t take anything for granted and that’s why I’m so extremely grateful for compliments that I get from strangers. As should you.
9. Don’t take anything for granted, especially not your friends
Sometimes, it’s easy to take your friends for granted, especially when you’ve known them for quite some time.
You think that your bond is very strong and therefore they won’t abandon you.
However, you really need to be aware of the fact that it can be detrimental to your friendship if you take them for granted.
We fall in love and then we put our partner first on our priority list.
Even if we don’t mean to, we stop putting effort into our friendships and that’s not all right.
Don’t forget to make time for your best friend. Take them out for coffee and be there when they need a shoulder to cry on.
That’s exactly what they do for you. Even if you do break up with your partner, your friend will still be there to make you feel better.
Don’t take anything for granted, especially not this bond you two have.
10. When your mom brings you food without asking
I don’t think that there is anything more precious than when your mom cuts up fruit or makes a sandwich and brings it to you, without even asking you first.
That’s what happens when someone thinks about you and actually cares about you.
Of course, we should be grateful for our entire family, but our moms do so much for us that we take for granted.
Don’t take for granted anything that your mother does. She’s an angel who always looks after you.
She takes care of her child and she does so much to ensure that you’re okay. Be grateful for every little thing that she does for you.
I know that not everyone is blessed enough to have a great relationship with their mother, so don’t forget to thank yours for her efforts.
11. Opportunities you have
Let’s be honest, not everyone has the same opportunities in their life.
You’ve probably had many opportunities in yours that led you to be the successful and amazing human being that you are today.
You went to school, you had opportunities to work in the field you’re working in, and now you have a life of your own.
We need to be able to understand the opportunities we have been given in our lives.
We put a lot of work into everything, but sometimes we forget to be grateful for the privileges we’ve been lucky enough to have.
Don’t take for granted anything that has been a part of your life and that has brought you to the point where you’re at right now.
You are a successful individual and that should never be taken for granted.
12. Don’t take anything for granted, particularly not yourself
I know that I said that we should be grateful for the little things in life, but this is not a little thing…
Look at yourself! Look at where you are right now.
You’re happy. Even if you’re married, if you have kids, if you’re working the job you love, you may still forget to be thankful for it.
Don’t take for granted anything that you have done for yourself.
Those opportunities that were there were things that you embraced to the fullest, but you stilled worked so hard to get where you are today.
No one should take you for granted and neither should you.
You have gone through so many ups and downs. Life probably wasn’t kind to you on your way to where you are right now.
You have endured heartbreak and mistreatment by people who didn’t believe in you or how far you’d get in your life.
That’s why now you’ve proved all of them wrong.
You proved many people wrong with the life you’ve created for yourself. Don’t forget to appreciate yourself.
I know that we’re not used to hearing this.
We’re used to hearing other people telling us that we should always be thankful for the things that we have been given in life.
No one tells us that we should be grateful for the things we have done for ourselves.
Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back. Start each morning off with a little self-love speech; I promise you that it’ll be worth it.
Conclusion
“It’s not a bad idea to occasionally spend a little time thinking about things you take for granted. Plain everyday things.“
– Evan Davis
After reading this article, are you finally aware of the things that you’ve taken for granted one too many times?
Are you finally able to see how we go through life, without ever looking around us to appreciate the little things, the plain everyday things?
We forget to appreciate the sun that comes through our windows in the morning, or the cool winter breeze.
We forget to be grateful for the touch of a loved one or the motivational words of our co-workers.
There’s so much we need to pay attention to, there’s so much around us we need to stop ignoring.
You’re not the only person who goes through life forgetting how special a boring evening at home actually is. We’re all guilty of that.
That’s exactly why you need to remind the people around you of the beautiful things in their life.
It’s not our fault. Our anxious minds are so occupied with daily tasks that we sometimes forget to even breathe.
However, falling in love with minuscule things can only remind us how precious life actually is.
So, take a moment and pause whatever you’re doing. Express your gratitude.
Express your appreciation to the people around you. Tell your friends how precious they are to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life.
When you’re with your partner, tell them how much you love them. I know that they probably hear it a lot, but one can never hear it too much.
Tell them how grateful you are to live in the same times as them and how fortunate you both were to find each other.
Even when you look at the sky, smile at the stars. It sounds like you’re romanticizing everything, but why is that bad?
Don’t take anything for granted, so if that means that you need to romanticize every moment of every day, do it!
Because we really are fortunate to be here.
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