Counting My Grains of Gratitude

These are indeed tough times for most across the world. Especially, where I live. But I have decided not to bring that up here because I want nothing more than sharing positive vibes. Every day feels like a mountain to climb and that simply reflects how important it is to pamper your mental health. So, the one thing I do, in getting through all the negative qi around me, is Gratitude.

What I have truly deduced from my experience is that – it is a cinch to go spiraling down the dark road or hole or whatever it is called. But it can be quite the excruciating trip back up in regaining your normal functioning levels. But to those who have been through that – you would know it was a journey worth it because you do return – as a stronger and better version of yourselves.

Well, honestly, even though writing is my first love, journaling is not my thing. I do find it hard to keep up with penning my thoughts down everyday! But here’s what I do to count my blessings –

1. Read the old text messages that I received from my loved ones when I was down in the dumps. It makes me feel incredibly loved and makes me want to shoot a gratitude note right away to that person or those persons.
2. I have this habit of treasuring any gift that came my way, especially those when I least expected, when I was down. So, I look at them and that makes me feel happier and thankful.
3. I do not wait for birthdays or any sort of special days to remind people of how much I love them. It is quite easy to do that. I make a good use of my camera or Zoom or any video platform for this.
4. I make it a point to do my best in keeping in touch with my grandparents or grand-moms, via voice calls because, trust me, old age is a phase when they would love company. And with lockdowns, it has been incredibly difficult for them, at least in where I live.
5. I stopped keeping a count of what I have achieved during the lockdown like learning new things, etc. Yes, they are undoubtedly good, but if you ask me, if I am able to unconditionally love myself, despite whatever has been happening – at work or otherwise, that would be my winning goal. And I do! Setting boundaries can make you feel powerful, especially in the WFH circumstances.

Life is never a race. But, it is us, who over the course of time, have decided that life is a rat-race. I am not a fan of WFH, like many others, because I work, and I sleep in the same space and it sucks! Well, not all of us can afford to have a separate workspace, but what we can do is be thankful that we have a job amidst the massive unemployment crises that’s all around. And for those who do not have one, (I was there last year and I know exactly how it feels), please do not despair. It is never easy but it is worth the wait for the strong people that you are. This pandemic taught me to look deeper inside myself and realize how blessed I am, to have a wonderful family, a home to stay in, a job to make ends meet, and more. Unlike in other countries, unfortunately, India may not be as privileged to be able to move around freely yet. But, I would like to believe that the better times are only yet to come. It is only a matter of taking one step at a time.